Your Graduation Day

Timings on the Day 

When you arrive

On the day of your graduation congregation students are advised to arrive approximately 1½ hours before your congregation.

Please ensure you arrive at The College to register for your congregation and collect your registration card. From there, you should then collect your robes in good time for your congregation.  We recommend you allow 1½ hours before your congregation start time to do this.  You can have your photographs taken either before or after your congregation. The photography studios are also situated in Y Twyni.

You can then make your way to The Great Hall to take your seats for the congregation. You must be seated 15 minutes before your congregation start time to ensure your participation in the congregation. Doors to the auditorium will open approximately 30 minutes before the congregation. 

Graduands should leave all personal belongings with their guests before taking their seats in the hall; graduands will only require their registration card. Graduands must sit in their numbered seat; the number will be clearly shown on your registration card. 

Guests will be able to enter the auditorium 30 minutes before the start of the congregation. All guest seating will be unallocated. Entry to the hall will not be permitted before this time.

The whole event will be clearly signposted and ushers will be on hand to assist you. 

During the congregation

During the congregation, graduands will sit in the seat number shown on their registration card, which they will receive on the day when they arrive and register.

Graduands should leave all personal belongings with their guests before taking their seats in the hall; graduands will only require their registration card.  Registration cards will consist of the graduand's seat number, name, and space to provide a phonetic name spelling to assist with name pronunciation.

A marshal will instruct the graduands when to leave their seats. They will then be directed to the stage door.

When your name is called out you will pass your registration card to the presenter before crossing the stage, doffing your cap to the Chancellor or Pro-Chancellor and then continuing to the centre of the stage and down the steps to return to your seat. 

After the congregation

Following each congregation you can have official photographs taken in Y Twyni if you have not done so before your ceremony.  

Your academic robes can be worn throughout the day but must be returned by the time shown above.  

If you are unable to attend your congregation due to unforeseen circumstances please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Students who appear in the congregation brochure and do not attend will graduate in absentia.  Please note that deferments are not usually granted, apart from in exceptional circumstances. 

Guests

You will be able to enter the auditorium approximately 30 minutes before the congregation start time and MUST be seated no later than 15 minutes before the congregation commences.  Ushers will be on hand to direct you accordingly.

The congregation is likely to last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes and, therefore, it may be unsuitable for small children or babies.  

If you or any member of your party has any disabilities or mobility issues please inform us in advance of your congregation so that we can reserve appropriate seating - Contact The Graduation Team. Ushers will be on hand to assist guests with special requirements. 

Following the congregation, you are politely asked to vacate the auditorium in order for staff to prepare for the next congregation. You may wish to head to Y Twyni to have official photographs taken.

View and download past and present graduation brochures 

Official Photographs

A team of professional photographers from Tempest will be available throughout graduation week and will be situated in Y Twyni.

You can have your photo taken on your own and/or with your family and friends.  There is no need to pre-book; just turn up on the day.

To view the full range of products, please visit Tempest’s website. 

On-Stage Photo and Ceremony Download

All students will be able to purchase a printed photograph of their time on stage with the Chancellor or the Pro-Chancellor on the day of their congregation, along with a ceremony download of their whole congregation.  

These can be purchased in-person on your graduation day in Y Twyni, or by emailing gradsales@swansea.ac.uk / completing this form.  Please note that the payment method is card only.  

If you have placed an order for your on-stage photo and are unable to collect in person, please note that the following postage charges will apply (UK postage only – all items sent first class):

Printed photos - Up to 3x large, up to 3x3 small, or mix and match:  £4

Additional Graduation photos will also be posted on the University Flickr albums.

Students, guests and staff attending graduation should be aware that degree and award congregations are regarded as public events. 

Names and awards (including those receiving their award in absentia) are published in the programme. 

Audio and visual images of the congregation are publicly available via a live webcast, social media and the sale of DVDs of the congregation. 

By confirming your attendance at the ceremony, attendees hereby give Swansea University the right to print their name and award in the programme publication. Attendees and their guests also give Swansea University the right to use video recording(s), sound recording(s), photograph(s) and any content/copy/quotes generated for use in any productions where Swansea University may wish to use the material(s) for marketing and publicity, trade promotion.   

In accordance with the General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 the material will be used solely for the promotion or benefit of Swansea University. 

Materials can remain in the public domain for an indefinite period of time and may be used for educational and/or marketing purposes. They may require editing for quality or technical purposes and will be stored securely by the University or its agents. 

Material(s) will be the copyright of Swansea University and may be used as is or in conjunction with other material(s), as part of a composite production. 

Note to those not attending (receiving award in absentia): if you object to the publication of your personal data in the programme (name and award), please inform the Graduation Office.

Your family and friends who would like to share your special day but do not have tickets, can still watch the ceremony live.  

Guests who do not have a ticket will be able to watch the congregations via a live feed in room GH043, located on the ground floor of the Great Hall.

All ceremonies will be broadcasted live on our website at http://www.swansea.ac.uk/graduation/ and can be watched via the internet.

The live feed screen will appear automatically at the beginning of each ceremony.  

Graduation merchandise is available from Fulton Outfitters: www.fultonoutfitters.co.uk 

Car parking will be available at Fabian Way Park and Ride. A £1.00 charge will be payable on arrival at the car park. Luxury coaches and accessible buses will operate between the designated car park and the Bay Campus. Coaches will run continuously during a specified window to ensure that you arrive on time for your congregation.   

The graduation coaches and accessible buses will ONLY be provided from Fabian Way Park & Ride.  If you choose to use any other city centre car park or Park & Ride site you will need to check their specific bus services and timetables.

Fabian Way park and ride site is situated just off the A483, approximately 1.5 miles east of the city centre. From the M4, exit at Junction 42 (Swansea East) and follow the 'Swansea' road signs for approximately four miles. Fabian Way is only a 10-minute drive from the M4.  (Fabian Way Park and Ride, Fabian Way, Swansea, SA1 8LD

Coaches will run throughout the day returning guests to the car park. The first return coaches will depart once the first ceremony has finished (approx. 10.45am) and will continue running throughout the day until the advertised finish time: Winter 2024 Graduation Bus Timetable.

Please note that parking at the Bay Campus will not be available for guests and graduands during the congregations as this is a normal working week for staff.  Limited spaces are available to guests and/or graduands with disabilities and these will be allocated by the Graduation Office following completion of the booking process.  Graduands and their guests will not be able to access the campus car parks and will be redirected to Park and Ride car parks if they have not been awarded a graduation parking permit. 

DIRECTIONS TO FABIAN WAY PARK & RIDE CAR PARK

(GPS - SA1 8LD)

 The Fabian Way Park and Ride is situated just off the A483, approximately 1.5 miles west of the Bay Campus. 

From the M4, exit at Junction 42 (Swansea East) and follow the 'Swansea' road signs for approximately four miles. The Fabian Way Park & Ride Car Park is signposted on the right-hand side. From Swansea city centre, head out of Swansea along Fabian Way and the Park & Ride Car Park is on the left-hand side.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

• If you are arriving by public transport, Swansea Railway Station is on the main West coast line from London Paddington, approximately 3 hours away.
• Visitors arriving by train are advised to take a bus to Swansea Bus Station from directly outside the railway station.  First Cymru buses will operate to Swansea Bus Station and there is a taxi rank just outside the Railway station.   
• Please click visit Traveline Cymru to access a bus and rail travel journey planner.

This map outlines all the key way finding points you may need when attending your winter graduation ceremony at Swansea University. 

For any queries you may have, please check out the web pages or contact The Graduation Team.