Graduation
A special time to mark your success
Degrees are conferred by the University at a ceremony in the Senate House known as a Congregation. People due to take a degree (graduands) are presented for their degrees to the Vice-Chancellor (or deputy) by an officer of the College known as the Praelector. The Praelector for Churchill College is Dr John Fawcett, and the Deputy Praelector is Mr Matthew Ireland.
Please note: Bookings close 3-4 weeks before each graduation date. This is to meet University deadlines and may be subject to change.
You cannot be awarded a degree until you have satisfied the necessary academic conditions.
For any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Tutorial Office.
Graduation options
Graduate in absence
You may choose to receive your degree in absence. In this case your certificate will be sent to the address given on your application. Certificates are normally sent within 1-2 weeks of the graduation ceremony.
In Absence Dates Only – Closing Dates
Friday 29 January: Opening Michaelmas 2026
Saturday 3 April: Opening Michaelmas 2026
Graduate in person
On the days of degree Congregations, the Praelector hosts a lunch for those taking degrees in person.
Lunch is free for all those who are taking degrees. If you wish to bring any guests to the lunch the cost is £33.25 per head, and the number of lunch guests is not restricted.
We can offer up to two tickets for guests to the Senate House. Please ask to go on a waiting list if extra Senate House tickets are required, however, these cannot be guaranteed.
A timetable of the day will be e-mailed to you approximately one week before the congregation, when timings of the ceremony are known.
Please see below for this year’s graduation dates.
MA Graduation
If you hold a Cambridge BA, you may proceed to the MA not less than six years from the end of your first term of residence, providing that you have already graduated with your BA degree. Once you have received confirmation from the Tutorial Office that you are eligible you may register to receive your MA degree in person or in absence.
Degree ceremony dates
Please note: Bookings close 3-4 weeks before each graduation date
We strongly recommend you read all the information on this page before booking.
If you wish to graduate In Absence on any of the following dates, please complete this form.
Michaelmas Term 2026
Saturday 24 October
Saturday 28 November
Lent Term 2027
Friday 29 January (in absence only)
Saturday 27 February
Saturday 3 April (in absence only)
Saturday 10 April
Easter Term 2027
Saturday 1 May (Preferred 2020 cohort MA graduation date)
Friday 21 May
General Admission 2027
(BA, BA with MEng, MMath or MSci, VetMB, and BTh degrees only)
Saturday 3 July (General Admission)
Long Vacation 2027
Friday 23 July
Please note you cannot be awarded a degree until you have satisfied the necessary academic conditions.
Dress code
Strict advice from the Praelector to those proceeding to degrees.
If graduands do not wear the prescribed dress they will find themselves in the embarrassing position of being excluded from the ceremony by the Proctors.
The following rules apply to academical dress worn by those proceeding to degrees:
- A person who does not hold a Cambridge degree already (that is anyone about to receive a first degree or anyone whose previous degree or degrees were conferred elsewhere) must wear either an undergraduate gown, a BA status gown, or an MA status gown as appropriate, and the hood of the degree, or the higher of the degrees, which he or she is to receive.
- A person who already holds a degree or degrees of the University must wear the gown and hood of the highest degree he or she has already received from the University.
- In no circumstances should the academic dress of another university be worn.
Graduands may wear whatever clothing they are comfortable with so long as it conforms to the dress code below. Please follow the regulations carefully. You should be alright if all your own clothing, except for the shirt or blouse, is strictly black.
Graduands must be dressed as follows:
- One of the following:
- black, plain, formal trousers
- black, plain, formal skirt (of adequate length for kneeling)
- black, plain, formal, long-sleeved dress
- With trousers or skirt: a white, plain (i.e., no lace, frills, patterns or ornaments), formal, collared, long-sleeved shirt or blouse that can be buttoned or fastened at the neck.
- With trousers (and optionally with skirt): a white bow tie and white academic bands. The bow tie and bands must be worn together and cannot be worn separately.
- Either:
- with trousers: black, unpatterned socks
- with skirt or dress: black or skin-toned, unpatterned tights or stockings.
- Black, formal shoes or black, plain, formal ankle boots (eg. no sandals, sling-backs, open-toed shoes, work-boots or trainers); any stitching and laces to be black; with no ostentatious buckles or ornaments.
- The following are permitted but entirely optional:
- a black belt, plain and unornamented
- a jacket and/or waistcoat exactly matching trousers or skirt to make a suit
- a black cassock, worn over dark clothes, with either clerical collar and white academic bands or white bow tie and white academic bands
- plain religious head-covering.
Please note: While black is the model for “dark clothes”, fabric that is very nearly black and makes no obvious contrast with a black gown is acceptable.
Hoods and gowns
Those who are hiring hoods are advised to make early arrangements with the robe-makers, as there can be very heavy demand. Tattered gowns may also cause their owners to be excluded from the Senate-House by the Proctors.
Hoods should be attached to a button on the front of a graduands’ shirt or blouse. If the garment worn is too light-weight or the graduand is wearing a black dress without buttons, hoods can be discreetly pinned to gowns to hold them in place. If you think your hood will need to be pinned, please speak to the Praelector or a member of the Tutorial Office when instructed to do so as part of the dress rehearsal.
Cambridge Academic Dress Hire is available from Ede & Ravenscroft or Ryder & Amies.
Further guidance
Personal belongings
- No items are permitted to be carried inside the Senate House, other than the optional square cap. Please make alternative arrangements for these.
Head-dress
- A square cap (mortarboard) is entirely optional. Graduands may wear one outside the Senate-House before and after the ceremony but must take it off and carry it (preferably in the left hand) inside the Senate-House. No other head-dress is permitted other than a plain religious head-covering.
National and military dress
- National dress or UK service uniform may only be worn with prior permission of the Proctors, which must be made in writing. Please contact the Praelector at least 10 days before the ceremony, who in turn will make an application on your behalf to the Proctors.
- The proposed national or religious dress or uniform must be such as would be considered appropriate at a graduation or other occasion of similar formality.
- The national or religious dress or uniform must be worn correctly and must not be combined with the regular dress code.
- It must be practical for the national or religious dress or uniform to be worn underneath a gown and hood.
Accessories
- No weapons of any kind are permitted (even where normally part of national or service dress: accordingly, no sgian dubh is to be worn with Highland dress, for example).
- Conspicuous jewellery, hair accessories or other ornamentation are not permitted.
- Pins or other ornaments are not permitted, other than small lapel pins depicting the University or college arms which are attached to clothing (not to gowns).
Accessibility
Graduands normally kneel when admitted and the Vice-Chancellor confers their degree. Anyone who does not wish to/is unable to kneel should just stand in front of the Vice-Chancellor instead. Please speak to the Praelector or the Tutorial Office during the dress rehearsal if you have any questions regarding this. You do not need to seek permission not to kneel in advance.
Please note that the walk to the Senate House is well over a mile. If you need assistance in making the journey due to accessibility requirements, please speak to the Tutorial Office.
An assistive listening / hearing enhancement system is available in Senate House. The approach/entrance to the building has no more than three steps and step-free access is available.
Certificates and transcripts
A service that allows you to access your official transcript electronically remains in place and has been enhanced to include an image of your graduation certificate. This subscription service to Digitary allows you to share documents on-line with other organisations such as employers or other educational institutions. Further information is available in the link below.
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