Frequently Asked Questions

You will NOT be eligible to attend your graduation ceremony if any of the following apply to you:

• You must have completed your programme of study or are in the process of completing your studies this academic year
• You must have no outstanding debts owed to the University of Salford.
  

If you graduated in a previous academic year but have not yet attended a ceremony please email grad-acd@salford.ac.uk or call 0161 295 6270 / 2313 if you would like to attend this year's graduation.

(Engineering students who opt to continue onto the MEng are not eligible to graduate with a BEng - students are only allowed to obtain one qualification from MEng/BEng programmes.)

If you make an academic appeal or plan to be reassessed in modules for which you have been awarded compensation and you are unsure if you are eligible to attend Graduation, please click here

Please check if you are unsure, as any student who is in debt to the University will not be allowed to graduate. Please see the web page on debts owed to the University for further details. All debts must be cleared by 14 June 2013 (please allow sufficient time for any cheques to clear by this date).

You must also return all library books before graduating, as these are classed as debts.

Have you checked your Salford email address? If you have not received an email in March your school may not have informed the Student Administration Office of your eligibility to graduate. Please contact your School Office immediately so that they can check that you are eligible to graduate.

Graduation will take place at The Lowry, Salford, Salford Quays, from 16-19 July 2013. Please note: this is the Lowry Theatre, not the Lowry Hotel. The exact time and date of your ceremony will depend on the programme you studied and the school in which you studied. See the Schedule of Ceremonies to see when your ceremony will take place. When you book to attend your graduation ceremony you will be informed of the ceremony to which you are invited.

Unfortunately you cannot choose to attend a different ceremony from the one to which you have been invited. If you are unable to attend the appropriate ceremony this year you are welcome to attend the ceremony next year instead.

You can make arrangements to receive your certificate after the ceremony, either by collecting it from the Student Administration Office, or by making arrangements to have it sent by post to your home address.

If you would like your certificate posted to you please supply the Student Administration Office of your name, Student ID number and address to which you want your certificate posting.

Details of how to get to The Lowry can be found on their website The Lowry, Salford. The nearest car park is the NCP multistorey at the adjacent Lowry Designer Outlet (charges apply). If you are travelling by public transport. details can be found at the Greater Manchester PTE site. The nearest Metrolink stop is MediaCityUK.

You should aim to arrive at least two hours before the ceremony to give yourself ample time to pick up your tickets, collect your gown and hood, and register. You must register in the Quays Theatre, no less than ninety minutes before the start of the ceremony.

The ceremony will last approximately one hour.

It is vital that you arrive in good time for your ceremony and we ask that you arrive 2 hours before your ceremony is due to commence. Please note that graduates will not be admitted to the theatre any later than 30 minutes before the ceremony is due to begin, there is no exception to this rule.

You can prepare for your ceremony by following the below checklist:

• Schedule of Ceremonies
• Registration
• Gown Hire
• Booking Additional Tickets
• Certificates

If you have changed your name during your studies here please inform the Student Administration Office as soon as possible. You will be required to produce documentation e.g. a marriage certificate or deed poll, to support the changes. Otherwise, the name on your certificate will match the name you used when you registered for your studies.

If you have registered online to attend your ceremony you will automatically be sent a link to the Graduation Pack which contains full details about preparing for your ceremony and what to do on the day. If you have not yet received your Graduation Pack you can download one by clicking here.

There is no charge for graduation. The only compulsory cost that you will incur is the hire of the academic gown and this is paid directly to Ede & Ravenscroft. However, if you wish to purchase additional tickets, in addition to the two free tickets you receive when you register, there will be a charge of £15.00 for these. Official photographs and souvenirs will be available for purchase on the day.

You will receive two complementary guest tickets for your ceremony, providing you register before 13 May 2013.

If you wish to purchase extra guest tickets they will be available to purchase on a first-come first-served basis from 14 May 2013, priced at £15.00 each.

Extra guests tickets will be available to purchase from 14 May 2013 from our online shop. You must have registered for your ceremony before attempting to order extra guest tickets.

Extra guest tickets must be paid for at the time of ordering. We cannot reserve guest tickets for you unless we have received payment.

Additional guest tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis, so order early to avoid disappointment. The University reserves the right to close any ceremony once fully booked. Please note in the event of heavy booking, closure may take place before the deadline of 14 May 2013.

You can request a "Proof of Study Letter including Graduation Ceremony Information" which can be used for overseas guests, at the following link

The University has negotiated special rates with a number of local hotels. Please visit Accommodation for more information.

For more information about The Lowry Theatre please click here.

The Lowry Theatre and Gallery Complex are offering our Graduates and their families a special Graduation menu in the Lowry Restaurant. The restaurant is situated next to the Lyric Theatre, where your Graduation ceremony will take place and overlooks the stunning Salford Quays. Telephone 0161 876 2121 to reserve your table. Find out more

Menu will be available in May 2013.

Please note a discretionary 10% service charge will be added to your bill.Of this amount, 60% contributes towards the cost of free meals for all staff within our catering department, with the remaining 40% to be split between Supervisors, Restaurant and Kitchen staff, paid pro-rata based on the number of hours worked.  This money is paid to employees through our payroll system.  The Lowry does not take a percentage of the service charge to cover handling costs and payroll processes. Our procedure for tips and service charge is in line with the British Hospitality Association Codes of Practice.

The official photographer for the Graduation Ceremony is Tempest Photography (01736 752411). You must order your photography ‘package’ on the day with Tempest Photography. Photographs will be available as formal portraits of individuals, small groups of up to seven and as ‘capture the moment’ as you cross the stage.

Guests and graduates are not allowed to use cameras or video recorders in the theatre during the ceremony itself.

Please note: the University cannot be held responsible for photographs taken by any other unofficial companies who may be operating in the area.

The ceremony is a formal occasion, so graduates and guests are asked to dress appropriately. You are advised to wear dark trousers or a skirt under your robes and a buttoned shirt or blouse to secure the hood. Graduates must also be wearing the appropriate academic gowns and hoods.

You are welcome to bring children along to your ceremony, however we do request that any children in attendance are kept as quiet and still as possible to avoid disturbance to other guests and graduates. Children under the age of two years (up to a maximum of two per graduating student) can attend free of charge, but must sit on the knee of an adult guest. Children aged two years and above must have a full price guest ticket for entry to the ceremony.

Alternatively, there will be a nursery available supervised by fully trained staff. Please note that the nursery is at Allerton on the Frederick Road Campus and you will need to make arrangements with the Nursery Manager regarding sessions and availability of places. There will be a charge for this service and places are limited.

Please allow sufficient time to drop your child off prior to the ceremony.

You must be at the Lowry 90 minutes before your ceremony time - Salford Quays is approximately a 5 minute drive from the University.

Indicate on your reply form if this is the case and we will make appropriate arrangements or contact you to discuss them. The Lowry Outlet Mall, adjacent to the Lowry, has designated areas for disabled parking on each level. Blue badge holders should enter the car park at the entrance near the mini roundabout on the road leading from the Quays, as this will allow parking on the ground floor level.

If you have not already collected or arranged postage of your certificate, you can collect your certificate on the day of your ceremony by producing photographic identification and/or your ‘lilac’ graduation ticket, at the certificate desk from 8.30am.

Please note: you can only collect your certificate from the Lowry on the actual day of your ceremony.

The Students’ Union will have a stall at Graduation with merchandise (including Class of 2013 t-shirts), photographer and framer.
The ‘Class of 2014’ t-shirts will also be on sale from our shops from around mid May.

If you have an enquiry relating to your eligibility to graduate or your certificate you can contact the Student Administration Office on 0161 295 5309.

You should contact the Events team on 0161 295 5114 / 2313 if you have queries about the graduation ceremony itself. Alternatively you can email grad-acd@salford.ac.uk and the appropriate team will respond as soon as possible.

Unfortunately we cannot help graduates arrange gown hire, photography or other souvenir services - please contact the companies concerned.

Now you are about to embark on your future career path, did you know all the services within Careers & Employability are still available to you as a graduate?

We offer workshops, events, guidance from Careers Consultants, job vacancy listings. Look at the website for further information: http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk

Graduate Gateway Programme – looking to improve your employability skills and gain valuable work experience?  The Graduate Gateway Programme is open to unemployed or under-employed graduates offering five days intensive personal development training, followed by a 13 week placement.

See Graduate Gateway for further details and to apply.

Please see the following website: http://www.salford.ac.uk/study/postgraduate

The University of Salford Alumni website will assist you in making decisions about your future, whether that may be coming back to Salford for further study or joining NetCommunity, Salford’s online community for our valued alumni.