Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have 3 main ceremony sets: Winter, Spring, and Summer. Which ceremony you can attend will depend on a number of criteria including when your course starts and finishes, whether you have deferred, and whether you are an UG or PG student.

You can read more about who will be invited to the ceremonies on our web page. 

For each ceremony set, there will be a series of deadlines you need to be aware of.

The Deadlines for Spring 2025 ceremonies are:

Refund request deadline: 14 May 2025 (12pm GMT) 

The Deadlines for Summer 2025 ceremonies are:

Bookings open: 14th - 15th May (staggered times)
Bookings close: 11th June (12pm GMT)
Extra ticket sales open: 18th June (12pm GMT)
Extra ticket sales close: 25th June (12pm GMT)
Refund request deadline: 13 August 2025 (12pm GMT) 

July Ceremonies

Bookings for July Graduation 2025 will open at staggered times on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th May. Students will be emailed the link to book and can view the booking opening times here. Bookings will close on 11th June at 12pm GMT.

After this period we cannot guarantee you a place at this ceremony set and you will need to defer to a future ceremony period.

Student tickets are free of charge and include access to the ceremony, a graduation programme and access to the post ceremony reception (1 drink and canapes).

Students will initially be able to purchase 2 guest tickets for the ceremony, and one live relay ticket. Students can register an interest in purchasing additional tickets for guests when making a booking. 

Only students who register interest in additional tickets will be eligible to purchase extra tickets if they are made available. 

Guest tickets for the ceremony are £25 each and include access to the ceremony and access to the post ceremony reception (1 drink and canapes). Live relay tickets cost £5 each and cover access to the live relay for 1 adult and two children under 5 years of age, and access to the post ceremony reception (no food or drink included but it will be possible to purchase on the day.) If you would like to purchase programmes for your guests, these will be available to purchase on the day of your ceremony, or in advance when you purchase your tickets.

Children under the age of 5 are not permitted to enter the ceremony hall and are recommended to sit in the live relay theatre.

Graduates who are parents or guardians of a child under the age of 5 can contact the Events and Ceremonies Team via AskQM to enquire about specific tickets available.

You will require your Student Number, in order to book.

Your student ID number is a 9 digit number. For new students starting in 2024/25, your ID number will begin with '24' or '25' (e.g. 241234567). It is the username that you use to access MySIS and it is also displayed within MySIS, within the 'My Details' tab.

You will also require a Credit/Debit card to make payment for gown hire and for any guest tickets you wish to purchase.

When you make your initial booking, you will be able to express your interest in booking extra tickets should they become available. You can select how many you would like to request, but these are not guaranteed. Once bookings close, if extra tickets become available you will be contacted and you will be able to log back in and purchase those requested tickets. These will be sold first come, first served within a specified timeframe.

If no tickets are available, you will not be contacted.

Please double check you have entered your card details correctly. Some types of credit card and cards registered abroad can be declined by the booking system so we advise you to try an alternative card.

Please note that your booking is NOT confirmed until the payment is successfully processed and you receive a confirmation email.

If you are still having trouble, you can use the Live Chat facility on the ‘Marston Events’ website, or email 
enquiries@marstonevents.com or can also telephone 01293 822 211.

Yes, simply log back into the Marston Events website and you can amend your booking. If you wish to make any amendments after the booking deadline, then please contact the Graduation team via AskQM  who will arrange if possible.

For details of the Summer graduation schedule please click here. Students should also have been emailed their allocated ceremony time.

Graduation ceremonies will take place at the Queen Mary Mile End Campus.

For information on your next steps for Graduation, please see our on the day information.

If you have passed your final examinations and have been awarded a final classification you do not need to contact us. Your results will be passed to us and you will be allocated a place in the ceremony. If your results mean you will not be graduating please visit our I Can't Attend page for more information about refunds and deferring your graduation.  Refund requests after the deadline date cannot be processed. 

For Graduations on the Mile End Campus, the nearest stations on the London Underground are Mile End on the Hammersmith and City, District and Central lines; and Stepney Green on the Hammersmith and City and District lines.

Parking is not offered on campus however, there are car parking options nearby:

• Just Park, Stepney Green 
  Open from 6am – 10pm each day 
  10 minute walk from Mile End campus 
  Spaces can be pre-booked
• Stratford Westfield Multi-storey, Stratford 
  Open 24 hours 
  A short tube journey (one stop on Central Line) followed by a 5 minute walk from Mile End campus.

Please refer to the Advice and Counselling Web Page which explains which documents you need to provide to support your Visitor visa application, including how you can demonstrate that you will be attending your graduation ceremony. If you have questions about the visa application process or requirements after reading this information, you can contact the Advice and Counselling Service through their web form. 

Read our Advice and Counselling service’s guidance about Visitor visa permission for your family member(s). The guidance explains the documents you will need to provide, including how to write the letter of invitation from you.

If you miss the deadline to book we will not be able to guarantee your place in the ceremony and you will need to defer to a future ceremony.

If you would like to attend a future ceremony you should complete our online deferral form to let us know which ceremonies you'd like to attend. Please note you will not receive a confirmation email when you complete this form, but we will contact you 2-3 months before your selected ceremony set.

Please visit our I can't attend page for what to do if you are unable to attend your graduation ceremony.

Tickets purchased for Queen Mary graduation ceremonies are non-refundable. The only exception to this policy is that refunds will be issued in the case of academic failure by the student due to graduate, or in the event of industrial action. Further information on how to get a refund is available online.

The refund deadline for Spring Graduations 2025 is 14th May at midday (UK time).

Please defer using our deferral form. 

Re-sale or passing on tickets to other graduates is not permitted. Any re-sold or passed on tickets will be removed at check-in and guests will not be able to use them. Each guest ticket is specifically designated to a student ID and is not transferable. 

If you have been allocated a ceremony date and time you cannot be transferred to another ceremony within the same ceremony set. The scheduling process is complex and unfortunately we are unable to accommodate changes to your allocated ceremony.

However, if you'd like to defer your ceremony to a later date, you can request this via our online deferral form. 

Should new strikes be announced, information will be available online via the TFL website and National Rail website. 

We understand that strikes are worrying for some of you who may find it difficult to reach London if you were planning on using public transport.

We understand that even with other transport options being available, some of our students and their guests may not be able to make it to their graduation ceremony, should strikes be announced. Students / guests who are no longer able to attend due to strikes may request refunds. 

Please read the on the day  section of this site for full details. Details will also be emailed to you before the day. 

Each ceremony will last between 1 and 1.5 hours. Ceremonies will be followed by a reception. Graduands are encouraged to arrive 2 hours before their ceremony starts to collect tickets and gowns.

The Education Quality and Standards Board state that only College prizes, named prizes and externally sponsored prizes are read at graduation ceremonies. Whilst other prizes can be awarded to students these are not called out at graduation.

For those that book to attend Summer 2025 ceremonies, certificates will be handed to you during the ceremony. Those that do not book to attend graduation will have their certificates posted to them so please make sure your address is up to date on MYSIS.

Please note that certificates are managed by Registry Services and further information can be found on the Student Enquiry Centre’s Degree Certificate webpage. 

Graduands and guests will be seated separately as they need to cross the stage in a specific order determined by their school, course, award and name. 

When you book your tickets online there is a box where you can provide these details for either yourself or your guest. Please see our on the day webpage for further details. If you have forgotten to note this when bookings were open, please email enquiries@marstonevents.com and ask them to update this for you.

Parking is only available if it has been pre- arranged with the Events and Ceremonies team. Please use the box on the booking website to make us aware of any access requirements when you book.

There are car parking options nearby:

• Just Park, Stepney Green 
  Open from 6am – 10pm each day 
  10 minute walk from Mile End campus 
  Spaces can be pre-booked
• Stratford Westfield Multi-storey, Stratford 
  Open 24 hours 
  A short tube journey (one stop on Central Line) followed by a 5 minute walk from Mile End campus.

Visit the alumni stand to meet members of the Alumni Engagement team and find out more about our global alumni community.

Alumni Extra Cards will not be available during graduation. However, you can apply for an Alumni Extra Card online. 

We do advise that you book your photographs before the day. However, photographs can be purchased on the day so please don’t panic if you have forgotten to book them in advance. To find out more about photography packages, please contact Marston Events via email at 
enquiries@marstonevents.com or phone : 01293 822 211. 

Yes, guests without tickets can still come onto campus to join you for photos.

Please contact enquiries@marstonevents.com  who will be able to assist. You can also read more about gowning online.

Graduation is a formal ceremony, and we kindly ask all graduands to wear formal attire. With cold weather expected, we recommend dressing appropriately for the weather. Please note that jeans and trainers are not acceptable for graduation.

Additionally, Academic dress is a compulsory part of the ceremony, and you will be able to collect your pre-hired cap and gown upon arrival.

Please see our gowning and photography section for further information.