Finishing your degree is a big achievement. Your graduation ceremony is a chance to celebrate all the hard work you’ve put in to complete your course.
Learn all you need to know about attending your ceremony, including dates for upcoming ceremonies, how to arrange guest tickets and what to do if your guests are travelling from overseas.
Graduation dates
Graduation ceremonies are held in Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney in Autumn (Semester 1), and in Melbourne and Sydney in Spring (Semester 2).
If you’re finishing your course midyear and your campus does not have a Spring ceremony, your award will still be conferred at a Spring ceremony.
If you’d like to attend a graduation ceremony at your home campus the following Autumn, simply select the option to defer attendance when you register to graduate in Student Connect.
Upcoming ceremonies
The COVID-19 pandemic and government regulations to ensure the health and safety of the community continue to impact large gatherings across Australia. As a result, ACU is unable to proceed with our scheduled graduation ceremonies in 2020. The safety and wellbeing of our graduates, their families, our staff, and our community is our highest priority.
The impact of the pandemic is unprecedented and its unknown duration means that restrictions on public events and gatherings will continue for the foreseeable future and may remain in place in 2021. ACU will continue to follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and relevant government authorities when planning and scheduling future graduation ceremonies.
Graduation Mass
You and your family are invited to attend Graduation Mass before the ceremonies in Ballarat and Canberra.
Find out dates, times and details about the Mass
Ceremony fee and guest tickets
The fee to attend your graduation ceremony is $165 (incl. GST), which includes:
- your attendance at the ceremony
- the cost of your academic dress hire
- three guest tickets (as a graduand, you do not require a ticket)
- light refreshments after the ceremony.
To learn more about paying your ceremony fee, organising your guest tickets and arranging additional ones, visit the page below.
Find out more about ceremony fees and guest tickets
Graduands with special needs
If you’re attending a ceremony and have special requirements relating to mobility, sight, hearing impairment or cultural practices that may impact your ability to cross the stage and shake hands with the Presiding Officer, simply answer ‘yes’ to the special requirements question when you register to graduate in Student Connect. The graduations office will then contact you to discuss your needs in detail.
To ensure appropriate arrangements can be made, it is essential you let the graduations office know no later than four weeks before your ceremony.
Invitations for international guests
Would you like to invite an international guest who requires a formal invitation for immigration purposes? You’ll need to arrange an International Graduation Guest (IGG) invite.
Once you are officially approved as ‘course complete’, you will need to submit an online IGG request form. You will receive an email confirming when your IGG invite has been posted to you.
Submit an online IGG request form
Academic dress
Not sure how to organise your academic gown for the big day or what your faculty colour is? Our academic dress page explains it all to you.
Learn more about academic dress
What happens on the day
Not sure what to expect during your graduation ceremony? We’ve put together a guide that walks you through your graduation day.
It contains important information such as what time to arrive, what your guests should do, and when the official photographers will snap your big moment.
Read what to expect on your graduation day
Live streaming ceremonies
We live stream the graduation ceremonies so your friends and family can share the experience.
Watch the graduation ceremonies streamed live
