Graduation
Graduation dates
Once you have been informed by the University that you have been approved for your degree, you are invited to sign up for any of Clare Hall’s forthcoming graduation dates:
The following are the remaining dates for the 2024-5 academic year:
Saturday 3 May 2025
Friday 23 May 2025
Saturday 26 July 2025
We plan the following dates in the 2025-6 academic year:
Friday 24th October 2025
Saturday 29th November 2025 in absentia only
Friday 30th January 2026 in absentia only
Saturday 28th February 2026 in absentia only
Saturday 28th March 2026
Saturday 11th April 2026 in absentia only
Saturday 2nd May 2026
Friday 22nd May 2026
Saturday 25th July 2026
You sign up for Graduation by filling out the Graduation Form. The latest date it is possible to sign up is the Thursday a fortnight before the ceremony. However, we encourage registration as a soon as possible as we have a restriction on the number of graduands we can present at some of the more popular congregation dates. For any queries please email tutorial.office@clarehall.cam.ac.uk.
In person/in absentia
Normally, you have the option to graduate in person or in absentia. If you choose to graduate in absentia, you will not be able to return at a later date to graduate in person.
If you graduated in absentia during the pandemic while no in-person graduation was possible, you can now attend a congregation to celebrate your degree.
Academical dress
Graduands wishing to check their graduation outfit meets the requirements and seeking to hire the correct gown and hood are advised to check the University’s tool for selecting the correct academical dress.
We also offer some guidance on how to pin a hood onto a gown.
Congregation at Senate House
The exact timings of the ceremony will be circulated to graduands by the Monday morning preceding the congregation. Clare Hall tends to be timetabled in the afternoon, but this can change.
Guest tickets
Guests are permitted to attend the Senate House and are welcome at the graduation dinner in College the evening before. Each student will be allowed two guest tickets to Senate House and two guests to the graduation dinner.
Guest rooms
If you require a room overnight for your guests, please complete our accommodation enquiry form.
Graduation dinner
The graduation dinner takes place on the Friday night before the graduation in the case of Saturday graduations and in the evening following graduation for those congregations scheduled on a Friday. Please note that each graduand is normally permitted to bring a maximum of 2 guests (in addition to themselves) to the dinners.
Salje Medals
These are awarded annually to two research students (one in Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences and one in the Sciences) whose completed PhD thesis and publications merit high commendation.
For those who had their degree approved during the calendar year 2024 and wish to be considered for a Salje Medal, please submit the following to the Tutorial Office by 31 March 2025:
• a summary of your thesis topic (up to 400 words in clear, non-specialised English)
• your examiners’ reports
• a CV of your publications and other academic activities.
The medals will be presented to the award winners at a reception prior to dinner on Wednesday 11th June 2025.