This Ceremony is for our higher education students who successfully complete their courses in June 2025 and who are invited to attend their Graduation at Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday 16 July 2025. We would like this memorable day to be as enjoyable for you and your guests as possible. To help things run smoothly please note the following:  

  • There will be one ceremony starting at 11.00am. 

    • Students of the following courses are invited to attend the ceremony starting at 11.00am: 

    All Higher Education students (MSc, BSc, and FdSc), Access to HE (Land-based), City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, Diploma Level 5 in Education & Training and Diploma in the Management of Zoo Animals (DMZAA)

  • Our bookings are being managed by Marston Robing Ltd - to register your attendance and order guest tickets, gown hire (if applicable) and photography, please use the online booking form. 

    To make your booking, you will need your student ID number (this should be configured as such: WHI12345678, and is your Sparsholt number and not your Portsmouth ID number). 

    You are able to invite up to two guests to attend the ceremony with you; though you can request to be placed on the waiting list for additional tickets (which you will be contacted about once bookings are closed on Friday 27 June 2025). Student tickets are free, as are tickets for children under 16 years of age. Adult guest tickets are priced at £20 each. All tickets should be bought in advance of the event, via the online booking form as detailed above. 

  • If you requested additional tickets at the initial point of confirming your attendance at Graduation and booking guest tickets, you will have received an email (to the email address detailed in your original booking) to let you know how to book these extra tickets. Please do this as soon as possible! Deadline for booking these tickets is Friday 4 July 2025. 

    WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR BOOKING, YOU WILL BE SENT AN ‘ORDER CONFIRMATION’ EMAIL. PLEASE PRINT THIS OFF, AND BRING IT WITH YOU: IT SERVES AS YOUR ADMITTANCE TICKETS. 

    Please note: We also need to know if you do not want to attend Graduation Day – please email marketing@sparsholt.ac.uk to let us know. 

  • Photography and gowning will be available from 8.30am and will remain open until 3pm. 

    Students requiring gowns are encouraged to arrive in plenty of time to allow for this, but all students and guests should arrive at the Cathedral no later than 30 minutes before their ceremony is due to start. 

    Students will be seated separately to guests.

    The ceremony will begin with a formal procession of University and Cathedral representatives through the cathedral. Your tutors will direct you to your place in the procession and explain the order in which you will return to your seats.

    Our Principal and Guests will begin the ceremony with speeches. You will then be called up in groups as your degree/qualification is announced to acknowledge the Guest Speaker, collect an award/certificate and receive your group round of applause. Prize Winners will then have a photograph taken. You will then return to your seat until the end of the ceremony.

    The ceremony will last approximately an hour and a half after which you will be able to re-join your guests. Please show respect to all graduands as they receive their degrees before, during and after your turn on the stage.

    At the end of the Ceremony the University Governors, Guest of Honour and Cathedral Clergy will process out of the Cathedral; please stay in your seat until the whole procession has left the Cathedral.

  • We will be live streaming the event on our website and you can access this HERE

  • If you need to book a robe for Graduation Day, you will be prompted to do so when you are ordering your tickets through the online booking form. 

    Only students being awarded degrees will be prompted to book a gown. 

    Gowning will be available in the Garden Marquee close to the Cathedral Refectory from 8.30am on the morning of the ceremony; signage will be in place across the site to direct students accordingly. Gowns should be returned after the ceremony, by 3.00pm at the latest.

  • Please dress appropriately for this formal occasion; for example, no jeans or trainers. Your gown will be attached to your clothing so bringing safety pins and hair grips for long hair is advised. Please see 2024 Gallery if you would like to see pictures from last years ceremony.   

  • Parking in Winchester is difficult so do please consider using the Park and Ride facility available. Allow plenty of time for your journey Winchester and the surrounding areas can congested.

    Please note that there is no parking available in the Cathedral Close. You will find a map here of the car parks in Winchester City Centre.

    Please arrive in plenty of time to be gowned before the ceremony. There will be University Centre staff and signage to guide you to gowning and we ask that all graduands report to their tutor at Winchester Cathedral by 10.30am at the latest.

  • Marston Robing Ltd are providing photography packages for students at Graduation Day. When you confirm your attendance through the online booking form, you will be given the option to purchase photographs in advance of the day – full details of these packages and the associated prices are provided in the online booking form. You can also order photography on the day of the ceremony – prices are the same as those paid online in advance of the event, with a wide range of packages available to suit every budget. 

    Photography will open at 8.30am for all students, located in the Garden Marquee close to the Cathedral Refectory.  Photography will be well-signposted across the site and will remain open until 3.00pm.

  • The Graduation ceremony will be recorded in high definition. Copies may be downloaded free of charge after the event. We anticipate that this video will be available from the first week in August (allowing for editing time); when ready, a link to the hosting website (Vimeo) will be made available on the main University Centre Sparsholt website. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the day. A link to the live-streaming will be available on our website on the day. 

  • Please be aware that if a student is unable to attend the presentation ceremony, it will not  be possible for parents, guardian or another guest to collect an award during the ceremony. They may however be requested after the day of the ceremony (please contact marketing@sparsholt.ac.uk). 

    Certificates will be sent to the students as they become available from the Awarding Body. Please ensure that UCS has an accurate and reliable postal address for you.

  • Join the team to celebrate near the gowning marquee with our drinks reception.

  • We very much hope that you will able to attend this day to celebrate completing your course. 

    Students, guests and staff attending should be aware that graduation ceremonies are regarded as public events. Names (and academic sections) of successful students (including those graduating in absentia) are published in the ceremony programme and provided to local press and media. Audio and visual images of the ceremony are publicly available via download of HD videography of the ceremonies, photographs, and may be used in University Centre Sparsholt publicity. 

    Note to those not attending (graduating in absentia): If you object to the above publication of your personal data (name and section), please inform Caroline Eade, Marketing & Events Co-ordinator, caroline.eade@sparsholt.ac.uk 

  • If you have a question or query relating to the 2025 graduation ceremony, please contact the Marketing team at Sparsholt by email (marketing@sparsholt.ac.uk) or by telephone (01962 797562). 

    Questions relating to gowning, photography or ticket purchases should be addressed directly to Marston’s Robing Ltd on their website tor by telephone 01293 822 211. 

 

 

 

 

Graduation Videos

Graduation 2024 Gallery