Invitation Process and Ticket Information

Invitations are sent via email to the external email address stored on your as held on the University’s student record database. At the same time, the online RSVP and ticket payment will become available via the Your Ceremony and Ticket Payment  section. You must RSVP to confirm your attendance before the RSVP deadline.

You will be invited to graduate, as long as:

• you have completed your Canterbury Christ Church University Award, which includes:
  • Foundation Degree
  • Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, PGCES
  • Bachelors (BA/BSc)
  • Masters (MSc / MA including 'by Research')
  • MPhil
  • PhD / EdD
  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

You will not be invited to graduate if:

• you complete your university award via an Exam Board after the invitation cut-off point.
• you have missed the RSVP deadline.
• you have any outstanding debt/ disclosure barring service/ qualifications/ occupational health.

Provisional invites are not permitted under any circumstance. If you are not eligible to graduate, you will be added to the next available date upon completion.  

You can find out what ceremony you are due to graduate in via the Your Ceremony and Ticket Payment  section. 

Students do not pay to attend their own graduation.

Each student is guaranteed a maximum of two guest tickets. Guest tickets are priced at £22 per guest (£12 for award ceremonies). All tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be sold on.

Every guest must hold a ticket, this includes babies and infants.

The ceremony may not be suitable for infants and young children, therefore, we would recommend that children do not attend. Tickets are per person (including babies and children) not per seat, no standing is permitted in the Cathedral or Augustine Hall, this is to ensure the congregation numbers remain within the Health and Safety guidelines as set down by both the Dean & Chapter for the Cathedral and the University.

We do offer live streaming in locations on campus as an alternative option for any guests with young children or who have been unable to obtain tickets.  Visit the live streaming page for details.  

You must submit your online RSVP to confirm your place, book your guest tickets and make payment prior to the RSVP in order to graduate. You will be prompted to make payment for guest tickets within the online store when filling out your RSVP. The closing date for purchasing tickets is stated in your invite email and in the Your Ceremony and Ticket Payment  section. 

Anyone can purchase tickets via the online site as long as they have the correct student identification number. 

No personal circumstances will be taken into consideration; every student has the same opportunity for obtaining ticket(s).

Payment for tickets can only be made via our online payment facility. To make your payment, you will first need to set up an account with the University’s Online Shop, if you have not previously done so. If you are having any difficulty trying to make payment for your guest tickets, please contact our Finance Department directly on 01227 782412.

Your email invitation will contain instructions for ordering your gown, as well as provide detail on how to pre-order photographs to be taken on the day.

Once your payment for guest tickets has been successful you will receive an email from the Finance Store confirming that payment has been received. The email will be sent to the email address you provide when completing the payment form. If payment for your tickets remains outstanding your guest tickets will be withheld and potentially reissued to other guests. 

If your student ID is not accepted by the payment system, check to make sure it is correct with no spaces before or after. If the problem persists please contact the i-zone via i-zone@canterbury.ac.uk or by calling 01227 782222. A call will be logged to the Graduation & Registry Events Office who will contact you accordingly.

We will calculate if any additional tickets are available for sale after the RSVP closing date.

Information outlining the scheduled date and time for sale of additional tickets can be found on the Your Ceremony and Ticket Payment  section of the gradaution webpages.

Tickets (if available) can be purchased by visiting the same web pages on the date of additional ticket sales.

Additional tickets are subject to availability and there is no guarantee that any additional tickets will be available after the closing date.

You will receive an RSVP confirmation email (to the email you provided in your RSVP) confirming your attendance in the week following the RSVP deadline.

 The email will include:

• Confirmation of your ceremony time
• Links to graduand and guest timetables and information sheets for the day (including maps of the campus and city centre and car park information)
• Confirmation of the number of guaranteed guest tickets you have purchased in the initial period of ticket sales
• Details of any online sales of additional guest tickets with guidance for purchasing (these are subject to availability and not guaranteed). Information outlining the scheduled date and time for sale of additional tickets can also be found on the  Your Ceremony Details and Ticket Purchase section. Tickets (if available) can be purchased by visiting the same web pages on the date of additional ticket sales.

 If you do not receive your RSVP confirmation email in the week following the RSVP deadline please contact the i-zone i-zone@canterbury.ac.uk, (01227 782 222)

One week prior to ceremony you will receive a final confirmation email, you will need to bring this with you on the day of your ceremony to collect your guest tickets at the collection desk and to register for the ceremony.

 The final confirmation email will include:

• The total number of guest tickets that you have purchased – you will need to present a copy of this email at the ticket collection desk on the day of your ceremony for your guest tickets
• Details of any guest tickets that may be available for you to purchase on the day of your ceremony (these are subject to availability and not guaranteed)
• Your procession / seat number (the number in which you will be called up to collect your award during the ceremony).

You may only defer once you have received your invitation.

If you miss the RSVP closing date or you are unable to make your graduation, you are able to defer/postpone graduation and attend another event generally within a year. 

It is at the discretion of the Graduation Team as to which date you may defer to.

To request a deferral please contact i-zone on 01227 782222 or email i-zone@canterbury.ac.uk in advance of the closing date for replies.

Please ensure that you keep the university updated with any change of contact details. Contact us straight away and before the closing date for replies if you believe that your classification on your invite is incorrect. 

Please note: the student name signed off at the time of the official exam board is the name which will appear on all official graduation/award ceremony marketing literature (including invites, ticket packs and the graduation/award ceremony programme). This is also the name which will be read out at the ceremony. If you have the relevant documentation to prove that your change of name occurred prior to the exam board and we receive this evidence in time, then we are able to update your details.

To update details or to provide evidence of a name change please log a call with i-zone 01227 782222 or email i-zone@canterbury.ac.uk.