Information

• What do I need to graduate?

  Students are encouraged to visit Student Central for purposes of checking and verifying the correctness of their biographical and registration information.  Degree/diploma certificates and graduation programmes are printed and posted, if necessary, using the information captured and stored in our database.

  Please ensure that your NAMES are correct and same as on your Identity Documents/Passport.

  Ensure that your record shows the correct QUALIFICATION.

  If either of these are incorrect or need to be amended, please contact your College URGENTLY and before 17 March 2014 at the very latest, for these to be updated.

  College Contact Details: College Contact Details (2)

• Where & when?

  The 2014 UKZN graduation ceremonies will take place at both the Durban (Sports Centre) and Pietermaritzburg (Royal Agricultural Showgrounds) centres. Durban graduation ceremonies will take place from 7 to 12 April 2014. Pietermaritzburg ceremonies will take place on 14 and 15 April 2014. There are three sessions per day which commences promptly at 10h00, 14h30 and 19h00 and are approximately 2 hours long. 

  What to wear

  The official academic dress must be worn for the ceremony, namely gown, hood and mortar board for the degree that will be conferred.

  The academic attire can ONLY be purchased or hired from the official suppliers who will provide the correct attire for you qualification. Graduation attire may be ordered in advance and then collected from the Birch’s at the Graduation venues.
  
  Birch’s
  Tel: 041 585 8594, email: ukzn@birchs.co.za

  Birch's Purchase/Hire Order Form:

  Birch.Dbn form (2)

  Birch.Pmb.form (3)

  Birch. purchase form

  Please note that the academic attire should be worn over formal clothing.

• What to do on stage?

  1. Staff from the College or School Office will assist you in going onto the stage at the right time and will ensure that you leave your mortar board on your seat. Your hood should be draped by the neckband on the left arm, and your card held in readiness for handing to the Dean to announce your name. The Dean will hand the card back to you.
  2. The card will also be used as acknowledgment of receipt for your degree certificate. Please sign it and present it to the College or School Officers issuing degree certificates.
  3. Graduands proceed towards the Chancellor and kneel with your right knee upon the stool. The Chancellor will then confer the degree on you. A photograph will be taken on stage at the time of the capping, so please look up at the Photographer.
  4. Proceed to the Robing Officer and hand the hood to him/her. Then turn and face the congregation, so that your hood can be draped over your shoulders. A photograph will again be taken, so please look ahead at the Photographer.
  5. Leave the stage and go to the back of the hall and collect your certificate before returning to your seat. The College/School Officers will ask for your signed card when issuing certificates.
  6. Don your mortar board.
  7. Diplomates follow the same procedure, except that they do not kneel on the stool, since they are not capped, but proceed to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of College who will congratulate them by shaking their hands. 
     
     
     

• Certificates and Transcripts

  In the case where graduation certificates have been withheld on account of outstanding matriculation exemption/fees/library books, collection of graduation certificates from the Student Records office  is subject to receipt of proof of the required documentation, outstanding fees having been fully settled, and/or library book(s) returned. Student Records office, which is a University-wide office, is located on 2nd Floor, Room 230, Administration Building, Westville Campus (Email: studentrecords@ukzn.ac.za)

   

  All students graduating in Pietermaritzburg will have until 22 April 2014 to collect their graduation certificates from the Pietermaritzburg Campus (Student Academic Administration office situated in Milner Road, Pietermaritzburg Campus), after which these will be sent to the Student Records office in Westville for posting.

   

  Graduation certificates may be collected during the following times: 08:00–13:00 and 14:00-16:00 (weekdays)

  All graduation certificates not collected by Graduates (excluding those withheld) will be posted, via registered post, from the beginning of June 2014

  
  

• Guests’ Tickets and Seating

  Unreserved seats are available for guests.  Due to limited seating-space inside the graduation hall, only 4 guests per graduand may attend the ceremony. Due to the very large number of diplomates, and as per the Health and Safety Act, only 3 guests per diplomate may attend the DIPLOMA ceremony (which will be held on Saturday 12 April 2014). 

   

  Your seat card and guest tickets will be available for collection at the venue, from two hours prior to the commencement of graduation ceremony. The seat card will also be used as a receipt for your degree certificate; please sign it and have it ready for the collection of your certificate. Children under the age of twelve years will not be admitted.

   

  IMPORTANT NOTES – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

  • No extra tickets are available
  • Graduands and guests should be seated 20 minutes prior to the commencement of graduation ceremony
  • No late comers will be admitted
  • Children under the age of twelve years will not be admitted
  • Our graduation venues are gun-free zones.  No guns and other weapons are allowed
  • No unauthorized photographs to be taken during the ceremony
  • Smoking is not permitted in the hall
  • Cellphones to be switched off during the Graduation ceremonies
  • No food or drink may be brought into the hall
    
    
    

• Parking

  In Durban parking for graduands and guests will be available at the soccer grounds, which is in close proximity of the Sports Centre, Westville Campus where the graduation ceremonies will take place.  No parking will be available at the Sports Centre.

   

  Should you have disabled guests kindly arrange with the security officers on duty at the Sports Centre to allow you to drive into the drop-off area to drop off such guests. You must then drive out of this area immediately to make way for other motorists and park in areas allocated for this purpose.

    

  In Pietermaritzburg, parking for graduands and guests will be available at the Voortrekker High School (opposite Gate 1 of the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds).  No parking will be available at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds.

   

  Should you have disabled guests kindly arrange with the security officers on duty at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds to allow you to drive into the drop-off area to drop off such guests. You must then drive out of this area immediately to make way for other motorists and park in areas allocated for this purpose.
  
  
  

• Order of Proceedings and Protocols

  1. The Chancellor will constitute the congregation.
  2. Welcome Address.
  3. Presentation of graduands and diplomates.
  4. The Chancellor will dissolve the congregation.
  5. The procession leaves the stage, followed by the graduates and 
     diplomates.
  6. Guests leave the venue.

  Graduation is a formal occasion at which many courtesies and traditions are observed and it has its own terminology. Graduands are those who are about to have a degree conferred on them, after which they are called graduates. Diplomates are those who are about to be, or have been, awarded a diploma. 
  
  Courtesy includes graduands, diplomates and their guests all being seated before the procession enters the venue and remaining in the venue throughout. Graduands, diplomates and guests (congregation) should rise when the procession enters the venue. No-one should resume their seat until the Chancellor signals to do so. When the ceremony is at an end, the congregation should rise again and remain standing until the procession has left the venue. The graduates and diplomates will join the procession two rows at a time, starting from the front two rows (the most senior degrees) until the most junior diplomates form the end of the procession. As a mark of respect, guests should not leave the venue until the last graduate has departed.

  PLEASE NOTE: Graduands, Diplomates and guests are not permitted to leave the Hall until all the formal proceedings for the graduation ceremony have been concluded and the academic procession has left the hall. 
  
  
  

• Photographs and Videos

  The official Photographer appointed by the University is PANDAYS.

  who will take graduation photographs of each graduate during the ceremony.

  Order Form: Pandays.order form

  Pamphlets:  Pandays.inside pamphlet

                         Pandays.outside photo pamphlet

                          

  Pre-orders of photographs can be made at the Photographer's stand at the Graduation Fair. 

   

  However you are under no obligation to order these photographs/DVDs. Studios will also be set up as part of the Graduation Fair where photographs can be taken after the ceremony.
  
  The contract you enter into is between you and the photographic studio. The University has no part in the contract.

   

  No unauthorised photographs to be taken during the ceremony. 

   

  2014 Grad DVD

  2014 Grad DVD’s will be available for collection from  (TO BE ADVISED)
  

• Quality Promotion & Assurance Graduate Opinion Survey

  QPA.SURVEY

• Keeping in Touch after Graduation

  Once you have completed your degree you become an "Alumnus" of the University. UKZN offers benefits and services to alumni, including access to campus facilities, finding a friend and alumni career portal. Visit our alumni website.