Every year, thousands of students complete the age old tradition of graduation before celebrating three years of working hard and partying harder. And whilst a lot of graduation ceremonies follow a similar order of events, some universities have their own unique traditions.
From grey gowns and doffing the cap to ceremonies in Latin, here is everything you need to know about the different Russell Group university traditions at graduation ceremonies.
University of Bristol
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The majority of Bristol’s graduation ceremony is very similar to lots of other unis, but it has one unique tradition. As the graduands walk across the stage and approach the Presiding Officer, they hold their hands out in front of them with their palms together. The Presiding Officer then clasps their hands, and it is at this moment that their degree is conferred. At the end of the ceremony, before a speech of congratulations, the Presiding Officer then asks all the graduates to collectively don their hats.
University of Cambridge
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Cambridge’s graduation ceremonies are steeped in tradition, and all of the proceedings are in Latin. The Praelectors, who are the college officers at the university, conduct the ceremony. When the Praelector presents each graduand, they hold the candidate by his/her right hand. They then present the candidate, who then steps forward and kneels. The student then rises, bows to the vice-chancellor, and exits through the Doctor’s door of the Senate House to receive their degree certificate. Very boujie.
University of Oxford
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Similarly to Cambridge, at an Oxford graduation ceremony all of the proceedings are conducted in Latin. Each college at the university presents its own candidates, who then go and stand on the right of their college Dean or presenter. When each student is presented, they also bow to the vice-chancellor.
University of Edinburgh
One of the Edinburgh graduation traditions is that the ceremony takes place in McEwan Hall, which is a Grade A listed building. On the university’s website, the ceremony is even described as a “solemn but exciting occasion”.
During the ceremony, the Principal doffs the head of each graduating student using the “bonnet”. The bonnet was originally believed to be made from the seat of John Knox’s breeches. John Knox was the renowned Calvinist, and the reformer and founder of the Presbyterian Church.
Newcastle University
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By tradition, the academic dress at Newcastle does not include a mortar board. The story behind this tradition is that when Newcastle became an independent university in 1963, the students celebrated freedom by throwing the traditional hats into the River Tyne. The academic dress since then has not included mortar boards.
During the ceremony, each graduand also has the hood placed over their head by the Hooding Marshal, to rest on their shoulders. The student then walks across the stage to the Presiding Officer to shake hands. Finally, at the end of the ceremony the students process past the Martin Luther King Statue, where a group photo is taken.
University of St. Andrews
@oliviafrancinesmith st andrews makes me feel like i’m in a move for real #uni #graduation #standrews
Out of all the Russell Group university traditions, the University of St Andrews has its own incredibly unique ceremony. When graduands walk across the stage, the first thing they do is hand over their folded hood to the Bedellus (who is the chief mace bearer). They then kneel on the cushion of the graduation dais, where they are then capped by either the chancellor or vice-chancellor. Finally, the graduand stands up and bows their head, before walking across the stage.
One TikTok user, Olivia, said they had to kneel and she was “tapped on the head with a cloth” which is incredibly niche.
University of York
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At the University of York, the tradition is that graduands doff their cap, rather than shake hands with the Presiding Officer. All graduands also wear grey gowns with a grey mortar board. However, the hood differs based on degree, for example, for a BSc graduate the hood has pale blue edging, but for a BA graduate the edging is white.
University of Glasgow
Glasgow’s graduation ceremonies, like others on this list, feature singing in Latin and there are medieval elements to the ceremony. Glasgow graduands are capped and hooded. This is when the Chancellor taps the graduand on the head with a purple cap, and then puts their hood on for them. The ceremony also involves reading a prayer in Latin too.
