FAQs

Final deadline for the resolution of all fee holds, qualification check holds & garda vetting holds is 5 working days before the start of the conferring periods.

September 2025 deadlines

1-5 September ceremonies - deadline Friday 22 August 

December 2025 deadlines

1-5 December ceremonies - deadline Friday 21 November

• These deadline do not supersede the published fee payment deadlines.
• Students who complete their degree late MUST contact Student Desk.
• For more information on holds watch Registry Video Guide on holds.
• If you miss your ceremony date due to holds, once holds are lifted, you will be conferred/presented with your award at the next eligible ceremony.

• Students must not have any holds on their account to be eligible to be awarded their degree. Holds may be caused by outstanding fees or a qualification check hold.
• Check for holds by logging into SISWeb and going to the Registration, Fees and Assessment tab. If you have any holds, you will see a menu item called Active Holds on Your Account. You will find the details of your hold there. 

• Students must be degree complete to confer. This means that a student must have completed all university, programme and subject requirements associated with their degree. If you have any queries regarding your programme or subject requirements please contact your College/School Office. 
• If you have any questions about a hold on your account, please contact the Student Desk for advice. 

• Your graduation date depends on when you receive your final results and when your programme confer.
• Once you receive your final results, check the conferring schedule to see when your degree will be conferred.

• Emails will be sent to all students due to confer approximately two/three weeks prior to the conferring date. This email will contain a link to SISWeb to confirm your attendance at the ceremony and generate your conferring pack which contains an information letter, car pass, etc.
• You must download and print your car park pass.
• Please be sure to check your your “junk mail” folder or “spam” folder.

• No, it is not possible to postpone your conferring.
• All degrees must be conferred at the conferring ceremony designated for the degree immediately following the passing of the degree examination.

If you cannot attend your conferring ceremony, your degree will be conferred in absentia. The degree testimonium will be posted to you in the weeks following the ceremony. Read more on graduating in absentia.

• Guest tickets are collected on the day, by the student at the Registration Desk in the Conservatory, O'Reilly Hall.
• Guest tickets are limited to 2 per student. Please note that while children are welcome to attend the ceremony they will count as part of your 2 allocated guest tickets (not in addition).
• Please arrange a meeting point with your guests to give them their tickets. Meeting points close to O'Reilly Hall include:

• the UCD sign beside the lake,
• the front entrance to O'Reilly Hall,
• the front entrance to the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science
• the UCD University Club

Due to stringent health and safety guidelines, there areno exceptions made to the 2 guest ticket allocations. The ceremony will be live-streamed and the link will be available on our websitebefore the ceremony. 

• Due to the large number of graduates and health and safety reasons, there are no extra tickets available. Guest tickets will be strictly limited to two per student,with no exceptions.  
• As the ceremony takes approximately 90 minutes it is not a suitable event for children under 5. Children over 5 are welcome to attend the conferring ceremony, however, they will count as part of your 2 allocated guest tickets (not in addition). In the interest of safety, prams/buggies are not permitted in the conferring hall.
• Please note that persons without guest tickets will not be admitted to O'Reilly Hall.
• Family and friends not attending will be able to watch the ceremony via live-streamfrom our website

• Yes. O'Reilly Hall and the other University buildings are accessible by wheelchair.
• When you are accepting your invitation to confirm your attendance to the ceremony, you will have the option to put in any accessibility requirements required. We will make note of this and liase with the O'Reilly Hall. Deaf Interpreters are also available upon request.
• Please do not hesitate to contact UCD Conferring if you have any concerns so we may ensure your comfort and enjoyment of the ceremony.

• Those attending conferring ceremonies should enter the campus through the main Stillorgan gate. A limited number of parking spaces for vehicles will be available in N2, which is adjacent to O'Reilly Hall. The entry to the car park is strictly by car pass only (one car pass per graduand).
• Graduands and their guests may be directed by Traffic Stewards to the visitors Pay and Display area. The charge in the Pay and Display area is 50 cent per hour. For further details, please contact(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)UCD Estates.

• Gender identity & expression are essential to experiencing wellbeing & fulfillment. UCD is committed to providing an inclusive and diverse environment.
• If as a transgender or non-binary student at the university you wish to change your first name and/or gender on official university documents & across the university systems. The Student Desk can process your request without the need for gender recognition certificates. For information on the(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)Gender Identity and Expression Policy& how to change your name/gender, pleasecontact the Student Desk.
• UCD Conferring will facilitate students to choose which name to be used at their Conferring Ceremony. 

• Where a student does not provide legal documentation in advance of graduation. The student is notified that parchments will be issued in their legal name. The student is asked to confirm which name they would like to be called by at the ceremony and printed in the conferring booklet/website etc. This does not have to match their legal name on the parchment.
  
  
• Where a student provides legal documentation. They can confirm which name is to be included on parchment, called out at  the graduation ceremony, printed in the booklet etc. 

• The name on your parchment/scroll will reflect the name that you are registered with on the UCD system or via CAO.
• If you have included your first name, middle name, and surname when registering, or have specifically requested for these details to be added to your record, then all three names will be displayed on your parchment/scroll.
• If you have not registered with your middle name or have not requested it to be added, it will not appear on your parchment or scroll.
• Please note thecharacter limit is 55 (including spaces) for printing on parchments/scrolls.

When you are accepting your invitation to confirm your attendance to the ceremony, you will have the option to put in a phonetic pronunciation of your name. We will make note of this and liase with the announcer of the ceremony. 

Your degree is written in Latin.  If you require an English Translation, please contact the
National University of Ireland (NUI).

Address
49 Merrion Square
Dublin 2
D02 V583

Telephone Number - +353 (1) 439 2424.
Email Address - (opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)certs@nui.ie.
Website - (opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)http://www.nui.ie/services/document-services.asp.

Please note that the charge for this service is €50.

Conferring ceremonies usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

• After you graduate, stay in touch with UCD and your fellow alumni through the (opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)UCD Alumni Network, our newly-launched online platform.
• This cutting-edge technology allows UCD alumni to connect with classmates, link up with UCD graduates across the globe, meet a mentor, discover jobs exclusive to UCD graduates, and expand professional networks.
• No matter where go in the world from here, get connected and stay connected with the UCD community!

• The official commercial photographers and framers for University College Dublin areLafayette Photography Ltd.They are located on the 1st Floor of the Graduation House, 44 Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin 24.
• Lafayette Photography will have indoor studios on campus, on the day of the conferrings. A brochure for Lafayette Photographers will be included in the information pack sent to graduands prior to conferring.
• Photographs and frames may be booked in advance by post or on their(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)website. 

Lafayette Photography Brochure

• Please note that freelance photographers on the grounds of the campus are not agents of the college. Do not use any of the unofficial photographers who may be on campus. Each year, some graduates complain of non-delivery of photographs or of poor-quality work by these photographers.

As a graduate of University College Dublin, you may be eligible to vote in the new Seanad Éireann Higher Education constituency. Irish citizens who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a designated institution and are over 18 years of age can apply online to be added to the Register of Electors at (opens in a new window)www.SeanadVoter.ie.

• This UCD Award to be given to the Leaving Certificate entrant with the highest points score from each school in the Republic of Ireland, provided the score is at least 500
  points. 
• Awards will also be made to applicants entering with the highest points score from each of the mainstream EU qualifications, provided the score is at least 500 points. 
• These awards are part of a range of UCD initiatives put in place to recognise exceptional students when they join, as well as those who develop their talents.

Benefits - Recipients are presented with a recognition certificate at a ceremony in Spring each year and their achievements are recorded on their academic transcript.

More information on Undergraduate Scholarships.

UCD Policy for Graduation Ceremonies