GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEEDING TODEGREE
Degrees are conferred at a ceremony called a Congregation of the Regent House, the formal Governing Body of the University, held in the Senate House. Congregations are held eight times a year. In late June there are also four special days called ‘General Admissions’ at which M.Eng., M.Sci., Vet.M.B., B.A., and B.Th., Degrees only are conferred. The presentation of candidates is always a College matter. The Praelector is the Officer, under the College Statutes, charged with the responsibility of presenting Wolfson’s graduands to the University for its approval.
It is possible for a Degree to be conferred in absentia, but as many graduands as possible are encouraged to attend the ceremony. It is not impersonal and nearly all find the day enjoyable for themselves, their families and friends, even if it does rain! If you graduate in absence it is not possible to graduate in person at a later date. Wolfson presents graduands in person at the Congregations in October, November, January, February , April, May, June (Undergraduates only) and July. In March, Wolfson only presents in absentia.
APPLYING TO PROCEED TO YOUR DEGREE
Below is a list of the dates of future Congregations at which you can proceed to your Degree along with further particulars. Attached is an Application to Proceed to Degree form for you to complete and return by email to: or alternatively by post to: Mrs Jane Reilly, Tutorial Office, Wolfson College, Barton Road, Cambridge CB3 9BB.
REQUIREMENTS TO PROCEED
- We need to receive your completed application form at LEAST 15 DAYS before the date on which you want to take your Degree whether it is in person or in absentia. Please note for May or July dates we may not be able to accommodate all applicants. If this is the case we will email you and suggest further dates.
- Graduate students - confirmation of approval for the Degree must have been received by the College from the Board of Graduate Studies.
- All graduands must be clear of all College debt. Please note you will not be able to attend in person, either to the Senate House or to attend the formal lunch, if you have outstanding debts. The College would, therefore, only present you in absentia.Contact the Finance department, phone (01223) 335913 or email to ensure that you have settled all bills before making arrangements to proceed to your Degree.
If you are not sure whether these conditions have been met, it would be sensible to check, please email: before making travel arrangements.
DEGREES IN ABSENTIA
To those wishing to take their Degree in absentia the preceding criteria will still apply. The College will post the Degree certificate and, where relevant, the academic transcript to you when it has been received from the University approximately three – four weeks after the ceremony.
DEGREE DAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THOSE TAKING THEIR DEGREES IN PERSON: Please note information below about the number of guests permitted for the May Congregations.
Contact: It is important that you complete the Application to Proceed to Degree form with an accurate email address (NOT your @cam, unless you are continuing onto a further course), phone or fax number where you can be contacted in the seven days before the Congregation you have chosen. If this is not possible you should contact Mrs Jane Reilly in the Tutorial Office, phone: (01223) 335978 or email:
during the week before the Congregation (giving your name) to confirm details such as timings etc.
- Dress: You must wear your academical dress (see below for information on dress).
- Graduation Timing: The actual time of the graduation ceremony will not be known until EIGHT days prior to the day. Wolfson’s graduation is usually any time between 2.00 pm and 5.30 pm, depending on the number of graduands from other Colleges. On arrival please assemble in the room specified in the programme in as ready a state as possible (i.e. dressed in academic dress including hood etc.).
- Guests for the Senate House Ceremony:Owing to safety considerations the number of guests permitted in the Senate House is limited to three per graduandand entry is by ticket only. If a guest is already a member of the University’s Roll of Regent House an entry ticket is not required, but a gown must be worn. Guesttickets will be issued to you at the dress inspection on the morning of the Congregation.
Your guests will not walk with you to the Senate House. They will be required to make their own arrangements to get there. Because of parking problems we advise guests either to walk or take a taxi to the Senate House, which can be ordered on the day from the Freephone in the Porters’ Lodge. You will be informed of the precise timetable for yourself and guests by email, approximately 8 days before congregation.
Please be aware that the service at the Senate House is usually about 50mins.Degree congregations are not suitable for children under 5 years of age.
- Photographs: Photography is not allowed in the Senate House; there will be a new photography service from October 2017, please check back to these information pages nearer to your congregation. When details have been confirmed this paragraph will be updated.
- Celebratory Meals: With the exception of July (for one year fulltime students), you are invited to a Formal Celebratory Lunch at Wolfson College on the day of your degree ceremony with a maximum of threeguests, two of which are at the College’s expense. You will be charged £29 (to your College account) if you wish to invite a third guest. Formal invitations are not issued. Children aged 10 and under receive their meal free of charge. Because of the very large numbers proceeding in July, those taking one year fulltime degrees will not be offered a lunch, but a Celebratory Formal Dinner with their guests on the Friday preceding the ceremony.
ACADEMICAL DRESS
The correct academical dress to hire may seem a complicated matter. See the flow chart on page 3 to determine your correct dress. The robemakers in town are normally quite helpful about this (but they do sometimes get it wrong). Academical dress can be hired from any robemaker in Cambridge. Three are listed below and there are others: the items must be collected personally,despite websites indicating that academical dress will be delivered to the College!
Please note: The College does have an extremely limited selection of academical dress to hire on a strictly first-come-first-served basis. If you wish to make use of this option, and want to hire a gown, please indicate your height when making the application.
Cambridge Robemakers
Ryder & Amies, 22 Kings Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SP phone: 01223 350371 fax: 01223 315883
email: website:
Ede & Ravenscroft, 71-72 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RJ phone: 01223 350048 fax: 01223 354173
website:
A E Clothier,Unit 5 Convent Drive, Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB25 9QT. Tel: 01223 441710
email:
RULES FOR THOSE PROCEEDING TO DEGREE IN PERSON
- A person who already holds a Degree of the University of Cambridge wears the gown and hood of the highest Degree he or she has already received from the University. Candidates for the PhD who already have an MPhil must wear the MPhil gown and blue MPhil hood. (See flow chart below) For any person who does not already hold a Degree from Cambridge University, the following regulations apply: - all those proceeding to an undergraduate degree wear the undergraduate gown for graduate Colleges (it has a blue button and string on each sleeve). For those proceeding to a graduate degree (LLM, MCL, MPhil, MASt, MFin, MRes, MEd, MSt, MBA, PhD) a status gown is worn, with the hood of the Degree (or the higher of the Degrees, if taking two at the same time), which he or she is to receive.
- A person being admitted to a Degree by Incorporation or to the MA Degree under Statute B II 2 wears the gown and hood of the Degree he or she is to receive.
- Under no circumstances should the academical dress of another university be worn by a graduand.
Full information at:
MEDICAL AND VETERINARY GRADUANDS: ACADEMICAL DRESS
- Medics and Vets are slightly different. Vet students being admitted VetMB must wear the BA gown and hood in the Senate House, unless they already have the MA. However, when being admitted MA after graduating VetMB, the VetMB gown and hood must be worn (often the robemakers get this point wrong: do not be misled).
- Medical students, after passing their Final MB examination have the degree of BChir automatically conferred upon them. During the calendar year following, they may supplicate (apply) to take the MB degree at any Congregation except at General Admission, but, if they do not, at the expiry of the year, the MB is automatically conferred upon them in exactly the same way as the BChir.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Master of Arts (MA) Degree: (apart from certain holders of University and College Offices). The degree of MA may only be conferred upon BAs of this University. The MA may be conferred at any time after six years have passed following the first term of residence, provided that at least two years have elapsed since admission as BA. Essentially, therefore, the MA may be conferred in or after the twentieth term after matriculation. Former affiliated students should remember that their first term in Cambridge is counted as their fourth for these purposes. MA degrees cannot be conferred in person in July due to high numbers of graduands.
Further information about graduations can be obtained from
WHAT TO WEAR AT GRADUATION FOR GRADUANDS
As graduation is a formal occasion, an appropriate standard of dress is expected. The dress code below is strictly enforced at ceremonies, and if you do not observe it, you may not be permitted to graduate on a particular occasion. Your Praelector or Presenter is able to offer further advice on dress.
Dress Option One
- A dinner jacket or black, very dark charcoal lounge suit. These must be dark enough not
to contrast obviously with a black gown.
- A plain, long-sleeved, collared, white shirt.
- Formal black shoes. Sandals are not permitted.
- Unpatterned black or very dark grey socks.
- White bow-tie and bandsmustbe worn.
Dress Option Two
- A black or very dark skirt suit or trouser suit, with or without a jacket, or a dark, long-sleeved dress. These must be below the knee and dark enough not to contrast obviously with a black gown.
- A plain, long-sleeved, white shirt or blouse (unless a long-sleeved dress is worn).
- Formal black shoes. Sandals are not permitted.
- Unpatterned black, nearly-black, or natural coloured hosiery.
- A white bow-tie and bands may be worn (optional)but only with a properly collared white shirt.
A black cassock may be substituted for a dark suit, skirt or dress in either Dress One or Two, but it must be worn witheither a white bow-tie and bandsora clerical collar and bands.
Headdress
The square cap, or 'mortarboard', is optional for graduands at Cambridge. If you do decide to wear one on the day, you should take it off and carry it in your left hand inside the Senate-House.
Jewellery
Conspicuous jewellery and hair accessories are not permitted.
PLEASE CONTACT THE PRAELECTOR IF YOU WISH TO WEAR NATIONAL DRESS
The Praelector must request of the Proctors, special dispensation if you wish to wear national dress.
If making a request, please supply an electronic photograph (jpeg) of the proposed costume (which must be of a formal nature) to the Praelector.
CONGREGATIONS OF THE REGENT HOUSE AT WHICH DEGREES MAY BE CONFERRED
2017–18:
Michaelmas 2017 / Lent 2018 / Easter 2018 / Long Vacation 201830 June * / 21 July **
2018–19:
Michaelmas 2018 / Lent 2019 / Easter 2019 / Long Vacation 2019
20 October / 26 January(in absence only) / 27 April / 20 July **
24 November / 23 February / 18 May **
23 March (in absence only) / 29 June*
2019–20:
Michaelmas 2019 / Lent 2020 / Easter 2020 / Long Vacation 2020
26 October / 25 January (in absence only) / 25 April / 18 July **
30 November / 22 February / 16 May **
21 March (in absence only) / 27 June*
* General Admission (MEng, MSci, VetMB, BA, and BTh Degrees only)
** Extremely busy congregations, book early
APPLICATION TO PROCEED
TO DEGREE
Return either by email to:
or by post to: Mrs Jane Reilly, Tutorial Office, Wolfson College, Barton Road, Cambridge CB3 9BB / Office use only
On CamSIS:
On Schedule:
Acknowledgmentsent:
Matriculation Year:
Subject:
WCID:
In Person / In Absence
1.Surname / All Other Names
Title / Date of Birth
(dd/mm/yyyy) / CRSID: / USN:
2.CONTACT DETAILS
Email Address:
(Email is the preferred method of contact. Please use an address where you can be reachedduring the two weeks before the date you have chosen to proceed. NOT your @cam, unless you are continuing onto a further course). The timetable of proceedings (and any late changes) will be sent to this address.)
Telephone:
Full Postal Address: (This is also the address to which your free photograph and transcript will be sent)
3. Degree to which you are proceeding:
PhD/ MPhil/MA/BA/MSt/Med/Other (specify) / Degree
4a.Do you wish to take your degree In Person? Delete as appropriate / YES / NO
If YES, complete all questions on both pages of this form.
If NO, continue to Q4b and Q5 only. Ensure your contact details in Q2 are correct.
4b.Are you already a graduate of Cambridge? Delete as appropriate / YES / NO
If YES, what CAMBRIDGE degree/s do you already have?
MPhil/MA/BA/other (specify) / Degree
5. At which Congregation do you wish your degree to be conferred?
(See General Information letter for dates and enter the date)
6.CONFERRING YOUR DEGREE IN PERSON
The degree will be conferred using the Trinitarian formula (in nomine, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti (in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) unless you ask for it to be omitted.
Do you wish the Trinitarian formula to be used? Delete as appropriate / YES / NO
Further details about Congregations can be found here:
and
This is by ticket only and the College is allowed a maximum of three Guest Tickets per Graduand.
You do not need a ticket for yourself, or for a child who will sit on an adult’s lap.
If a guest is a member of the University’s Roll of the Regent House, a ticket will not be required but a gown must be worn.
If you attend dinner/lunch the number of tickets you receive will match the number of dinner/lunch guests you bring. If you are NOT attending dinner/lunch please indicate the number of guest tickets required.
(Please circle) 0 OR 1 OR 2 OR 3 (max)
8.FORMAL MEAL AT WOLFSON COLLEGE
For all Congregations at which Wolfson presents ‘in person’ (except for one year fulltime students in July), you are invited to attend a FormalLunch on the Degree Day, to which you are entitled to bring two guests at the College’s expense. You may invite one further guest at yourown expense (£29), which will be charged to your College account. For those taking a one year fulltime degree at the July Congregation, you will be invited to a Formal Dinner with guests on the Friday preceding the ceremony.
Attending children must be included in guest numbers - there is no charge for a child aged ten years or under.
Please complete (A) for all students except one year fulltime students who wish to graduate in July (MPhil, MASt, LLM, etc.) who complete (B)
(A) I wish to attend the Formal Lunch Delete as appropriate / YES / NO
(B) For one year fulltime students in July: I wish to attend the Formal Dinner Delete as appropriate / YES / NO
Please include any special dietary or other requirements you may have
Please print below the names of all your guests (and their relationship to you, including ages of children) whom you would like to invite to accompany you to the Dinner/Lunch:
Name of Dinner/Lunch Guest / Their relationship to you / Special diet, high chair or other requirement / Age if child under 10 Years
1
2
3
(chargeable £29)
Thank you and we hope you and your guests have a wonderful day,
Dr B D Cox and Mrs J Reilly
Updated Aug 20171