Graduation FAQs

We are pleased to be hosting this year’s Graduation Ceremony in September at The Grand Hotel, Torquay where you can celebrate your achievements with your friends, family and tutors and also to create some memories to treasure.

This year’s Graduation Ceremonies will be held on Friday 18th September. There will be three ceremonies throughout the day, details of each ceremony can be found at the bottom of this page. Below, you will find all the information you need about graduation and your ceremony.

You can book your tickets, robes and photo packages here

If you are unsure which ceremony you are due to attend, please check the table below.

If you have any questions or queries please contact the Graduation team at [email protected].

Back of students, sitting in Graduation Ceremony.

The Lead Up to Graduation

How do I register?

To be able to attend your Ceremony, you will need to book tickets for yourself and any guests as well as your academic dress through Marston Events.

The ceremony is free to you as a University Centre South Devon student. There is a charge of £30.00 per ticket for each guest. This includes a souvenir programme, entry to the graduation ceremony, and access to the welcome reception, where canapés and a welcome drink will be served. Please note that initially a maximum of three guest tickets per student are available. If you think you might want more than three tickets, you will have the chance to request additional tickets that may become available after the initial bookings have closed.

Tickets for children aged 5 to 15 are available at £15 each. Tickets for children under 5 are free but still need to be booked; however, they will need to sit on a lap, as no seat will be allocated. All children must be accompanied by an adult who is not the student.

Tickets will be checked on entry to the ceremony, so please ensure that you purchase the correct number of tickets for all your guests, including children under 5’s. Anyone attempting to gain access without a ticket will be charged and required to make payment on the day, subject to availability.

When do I have to book by?

Tickets for you and your guests will be available to order online via Marston Events. Booking will open on Wednesday 15th July 2026. Tickets will be available to purchase until Sunday 30th August. 

Please ensure you order both  Graduand and Guest tickets at the time of ordering. To guarantee you receive your desired number of tickets, you must book early as tickets are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. We also recommend you request any additional tickets at the same time.

If any tickets remain available after sales close, all graduands, who have requested additional tickets will receive an email directly from Marston Events from Monday 31st August onwards, with a link to purchase any further tickets. Additional tickets are not guaranteed and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. All purchases, including additional tickets, must be completed by midnight on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

What should I wear?

Graduands must wear a formal hood, gown and mortar board in order to graduate on the day. The appropriate dress can be purchased but in order to make sure that you are wearing the correct attire for your qualification and to prevent waste we would recommend hiring them from our graduation provider Marston Events. Your hood, gown and mortar board will cost £30 in total to hire for your ceremony. Marston Robing also offer a selection of photography packages which can be purchased in advance or in the day of the ceremony. The link for robing and photography can be found at the top of this page.

On The Day

When and Where

Your Graduation will be held at The Grand Hotel, Torquay, TQ2 6NT. Please arrive at your given time and register your arrival at the desk in the foyer. You and your guests will then be directed to the reception room. Due to the busy nature of the event, we will be unable to check you in before your allocated arrival time.

You will be invited to collect your academic dress from the robing room and have any professional photos taken. There will also be a selection of canapés and a welcome drink for you and your guests and the opportunity to meet and celebrate with your friends, peers and tutors. Our MC will guide you through your Graduation with regular announcements.

Schedule on the Day

Arrival and Registration Robing
Photographs and Refreshments
Student Briefing
Graduation Ceremony

How will the ceremony work?

Your Graduation will last around two hours. The formal part of the ceremony will last for approximately 30-40 minutes. There will also be a reception at which refreshments will be served, and you will have the opportunity to catch up with friends and have any professional photographs taken.

All Graduands will be called through to the ceremony room before their ceremony begins for a short briefing. Guests will then be invited to take their seats.

Guests

All guests require a ticket to attend graduation, including children and under 5’s. All children must be accompanied by an adult who is not the student. Initially a maximum of three guest tickets per student are available but additional tickets may be available after the main ticket sales have closed, these must be requested at the time of booking. If additional tickets are available, you will receive an email directly from Marston Events, with a link to complete your purchase. Additional tickets are not guaranteed. We ask that you do not try and attend without a ticket.

How do I know which ceremony to attend?

The qualification you have achieved will determine which ceremony you will be attending, please see the list below. When you book your tickets and academic dress you will be asked for your student number and which course you are graduating from and automatically allocated to the correct ceremony.

Friday 18th September 2026

Ceremony 1

Arrival Time from 9.30am
Ceremony Time 10.45am

Level 4 Leaning and Skills Mentor
Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher
Level 5 Diploma Education and Training
Cert HE Working with Children, Young People and Families
FdA Education and Childhood
BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
FdA Business and Management
BA (Hons) Leadership and Management
FdSc Law with Business
FdSc Psychology and Counselling Skills
FdSc Psychology and Criminology
BSc (Hons) Social and Therapeutic Interventions
Level 7 Academic Professional

Ceremony 2

Arrival Time from 11.45am
Ceremony Time 1.00pm

Level 5 Coaching Professional
Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring
FdSc Hearing Aid Audiology
BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Audiology)
HNC Engineering (Electrical Electronics)
HNC Engineering (Marine Technologies)
HNC Manufacturing
BSc Integrated Technologies Engineering
FdSc Computing
FdA Music Performance and Production

Ceremony 3

Arrival Time from 2.00pm
Ceremony Time 3.15pm

FdA Contemporary Arts Practice
FdA Games and Interactive Design
Level 4 Cert Sports Coach
FdSc Sports Coaching and Fitness
BSc Applied Sports Coaching and Sports Performance
FdSc Assistant Practitioner
FdSc Nursing Associate
BSc (Hons) Enhanced Integrated Care
FdSc Animal Science
BSc (Hons) Applied Animal Science

Refunds

All refund requests must be submitted to the Graduation Team. If you require any assistance, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note that all refund requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and approval cannot be guaranteed.

We kindly ask that you do not contact Marston Events directly regarding refunds, as they will be unable to process your request and will refer you back to the Graduation Team. Thank you for your understanding.

You will receive further information about your graduation day once ticket sales have closed. In the meantime, please feel free to contact the graduation team with any questions via [email protected].