General Admission

If you are considering a fourth year option (part III) or if you are on a four year integrated Masters course i.e. NatSci and Engineering, you will not automatically be put forward for the ceremony this July.  However, if you do not wish to proceed to a fourth year or your grades may not be acceptable for the next level of studies, it is important that you contact tutorial@sid.cam.ac.uk so that you can be included in the Ceremony, even as just a precaution. 

Once you are added to the Ceremony, it is easy to remove you up until the last minute, however, it is not possible to add you to the ceremony once the deadline has passed, so please keep in touch with me about any concerns you may have or to talk through your options.

Please note, General Admission is reserved for the current years cohort only.

Information for your diary

To assist with planning for the Graduation Ceremony you may find the following information useful for travel and holiday arrangements for you and your guests, all the dates are correct, however, the times are an approximation and may vary slightly:

Thursday 29 June

11am - 2pm             Group and Individual Photo’s

2:30pm to 3:45pm   Rehearsal (you will be provided with an exact time)

6:15pm                    Graduation Service

7pm                         Pre-Dinner Drinks then Dinner in Hall

Friday 30 June

Exact timings for graduation day will be determined once the University has provided colleges with additional information.

TBC                         Arrival and preparation for procession to Senate House

TBC                         Graduands walk in procession to Senate House

TBC                         Admission to degrees

TBC                         Graduation Buffet

Registering for Graduation and the Graduation Ceremony

The University deadline for sign-up is 12 May 2023.  To register, log on to CamSIS (You will be contacted when CamSIS is open for sign-up) and select ‘Graduation > Apply for Graduation’.  Subsequent steps are self-explanatory.  You will be asked:

·        whether you wish to receive your degree in person or in absence (you will not be able to fill in the “guests” box, as no guests are allowed at the ceremony)

·        whether you wish to attend the graduation dinner (Undergraduates only) (Graduate students taking their degree at General Admission will receive a separate invitation from the Graduate Tutors).

·        If you wish to attend the Graduation Buffet with guests.

The graduation ceremony will take place in the Senate-House; we are anticipating that there will be up to 2 guest tickets per graduand with the opportunity to apply for a 3rd through a waiting list on a first come first serve basis.

Graduation photo and rehearsal

Graduands must arrive for the Photo and Rehearsal dressed as if ready for graduation on Friday (see below).  A Graduation Photograph of all graduands, with the Master and other College Officers, will be taken in the Fellows’ Garden on the Thursday prior to the ceremony.  There will also be an opportunity for individual photos, for those who wish.  In the mid-afternoon the Praelector will conduct a dress check of each individual graduand, and a full Graduation Rehearsal in the Fellows Garden (no guests).  You will receive a group time in due course.

Covid-19

It is unclear at this time, whether there will be any COVID Restrictions in place at Senate House or the College at General Admission 2023.  We will update this page further once we receive details from the University and make our own risk assessments based on Government Guidelines closer to the time.

Graduation dress

The University has strict requirements for graduation, concerning both academical dress (gowns and hoods) and the clothes worn with it.  Please consult carefully the Dress Regulations for detailed information. 

Please note that you will need to collect your academical dress on the afternoon of Wednesday 28 June or first thing in the morning of Thursday 29 June, ready for the Graduation Photo and Rehearsal on Thursday afternoon. We are lucky to have an agreement in place with Ryder and Amies, for a 1 day hire for the 2-day period.  Please contact them

Graduation dinner

Please note, guests are not permitted to the Undergraduate Graduation Dinner due to numbers and the limited capacity of Hall.

Undergraduate Graduands’ Dinner

Date:   Thursday 29 June

Time:  7.00 pm          Pre-dinner drinks in the Cloister Court.

            7.30 pm         Hall

Dress: Evening Dress and Lounge Suits.  Gowns will be worn.

Graduate Graduands’ Dinner

Date:   Tuesday 27 June

Time:  7.00 pm          Pre-dinner drinks in the Cloister Court.

            7.30 pm         Hall

Dress: Evening Dress and Lounge Suits.  Gowns will be worn.

Graduation buffet

The Master and Mrs Penty cordially invite you and your graduation guests to a buffet after the ceremony, in the Fellows’ Garden.  The Fellows, and many members of the College staff, who have supported you through your time at Sidney will join the party to celebrate your graduation and your time at Sidney, and to wish you well for the future.

Letter from the Master and your University Transcript

Once you have graduated you will receive:

• Your University Transcript - usually by the end of July

• A message from The Master

Please update your 'First Destination' address in CamSIS, if you do not do this, the College will send these documents to the last known home address on CamSIS which may delay any applications that require proof of your degree.  Please update your address and email by the 30 June.

This information will also be passed onto the Development Office who will keep you regularly updated with Alumni Events and information on returning for your M.A. degree (where applicable).

Please note that your @cam email closes approximately 21 days after you graduate.

College Bill

All debts to the University must be settled in full before a student can graduate. The Student Finance Manager will write to graduating students before the end of Lent Term with further details of the final term’s College Bill.