May 2024 graduation timeline
Get all the information you need to attend a graduation ceremony in May, and find out when your ceremony will be held.
Getting prepared for May graduation
Take a look at the calendar of dates below, add them to your calendar, and find out what you need to do next to be ready for your May graduation ceremony.
We will email you everything you need to know, so make sure your email address is up-to-date. Update your details by logging into Pūaha, or emailing info@vuw.ac.nz.
Friday 1 March
- Final day to apply to graduate and attend a May ceremony.
- Order your academic dress through Grad Gear.
- Email certified documentation of legal name changes to enrolments@vuw.ac.nz.
Week of Monday 4 March
- By the end of this week the Graduation Office will send you an email to confirm your ceremony allocation.
Sunday 10 March
- Order your academic dress by this date to receive the earlybird discount.
Week of Monday 18 March
- By the end of this week the Graduation Office will send you an online form to order your guest tickets for your Michael Fowler Centre graduation ceremony.
You do not need a ticket for yourself, tickets are free, and you can use the form to request additional tickets OR to return some or all of your three automatically allocated tickets.
Tuesday 2 April (Easter Tuesday)
- Last day to confirm the number of guest tickets you need for your Michael Fowler Centre graduation ceremony, through the form emailed earlier in the month.
- Last day to complete the withdrawal form to confirm you are no longer attending and to defer to another ceremony. (This also impacts student's additional ticket requests so please be considerate if you have decided not to attend and complete this form promptly). After this date, we will not be able to guarantee deferral to another ceremony.
Week of 8 April
- By the end of this week, the Graduation Office will confirm your guest tickets. Ticket allocations are final.
Wednesday 10 April
- Last chance for PhD graduates to submit their abstract.
Sunday 21 April
- Last day to confirm the pronunciation of your name, through the link emailed by the Graduation Office.
- Last day to update your preferred name in Pūaha. Your preferred name and your surname will be read out as you cross the stage. If you have not indicated a preferred name, your legal name will be read out.
Tuesday 30 April
- A late fee will now be charged on academic dress orders.
Week of 6 May
- You will be sent an individual QR code that you will use to collect your tickets. You can ask a friend or family member to pick up your tickets for you. They will need to sign for it, and our service will be much faster if you have forwarded them the email with your QR code or printed it out for them.
Keep your guest tickets safe. We will not be able to replace your guest tickets if you misplace them.
Wednesday 8 May
- Academic dress orders will close at 11.59 pm.
- Final day to email the Graduation Office to advise if you or your guests have additional requirements (e.g. a disability, require wheelchair access, a serious medical condition, breastfeeding, pregnancy, etc.).
Friday 10 May
- First-day academic dress available for pick up at Murphy Building, Kelburn Campus–check your academic dress receipt for collection times for your ceremony.
Confirmed graduation ceremony dates—May 2024
Tuesday 14 May 2024—Ceremony 1—9.30 am
- Wellington School of Business and Government—School of Government, School of Information Management, School of Management, and School of Marketing and International Business
Tuesday 14 May 2024—Ceremony 2—2.30 pm
- Faculty of Law
- Wellington School of Business and Government—School of Accounting and Commercial Law, and School of Economics and Finance
Wednesday 15 May 2024—Ceremony 3—9.30 am
- Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation
- Wellington Faculty of Health
Wednesday 15 May 2024—Ceremony 4—2.30 pm
- Wellington Faculty of Engineering
- Wellington Faculty of Science
Thursday 16 May 2024—Ceremony 5—9.30 am
- Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences—School of Languages and Cultures, School of Philosophy, Political Science, and International Relations, School of Social and Cultural Studies, and Te Kawa a Māui
Thursday 16 May 2024—Ceremony 6—2.30 pm
- Wellington Faculty of Education
- Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences—International Institute of Modern Letters, New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī, School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History, and School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
Te Hui Whakapūmau
Te Hui Whakapūmau is an official university graduation ceremony based on tikanga Māori (Māori cultural practices).
The University has decided not to hold Te Hui Whakapūmau in May 2024.
The next Te Hui Whakapūmau is Friday 13 December 2024 at the new Living Pā, which will be completed in November 2024.
If you want to ensure you attend Te Hui Whakapūmau, you can defer graduation in May and register for a ceremony at the Living Pā in December 2024 or May 2025.