December 2026 graduation

Find out the dates for December graduation, what you need to do to get ready to graduate, and the deadline for each step.

We will celebrate our graduates during the week starting Monday 7 December 2026. All ceremonies will take place during the day, at either the Michael Fowler Centre (Wednesday and Thursday) or on our marae (Friday). The graduation parade will be at lunchtime on Thursday 10 December 2026.

Michael Fowler Centre (MFC) ceremonies

We will hold graduation ceremonies at the Michael Fowler Centre on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December 2026.

Te Hui Whakapūmau ceremonies

Te Hui Whakapūmau is the University’s marae-based graduation ceremony based on tikanga Māori (Māori cultural practices). We will hold Te Hui Whakapūmau on Friday 11 December 2026.

Graduates and their families are also welcome to attend a pōhiri on Thursday 10 December 2026.

Prepare for graduation

We will add deadlines for each of the steps involved in getting ready for your December graduation ceremony closer to the time.

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.

Trimester 2 completions—International students

International students completing their studies in Trimester 2 may be eligible to attend the December 2026 graduation ceremonies under exceptional circumstances.

If you are eligible, your Student Success Adviser will contact you with further details and a link to a form where you can indicate your interest in attending.

The form must be submitted by Monday 21 September. Even if you do not wish to attend the December 2026 ceremonies, you are still required to complete the form if you receive it. Indicating that you do not wish to attend will not affect your eligibility to attend future graduation ceremonies. Please note that the form can only be submitted once.

If you indicate that you do wish to attend the December 2026 ceremonies, you will receive an email inviting you to apply to have your qualification granted. This application must be submitted by Thursday 1 October.

All instructions and updates will be sent to the preferred email address listed in Pūaha, so make sure your contact details are up to date.