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.

Getting prepared for December 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 December 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.

August

• Order your academic dress through Grad Gear, even before your ceremonies are confirmed, for the early bird discount.

Monday 21 September

• Final day for International Students to complete the EOI form.

Thursday 1 October

• Final day to apply to graduate and attend a December ceremony.
• Order your academic dress through Grad Gear.
• Email certified documentation of legal name changes to enrolments@vuw.ac.nz.

Week of Monday 5 October

• By the end of this week the Graduation Office will send you an email to confirm your ceremony allocation.

Thursday 8 October

• Order your academic dress by this date to receive the early bird discount.

Week of Monday 12 October

• 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.

Sunday 1 November

• 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 (link to come) to confirm you are no longer attending and to defer to another ceremony. (This also impacts students' 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.
• Last chance for PhD graduates to submit their abstract (link to come).
• 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.

Week of Monday 2 November

• By the end of this week, the Graduation Office will confirm your guest tickets. Ticket allocations are final.

Tuesday 24 November

• Last day to order your academic dress before the late fee is applied.

Wednesday 25 November

• A late fee will now be charged on academic dress orders.

Week of Monday 30 November

• 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.

Sunday 6 December

• 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 (link to come) (for example: a disability, require wheelchair access, a serious medical condition, breastfeeding, pregnancy, et cetera).

Week of Monday 7 December

• Academic dress available for pick up at Murphy Building, Kelburn Campus—check your academic dress receipt for collection times for your ceremony.

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.