Are you a current student with access to the HiQ website? Follow the Steps to graduating for current students instead.

Steps to graduating for conferred students

If you've already graduated and had your degree conferred but haven't attended a ceremony, follow these steps to get ready for your graduation day.

When are ceremonies held?

Each year, we hold two ceremony rounds:

  • mid-year graduation ceremonies, usually in July or August.
  • end-of-year graduation ceremonies, usually in December.

To attend, you need to have completed your course by the cut-off date for the round.

If you complete your course after the cut-off date

If you complete your course after the cut-off date for a ceremony round but are still eligible to graduate, you'll be included in either the March or September conferral round.

These are non-ceremony rounds which means you'll receive your parchment by mail and be invited by email to attend a future ceremony at the mid-year or end-of-year graduation ceremonies.

Which ceremony will I be invited to?

Once registration opens, you'll be able to see which ceremony you've been automatically assigned to in the external GFP Events portal.

Log in to GFP Events with your QUT username and password. By logging in and accessing the GFP Events portal, you agree to the GFP Events privacy policy.

Check your ceremony date and time in the GFP Events portal

You can plan ahead by checking our graduation ceremony schedule for the upcoming round and finding the ceremony for your study area.

View our upcoming graduation ceremony schedule

How we allocate you to a ceremony

To learn how you're allocated to a specific ceremony, select your course type below:

You'll be allocated to a ceremony based on your faculty study area (this can sometimes be allocated according to your study area A or major).

Double degree students will only need to register for a single ceremony. Your name will be announced and listed in the online program for both courses.

You'll be allocated to a single ceremony based on the following:

  • If your double degree includes a Justice component, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the Justice part of your degree. This includes Law/Justice double degrees.
  • If your double degree includes a Law component, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the Law part of your degree. This excludes Law/Justice double degrees.
  • If your double degree includes an Education component, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the Education part of your degree.
  • If your double degree includes a Business component, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the non-Business part of your degree.
  • If your double degree includes an honours component, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the honours part of your degree (excluding Justice and Law/Justice students).

For any other double degrees, you'll be allocated to a ceremony for the degree that comes first in your course name.

You'll be allocated to a ceremony that best reflects your principal supervisor's school.

If you're graduating with both a Bachelor and Masters degree
You'll be allocated to attend a single ceremony for the Masters degree
If you're graduating with both a Bachelor degree and a Graduate Certificate or Diploma
You'll be allocated to attend a single ceremony for the Bachelor degree.

Your academic dress will need to reflect the award your ceremony allocation is based on.

You'll only be announced on stage once for the allocated award, and will be seated with students from that cohort.

If you're completing either:

and attended the course outside of Brisbane, visit our Interstate graduation ceremonies page. Interstate ceremonies are available in select cities.

If you completed your studies in Brisbane, you will be invited to attend a ceremony in Brisbane.

To check your eligibility for an interstate graduation ceremony, email psmprogram@qut.edu.au.

Registration for the mid-year ceremonies is now open. 

When you've received your ceremony invitation, you can begin registering.

Hiring or purchasing academic dress, ordering guest tickets, pre-ordering photography packages, and paying your graduation fee are all completed in the GFP Events portal.

The $85 graduation fee includes hire of a full set of academic dress, a mortarboard or bonnet to keep, and access to the post-ceremony function, where non-alcoholic drinks and canapés will be served in the foyer.

Guest tickets, photography packages and purchasing academic dress items will incur additional charges. Guest tickets are non-refundable.

How to register

  1. Log in to the GFP Events portal using your QUT email address, username and password.
  2. On the first page, your ceremony date and time will shown. Select either:
    • Attend ceremony
    • Defer attendance
    • Do not wish to attend.
  3. Continue through the step-by-step process to complete all your registration tasks.

The GFP Events portal is an external website. By logging in and accessing the portal, you agree to the GFP Events privacy policy.

Find out more

Your academic dress type is determined by the award you're receiving.

Only QUT-approved academic dress can be worn at a QUT graduation ceremony. If you've chosen to hire or purchase your academic dress from an external supplier and you have incorrect items that aren't QUT-approved, you'll be required to wear the hired academic dress included in your graduation fee.

Select your course type to see what you're required to wear at your ceremony:

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black bachelor gown.

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black bachelor gown
  • 100mm blue hood
  • mortarboard.

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black bachelor gown
  • 100mm blue hood with a white trim
  • mortarboard.
Masters by coursework

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black masters gown
  • fully lined blue hood with a white trim
  • mortarboard.
Masters by research (Master of Philosophy)

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black masters gown
  • fully lined red hood
  • mortarboard.
Doctor of Philosophy

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black gown with red facings
  • fully lined red hood
  • tudor bonnet with red tassel.
Professional Doctorate

Your academic dress consists of:

  • black gown with blue facings
  • fully lined blue hood
  • tudor bonnet with blue tassel.
Cultural dress

In addition to your academic dress, you may choose to wear an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander stole.

Stoles are provided by our Oodgeroo Unit to celebrate student achievement and to recognise the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The design of the stoles and their colours are reflective of both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

To obtain a stole or for further information, email information.oodgeroo@qut.edu.au.

Cultural dress that has cultural significance for celebration must be pre-approved for your graduation ceremony.

Guidelines for appropriate academic dress have been established to uphold the significance of the occasion and show respect for the University, its graduates, and their families.

Email ceremonies@qut.edu.au to submit your cultural dress variation request with supporting photos prior to close of registration.

Flags and items of protest or political statement will not be permitted.

All guests must have a ticket to attend the graduation ceremony. Non-ticket holders will not be permitted entry to the Event Centre.

Guest tickets are $40 each and include access to the post-ceremony function, where non-alcoholic drinks and canapés will be served in the foyer. Guest tickets are non-refundable.

Children aged two years and under are welcome to sit on the knee of an adult guest for free. Children aged three and over are included in ticket limits.

Guest tickets do not have assigned seat numbers.

How many guest tickets can I purchase?

All graduates are allocated three guest tickets.

This limit ensures all graduates have the opportunity to reserve seats for their family and friends.

Your allocated guest tickets will remain available to you to purchase until registration closes. Any unsold guest tickets may be made available for resale after that date.

Additional tickets may be available to purchase after registration closes, subject to final attendance numbers. If unsold tickets become available, registered students will be contacted via email.

Studio and stage photography package inclusions and pricing can be viewed and pre-ordered when you register.

Photography can also be purchased on the day of your graduation ceremony.

Accessibility assistance may be required if you:

  • are pregnant
  • have a disability, injury or health condition
  • have a religious or cultural reason.

If you need assistance, you can specify your requirements when you register.

If your guests need assistance, you can specify any guest requirements when assigning your guest tickets.

Ushers will be available at the ceremony to assist with accessibility requirements. Guests may request early access to the ceremony room by visiting the information desk in the Event Centre foyer.

If you hold a government-issued Companion Card, you may be eligible for a complimentary guest ticket for your companion to assist at your graduation ceremony. Email ceremonies@qut.edu.au with a copy of your Companion Card.

What happens next

Continue to step 3 to prepare for your graduation ceremony.

If you've deferred, you'll have 12 months from your date of conferral to attend a future ceremony. You can only defer your attendance once.

Gender diverse graduates who have not completed a legal name change can request to have their chosen name displayed and announced during the graduation ceremony. Email ceremonies@qut.edu.au with your request before registration closes.

Official documents including parchments, AHEGS and academic transcripts must reflect legal names.

If you've registered whether or not you'll be attending but want to change this, email the Ceremonies team at ceremonies@qut.edu.au.

Refunds

Requests to refund your graduation fee, photography packages or academic dress purchase must be submitted no later than seven days before the date of your ceremony and may take up to 10 business days to be approved and processed.

Refunds will only be given in special circumstances and will incur a processing fee. Guest tickets are non-refundable.

Email your refund request to ceremonies@qut.edu.au and include:

  • your student ID
  • a brief explanation of why you're requesting a refund
  • supporting documents.

Online program and live stream

Ceremonies are livestreamed, recorded and published on the online program. The program also includes names of all graduating students and information for guests.

Share this link with your guests and family and friends who can't attend.

Graduation ceremony online program

This live stream will be available 30 minutes before the ceremony.

The online program and a recording of the live stream will be available after the ceremony as a memento and will remain online for six months.

If you don't want to be included in the online program or archival video of the ceremony, email ceremonies@qut.edu.au (it isn't possible to be excluded from the live stream).

Getting to the venue

Graduation ceremonies are held at The Star Brisbane Event Centre.

Direct lift access to the Event Centre on level 6 is via the George Street ground-floor entrance.

The Star Brisbane is surrounded by accessible public transport and is a short walk from QUT Gardens Point.

Arrive at the Event Centre on level 6 90 minutes before your ceremony to allow time to check in, be robed and attend your mandatory briefing.

Surveillance and facial recognition technology are used at The Star Brisbane.

By attending the graduation ceremony, you agree to the venue's privacy notice and condition of entry:

  • The Star uses audio recording and CCTV surveillance for security reasons.
  • The Star may use facial recognition technology to identify, exclude or remove from the premises individuals who it may lawfully deny access to, including “Excluded Persons”, and for other purposes relating to gaming, safety and security and preventing illegal or undesirable activities.
  • Facial images from CCTV surveillance, facial recognition cameras or law enforcement bodies, and faceprints made from those images, may be stored and compared for the above purposes.
  • The Star may disclose facial images and photos to, or receive them from, its related companies, its service providers and other casino operators to use for purposes similar to the above. The Star may disclose audio/surveillance information to law enforcement agencies or regulatory authorities if it suspects illegal or undesirable activity.
  • By entering The Star's premises, you consent to collection and use of your personal information in this way. If you don't consent, you must not enter.

Read The Star's Privacy Policy or email privacy@star.com.au if you have further questions.

Parking

Visit the Information Desk in the Event Centre foyer to enquire about validating your parking ticket for QUT Gardens Point.

QUT ID cards may expire on your ceremony day. Validate your ticket prior to leaving the venue. Regular QUT ID holder parking rates will be applied to tickets from QUT Gardens Point only.

Limited parking is available onsite at The Star Brisbane and may be eligible for discounted rates. Visit The Star Brisbane website for location, access and parking information.

What to bring

You'll need your mobile phone to access your digital graduate ticket. Guests should already have their ticket and be ready to show it when they enter the Event Centre on level 6.

If you've received your parchment in the mail, do not bring it to the ceremony. You'll be given a document and folder on stage that can be used for photos.

Bring as little as possible. No cloak room facilities are available and you can't enter the ceremony hall with belongings. Arrange for your guests to take any essential belongings before your mandatory graduation briefing or leave them on your chair in the briefing area.

QUT and The Star Brisbane take no responsibility for personal items.

When you arrive

  1. Check in and download your graduate ticket on arrival.
    1. Scan the displayed QR code with your phone and enter your student ID and mobile number. You'll be sent your digital graduate ticket by SMS, which will show your allocated seat and academic dress order.
  2. Follow the directions to the gowning area to be robed.
    1. Show your ticket to GFP Events staff so they can retrieve your hired or purchased academic dress. You must be robed by GFP Events to ensure you're presentable and wearing the correct academic dress. Robing services are included in the graduation fee. Guests are welcome to wait in the foyer while you are robed.
  3. Take photos with family and friends
    1. Photography studios will be open before and after your ceremony. Additional photo opportunities will be available within the Event Centre foyer.
    2. Personal professional photography is not permitted within the Event Centre.
  4. Attend your mandatory briefing
    1. You can enter the briefing room starting 30 minutes before your ceremony. You'll need your phone with your graduate ticket ready. The briefing will run through what to expect in the ceremony. Guest entry is separate to graduates and will open 30 minutes before the ceremony start time.

Ceremonies typically run for 75 minutes, followed by a post-ceremony function in the foyer for graduates and their guests.

If you arrive late

Lockout rules apply if you or a guest is late.

If you're running late, email the Ceremonies team at ceremonies@qut.edu.au and include your name, student number and your ceremony.

We are only available by email, not by phone. Providing there is minimal disruption to the ceremony we'll try to accommodate any late graduates and guests.

During the ceremony

Turn your mobile off or to silent for the duration of the ceremony. You will not be permitted to take your phone on stage.

Your seat number determines when you'll cross the stage. Staff will usher you one row at a time into the ceremony and to your seat.

Check your seat sticker matches the seat allocation on your graduate ticket.

When the ceremony begins, you'll be asked to stand for the entrance of the Academic Procession.

Staff will usher you one row at a time for the presentation of awards.

You'll receive your parchment folder and your name will be checked.

Robing staff will be on hand to check that your gown is sitting correctly and your tassel is sitting to the right.

Award titles are announced once per cohort and do not specify majors. When announcing your name, your middle name will not be included.

  1. When it's your turn, move to the first blue dot on the floor of the stage.
  2. Turn to face the Presenting Officer, who will be standing at the lectern announcing each graduate's name.
  3. Wait for your name (and thesis title, for doctoral students) to be called, then move to the second blue dot in the middle of the stage to meet the Presiding Officer.
  4. Doff your hat to the Presiding Officer by inclining your head while holding the tip of your mortarboard with your right hand.
Shaking hands is not permitted. Refrain from extending your hand or reaching for the Presiding Officer.
  1. Turn to the audience for a photo with the Presiding Officer.
  2. Move and stand on the third blue dot before exiting the stage for your individual stage photo.
  3. Move off stage and follow staff directions back to your assigned seat. You can now move your tassel to the left side of your mortarboard.
This is a formal event so please be respectful at all times. Political statements, protests, or any disruptive behaviour will not be permitted.

After the ceremony

Staff will usher you to follow the Academic Procession out of the ceremony where you can join guests for a post-ceremony function in the foyer.

Hire gowns must be returned within one hour of the end of the ceremony. The mortarboard or bonnet is yours to keep.

Live stream and online program

Graduation ceremonies will be live streamed, recorded and published on the online program. The online program will include full names of all graduating students and is available publicly for six months. If you don’t want to be included in the online program or archival video of the ceremony, email ceremonies@qut.edu.au (exclusion from the livestream is not possible).

Photography and videography

By attending your graduation ceremony you agree that you may be photographed or filmed, and you grant the event organisers full rights to use the images resulting from the photography. These images may be used without fee or restrictions for educational, publicity and/ or advertising purposes in any media and for commercial or non-commercial purposes of the University.

If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please inform an event organiser or photographer on the day, or email ceremonies@qut.edu.au.

Consent for QUT to use images and content in any media can be revoked by calling 07 3138 3012 or emailing qutimageconsent@qut.edu.au.

Personal professional photography is not permitted within the Event Centre.

Terms and conditions for visiting The Star Brisbane

Surveillance and facial recognition technology are used at The Star Brisbane.

By attending the graduation ceremony, you agree to the venue's privacy notice and condition of entry:

  • The Star uses audio recording and CCTV surveillance for security reasons.
  • The Star may use facial recognition technology to identify, exclude or remove from the premises individuals who it may lawfully deny access to, including “Excluded Persons”, and for other purposes relating to gaming, safety and security and preventing illegal or undesirable activities.
  • Facial images from CCTV surveillance, facial recognition cameras or law enforcement bodies, and faceprints made from those images, may be stored and compared for the above purposes.
  • The Star may disclose facial images and photos to, or receive them from, its related companies, its service providers and other casino operators to use for purposes similar to the above. The Star may disclose audio/surveillance information to law enforcement agencies or regulatory authorities if it suspects illegal or undesirable activity.
  • By entering The Star's premises, you consent to collection and use of your personal information in this way. If you don't consent, you must not enter.

Read The Star's Privacy Policy or email privacy@star.com.au if you have further questions.

GFP Events privacy

The GFP Events portal is an external website to QUT. By accessing the portal for registration you agree to the GFP Events privacy policy

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Live streaming

All graduation ceremonies will be live streamed for the benefit of family members or friends who are unable to attend the ceremony.

View the live stream

This stream can be viewed from Windows and Mac OS X computers, Apple iOS and Android mobile devices. Streaming video can be data-intensive - be aware of your mobile plan's 3G/4G data limits.

No permanent recording will be kept by or used for any other purpose by the University.


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