You’ve come to the end of your course. Now what? Here’s everything you need to know about receiving your documents and registering to attend a graduation ceremony, as well as what to do if you won’t be attending a ceremony or wish to defer.
The graduation process
Before you can graduate, you need to complete critical checks of your name and course and then register to let us know whether you’ll be attending a ceremony, not attending or deferring.
Each step below is important and needs to be completed by the deadline to ensure you’re able to graduate and attend a ceremony.
COVID-19 Impacts to Graduation
Our graduation ceremonies run in accordance with all relevant state and territory COVID-Safe regulations, which may include mandatory vaccination and wearing masks indoors for all attendees. The nature of the pandemic has meant that government regulations and public health orders can change rapidly. ACU continues to monitor and abide by all public health orders. The safety and wellbeing of our graduates, their families, our staff, and our community is our highest priority.
1. Course completion
Course completion is the process of getting your subjects and results checked to make sure that you have completed all of the requirements of your degree.
You may be identified as potentially eligible for course completion during your final semester of study. A confirmation email will be sent to you and your transcript will be sent to your Course Coordinator to check that you have met the requirements of your degree.
If you have not received an email and intend to complete your course, then you must apply for course completion during your final semester of study.
Course completion deadlines apply. Check the 2023 Semester 1 Graduation – Important Dates.
2. Prepare to Graduate
Once you’ve received confirmation that you are course complete, you will need to complete the Preparing to Graduate form through Student Connect. This step requires you to:
- Check your name and degree are correct for graduation.
- Request the release of your graduation documents by confirming and updating your mailing address and personal email.
- Indicate whether you plan to attend your graduation ceremony.
Deadlines apply. Check the 2023 Semester 1 Graduation – Important Dates.
3. Ceremony Registration
Graduates who complete the Preparing to Graduate form and indicate their intention to attend a ceremony, will also need to complete the online Ceremony Registration form through Student Connect.
Ceremony registration opens in March for the Semester 1 ceremonies and August for the Semester 2 ceremonies. This step includes paying the ceremony fee and ordering guest tickets and academic dress.
Ceremony registration deadlines apply. Check the 2023 Semester 1 Graduation – Important Dates.2023 Semester 1 Graduation – Important Dates
Why are there two conferral rounds?
We know that accessing your graduation documents as quickly as possible is important to you. Having two conferral rounds means that we can issue your official digital graduation documents much closer to when you finish studying. These documents can be used for employment and further study opportunities.
Students from both conferral rounds (December and February) are eligible to attend our Semester 1 graduation ceremonies from March to May.
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Deadlines for Conferral Round 1 – December |
Deadlines for Conferral Round 2 - February |
COURSE COMPLETION |
6 December 2022 |
16 February 2023 |
PREPARE TO GRADUATE |
13 December 2022 |
22 February 2023 |
CONFIRM YOUR NAME |
14 December 2022 |
24 February 2023 |
CONFERRAL |
22 December 2022 |
7 March 2023 |
DIGITAL GRADUATION DOCUMENTS ISSUED |
From 11 January 2023 |
From 10 March 2023 |
HARDCOPY TESTAMURS (CERTIFICATES) ISSUED |
From late January 2023 |
From late March 2023 |
GRADUATION CEREMONY REGISTRATION |
Graduation ceremony registration is due to open in Student Connect in March 2023. An email notification with instructions will be sent to your ACU email account in the week prior to registration opening. So you do not miss important communications about graduation, ensure that you continue to regularly check your ACU email after completing your course. |
|
GRADUATION CEREMONIES |
March – May 2023. |
Attending your ceremony
Graduation is a special day to share with family and friends. So that you can relax on the big day, prepare in advance by finding out:
- the schedule of upcoming ceremonies
- how to order your guest tickets
- how to arrange your academic gown
- what time to arrive
- what happens on the day.
Learn more about your graduation ceremony
If you’re not attending
Even if you don’t plan on attending your graduation ceremony, you’ll still need to submit the Preparing to Graduate form in Student Connect after completing your course. This allows you to check your name and degree are correct before your award is conferred and request the release of your official graduation documents.
If you’re deferring
If you would like to defer your ceremony, you’ll still need to submit the Preparing to Graduate form in Student Connect when you complete your course. There is a question on the form that asks you to indicate whether you wish to attend your graduation ceremony. You must select YES when answering this question.
Then, when you later complete the Ceremony Registration form in Student Connect, you’ll have the option of selecting the future semester in which you would like to attend a ceremony. You can choose to attend one of the graduation ceremonies held in the 12 months after you graduate.
You’ll receive an email to your personal email address from our Graduations Office about two months before your nominated ceremony, confirming your attendance and finalising payment of the ceremony fee. If your contact details change, please email the Graduations Office.
Receiving your testamur
You will receive a hardcopy and a digital testamur (graduation certificate) after your degree is conferred. Check the 2023 Semester 1 Graduation – Important Dates for the release schedule.
Your digital testamur will be issued through the My eQuals portal to your personal email recorded in Student Connect.
If you are attending a ceremony, you will receive your hardcopy testamur at the ceremony. If you are not attending or choose to defer, you will receive your testamur via registered post to your mailing address recorded in Student Connect. Testamurs are posted after conferral of awards.
Testamurs are sent by registered post to your mailing address recorded in Student Connect. Registered post requires a signature upon delivery. If nobody is available to sign for your testamur, Australia Post will require you to collect your parcel from your local post office. The parcel will only be held at the post office for 7 working days, after which it will be returned to sender. If your parcel is returned to the Graduation Office, a re-posting fee of $15 (domestic) or $25 (international) will be charged for any subsequent postage requests.
It is your responsibility to ensure your mailing address and personal email are correct in Student Connect. If you are an international student returning home to an overseas address, please make sure that all address fields in Student Connect are entered correctly and include a city and a country.