Graduation

You can book your complimentary Graduation ticket and purchase additional tickets online. 

The booking system will be open in the autumn, at least a month before the event date. We will notify you by email with the exact date when it goes live. You can book your complimentary Graduation ticket and purchase additional tickets once the booking system opens.

When you book your ticket, you will also be able to book your gown hire, and official photography online through William Northam. 

Yes, you can buy guest tickets at £25 per ticket for adults and children with infants (under 2 years old) attending free of charge when sitting on an adult’s lap. This allows your guests access to both the ceremony and the post-event reception. Tickets can be purchased online when tickets sales open in the autumn. You will have the opportunity to buy up to 2 tickets for Bournemouth ceremonies and up to 2 for London ceremonies due to limited capacity at the venue.  

Depending on demand, additional tickets may be released nearer the event date and we will be in touch to confirm arrangements after all initial bookings are made.  

Yes. After each ceremony there will be a reception for graduates, guests and faculty staff to mix and mingle, where refreshments will be provided. More details will follow as the schedule for the day is confirmed.  

London, Monday 2 November 
St George the Martyr Church

Morning Ceremony

• 8.15-9.45am – Registration, gowning and photography at 10 Union Street
• 10.00am – Graduands and guests seated at St George the Martyr Church 
• 10.30am – Ceremony commences 
• 11.45am – Ceremony concludes
• 11.50am – Drinks reception; Graduands and guests return to 10 Union Street
• 1.15pm – Event ends; all gowns to be returned to 10 Union Street  

Afternoon Ceremony

• 12.45–2.15pm – Registration, gowning and photography at 10 Union Street 
• 2.30pm – Graduands and guests seated at St George the Martyr Church 
• 3.00pm – Ceremony commences 
• 4.15pm – Ceremony concludes
• 4.20pm – Drinks reception; Graduands and guests return to 10 Union Street
• 5.45pm – Event ends; all gowns to be returned to 10 Union Street  

Bournemouth, Friday 20 November
The Pavillion Theatre

Morning Ceremony

• 8.15-9.45am – Registration, gowning and photography at The Hilton
• 10.00am – Graduands and guests seated at the Pavilion
• 10.30am – Ceremony commences
• 11.45am – Ceremony concludes and drinks reception starts in The Ballroom at the Pavilion
• 1.15pm – Event ends; all gowns to be returned at the Pavilion

Afternoon Ceremony

• 12.30-2.00pm – Registration, gowning and photography at The Hilton
• 2.30pm – Graduands and guests seated at the Pavilion
• 3.00pm – Ceremony commences
• 4.15pm – Ceremony concludes and drinks reception starts in The Ballroom at the Pavilion
• 5.45pm – Event ends; all gowns to be returned at the Pavilion

All graduation attire is hired through William Northam once the booking window is live. The cost is approximately £40 to hire.  

For the event you will need to: 

• Wear full academic dress (all graduands will dress in a gown, hood and mortarboard). 

• Ensure your gown is returned after the ceremony. 

• Follow the recommended dress code: smart or smart-casual attire (a buttoned shirt/blouse helps secure the gown). 

There will be a variety of official and non-official photography happening throughout the events. Here’s the key information:  

• Official photography will take place before the ceremony – this will happen at the Hilton for Bournemouth ceremonies and at 10 Union Street for London ceremonies.

• Individual, group and guest photos can be pre-booked on the William Northam website or arranged on the day. We anticipate that this will be live by the end of September/early October and you will notified by email.  

• Informal photography will also take place during the event; if you or your guests prefer not to be photographed, please inform the photographer or a staff member from the HSU marketing team when you arrive. 

We select our venues to ensure that everyone can take part and enjoy graduation, here is the information for our ceremony locations: 

Bournemouth – Both Hilton Bournemouth and Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre are accessible venues. The Pavilion accommodates wheelchair users in the stalls area, but please note that due to building restrictions there is no lift access to the circle within the theatre.  

London – St George the Martyr on Borough High Street has step-free street-level access to the main church, accessible toilets, and a hearing loop. The venue accommodates wheelchair users across its ground-floor area.

If you or your guests have specific requirements, please get in touch as soon as possible so we can assist on: 

graduation.bournemouth@hsu.ac.uk

graduation.london@hsu.ac.uk 

Eligibility for Autumn 2026 Graduation ceremonies will be for students who have received an award before the 9 of October. Students who expect to receive an award before the cutoff date must book their tickets to confirm their attendance. Any students who books, but subsequently are not awarded before the cutoff will not be eligible to attend, and will have their booking cancelled. If this happens they will receive a refund on any ticket, gowning and photography bookings made with our partner. Any students who receive their award after the 9 October, will be able to attend a future ceremony in 2027.

Yes!

If your Student visa has expired, you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, or an ETA, before you enter the UK. Check if you need a visa.

When you apply, you’ll need to prove that you will be attending your graduation ceremony. You can prove this with one of these documents:

• Graduation invite
• Enrolment letter

You may also find the UKCISA website helpful for further guidance.

We unfortunately cannot provide any bespoke letters to support your application.

There are several hotels around our Bournemouth and London graduation event locations for those needing to arrange accommodation to attend graduation. We would suggest using a booking platform such as Booking.com, Hotels.com or Trivago to search for the best options and pricing for your requirements.

For students and families attending our Bournemouth ceremony, we have an arrangement with the Oceana Group that offer preferential HSU discounted rates for hotel accommodation in central Bournemouth areas. Their special prices are based on single occupancy (with double occupancy supplement available at £10pp) and includes breakfast and free parking (subject to availability).

To access preferential HSU prices, please quote ‘HSU 2526’ when booking.

Find out more

Contact Jo Pow on: jpow@oceanahotels.co.uk or the Reservations Team on: +44 (0) 1202 298350

Visit their website for more details on the hotels: Official website | Oceana Hotels & Restaurants – Master

No. Unfortunately we are unable to provide bespoke letters to support student or guest Standard Visitor Visa applications.  

However, your guests may still apply for a Standard Visitor visa to attend your graduation. To support their applications, they may wish to include: 

• A copy of your passport and current UK immigration permission. 

• Evidence of your student status and expected graduation, such as an enrolment or student status letter and any graduation invitation, booking, or ceremony confirmation you have received, for example the announcement email sent in June should be sufficient. 

• A personal invitation letter from you explaining the purpose of their visit, your relationship to them, details of the graduation ceremony, and their planned travel dates – you may find AI very useful in drafting this.  

• Evidence that they intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit and can support themselves financially during their stay, in line with the Visitor visa requirements. 

Further information about applying for a UK Standard Visitor visa can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor 

You may find the UKCISA website helpful for further guidance. 

All Graduands must first report to the registration and gowning location listed below. This is also where you can have official photography taken before making your way to the ceremony venue. Your guests may join you here.

Bournemouth: Gowning will take place prior to graduation at the Hilton Bournemouth, 4 Terrace Rd, Bournemouth, BH2 5EL 

London: Gowning will take place at 10 Union Street, London, SE1

Our ceremony locations are within easy reach of where you will register and be gowned.

Bournemouth: Once gowned at the Hilton Bournemouth hotel, you and your guest can make your way to the Bournemouth Pavilion. The Pavilion is about a 10-minute walk from the Hilton, or you can take a taxi. A map of the walking route will be available at the hotel on the day.

London: Once gowned at 10 Union Street, you and your guests can make your way to St George the Martyr Church. The church is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the venue. A map of the walking route will be available on the day.

Is there a cloakroom? 

Cloakroom facilities are available at the Bournemouth Pavilion and there will be space dedicated to this at our 10 Union Street.