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Ceremonies

Graduation ceremonies are held twice a year, in April and November. We'll email you booking details around six to eight weeks before your ceremony.

April Graduation is for students who have completed the following: MA/MSc/MFA/LLM/MRes degrees, postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates in education and MPhil/PhDs.

November/December Graduation is for students who have completed the following: foundation degrees, BA/BSc/LLB degrees, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and MPhil/PhDs.

PhD graduates are invited to attend either the April or November ceremony, depending on their completion date.

The Graduation Ceremony venue: Senate House

All Birkbeck graduation ceremonies take place in Senate House, the iconic heart of the University of London. As a 64-metre-tall building with a rich history dating back to the early 20th century, Senate House is a work of stunning architecture, which has starred in an impressive number of films and television programmes including Batman and Doctor Who. The building became the home of the Ministry of Information during the Second World War, with Beveridge Hall becoming a press room for the government department and reporters from every newspaper in London. It is in that very hall that our students now gather twice a year to celebrate their successes and graduate with pride. Find out more about Senate House and its history on the University of London website.

Accessibility

Senate House and Stewart House are accessible to visitors with restricted mobility, including wheelchair users. If you or any of your guests have accessibility requirements, please let us know in advance.

To make the graduation team aware, fill out the relevant section in the graduation booking form. The graduation team will contact you before the ceremony to confirm your requirements and ensure the needs of you and/or your guests are met.

If you require a BSL interpreter, please  as we will require additional notice.

So, we can best meet the needs of you and/or your guests, please include the following information or additional information on the booking form:

  • if you and/or your guests have restricted mobility
  • if you and/or your guests have sensory restrictions (hearing and seeing)
  • if you and/or your guests cannot manage steps
  • if you and/or your guests require an end-of-row seat
  • if you and/or your guests require access to a quiet area.

If any accessibility requirements have changed for yourself or your guests since completing your graduation booking form, or if you have any queries about accessibility, please .

Cannot attend your graduation?

If you are unable to attend your graduation and would like to defer until a later date, please complete the online form to inform us when you would like to graduate instead. This means that you have been added to a mailing list to receive updates about graduation ceremonies. 

This is not a confirmation of attendance or a ticket. This will also not result in you getting a refund for you graduation tickets and/or gown.