Check the date, time and location of your ceremony
All graduands and their guests must be seated in the Michael Fowler Centre 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony.
Wellington graduation ceremonies and celebrations
Hire gowns and academic dress (regalia)
All graduands crossing the stage must wear official academic regalia. Make you sure you have arranged well before the ceremony (preferably one month before) to hire the correct academic dress for your qualification. The receipt you receive after placing your order will show you when and where to pick it up and return it. Allow enough time before your ceremony to collect your regalia.
Massey has a preferred supplier arrangement for hiring academic dress with Academic Dress Hire.
Place your order on the Academic Dress Hire website.
Student and guest tickets
You'll receive a notification in your student portal (login required) when your tickets are available to download. This will be approximately 2 weeks prior to the graduation ceremony.
Make sure you print your student ticket and your guest tickets and bring them with you/your guests (or have them ready to show on your phones) on the day of graduation. Your student ticket states your row and seat number, so it is very important that you sit in the seat allocated to you.
Cell phones
Please make sure all cell phones are turned off or on silent before entering the Michael Fowler Centre.
Graduand and guest seating
All graduands and their guests must be seated in the Michael Fowler Centre 30 minutes before the start of each ceremony, so please allow yourself plenty of time to get to the venue and find your seat.
Graduands will be seated in a reserved section of the auditorium according to the order in which you will go on stage to receive your award. Our staff helpers will direct you to your seat, where you will find a complimentary copy of the Graduation programme. Guests may sit in any area that has not been reserved. Note your guests will only be admitted to the auditorium if they hold a ticket.
If you have guest tickets you will not use, please contact the Events Office on nationalevents@massey.ac.nz so we can reallocate these tickets to those on the guest seating waitlist.
Special seating requirements
Guests wishing to avoid stairs are advised to take the elevator from the ground floor to level one and enter through doors three and five. Guest seating is unreserved. If your guests require an aisle seat, we recommend they arrive early for the best chance at their preferred seat.
For any other seating requirements (e.g. wheelchairs), please contact the Events Office on email nationalevents@massey.ac.nz.
Find out about the ceremony
Graduation programme
All graduands will receive a complimentary copy of the programme at the ceremony.
Copies of the programme will be available for purchase in the Michael Fowler Centre foyer for $5. Eftpos is available.
Entrance of the academic and official procession
The audience is requested to rise as the academic and official processions enter at the commencement of each ceremony.
This is followed by a karanga (welcome), the University waiata (song) and Chancellor's address.
Receiving your award
At the appropriate time, the various qualifications will be announced. Graduands will be guided by an usher to the stage before your qualification is announced.
Those graduating for the first time will carry their trencher (graduation hat) in their left hand, with the tassel placed on the left side of the trencher.
Previously capped students may wear their trencher during the procession and into the venue. However, as you leave your seat and approach the stage to have your award presented you must then remove your trencher.
When your name is announced, approach the stage and stand directly before the Chancellor.
For certificate and diploma recipients the Chancellor will shake your hand. If you have been previously capped you may now put on your trencher.
For degrees and other qualifications the Chancellor will ceremoniously cap (or doff) you by holding a ceremonial trencher over your head, and shaking your hand. You should then put on your trencher or bonnet.
All recipients then cross the stage to receive their graduation certificate, taking it in their right hand. You will then be guided by an usher back to your seat. You have now officially graduated and you can now wear your trencher or bonnet for the remainder of the ceremony.
Graduates receiving two awards
If you are receiving two awards at the same ceremony, you will be allocated one seat and walk the stage once for your highest qualification. You will graduate in absentia for the other qualification. The awards will be presented together.
Conclusion of the ceremony
At the conclusion of the ceremony, everyone will remain standing until those on the stage have left the auditorium. Graduates will then follow the staff in procession out of the auditorium and into the Renouf foyer where graduates and their guests can enjoy refreshments. A cash bar will be available.
Procession
Graduands will form a procession which will depart from Parliament Grounds at 1.00pm and will conclude in Civic Square around 1.30pm.
Whānau and friends of our graduands are encouraged to take photographs and cheer on the procession.
There is one procession only. All graduands are invited to attend the one procession at 1.00pm on Wednesday 17 April.
There will be buses from the Michael Fowler Centre to Parliament Grounds to transport those wishing to join in the procession. The buses will start to leave from 12pm from the Michael Fowler Centre.
Graduation photography
The official photographer for our Wellington graduation ceremonies is Woolf Photography.
Capping photographs
Each graduate will be photographed as they are ceremoniously capped (or doffed) whilst shaking the Chancellor’s hand.
Roving photographers will also be present throughout the day. Feel free to approach them if you would like informal photos taken.
Viewing and purchasing photos
Photos will be available to view and purchase within 48 hours on the Woolf Photography website.
Studio portraits
Before and after your ceremony there will be studio setups in the foyer of the Michael Fowler Centre for posed portraits. Graduates and/or their families are given extra time to pose for these photographs. No bookings are necessary.
Payment must be made before the photographs are taken. Cash, EFTPOS and major credit cards are accepted.
Photographer contacts
Phone: +64 4 917 6861
Email: hello@woolf.co.nz
Website: www.photographybywoolf.com
Share the live streaming link with friends and whānau
Our graduation ceremonies are streamed live to allow friends and whānau from around the world to view graduation as it happens.
A video recording of the full ceremony will also be available online shortly after the ceremony.
Get help on the day
On graduation day, a helpdesk is located in the Michael Fowler Centre foyer one hour prior to each ceremony to assist with graduation enquiries and seating requests. You can also contact us for assistance.