Graduation and conferment
Find out what needs to happen before you can apply to graduate, and the steps to have your qualification conferred.
Eligibility to be conferred and graduate
Conferment is the process of the University legally granting your qualification. It's the final step before receiving your official qualification documentation and, if you would like to do so, attending a graduation ceremony.
To be eligible to have your qualification granted, a doctoral candidate must have:
- successfully defended their thesis at the oral defence
- completed their corrections and amendments to the satisfaction of their school
- deposited their thesis in the University Library.
When you deposit your thesis, the FGR Exams team will be notified. They will consequently update your Student Record, marking you as ‘degree complete’, and will email you a letter from the Dean, FGR confirming that you have fulfilled the requirements of the doctoral degree and that you are eligible to apply to have your qualification granted.
You will then receive an automatic email to your preferred address. Within this email, there will be a link to the Online Conferment Application form. You will also be able to find the form in the Student Records tool in Pūaha.
You’ll also use this form to tell the Graduation Office whether or not you want to attend a ceremony, receive your certificate by post, or pick it up from the Kelburn Campus.
Conferment of the degree
You do not need to attend a graduation ceremony to have your qualification granted. All Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington qualifications are granted by the University Council, who meet approximately every six weeks between February and November.
You do not attend this meeting.
The date printed on your qualification certificate is the date the qualification was awarded by Council.
For more information, including dates, visit Apply to graduate.
In these instructions Doctoral graduands are asked to provide a 50 word “summary” of their theses, which will be read out by the Vice-Chancellor at your graduation ceremony. The description should work well when read out loud and clearly explain to a lay audience the relevance of the research or communicate one exciting thing about your work in a way that a lay audience can understand.
Graduation ceremony
If you choose to attend a graduation ceremony, you will be formally presented with your qualification certificate then.
To attend a graduation ceremony, your application must be submitted by:
- 1 March (for a May graduation ceremony)
- 1 October (for a December graduation ceremony)
Doctoral graduands are asked to provide a 50 word “summary” of their theses, which will be read out by the Vice-Chancellor at your graduation ceremony. The description should work well when read out loud and clearly explain to a lay audience the relevance of the research or communicate one exciting thing about your work in a way that a lay audience can understand.
You can get some ideas of what is required by reading these example summaries.
View the Graduation and careers webpages for more information.
Getting a copy of your certificate
You can access a digital copy of your certificate and also receive a hard copy.
Read more about accessing your University documents through eQuals and getting a copy of your qualification certificate.
After completing your degree
After you have had your qualification granted, you are encouraged to remain involved in the life of the University.
You will be automatically enrolled on the Register of the Court of Convocation, which elects five members to the University Council.
You may join the Alumni community, which will help you keep up-to-date with news and events at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
You may also be interested in the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation, a charitable trust which raises funds for a variety of projects with the help of graduates.
Wellington Careers and Employment will be able to provide you with advice about employment and career options.