DCU Graduation FAQs

Please check the dates for 2024 here. 

You will receive an e-invitation to your graduation 4-6 weeks before the ceremony date, please check your DCU student email account.

The Mahony Hall in The Helix, DCU Glasnevin Campus.

It is mandatory to wear the correct academic robes at your graduation. When booking your robes, please ensure you select the correct faculty and award.

We strongly encourage you to pre-book academic robes with our official robe-makers Phelan Conan Limited, to do this go to the 'Graduate Robe Hire' section at www.phelanconan.com. The pre-paid hire fee is €43 and the booking deadline is midnight Wednesday 16 October 2024. If you miss the booking deadline, pay-on-the-day hire is possible at a fee of €45 (card payment only). 

It is advised to collect your robes from Phelan Conan the day before your ceremony if possible, to avoid excessive queues on graduation day. The collection and return location is The Venue in the U Building and will be open as follows:

All hired robes must be returned to Phelan Conan as soon as possible after your ceremony and no later than 7.30pm.

Please note, wearing a mortar board (cap) is optional for all graduands.

Graduands will be allocated two guest tickets each. These can be collected at the same time as you collect your academic robes. Please click here for further details about ticket collection times and the location.

Most ceremonies are at full capacity so it is very unlikely there will be any spare tickets, if they do become available they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of graduation only.

Yes! 

Please aim to arrive on campus at least 60-90 minutes before the start of your graduation ceremony. Early arrival is essential as you need to be robed, checked-in and in your assigned seat at least 20 minutes before the ceremony start time.

When you arrive at The Helix, you will be directed to the first floor to check-in with the University Events Team and receive your assigned seat. This process takes around 10 minutes and long queues can form. Graduand check-in closes 20 minutes before the scheduled ceremony start time. Anyone who has not checked in by this time will be deemed absent, may not be seated with their class and may not have their name called from the stage.

Please note, graduands will be seated separately from their two guests. Guest tickets must be collected from The Venue in the U Building when collecting your academic robes, this is around 5 minutes walk from The Helix. It is strongly recommended to collect the day before graduation if possible. 

No. All graduands are invited to attend their graduation ceremony and will be accommodated on the day.

On graduation day, you must check-in with the University Events Team on the first floor of The Helix no later than 20 minutes before the ceremony start time. At check-in you will be assigned a seat. It is essential that you sit in this seat throughout the ceremony as graduand names will be called out in alphabetical order by degree/diploma programme. 

Lafayette Photography is our official photography supplier and can take professional individual and family portraits. They will be located in the Hive in the U Building.

They also provide a pre-booking facility via their website - visit https://www.lafayette.ie/graduation/book to find out more. 

Please note, the studios will close 30 minutes before each ceremony. You do not need your parchment for your photographs - Lafayette can provide a prop parchment.

If you have any questions about accessibility for you or your guests, please get in touch with us at graduation@dcu.ie. 

The Helix is fully accessible. For graduands, please let us know of any issues you may have accessing the stage to receive your parchment and we can help. 

The U Building is fully accessible. The Venue - there is a lift available to the lower level where robes and tickets can be collected. The Hive - fully accessible area for official photography.

Each graduation ceremony usually takes around 1.5 hours, as such we would advise graduands not to bring children under 7 years of age into the Mahony Hall. 

Supervised children are more than welcome to watch a livestream of the ceremony in The Gallery, on the top floor of The Helix. 

Directions to Glasnevin campus including public transport options. 

Map of Glasnevin campus.

There will be limited spaces available in the multi-storey car park on Glasnevin Campus on graduation day. Graduands arriving by car can access the car park via the Collins Avenue Extension entrance. Should the car park be full, please co-operate with our colleagues on the DCU Security Team who will be on site to advise you about alternatives. We strongly recommend considering taking public transport. View public transport options to DCU here. 

If you or your guests require a letter of invitation to graduation for visa applications, please send an email to internationalletters@dcu.ie.

If you cannot attend your graduation, your parchment will be issued to the postal address recorded on the student system shortly after graduation day. 

Your name will be printed on your parchment exactly as it is recorded on the student system. 

You can check your name and address through the Student Apps page, click 'DCU Key' and 'My Profile'.

For Autumn Graduations 2024, please ensure your postal address is accurate no later than Friday 18 October 2024.  

On your graduation day, make sure to pop over to the DCU Alumni desks either in The Venue or in The Helix to register your details and become a member of our global alumni community.  

For anyone graduating in October 2024, DCU will be in touch with you next April 2025 to invite you to complete the Graduate Outcomes Survey. This is a national survey of everyone who has recently received a qualification from all of the major third-level institutions in the State, including DCU.  

This survey collects information on the employment status of the most recent graduates and is submitted to the HEA as a statutory return. In addition, it is an important activity for DCU as it provides valuable information on graduate destinations and helps with enhancing our reputation. DCU graduates have a significant input to make and we’ll be in touch next year when it’s your turn! 

Your name will be printed on your parchment and called out by the Faculty Executive Dean as you cross the stage exactly the same as it is recorded on the student system - check your details on the Student Apps page, click 'DCU Key' and 'My Profile'. 

If you notice an error, please contact Registry at parchments@dcu.ie and provide valid photo ID confirming the change required on your parchment by Wednesday 25 September 2024.

To ensure the correct pronunciation of your name, please complete this form by Friday 4 October 2024.

In order to be eligible to graduate, each student must:

• have completed all of the requirements of Academic Council for their award
• have paid all their fees and cleared any debts outstanding to the University
• have returned all library books

Your academic transcripts are stored online through the secure Digitary website. In order to retain access to your transcripts, you will need to update your Digitary account with your personal email address. To begin this process, go to Digitary and login using your current mail.dcu.ie address and password.

• Click Sign in with your Education Provider
• And choose Dublin City University as your institution
• Go to Account Settings
• Click Link another email
• Enter your personal email address and click add