Graduation at Waikato

Due to capacity restrictions in Tauranga, all graduands graduating there are allocated three guest tickets for the ceremony. You do not require a ticket for yourself if you are graduating.

Tauranga graduation tickets are available approximately 2 weeks before the ceremony. 

Additional guests are encouraged to attend and join in the ongoing celebrations held at our award-winning Tauranga CBD campus. The tickets include food and beverage service, along with a live stream of the graduation ceremony.

No problem — underneath where it says you've been invited to The Pā, select YES to the option that says "Would you like to graduate at an alternate venue?" 

From there you can choose what you want to do. An email to your MyWaikato portal will be sent confirming the change of venue.

Ceremony lengths vary by location and graduate numbers.

• The Pā ceremonies typically last 90 minutes.
• Tauranga ceremonies average 60 minutes. 

Depending on cohort size, ceremonies may be 15 minutes shorter or longer.

Invitations for the April Ceremonies will be sent out for those completing at the end of B Trimester mid-December.  

Invitations for the October Ceremonies will be sent out for those completing at the end of A Trimester mid-July.  

You will receive an email inviting you to complete your invitation through the graduation tab in MyWaikato.  You may select to attend in person or if you choose in absentia you will be moved to the first available Council meeting.  For those completing at the end of C, G or H Trimester an invitation will be sent mid-January for the April ceremonies.

You will be sent an invitation to graduate once you have completed your qualification. You can then click on the 'Graduation' tab and respond from there. There are options to change to the Tauranga ceremony (April only), or to graduate 'in absentia' or to defer to next year. Please call 0800 WAIKATO if you require assistance.

Once your grades are final for the previous semester, we start processing this information. Shortly after your grades are final you should receive confirmation that you are included in the ceremony.

If you are completing at the end of C, G or H Trimester you will be eligible for the April 2025 ceremonies and an invitation will be sent to you mid-January.

We are happy to help with any problems or questions, call 0800 WAIKATO or email info@waikato.ac.nz.

You must complete your graduation invitation regardless of whether you plan to attend the ceremony or graduate in absentia (without attending). If you don't respond:

• Your qualification conferral will be deferred to the next graduation period.
• After one year, your qualification will be automatically conferred and your certificate mailed to your address listed in MyWaikato.

After your grades are finalised, you can request official degree completion verification through the "Results" tab in MyWaikato.

Graduation and conferral are related but distinct terms:

• Graduation refers to the ceremonial event where you receive your qualification in person.
• Conferral is the official act of awarding your qualification.

Your qualification can be conferred in two ways:

1. At a graduation ceremony, where you receive your qualification in person during the capping ceremony
2. In absentia (without attending a ceremony), where your qualification is conferred at a University Council meeting and your certificate is mailed to you afterward

As graduates of the University of Waikato, we welcome you to our global alumni and friends community.

We encourage you to stay in touch with us as we seek to connect you with valuable learning opportunities to increase your knowledge and help you in your careers. With more than 84,000 alumni worldwide, this community also provides valuable opportunities to expand your networks and stay connected with the University of Waikato.