What to bring to Sheffield Hallam halls: the actual list
An honest pack list for Sheffield Hallam halls — what you will use every day, what your hall already has, and what can wait until you are here.
Sheffield Hallam Graduation Guide
Everything you need to know for your Sheffield Hallam graduation — dates, deadlines, ceremony day, dress code, photos and after.
One reference, eight sections, everything that matters. Sheffield Hallam holds its ceremonies once a year, in November, at Ponds Forge in the city centre — but most of what decides whether your day goes smoothly happens in the months before: booking your tickets in time, making sure your award is confirmed, clearing anything you owe, and knowing the order you do things on the morning itself. This is the guide to all of it, sourced from the university's own pages and structured so you can scan it in five minutes or sit with it for thirty. Search your course below to find your ceremony. The rest of the page walks you through everything around it.
Part one
The dates that actually matter
Sheffield Hallam runs one graduation period a year, so the calendar is the same shape every time. Miss the booking deadline and you pay a late fee; leave a tuition fee debt unpaid and you cannot attend at all. The exact dates for your year are on the graduation website and My Student Record.
The graduation year at a glance
- Ahead of bookingCeremony dates and times are published — on My Student Record and in the course search below.
- SummerBooking opens for tickets, gowns and photos. The university emails you when it does.
- Autumn — the booking deadlineBook by the deadline to avoid a late booking fee, and tell the Graduation Office about any access needs by then.
- A week before your ceremonyYour e-tickets appear under "My e-Ticket" on My Student Record.
- NovemberCeremonies at Ponds Forge, across two weeks.
Part two
Find your exact ceremony
Your ceremony is set by your course. Type any part of your course name below and we will show your date and time — and let you drop the ceremony straight into your calendar so it does not get lost among everything else. Partner-college courses are in there too.
Part three
Book, the right way
At Sheffield Hallam, booking is how the university knows you are coming. You book a ticket for yourself and for each guest through My Student Record — there is no separate registration step before it. Your place depends on your award being confirmed by your department's award board; you will get an email once you are eligible.
Booking opens over the summer, and the university emails you when it does. Use your personal email in My Student Record, not only your student one — your university account closes about three months after your course ends, and My Student Record stays open for two years.
Five things to know about booking
- Everyone needs a ticketYou as the graduate, and every guest aged two or over.
- Up to two guestsPlus any carer tickets you need. Guest tickets are paid for.
- Book before the deadlineAfter it, a late booking fee applies.
- Access needs, during bookingArrangements after the deadline cannot be guaranteed.
- Changed your mind?Cancel in writing before the deadline for a full refund. Afterwards, no refund once your e-ticket has been opened.
Part four
Guests, tickets, and the film
You can book up to two guest tickets, plus carers. That is the headline most graduates miss until it is too late — if you are hoping to bring four people into Ponds Forge, you will need a plan for the other two. Children under two do not need a ticket and sit on a guest's lap; anyone older needs their own, and under-16s must be with an adult who is not the graduate.
For everyone who cannot be in the hall, the university offers a film of the whole ceremony to order, and a free clip of your own moment on stage that you register for. There is no cloakroom at Ponds Forge or the Owen Building, so tell your guests to travel light, and nobody may film inside the hall — photos are fine, as long as they do not block anyone's view.
Guest essentials
- Up to 2 guest ticketsPer graduate, booked through My Student Record.
- Under 2s freeOn a guest's lap. Everyone older needs a ticket.
- E-ticketsOn My Student Record a week before — bring them printed or on your phone, and send your guests theirs.
- Doors open 30 minutes beforeLate guests are not let in once graduates start crossing the stage.
Get the tickets to your guests early. You will be at the Owen Building long before they reach Ponds Forge — make sure each of them has their own e-ticket the night before, not the morning of.
Part five
How the day actually unfolds
The day runs across two buildings. The Owen Building on City Campus is where you gown up and have your official photographs taken; Ponds Forge is the ceremony venue, a ten to fifteen minute walk away through the city centre. Plan to be at the Owen Building two hours before your ceremony.
Arrive at the Owen Building
Two hours before your ceremony. Gowning, the official photographers, a gift shop and selfie spots are all here, with food and drink at Hallam Central on Level 6.
Gown up and get your photographs taken
Go straight to photography once you are dressed — the portrait comes before the ceremony, not after. If you are hiring from us, you arrive already gowned and skip the queue.
Walk to Ponds Forge
Allow ten to fifteen minutes; there is an accessible route. It is outdoors, in November, so bring a coat you are happy to be photographed in.
Doors open 30 minutes before
Graduates and guests go in with their own e-tickets. There is no cloakroom, so leave large bags at home.
The ceremony
When your name is called you cross the stage. If you are running late you can still go in until the last graduate is called — you just will not sit with your cohort. Nothing is handed over on stage; your certificate comes by post.
Celebrate at Ponds Forge
Find your guests in the foyer — the Hallam H, the graduation bears, the photo walls and Hercules the dragon are all there for the unstaged photos that always end up being the favourites.
Part six
The gown, the hood, the cap
At Sheffield Hallam a gown is advisable but not compulsory — most graduates wear one, because the ceremony is formal and the photographs last. The set is three pieces, gown, hood and mortarboard, and the hood is cut from the university's own palette: black lined with maroon and silver for bachelor's and master's degrees, maroon lined with silver for doctorates.
What's included with rental
- The full setGown, hood and mortarboard, matched to your degree level.
- Flexible collectionPick up the evening before or on the morning of your ceremony.
- No queueing on the dayYou walk into the Owen Building already dressed.
- Return after your ceremonySame collection point, no postal returns.
- Size guarantee on early bookingsPopular sizes go fast in November.
Book early. Sort it now, not the week of. The closer you get to ceremony day, the fewer sizes are left.
Part seven
Fees and eligibility
Two things decide whether you can attend. First, your award has to be confirmed by your department's award board — until it is, you cannot book. Second, if you owe the university tuition fees for the course you are graduating from, you will not be allowed to attend your ceremony, receive your certificate or get a letter confirming your award until it is paid. There is no grace period.
The catch most graduates fall into: bank transfers take time to clear. A payment sent in the last few days before booking closes may not have landed. Pay well before the deadline, and check it has cleared before you stop worrying about it.
If you are not sure what you owe
Check My Student Record well before booking opens.
Do not assume the figure is current, especially if a payment is mid-transfer. Clear anything outstanding with real time to spare, not the week of the deadline.
Part eight
If you can't attend
You still receive your degree. Attendance is not mandatory and is not needed for your certificate, which is posted to the address on My Student Record either way. What you choose is only how you mark it.
Do not attend
Nothing to apply for. Keep your address up to date on My Student Record so the certificate reaches you — only one can exist.
Defer your ceremony
Postpone for one year by emailing the Graduation Office before that year's booking deadline. Nothing carries over — you book again the following year.
The alternative ceremony
A quieter, less formal ceremony of around half an hour at Ponds Forge, with no allocated seating — for graduates or guests who find big events overwhelming, and anyone who prefers a more relaxed format, subject to availability.
None of these changes when your degree is conferred — that happens once your award is confirmed. The choice is purely about how you mark it.
Reference
Useful links
Official sources
- Sheffield Hallam — GraduationMain graduation site, all sections start here.
- Sheffield Hallam — Ceremony dates and timesThe source for the course search above.
- Sheffield Hallam — PrepareBooking, gowns, photos and the day, step by step.
- Sheffield Hallam — Graduation venuesThe Owen Building and Ponds Forge: access and facilities.
- Sheffield Hallam — Terms and conditionsTickets, eligibility, fees, deferral and refunds.
- Sheffield Hallam — Alternative ceremonyThe quieter, relaxed option.
Keep reading
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What to do after graduation: a checklist for Sheffield Hallam graduates
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Visiting London from Sheffield: a student's actual guide
Two hours on a train, around four on a coach — London is closer than you think. The honest guide: how to get there cheap, how to move around once you are there, and where to actually go.
What to bring to your graduation ceremony
A practical kit list for Sheffield Hallam graduates — what fits in your pocket, what does not, and the small things that quietly save the day.
