On the Day of Ceremony
Not sure what to do during the Commencement ceremony? Watch a video to learn how.
Select a video of your choice:
If you have registered to attend Commencement, please take note of the following:
Before Arrival
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Check the Ceremony Schedule to make sure that you attend the correct ceremony. Please arrive at UCC at least one hour before the start of your ceremony.
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Bring along
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your Graduate Attendance Card for admission to the UCC Hall
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the Guest Invitation Cards for your guests
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your Academic Dress and Hood for robing in UCC. You are advised to iron your academic dress in advance.
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Graduate Attire – The academic dress generally looks good against a white/light-coloured background (e.g. white/light-coloured shirt/blouse). Female graduates are advised to wear shirt/blouse with skirt/pants and court shoes, while male graduates are advised to wear a long-sleeved shirt, tie and dress shoes. In view of the formality of this occasion and safety concerns when walking on the ramps and stairs to and from the stage, please wear appropriate footwear that you can walk comfortably in. The following footwear are not recommended - excessively high heels, flip flops, clogs and sandals.
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Graduates with Mobility Challenges – Graduates with mobility challenges (e.g. wheelchair-bound, visually handicapped, etc.) will be contacted by the Registrar’s Office by early July to arrange for assistance during the ceremony, if required. For those who have not been/are not contacted by Registrar’s Office by then and require assistance during the ceremony, please email your name, Student ID and contact number, with email subject heading “Assistance Required During Ceremony” to commencement@nus.edu.sg and we will get in touch with you as soon as we can.
Graduate Robing
All graduates attending the ceremonies will have to wear their academic dress. You can put on your academic dress at the Graduate Robing Room (UCC Theatre) before you proceed to the UCC Hall where the ceremony will be held.
Please note that only graduates wearing the correct academic dress will be presented on stage. If you have borrowed the academic dress from a friend and are not sure whether you are wearing the correct academic dress, please approach the staff in the Graduate Robing Room for assistance. The Graduate Robing Room is open 1½ hours before the ceremony start time.
Seating Time
Seating time for graduates and guests will commence one hour prior to the official start time of each ceremony. Throughout the seating time, a series of specially-prepared videos and congratulatory messages will be screened in the UCC Hall.
To ensure that the ceremony can start on time, graduates and guests are requested to be seated in the UCC Hall at least 20 minutes before the ceremony start time. The doors will be closed after the ceremony has officially started; latecomers will not be allowed to enter the hall then.
During the Ceremony
The nature of the ceremonies every year is similar. You may view the order of ceremony proceedings here and the videos of ceremonies of the previous year here.
After you have finished putting on your academic dress, please proceed to the UCC Hall. At the entrance, the ushers will check your Graduate Attendance Card and show you to the seat. The seat number is indicated on the Attendance Card.
The Graduate Attendance Card is required for the Ceremony Official to read out your name (and prizes, if any) when you are presented on stage. Thus, please hold the Attendance Card in your hand or put it inside the pocket of your academic dress. If you have forgotten to bring the Attendance Card, please report to the ushers at the entrance of the UCC Hall for a replacement.
When the ceremony begins, please stand up to welcome the academic procession. Remain standing when the National Anthem is played. You may sit down after the Presiding Officer has declared the ceremony open.
Clap and cheer for your fellow classmates and friends as they are presented on stage. Also, put on your best smile as there will be official photographers capturing the happy moments of you and your fellow graduates in the hall.
When it is about your turn to be presented on stage, the ushers will prompt you to join the queue. Remember to remove your Graduate Attendance Card from the Invitation Package and hold it in your hand. Give your Attendance Card to the Officials manning the barcode reader as you proceed towards the stage. As the names of the graduates will be read out in the same sequence that the Attendance Cards are scanned, please DO NOT change position with your fellow graduates after you have given the Attendance Card to the Officials.
There are two red lines on the stage. You should wait at the second line and move to the first line when the graduate standing at the first line has walked out to the centre of the stage. When your name is called, walk to the Presiding Officer at the centre of the stage. Shake hands with the Presiding Officer and receive the degree scroll box from him. Muslim graduates who do not want to shake hands should hold a copy of the Commencement Book in their hand. As you are presented with the degree scroll box, pose and smile for the cameras.
After you walk down from the stage, please proceed to collect your original degree scroll, transcript and medals/ prizes (if any) immediately. DO NOT change position with your fellow graduates when you are queuing to collect these. Upon receiving your degree scroll and transcript, sign against your name in the register book to acknowledge receipt. Check that you have collected the correct degree scroll and transcript bearing your name before leaving the counter. Please take care of the original degree scroll as it is irreplaceable.
After the collection, please return to your seat in the UCC Hall immediately.
Towards the end of the ceremony, the valedictorian/s will deliver a speech. The National Anthem will be played and the academic procession sitting on the stage will first leave the Hall. Please follow the instructions of the ushers to leave after the academic procession.
End of Ceremony
All graduates and guests are invited to have light refreshments at the foyer immediately after each ceremony.
Commencement Survey/Vendors
During the reception, our Student Assistants will be conducting a survey to gather feedback from you and your guests on your experience in order to improve on our Commencement ceremonies. The Student Assistants are easily identifiable by their official identification tags on their NUS lanyards. During the survey, please note that no personal information such as Name, NRIC, Date of Birth, Address, Email and Phone Contacts will be collected. We appreciate your participation in the survey as your comments and input will be most valuable in helping us make improvements.
In addition, to better serve your needs, some vendors are invited to set up booths at the UCC during the Commencement period. It is hoped that you will find the services and products offered by the vendors useful. However, you are under no obligation to purchase any of their goods or services.
Please alert the security guards if you are approached by any person(s)/vendor(s) without the official identification tags for any form of unauthorized surveys or sale of products.