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Autumn Conferring

Autumn Conferring 2025

‌Dates: To be confirmed

Location: Bailey Allen Hall, Áras na MacLéinn, University of Galway.

Before your Conferring Day

Eligible Graduands

  • Undergraduate
    Bachelor only; All colleges (except for final Medicine and final Therapies)
  • Postgraduate
    PhD, MD, Masters Research only; all colleges.
    Postgraduate Research Deadline : TBC

Please note that undergraduate students who defer/repeat/appeal an exam, will be invited to confer at the Winter conferring (provided exams are passed and fees are cleared).        

Schedule

The Autumn 2025 Conferring Schedule (by college, by course) will be published here in 2025.

Information Email

An email with further information relating to the Autumn Conferring was sent to eligible graduands in 2025.

If you have not received an email, please check that you are eligible to be conferred (passed exams and paid fees by deadlines);

  • please check your junk folder.
  • please ensure your student email address is active and you can receive emails.
  • for any issues accessing University email accounts, please refer to, MFA - University of Galway.

If you have not received an email in relation to the upcoming ceremony and have concerns, please contact conferring@universityofgalway.ie or phone +353 91 494402

Fees Deadline

All fees must be cleared by the close of business on (date TBC) to be eligible to attend the Autumn Conferring.
All fees related queries should be directed to the Fees Office.

 

Postgraduate Research Deadline 

Deadline for postgraduate research to be confirmed.
All steps of the thesis submission process must be completed by this date.
Please see process for submitting thesis on Examinations page for information. 
 

Parchment Name Check

The name on your parchment is the name you supplied the university with when applying for your course and is the name that will appear on your degree parchment.
Please ensure your name is correct for the issue of parchments (this includes accents, apostrophes, etc.). Please check your Registration Statement and/or Transcript of Results to confirm.
Name change requests must be directed to the Student Registry Helpdesk. Deadline for name changes to included in the Autumn 2025 conferring to be confirmed.

 

Robing

All students to be conferred must wear the correct Academic Robes as directed by the National University of Ireland: http://www.nui.ie/publications/docs/AcademicDressBooklet.pdf
The official robemakers for the University of Galway are Phelan Conan Ltd.
Robes can be pre ordered online at www.phelanconan.com.
The pre-paid hire fee is €45 or pay on the day hire fee is €50. All students must pre-book robes with the official robe-makers, Phelan Conan Limited before to be confirmed.
ROBE COLLECTION
Robes can be collected from rooms G010 / G011 in the Hardiman Building, University of Galway (dates to be confirmed). It is strongly advised to collect prior to the day of your ceremony.

ROBE RETURN
All robes are to be returned as soon as possible after the conclusion of your ceremony to G010 / G011 Hardiman Building.
Phelan Conan WILL NOT be on site outside of the robe return dates (dates to be confirmed).

For additional information on Robe hire click here.

Photographers

Lafayette Photographers have been appointed as the official University photographers.
Pre-book your conferring photography online at www.lafayette.ie to activate your private gallery and to view price.
Please contact Lafayette directly for photography related queries.

PhD Deferrals

Deferral of Conferring: MD and PhD graduands only may request to defer their graduation once to the next session only. 
Email conferring@universityofgalway.ie with your request to defer no later than (date to be confirmed).

 

 

On your Conferring Day

Parking

Free parking is available at the Park & Ride carpark and a free shuttle bus will run between the Park & Ride carpark and the Orbsen Building (adjacent to the Bailey Allen Hall) at regular intervals. Please refer to campus map (No. 42 on the map).
  • The first park & ride shuttle bus will leave the Park & Ride Carpark at 8am. The last park & ride shuttle bus will leave the Orbsen building at 6.30pm (except for the 27th August, when the last bus will leave the Orbsen building at 2.30pm).
  • Please note that the Park & Ride Carpark is located 10-15 minutes from the Orbsen Building.  Please ensure you allow sufficient time to get to the Park & Ride carpark.
  • Use our free shuttle bus to collect robes & invitations and make your way back to the Conferring Hall to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony.
  • Parking is heavily restricted on the main campus and clamping is in operation.  
  • There are limited disabled parking spaces on campus for valid disabled parking permit holders. Please refer to the campus map.

 

Robe Collection and Return Location

Robe collection is from the Seminar Rooms GO10/GO11, in the Hardiman Research Buildings (inside the foyer of the James Hardiman Library) (Link from google maps)  

Robes can be collected from rooms G010 / G011 in the Hardiman Building, University of Galway (dates to be confirmed) It is strongly advised to collect prior to the day of your ceremony;
Please direct all robing queries to Phelan Conan (www.phelanconan.com).

RETURN OF ROBES
All robes are to be returned as soon as possible after the conclusion of your ceremony to G010 / G011 Hardiman Building,
Phelan Conan WILL NOT be on site outside of the dates (to be confirmed).

For additional information on Robe hire click here.

Invitation location

Admission to the conferring ceremony is strictly by invitation only and invitations must be presented at the entrance to the ceremony in the Bailey Allen Hall. 
Graduands will receive their invitations when collecting robes in the Seminar Rooms GO10/GO11 in the Hardiman Research Building from Phelan Conan Ltd.  
Each graduand will receive 1 graduand and 2 guest invitations. 
Please note that there are no extra invitations available.

 

Conferring Venue

The conferring ceremonies take place in the Bailey Allen Hall, Áras na MacLéinn, University of Galway.
For more information, please refer to University of Galway Map (No. 6 on the map).
Once you are robed and have collected your invitations, please make your way to the Bailey Allen Hall.
Graduands (wearing academic robes) and guests must be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. 
Any guest without an invitation will be directed to the live streaming venue adjacent to the Bailey Allen Hall.

 

Seating for Graduands & Guests

  • During the ceremony, you will be seated with your class in alphabetical order. 
  • Please note latecomers will not be seated with their class.
  • It is important that you do not move from your allocated seat position even if there appears to be an empty seat next to you.
  • Please note that there are specific seat numbers for graduands and they are seated separately from their 2 guests. 
  • There are no assigned seats for guests. Guest seating is located to the right and far left of the hall.
  • The seating lists are displayed outside the Bailey Allen Hall and outside seminar rooms GO10/GO11 (robe collection)
  • In the interest of safety, prams/buggies are not permitted in the conferring hall.
  • Each ceremony usually takes approximately 1.5 hours and as such is not a suitable event for children under 5.

Conferring Ceremony Order of Proceedings 

  • The conferring ceremony commences with the Academic Procession into the Bailey Allen Hall.
  • The Dean of the College will call out the names of the graduands.  
  • When you, the graduand, hear your full name called, please walk up the steps to the President, stand for the photograph, receive your parchment, go down the steps on the right/use available ramp and return to your seat.   
  • Please ensure that your full name is called i.e. your first name and surname, as there may be students with similar names. It is important you receive the correct parchment.    
  • Once you, the graduand, receive your parchment, you will have then become a “graduate”.
  • When the conferring ceremony concludes, the President and the Academic Procession will leave the hall first, followed by you the graduates, and then your guests.  
  • Starting from the front row, please follow in 2 lines down the central aisle towards the exit of the hall. 
  • Refreshments are served after each conferring ceremony.

Note : Please ensure you return your cap and robe after your ceremony to The Seminar Rooms GO10/GO11, The Hardiman Research Building (adjacent to James Hardiman Library).  

Live Streaming of Conferring Ceremony

  • Please note that the conferring ceremonies are live streamed and the names of the graduands who have decided to confer in absentia will also be called out.
  • Each conferring ceremony will be livestreamed in the Bank of Ireland Theatre, O'Donoghue Centre, which is adjacent to the Bailey Allen Hall.
  • Any guest without an invitation will be directed to the live streaming venue. 
  • There will be a link available to the live streaming to share with family and friends who cannot attend on the day. Link is not yet available.

 

Refreshments

At the end of the ceremony, graduates will be invited to join the Academic Procession exiting the hall.
Refreshments will be served for graduates and guests in the HBB Building (located to the right when exiting Áras na MacLéinn).
 
 

Special Requests

If you or your guests have any access requirements or need special assistance for the conferring ceremonies, please email conferring@universityofgalway.ie with your request.

 

After your Conferring Ceremony

Robe Return

Robes must be returned to the Seminar Rooms GO10/GO11, The Hardiman Research Building (adjacent to James Hardiman Library). 
Robe collection and return are from the same location. 
Robe return times are not yet available.
Please do not leave robes outside the robing rooms outside of the return times.

 

In Absentia

If a graduand is unable to attend their conferring ceremony, they will be conferred 'In Absentia' and their parchment will be posted to their home address (as listed on our system) within 2 weeks of each respective ceremony.
Please ensure your home address is up to date. 
Address details can be updated by clicking on the following link for the Student Registry Helpdesk: http://www.universityofgalway.ie//student-registry-helpdesk/our-services/name-address/
An international phone number is required where parchments are sent to an international address. 
Deadline for address changes is 16th August 2024.

 

Degree Parchment

Degree Parchments are issued in Latin.
For graduates wishing to obtain an English copy of their degree parchment, please contact the National University of Ireland (NUI) directly via their website: Document Services for Graduates | National University of Ireland (nui.ie).

Diploma Supplements

Diploma Supplements will be available approximately 3-4 weeks following the Autumn Conferring.
Please ensure your home address is up to date. 
Address details can be updated by clicking on the following link for the Student Registry Helpdesk: http://www.universityofgalway.ie//student-registry-helpdesk/our-services/name-address/
Deadline for address changes is 16th August 2024.
If you require a statement of course completion, please contact the Student Registry Helpdesk via email at; askregistry@universityofgalway.ie

 

Alumni

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