Gowning, Dress Code and Photography
Please note the University has an agreement with our current gowning, merchandise and photography suppliers and receives commission from the hire and sale of academic dress / merchandise / photography purchases.
Gowning
All graduating students attending their ceremony must wear full academic dress, gown, hood and cap whilst in the Church and having professional photos taken. Students must wear The University of Buckingham gown specific to the award they are attending the ceremony for.
Gowns need to be booked in advance of the ceremony using The University’s gown supplier Ede and Ravenscroft’s online booking system.
Graduates who have completed a non-integrated apprenticeship should select the highest awarded qualification they have successfully obtained when selecting their gown. For example, if undertaking a QTS apprenticeship with a PGCE bolt-on and successful in both parts, graduates would select the PGCE gown, rather than Apprenticeship.
| Award | Gown Selection |
| Doctor of Philosophy/Professional Doctorate | PhD/DProf |
| Master of Philosophy | MPhil |
| Clinical MD | MD (Taught) |
| Master of Education | MEd |
| Doctor of Education | EdD |
| PGCE | PGCE |
| Master of Arts | MA |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA |
| Master of Science/Master of Business Research | MSc/MBusRes |
| Master of Laws | LLM |
| Postgraduate Diploma | P/grad Diploma |
| Postgraduate Certificate (not PGCE) | P/grad Cert (not PGCE) |
| Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery | MBChB |
| Bachelor of Arts | BA |
| Bachelor of Science | BSc |
| Bachelor of Science (Economics) | BSc(Econ) |
| Bachelor of Laws | LLB |
| NASENCO | P/grad Cert (not PGCE) |
You can collect your pre-ordered gown, hood and hat from the Vinson Building on the day of your ceremony.
Hired gowns are to be returned to the Vinson Building after the ceremony. Students can choose when booking to extend their hire should they wish to keep the gown for longer, please note there will be an additional charge. Alternatively, you can choose to buy your gown to keep.
What to wear
Students
As the ceremonies are a formal occasion, students should dress accordingly, suites, formal dress, skirt and blouse are recommended. Trainers and jeans are not permitted. We advise those without buttonholes bring a safety pin to attach their hood to their clothing.
National dress is welcome should students wish.
Guests
The ceremonies are a formal occasion, so we expect guests to dress accordingly; we generally think of the dress code similar to what you would wear to a wedding (minus the hat).
National dress is welcome should guests wish.
Photography
Professional photography will also be available at the Vinson Building and you can book your place using the link below. You can book slots on the day but please note that there will be an administrative charge for this.
Graduation Merchandise
The friendly Campus Clothing staff will have a stall at your ceremony, but you can skip the queues and avoid disappointment by pre-ordering at CampusClothing/Buckingham.