Preparing for your ceremony

Academic dress

Your qualification entitles you to wear official Open University academic dress, including a robe and hood. Although optional, most graduates choose to wear it. The style and colours vary by qualification type, and you can view the full range of OU academic dress.

For your convenience, the Open University works alongside Ede & Ravenscroft, who attend all our ceremonies. 

Hiring your academic dress through Ede & Ravenscroft ensures that the correct academic dress is ready for you on arrival, and their team will be available to help position your hood so you look your best for photographs and celebrations.

Many graduates choose smart or formal clothing to wear with their gown. You are also welcome to wear national or cultural dress, and military uniforms may be worn. Academic dress from other institutions is not permitted.

Please arrange academic dress hire after booking your ceremony place and at least 15 working days before your ceremony date.

If you are awaiting confirmation of your final module result, we advise delaying the hire of academic dress until your qualification completion has been confirmed.

To book your academic dress or order photography with Ede & Ravenscroft, visit www.edeandravenscroft.com or call +44 (0) 1223 861854.

Mortarboards

Mortarboards, hats, and bonnets are not worn during Open University ceremonies. However, mortarboards may be borrowed for official studio photographs and may be worn outside the auditorium.

Ceremony photography 

Studio photography is available on your ceremony day at your chosen venue, and we recommend pre-booking to secure your session. 

In addition to formal studio portraits, Ede & Ravenscroft will capture photographs of you crossing the stage. These can be purchased on the day without prior booking. Stage photographs will also be uploaded to the Ede & Ravenscroft online gallery a few days after your ceremony. A password to access the gallery will be emailed to you approximately two weeks before your ceremony date.

If you do not wish for your photograph to appear in the online gallery, please email [email protected] to request its removal.

To book your academic dress or order photography with Ede & Ravenscroft, visit www.edeandravenscroft.com or call +44 (0) 1223 861854.

Name pronunciation

On your ceremony day, your name will be announced to the congregation as you are presented to the Presiding Officer. We want this moment to feel special for you, and that includes making sure your name is pronounced correctly. Although occasional mistakes can happen, we do everything we can to avoid them. To help us get it right, please send us the phonetic pronunciation of your full name at least four weeks before your ceremony.

Check your ceremony information page

Before the day, review the information page for your specific ceremony. Visit the List of Ceremonies page and select View for the ceremony you are booked to attend.

Each page shows the day’s schedule, locations for registration, photography, and academic dress collection, key venue details (such as facilities and travel information), and a link to a venue map to help you navigate on the day.