Gowns for Kingston University graduation ceremonies
We encourage everyone to wear 'academic dress' (gown, hood and hat) at their graduation ceremony. It's not compulsory, but most graduates choose to.
Cost of gown hire
- £45 if you order your robe hire in advance. The price includes gown, hood and hat hire for the day.
- £50 if you hire your gown after the order deadline or on the day at the ceremony venue. The price includes gown, hood and hat hire for the day.
- £10 if you want to keep your hat as a memento. You can buy the hat on the day of your ceremony.
Order your gown
The Graduate Gowning company (GGC) supplies all Kingston University's academic dress. Booking is now open. You can order yours by visiting the Kingston University dedicated ordering site, where you will enter your student ID/reference (without the letter K) and follow the on-screen instructions. Ordering your gown in advance will save you money as it costs a little more to organise on the day of your ceremony.
Gown booking for January 2025 ceremonies is now open.
The deadline to hire your gown is Wednesday 8 January 2025 at 11.50 (UK time)
There are FAQs on the GGC website. If you need any further assistance, you can call the GGC on tel: +44 (0)1736 751855 or email info@graduategowning.co.uk
Collecting your gown on the day
The first thing you need to do on your ceremony day is collect your gown at the Guildhall (opposite the Rose Theatre). Only graduates are allowed in the gowning area. There is a waiting area for guests nearby. You must collect your gown at least 1 hour before your ceremony start time.
The time to collect your gown will depend on the start time of your ceremony. Information for planning your day, with full details on what's happening where and when, will be available soon.
Cancellation and refunds
If you find that, having ordered your gown, you can no longer attend your ceremony, please contact Graduate Gowning Company by email info@graduategowning.co.uk and they will assist in arranging a refund.
Gown types
The different types of gowns, depending on the award you receive. Please ensure you hire the right gown for your level of award:
Sub-degree gown
You should wear a sub-degree gown if your qualification is a:
- Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
- Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
- Foundation Certificate (FdCert)
- Foundation Diploma (FdDip)
- Higher National Certificate
- Higher National Diploma
Foundation gown
You should wear a foundation gown if your qualification is a:
- Arts Foundation Degree (Fda)
- Engineering Foundation Degree (FdEng)
- Science Foundation Degree (FdSc)
Bachelors gown
You should wear a bachelors gown if your qualification is a:
- Arts (BA)
- Business Administration (BBA)
- Engineering (BEng)
- Laws (LLB)
- Music (BMus)
- Science (BSc)
Integrated masters gown
You should wear an integrated masters gown if your qualification is a:
- Chemistry (MChem)
- Computing (MComp)
- Engineering (MEng)
- Pharmaceutical Science (MPharmSci)
- Pharmacy (MPharm)
Postgraduate gown
You should wear a postgraduate gown if your qualification is a:
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
- Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip)
Masters gown
You should wear a masters gown if your qualification is a:
- Arts (MA)
- Architecture (MArch)
- Business Administration (MBA)
- Education(MEd)
- Fine Art (MFA)
- Laws (LLM)
- Music (MMus)
- Science (MSc)
- Social Work (MSW)
- Masters by Research (MRes)
- Philosophy (MPhil)
Doctoral gown
You should wear a doctoral gown if your qualification is a:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
- Doctor of Education (DEd)
- Professional Doctorate in Occupational and Business Psychology
