Do I have to attend a graduation ceremony?

No. Attending a graduation ceremony is your choice. When you apply, you can choose one of the following options:

1. In person – I wish to attend this graduation ceremony and have my parchment presented to me.
2. In absentia – I won’t attend a graduation ceremony and wish to receive my parchment by courier as soon as it’s available. Parchments will be dispatched after the graduation ceremonies.
3. Defer ceremony – I won’t attend this graduation ceremony and wish to delay the ceremonial presentation of my qualification and parchment to a later date (12 months maximum). If you’ve already reached the maximum deferral limit, your deferral option will expire, and you’ll be sent a notification.

If you choose ‘in absentia’, confirm your address

Not graduating in person? We’ll courier your parchment to you once the graduation ceremonies are complete.

Make sure your contact details are up to date, including your phone number and full mailing address. If you’re overseas, check that we have your full overseas address and contact number.

There’s no cost, but if your parchment is returned, you need to email graduation@aut.ac.nz to arrange delivery. If that happens, you’ll need to pay for the additional courier costs, so it’s important that your physical delivery address is up to date.