Graduation Ceremony Dates & Timelines

Planning to complete your studies and attend a graduation ceremony this year? Whether you're planning to celebrate in person or virtually, here’s everything you need to know to be ceremony-ready.

To keep the Graduation ceremony experience accessible for all graduating learners and reflect our global Community, for 2026, there will be three Graduation ceremonies;

Friday 22 May 2026, Vienna (in partnership with WU University), MSc Sustainability, Entrepreneurship & Technology only
Saturday 27 June 2026, Berlin All Programs
Wednesday 2 December 2026, Online All Programs

Find out more below about our two ceremonies open to graduates from across All Programs.

⚠️ Important: The deadlines below are specifically for ceremony participation. They may be different from the academic deadlines shared by your Program Director. Following these ensures you're included in the celebration.

🌍 2026 In-Person Graduation (Berlin)

📅 Ceremony Date: Saturday 27 June👉Click here to register your attendance👈

If you're planning to attend your graduation ceremony in person in Berlin, here are the deadlines to keep in mind:

Task	Deadline
✅ Complete all outstanding challenges	3 May 2026
📝 Submit your thesis	3 May 2026
🎙️ Complete your thesis defence	15 May 2026
👗 Confirm attendance, gown size & guest numbers	29 May 2026
🧑‍🏫 Assessment Commission meets	1 June 2026
🧾 Final grade awarded	5 June 2026
⚖️ Appeal deadline	19 June 2026
💳 Complete any outstanding payments	21 June 2026
🎉 Graduation Ceremony (In Berlin)	27 June 2026
📃 Receipt of Graduation transcript and documents All learners who have completed their studies will receive their documentation digitally via email on this day.	27 June 2026

Once you have registered your attendance at the Graduation ceremony, the Community Team will be in touch to confirm details and exact location and timings of the event in May.

Wondering what to expect? Check out the highlights from one of our previous Graduation ceremonies

💡Have questions or need support with study planning to ensure you're on track for Graduation? Attend our Learner Support Office Hours

🎓Have questions about degree certification or the ceremony? Check out our Guidelines on Degree documentation. Still unsure? Reach out via the Support Chat in the ToU Learning Platform

🌍 2026 Virtual Graduation & Community Awards (Cosmos)

📅 Ceremony Date: Wednesday 2 December👉Click here to register your attendance👈

Task	Deadline
✅ Complete all outstanding challenges	11 October 2026
📝 Submit your thesis	11 October 2026
🎙️ Complete your thesis defence	23 October 2026
🧑‍🏫 Assessment Commission meets	4 November 2026
🧾 Final grade awarded	10 November 2026
⚖️ Appeal deadline	24 November
💳 Complete any outstanding payments	26 November 2026
🎉 Graduation Ceremony (In Berlin)	2 December 2026
📃 Receipt of Graduation transcript and documents All learners who have completed their studies will receive their documentation digitally via email on this day.	2 December 2026

💡Have questions or need support with study planning to ensure you're on track for Graduation? Attend our Learner Support Office Hours

🎓Have questions about degree certification or the ceremony? Check out our Guidelines on Degree documentation. Still unsure? Reach out via the Support Chat in the ToU Learning Platform

📣 Unable to complete all academic requirements in time for the in person ceremony?

Eligible learners may attend the Berlin graduation ceremony as Graduates in Waiting. This applies to all Programmes, including those completing their MSc SET studies.

Graduates in Waiting are welcome to:

Walk the stage
Celebrate with family, friends and the ToU community
Be recognised during the ceremony

Important to note: Graduates in Waiting will not receive degree documentation until the next conferral date 2 December 2026, once all academic requirements have been formally approved.

Eligibility requirements

To attend as a Graduate in Waiting, learners must:

Complete all outstanding challenges by end of May
Submit their thesis by end of May
Complete and submit the Graduation Exception Form
Receive written approval from ToU

⚠️ Without written approval, your place at the ceremony cannot be guaranteed.
Approval is subject to academic progress review and capacity constraints ⚠️

This option is designed to support learners who are academically close to completion while maintaining the integrity of ToU’s degree conferral and graduation process 💞

🙋 Can’t attend a Graduation Ceremony?

No worries - attendance is optional and will not affect receipt of your degree documentation. You’ll still receive your official diploma digitally along with everyone else. Find our Graduation & Degree Documentation Guidelines here.

MSc SET Learners will receive their degree documentation directly from WU. Any MSc SET Learner unable to attend the MSc SET Graduation in Ceremony in May is welcome to attend one of the All Program ceremonies, you just need to register using the relevant link above.

That said, we’d love to celebrate with you! Whether online or in Berlin, the ceremony is a special moment to recognise your hard work and achievements.

Still have questions? Reach out via the Support Chat in the ToU Platform - we’re here to help.