MATRICULATION CEREMONY
SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2024
(not for Visiting Students or students who have already matriculated at Oxford)
Matriculation is the ceremony that marks your formal admission to the University. It is a celebratory event, where you will get to take part in one of the most famous Oxford traditions. Attendance is compulsory*. If you are unable to matriculate on Saturday 19 October for reasons of religion or belief, please speak to the Academic Registrar.
* A number of part-time graduate courses have arranged for their students to matriculate in absence; please check here to see if this applies to your course. Where an arrangement to matriculate in absence has been made, you are not able to also matriculate in person.
Leave to matriculate at a later date in the term is only given in exceptional circumstances; please make certain you do not make other arrangements for this day. Failure to matriculate at a ceremony in the term following that in which you started will forfeit the fees for the term in which you came up and that term will not be counted towards the course.
Please go to the foyer of the Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre (MOLT) on Saturday 19 October between 12:00 noon and 12.45pm to give in your name. You do not have to sign anything but we must know that you are present. There will be two queues, one for undergraduates and one for postgraduates.
You will then be directed to the Dining Hall to receive instructions from the Dean of Degrees, and you will process to the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street for the ceremony. The ceremony should be finished by about 2:30. Please note that no visitors are allowed in the Sheldonian.
The required dress for matriculation is known as sub fusc. You should wear a gown, a mortar board or soft-cap, and your preferred items from the following list:
1. Dark suit with dark socks, or dark skirt with black tights or stockings, or dark trousers with dark socks
2. Dark coat if required
3. Black shoes
4. Plain white collared shirt or blouse
5. White bow tie, black bow tie, black full-length tie, or black ribbon.
Candidates serving in H.M. Forces are permitted to wear uniform together with a gown.
You can buy new caps/gowns/white bow ties/black ribbon from:
Shepherd & Woodward Ltd, 109-113 High Street;
Castell & Son Ltd, 13 Broad Street;
You will find that charity shops around Oxford will have supplies of second hand gowns (ask Freshers' helpers for tips about where to go) and the JCR also have a small supply of undergraduate commoners gowns donated by those recently graduated.
Students from previous Universities can wear the gown and hood of that Institution. Once they have matriculated, they will wear the Oxford gown of their current status.
A College year group photo will be taken at 2:45pm on the Quad to commemorate the occasion. Visiting Students, and those who have previously matriculated are welcome to join the photo.
Portrait photographers will be available after the group photograph.
