Doctoral Degree Conferment Ceremony

1. You must have completed a doctoral degree at Uppsala University or be enrolled as a doctoral student at Uppsala University and meet the following requirements:

At the time of registration, you must have successfully completed all the coursework and similar requirements for a doctoral degree before 1 November (for the Winter Conferment Ceremony) or 1 April (for the Spring Conferment Ceremony). You must strictly comply with this requirement; no exemptions can be granted. You must have successfully defended your thesis at least 2 days before the date of the Conferment Ceremony. As the formalities involved in obtaining a doctoral degree certificate can take some time, the Vice-Chancellor has decided to allow the doctoral degree to be conferred without the participant needing to present a certificate.

2. You can register for the Doctoral Degree Conferment Ceremony up to 3 years after the date of your defence.

3. Registration for the Winter Conferment Ceremony opens on 1 October and registration for the Spring Conferment Ceremony opens on 1 March.

4. Registration for the Winter Conferment Ceremony closes on 1 November and registration for the Spring Conferment Ceremony closes on 1 April.

5. The deadline for cancelling your registration for the Winter Conferment Ceremony is 25 November, and the deadline for the Spring Conferment Ceremony is 25 April. If you cancel your registration later, the University reserves the right to charge a fee of SEK 2,000 to cover the costs of the arrangements made for a person who has registered. No fee is charged in the case of acute sickness or a failed doctoral thesis defence.

6. The Conferment Ceremony consists, first, of an obligatory dress rehearsal (the Wreath-Binding Ceremony) on the evening the day before the actual Conferment Ceremony. The following day, the day of the actual Conferment Ceremony, requires your participation all day until approximately 15:00. In addition, some faculties usually organise receptions for their new doctors (doctoral graduates, or promoti) following the Ceremony. If you have also registered for the banquet at 18:00, you can expect to remain at the table until at least 22:00, after which coffee is served and dancing begins. The Castle closes at 01:45.

7. The Ceremony begins with a procession of massed standards, student representatives, promovendi (doctoral graduands), honoratiores (notables), academic staff and officials. The Vice-Chancellor then opens proceedings with a short speech, after which one of the conferrers delivers a conferment lecture. This is followed by the conferment of doctoral degrees in the faculties of theology, law, medicine and pharmacy. In the spring an oration is then given in memory of deceased doctors on whom doctoral degrees were conferred 50 years ago (jubilee doctors). The conferment of doctoral degrees then continues with the faculties of arts, languages, social sciences, educational sciences, and science and technology. During the Spring Conferment Ceremony, the President of the Uppsala Student Union then takes the rostrum and pays tribute to the participating jubilee doctors, after which one of these responds. Since 2000 a Winter Conferment Ceremony has also been held, at which in addition to the doctors by examination honorary doctorates are conferred. The Conferment Ceremony ends with a procession (recession) in which massed standards, student representatives, honoratiores, academic staff, officials and promoti (new doctoral graduates) participate. When circumstances allow, a group photo of promoti is taken after the recession.

8. Those on whom a doctoral degree is being conferred and others taking part in the procession wear formal attire, i.e., black tailcoat or full-length dress. A black waistcoat and white bow tie are worn with the black tailcoat at the Conferment Ceremony (at the banquet, a white waistcoat is worn). Other types of formal attire may be worn, but only after consulting the Academy Steward’s Office. There is no set dress code for members of the audience.

9. The Conferment Ceremony lasts for approximately 3 hours.

10. The Conferment Ceremony begins at 12:00 and the audience must have taken their seats by this time. Promovendi (doctoral graduands) and other participants in the procession must assume their places in the upper gallery of the University Main Building staircase by 11:30.

11. The Conferment Ceremony lasts for approximately 3 hours. This can be a long time for a child to sit still and keep quiet. Children differ and so does their behaviour; the child’s parent is the person best qualified to judge whether they can manage the ceremony and will enjoy being there. It is worth noting that large parts of the ceremony are in Latin. It may be a good idea to choose or request seats in a part of the auditorium from which you can easily take your child out if necessary.

12. A doctoral graduand from the Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Pharmacy needs to have a doctoral hat (Uppsala model) bearing the correct emblem (this varies according to faculty and institution). It is the graduand’s own responsibility to acquire a hat. You can buy a hat or ask a colleague in your own faculty if you can borow a doctoral hat for the actual ceremony. Graduands from the other faculties are generally entitled to wear a doctoral hat after the day of the Conferment Ceremony but at the actual ceremony they receive a laurel wreath as a gift from the University.

Hat emblems at Uppsala University:
Theology: No emblem, black bow on front.
Law: Oak and laurel leaves, clasp with two clips.
Medicine: Oak and laurel leaves in a frame with the rod of Asclepius in the centre.
Pharmacy: Oak and laurel leaves (unframed) with the symbol of pharmacy, namely the snake and cup, in the centre.
Arts: Laurel wreath around the symbols in the seal of the Faculty of Arts, namely the lyre, the cube and the heart.
Economics: Laurel wreath around the symbols in the seal of the Faculty of Arts, namely the lyre, the cube and the heart.
Technology: Laurel wreath around the symbols in the seal of the Faculty of Arts, namely the lyre, the cube and the heart.

13. Doctoral graduands in the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Languages, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Educational Sciences and the Faculty of Science and Technology receive a laurel wreath during the ceremony and so do not have a doctoral hat.

14. The insignia associated with the conferment of the doctoral degree include a doctoral ring. The doctoral ring is not presented to newly qualified doctors at the Conferment Ceremony. However, you are entitled to acquire a ring yourself if you wish to do so. Honorary doctors still receive rings at the Conferment Ceremony.

Rings at Uppsala University:
Theology: Laurel with entwined Latin crosses.
Law: Interwoven laurel and oak leaves, separated by two crossed bands.
Medicine: Laurel with rod of Asclepius.
Pharmacy: Oak and laurel with symbol of pharmacy (cup with snake).
Arts: Laurel.
Economics: Laurel.
Technology: Laurel.

15. After the closing date for registering for the Conferment Ceremony (1 November for the Winter Conferment Ceremony and 1 April for the Spring Conferment Ceremony), a form will be sent to those who have registered which you can use to order tickets to the ceremony and to register for the Conferment Banquet and specify your head measurement if you will be receiving a laurel wreath. Tickets can also be obtained at the Conferment Ceremony. Seats should be taken by 12:00 sharp.

1. The banquet is held in the Hall of State (Rikssalen) at Uppsala Castle.

2. The banquet begins at 18:00 on the day of the Conferment Ceremony.

3. After the closing date for registering for the Conferment Ceremony (1 November for the Winter Conferment Ceremony and 1 April for the Spring Conferment Ceremony), a form will be sent to those who have registered which you can use to register for the banquet, order tickets to the ceremony in the auditorium and specify your head measurement if you will be receiving a laurel wreath.

4. The cost for a doctoral graduand is SEK 450. For everyone else, the banquet costs SEK 900.

5. As a doctoral graduand, you are guaranteed a place along with one guest. Your adviser is also guaranteed a place. If you wish to take more guests, you can request to do so. You do this on the form sent out after the closing date for registering for the Conferment Ceremony (1 November for the Winter Conferment Ceremony and 1 April for the Spring Conferment Ceremony).

6. The Conferment Banquet lasts a long time, 4–5 hours. That can be a long time for a child to sit still. Children differ and so does their behaviour; the child’s parent is the person best qualified to judge whether they can manage and will enjoy being there. We always seat children near their parents. If you are taking an infant, it’s very important to let us know so that we can make sure you have seats that are as suitable and practical as possible. For accompanying children, the same price and menu apply, while the dress code can be adapted according to their age. Please consult the Academy Steward’s Office.

7. After the closing date for registration for the banquet we will know how many guests who will attending the banquet. Consequently, we cannot let you know whether or not you can bring your extra guests until after that date. If you haven’t received a message about this, it may be that the email has been treated as spam. Please feel free to contact us at doktorspromotion@uu.se if you are unsure.

8. You pay via Swish. Uppsala universitet, Akademiska fester. Please specify who the payment is for. Swish number: 123 569 55 64, Doktorspromotion Uppsala universitet. For international payments please use: IBAN: SE05 9500 0099 6042 0181 3427, SWIFT: NDEASESS. You must register for the banquet before paying. Do not pay for your extra guests until the Conferment Ceremony Office has confirmed that they are welcome to attend. If you are unsure, please contact doktorspromotion@uu.se. Uppsala University does not refund fees. The fee for the dinner must be paid at least one week before the promotion date. Please note that if you have not paid by this date, you will not be automatically cancelled. All cancellations must be made to doktorspromotion@uu.se.

9. There are no tickets for the banquet. If you have registered, you will find your name in the seating plan that will be handed out upon arrival.

10. All guests at the banquet must wear evening dress, i.e. tailcoat, full-length dress or equivalent formal attire. A white waistcoat and white bow tie are worn with the black tailcoat (at the Conferment Ceremony, a black waistcoat is worn).

11. Diners at the Conferment Banquet are seated by faculty. You will always be seated close to your accompanying guest. If you feel you absolutely have to sit next to one another you must request this when you register. We do our best to ensure that all members of larger groups are seated as close to one another as possible. If the adviser has also registered, they will also be seated nearby. If you wish to be seated with another group, you should state this when you register for the banquet.