Graduands

It's finally time to celebrate!

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you prepare:


A. Commencement Registration

  1. Graduands MUST register their attendance for the ceremony.

    Check your SMU account for an email in late June/early July from the Registrar’s Office to confirm your eligibility for Commencement 2024. Only those who have official graduated in the following terms are eligible:

    For Undergraduates:AY2022-23: Term 3B
    AY 2023-2024: Terms 1, 2 & 3A
    For Postgraduates:August 2023-June 2024

B. Academic Gown & Admission Cards

  1. Academic Gown

    Graduands must don the SMU Academic Gown in order to attend the ceremony. Graduands can choose to purchase or rent the academic gown from our official gown vendor NW Services Pte Ltd.

    Eligible graduands will receive an Activation Email from NW Services Pte Ltd at your SMU email address.

    Please click on the link in the email to activate your account. You can only order the gown after your account has been activated. You will be prompted to set a password for your account before proceeding with your order. If you did not receive the activation email, please email admin@nwservices.com.sg to request for the email to be resent to you.

    Self-Service Gown Fittings On-Campus before Gown Collection

    Gown and mortarboard/tam samples of various sizes will be available on-campus for trying on before you place an order for your graduation regalia. You may visit the SMU Student Services Hub (SSH) from 10 June to 29 July 2024 (Mondays to Fridays only, between 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm) to try on the samples. Please note that fittings will be self-serviced. SSH staff will not be able to assist with the fittings. The sample gowns should not be removed from SSH’s premises.

    On campus Gown Collection
    Gown collection on campus is by appointment only*. Graduands must register their attendance for the ceremony and make an appointment prior to collecting their gowns. You will receive a confirmation email with QR code after you have registered your collection date/time.

    Date:5, 6, & 7 July 2024 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
    Time:9.00 am – 5.00 pm
    Venue:SMU Administration Building, Level 4, Function Rooms 4.1 & 4.2

    *If graduands are unable to collect their gowns on campus personally, they may make alternative arrangements:

    • Appoint a proxy to collect the gown on behalf. Please print and fill in this form (Gown Collection Authorisation Form) and present the form to the gown vendor during collection.
    • Place the order to rent/purchase gown and select delivery. Delivery will be from 6 July 2024 onwards. Delivery charge of S$6 will apply.
    • For graduands who wish to collect the gown in person, they can contact gown vendor (admin@nwservices.com.sg) for an alternative date to collect from Werkz Photography (10 Ubi Crescent, Ubi Techpark, Lobby D. #01-66 Singapore 408564) at their premises. On campus collection are only on 5, 6 & 7 July 2024.

    Gown Return (for Rented Academic Regalia only)

    Date:30, 31 August & 1 September 2024 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
    Time:9.00 am – 5.00 pm
    Venue:SMU Administration Building, Level 4, Function Rooms 4.1 & 4.2
  2. Guests’ Admission

    Each graduand is entitled to bring 2 guests to attend their respective School Ceremonies.

    Guests will need to be registered electronically during the graduand’s attendance registration. Upon successful registration, a confirmation email containing a unique QR code will be sent to each guest. Guests will be required to present the unique QR code to gain entry to the ceremonies. Please note that the unique QR code is personalised, and cannot be passed to another person.

    Graduands may apply for up to 2 additional admission passes each during graduand’s attendance registration. Each guest will require an unique email address. Please note that any requests for extra admission will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the School's discretion, due to venue capacity. Successful additional guests’ applications will be notified via email, each guest will receive an email with a unique QR code in the week of 22 July 2024.

    Only individuals with a valid QR code (for guests) or SMU Student ID (for graduands) will be allowed to enter the Yong Pung How School of Law building where the ceremonies are held.

    Please note that children under the age of 6 will not be allowed into the ceremonies. You may be required to furnish proof of age for the child(ren), which can be presented in the form of a birth certificate, passport, or any other official identification document containing their date of birth.

Graduands Preparing

C. Degree Certificate & Transcript


  1. Check your SMU Email

    Once your degree certificate and official transcript are ready for collection, you will be notified through your SMU email on the collection details. Graduands are advised to check SMU emails on a regular basis so as not to miss out any important announcements pertaining to graduation.

  2. Clear any Outstanding Fees

    Settle all outstanding debts, fees and library loans owed to the University prior to this collection to prevent a finance/administrative “hold” over your degree certificate and official transcript.

  3. Collect Degree Certificate and Transcript

    The QR code and collection details will be included in the conferment email from the Registrar’s Office. If you are unable to collect the degree certificate and transcript personally, you will need to complete the online authorisation form provided in the conferment email at least 1 day before the proxy comes to our office to collect the documents. Please contact IT Help Centre at helpdesk@smu.edu.sg or 6828 0123 if you need to reset your SMU login password. The proxy must present his/her unique QR code and NRIC/FIN/passport/student card as proof of identity when collecting the documents.

    SMU reserves the right not to issue the degree certificate and transcript to the proxy if the graduate did not authorise a proxy through online authorisation form. SMU is committed to safeguard your data and we seek your understanding to follow the procedures if you are unable to collect the documents in person.

    If you graduated in Term 3A, you are only able to collect the certificate and transcript from August 2024. You will be notified separately by the Registrar’s Office on the collection details.

    Additional copies of your official transcript can be purchased here.

    The ceremonial folder is used for ceremonial/stage photo purposes and only given out during the Commencement ceremony. It is not meant as a folder for document storage as it is made of simple acrylic material and may cause discoloration or damage to your certificate in the long run.

  4. OpenCerts degree certificate and official transcript

    Besides getting the physical version of the official transcript and degree certificate, you will also receive the certified digital version of the degree certificate and official transcript. The digital documents are built on a blockchain-based platform known as OpenCerts where each digital document will be assigned a unique cryptographic signature that is permanent and immutable. Any signs of tampering will show up when the document fails to match against the blockchain data. This will make job applications easier for you and your potential employer. 

    You may find more information on the certified digital documents, when it will be issued and how you may retrieve them in the conferment email.