Bendigo graduations
Dates: 2025 - TBC
Times: School-specific ceremony times will be made available below
Location: Ulumbarra Theatre, 10 Gaol Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550
Please note: You should not book any flights or make other preparations until you receive your graduation invitation and your course status is listed as Passed. Graduation dates are subject to change.
Ceremony times
Invitations
Invitations are emailed to both La Trobe student email addresses and personal email addresses, around 4-6 weeks before the ceremony date.
What are my graduation options?
Once you receive your invitation, you must tell us what your graduation preference is by registering one of the three below options via the online registration portal.
Option 1: Attend graduation
Attend the graduation celebrations as per the details in your invitation.
Click the link in your invitation to go to the online registration portal and follow the steps to complete your attendance registration.
Option 2: Defer graduation
Defer your graduation attendance to a later celebration.
Skip attending this ceremony and we'll automatically re-invite you to the next round of celebrations for your campus.
Click the link in your invitation to complete your deferral registration.
Option 3: Graduate in absentia (in absence)
Graduate without attending a celebration.
Click the link in your invitation to go to the online registration portal and follow the steps to complete your in absentia registration.
We'll send you your hard-copy testamur (certificate) within six to eight weeks of the ceremony date listed in your invitation. Within your invitation, please check your award title (course name) and your formal name are both correct. If incorrect, make sure you update your personal details.
Invites and ticketing
Course location
Students with: a Passed status and Bendigo course location listed on their enrolment who have not previously been invited to graduate.
Invitation method
Invitations will be sent via email and will be sent to both La Trobe student email addresses and personal email addresses, as per the personal email address that's currently listed in StudentOnLine. To update your personal email address, see the Updating your details in StudentOnLine FAQ.
To be eligible to attend a graduation you must
- receive an invitation, and
- have a course status of Passed, and
- respond to your graduation invitation before the due date, and
- haved cleared any outstanding fees or debts with the university.
It is important you do not make travel plans or other arrangements until your eligibility has been confirmed.
If you do not receive a course status of Passed in time and have registered to graduate, you'll automatically receive a full refund and will be invited to our next round of ceremonies.
In 2024, graduation registration fees are $240 (domestic) and A$255 (international). Please note that ticket prices increase annually, in line with increasing costs to deliver graduation events.
Ticket pricing includes
- tickets for three of your closest supporters
- gown hire - finally, wear your hard-earned graduation gown and cap!
- documentation presentation - be presented with your Testamur (certificate)
- food and beverage - enjoy the refreshments after the ceremony with your guests
- photo opportunities - access to the best photo spots on offer
- access to the graduations precinct to have a professional photography sitting and the opportunity to purchase degree framing and memorabilia.
Unfortunately, additional guest tickets will not be available due to the venue reaching capacity. Ticket prices include three guests tickets (maximum).
For more information please see the FAQ below.
Live web streaming of your ceremony will be available for friends and family unable to attend.
Graduation Documents
Your graduation documents include your
- Academic Transcript,
- Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS), and
- testamur (certificate)
Digital graduation documents
Once you've completed all your course requirements, keep an eye on your personal email address – as per your contact details in StudentOnLine – for instructions on how to access a digital copy of your graduation documents via the secure platform, My eQuals.
Your digital graduation documents include your:
- Academic Transcript,
- Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS), and
- digital testamur (certificate)
My eQuals is an online platform that allows you to download and securely share your documents with third parties, such as employers and other universities.
If you cannot locate your digital documents, please submit a question to ASK La Trobe.
Hard-copy testamur (certificate)
Your hard-copy testamur (certificate) will be presented to you in-person at the graduation ceremony.
If you decide to graduate in absentia by letting us know this is your preference via the invitation process, your hard-copy testamur will we posted to you within six to eight weeks of the ceremony date.
On the day
What you need to know to make graduation day a breeze for you and your guests.
If you or any of your guests require special assistance on the day, please let us know via ASK a Question.
This might include (but is not limited to):
- wheelchair or mobility access
- visual impaired assistance
- hearing impaired assistance
- family room
A number of Health and safety provisions may be in place, as required.
Ticketed entry | Only registered ticket holders will be able to access the theatre. |
Contactless testamur presentation | Handshaking will not take place as part of the presentation ceremony. It is tradition to doff your trencher (graduation hat) when your name is announced as a gesture of academic respect – we will be asking graduates to doff as usual. |
Face masks | You are free to wear a face mask if it's your preference to do so. Guests are encouraged to wear a mask as they are unable to physically distance in the theatre. |
Ventilation and cleaning | All venues are fully ventilated and cleaning will take place including bathrooms and high touch areas. |
Graduands with COVID-19 symptoms | Please stay at home if you are feeling unwell and get tested if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you are required to isolate due to symptoms (or are awaiting results) and miss your graduation, please contact us to make arrangements for an alternative ceremony or full refund. |
Guests with COVID-19 symptoms | Please stay at home if you are feeling unwell and get tested if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. |
Graduation ceremonies will comply with public health guidelines relating to events as well as La Trobe University's Health and Safety Procedures.
We’ll send you detailed instructions approximately one week before your ceremony. Be sure to keep an eye out for these instructions.
As a brief overview, here’s what you can expect
- Arrival: arrive 90 minutes before your ceremony time.
- Gown Collection: proceed to Gowning (specific location details will be emailed to you one week before your ceremony), where the Reed Events team will help you dress in your regalia. This is where you show your order information.
- Theatre entrance: both guests and students must have tickets ready to scan to enter the theatre approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony. Note: Guests will be seated in a different section to graduands. Please give bulky items to your guests to mind for the duration of the ceremony (flowers, large bags).
- Ceremony: the ceremony format includes:
- Academic Procession
- Opening Address
- Presentation of Graduates
- Student Address
- Closing Address
- Academic Recession (including all new graduates)
- Post-ceremony celebrations: enjoy refreshments and access to the graduation precinct including all graduation services.
- Gown Return: once you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the celebrations, please return your gown (if hired) at the designated gown return area.
Arrival
If you've arrived late for your allocated graduation ceremony, please make yourself known to event staff as soon as you arrive.
If you've arrived early for your allocated graduation ceremony, after you're gowned you're most welcome to have professional photography taken before the ceremony, even if you didn't pre-book.
Having your photography sitting done before the ceremony will also save time after the ceremony.
During the sitting you'll be given a prop testamur (certificate) to hold in place of your own testamur.
Graduation services
Live video streaming of your ceremony will be available for friends and family unable to attend.
The video will also be available online after your ceremony for re-watching later.
A number of services will be provided on the day by our graduation partners at Reed Events:
- degree framing (from $125)
- degree plaques (from $100)
- flower bouquets (from $45)
- plush toys, teddy, owl, koala (from $50)
- rings (from $295)
- photography (various, see photography price list here)
For further details please contact Reed Events.
ConGRADulations!
GRADUATIONS LIVESTREAM
Watch live video streams and On Demand replays of La Trobe University graduations.
Related links
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Indigenous Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge the people belonging to Djandak, the country our Bendigo campus is situated on; these people are the Djaara Djaara people of the Dja Dja Wurrung language group. The Djaara people are one of 5 Traditional Owner groups that make up the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge the living culture of the Djaara people and we pay respect to their elders past, present and emerging.