Academic dress, photography & framing

Graduation is a proud and memorable milestone, and wearing academic dress is an important part of marking your achievement.

At Birmingham Newman University, we want to ensure you feel confident and prepared for your ceremony. This page provides all the information you need about ordering, wearing, and returning your academic dress.

Academic dress

Academic dress refers to the gown, hood, and mortarboard (or ‘cap’) worn for graduation. All graduands receiving an undergraduate or postgraduate degree must wear academic dress.

Please ensure you order the correct academic dress for Birmingham Newman University. You can find this information on the Graduation Confirmation task in OurNewman. If you’re unsure, please contact us to confirm. You can view images of the different types of academic dress for our awards below.

Graduands of Level 4 Certificates, Graduate Certificate awards, and QTS Assessment Only programmes are not required to wear academic dress. We ask that you dress smartly, preferably in a white shirt and black trousers or skirt.

Academic dress must be worn at all times during the ceremony (except for the mortarboard, which should be carried in the main hall) and should be returned to the Gowning Return Desk after the ceremony, unless you have arranged and paid for extended hire through Ede & Ravenscroft.

Which academic dress will I wear?

All graduates receiving an undergraduate or postgraduate degree are required to wear academic dress at the Graduation ceremony. This is a proud tradition that marks your achievement and celebrates your journey.

You can view examples of Birmingham Newman University’s academic dress below.

Degree level specific academic dress

Master of Science (MSc)

Master of Science (front view)

Master of Science (back view)

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

PGCE (front view)

PGCE (back view)

Master of Arts (MA)

Master of Arts (front view)

Master of Arts (back view)

Foundation Degree (Science)

Foundation Degree – Science (front view)

Foundation Degree – Science (back view)

Foundation Degree gown Science - Back View

Foundation Degree (Arts)

Foundation Degree – Arts (front view)

Foundation Degree – Arts (back view)

Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Bachelor of Science (front view)

Bachelor of Science (back view)

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Bachelor of Arts (front view)

Bachelor of Arts (back view)

Exceptions

Graduates from the following programmes are not required to wear academic dress:

Level 4 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Graduate Certificate in Integrative Counselling
QTS Assessment Only

How to Order Your Academic Dress

Your academic dress must be pre-ordered through our gowning hire company, Ede and Ravenscroft Limited. Once you’re invited to the graduation task in MyNewman, you’ll find a link to place your order.

The hire cost for undergraduate academic dress is approximately £45.00.

When ordering your academic dress (gown, hood, and hat/cap), you’ll need to confirm the following:

Name of award achieved (e.g., MA, BSc, PGCE)
Validating institution (i.e., Birmingham Newman University)
Height
Hat size
Chest measurement

Please note: Your hat size is determined by measuring the circumference of your head from an inch above your eyebrows to the nape of your neck, in inches or centimetres.

Birmingham Newman University is not responsible for ordering, supplying, or paying for your academic dress. Any queries about your order should be directed to Ede and Ravenscroft Limited.

Paying for Your Academic Dress

You can pay for your academic dress by debit or credit card, or by cheque. Please allow plenty of time when ordering, regardless of your chosen payment method.

Ede and Ravenscroft Limited cannot guarantee your order if it’s placed less than 21 days before the ceremony date, so all academic dress should be ordered by the end of September at the latest.

Collecting Your Academic Dress

Once ordered, your academic dress will be available for collection on the day from the robing area at Symphony Hall, open from 8am to 6pm.

To ensure a quick process and reduce queuing, please bring confirmation of your order with you. This will be sent to you if ordering by phone or can be printed if ordering online.

To minimise queues, only graduands will be permitted to enter the robing hall.

Photography & framing

Ede and Ravenscroft Photography will be present at the ceremonies, offering the opportunity for photographs with your guests.

We advise pre-ordering your photographs from Ede and Ravenscroft Photography at least 10 days before the ceremony. You can place your order via the graduation task.

For details of the photography packages available, please see Ede & Ravenscroft’s website. You can purchase photographs on the day, but these will be charged at a higher rate than pre-orders.

If you have any queries regarding your photography order, please contact:

Ede and Ravenscroft Limited
Phone: 01733 563 565
Email: photography@edeandravenscroft.com

Quick links

Graduation contact

Graduation team
Email: graduation@newman.ac.uk

In the case of an emergency or force majeure, events associated with the student lifecycle i.e. graduation ceremonies may need to be cancelled.