UCL becomes first UK university to cancel graduation 2021

UCL has confirmed this year’s graduation ceremonies will not go ahead as hoped due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

In an email sent to students, the university has confirmed it has “decided not to hold any in-person ceremonies until 2022”.

The email stated that although UCL has been exploring whether students would be able to celebrate their graduation “safely in person in 2021”, the decision to postpone in-person ceremonies until next year has come about due to the “uncertainty” of whether social distancing measures would still be in place later this year.

They wrote that: “Unfortunately, the course of the pandemic remains difficult to predict and it’s not clear when the Government guidance will allow us to hold in-person events again, or if we will be living with social distancing measures later in the year. Given this uncertainty, we have decided not to hold any in-person ceremonies until 2022. I appreciate that this will be disappointing news, but we hope the global situation will have improved by then, and this will give you more confidence when you are making plans to join us in in London.

“Rest assured that your degree will be valid, and you will receive your certificate and transcripts in the post as soon as they are ready after your results are confirmed.

“I hope you will be able to join us for a very special in-person event in 2022 when we can come together and celebrate your time at UCL and of course your graduation. We will let you know more details about this event later this year. We will also be in touch in due course about virtual ceremonies.”

The university, however, has not confirmed whether this means online ceremonies will be held this year.

The full correspondence of the university can be found below:

Understandably students are devastated at the news.

Students from 2020 will not be able to attend in-person ceremonies this year either.

A spokesperson from UCL confirmed:  “We will be holding virtual graduation ceremonies this year.”

For further information please check the UCL graduation page.