Step one – Confirm your details | University of Reading

Step 1 - Express Your Interest & Confirm Your Details

We will send your expression of interest email and Formal Registration invitation to both your 'contact' and 'home' email addresses as stored in RISIS. Please check your details are correct.

If you haven’t received emails from us after the times indicated in the key deadlines, contact the Graduation Office at graduation@reading.ac.uk. Check your junk folder, and add our email to your safe senders list to avoid missing updates.

You will receive an email invitation to express your interest in attending Graduation 3-4 months before the ceremonies. Your response to this process helps us create the ceremony schedule.

The Expression of Interest is for ceremony planning purposes only. Your formal ceremony invitation, sent later, will include a link to complete Formal Registration. You are required to complete both steps.

Once you receive your Expression of Interest email, log into the RISIS portal and select one of the following options:

1. Attend

Expressing your interest to attend by the deadline gives you priority when requesting guest tickets during Formal Registration.

Inform us early of any disability or mobility issues so we can make suitable arrangements. We will try to accommodate requests but may not be able to after the deadline for students and for guests.

2. Graduate in Absence

If you won’t attend but still want your certificate, select Graduate in Absence.

3. Defer to the next set of ceremonies

If you are unable to attend this time, through personal choice or because you won’t have completed your programme and got your results in time select this option. This also defers production of your degree certificate.

4. Not eligible / Will not complete course

Select this if you’ve withdrawn or won’t graduate. We’ll update your records or direct you to the appropriate team for advice.

You need to complete the Expression of Interest process by the deadline specified on the key deadlines page.

Additional Information

Can I change my mind after I have expressed my interest?

Yes. You can update your choice during Formal Registration or by emailing graduation@reading.ac.uk

If you switch from not attending or deferring to attending, we’ll try to accommodate you and your guest ticket request. However, due to capacity limits in the Great Hall, you may not be placed in your preferred ceremony.

I’m not sure if I want to attend

We recommend that you still complete the Expression of Interest process and indicate that you are planning to attend. This will ensure that we can accommodate you if you do decide to attend. You can always change your mind at Formal Registration.

I cannot log-in to my RISIS Portal

Current Students: please email dts@reading.ac.uk

Past Students: Use your registered email address as your username together with the appropriate password. For more help, email the Student Information Systems (SIS) Team from your registered email.

I don’t want to attend

You should still complete the Expression of Interest process, so we know not to include you in our ceremony numbers. You will still receive a formal registration email invitation by early April 2025, as during this registration process you will be asked to confirm the details for your certificate and to provide us with a postal address for it to be sent out to following the ceremonies in August.

What happens next?

After submitting your Expression of Interest, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Please ensure that you have received this confirmation, and keep it as evidence of completion, especially for guest ticket priority.

Your Formal Registration email invitation will be sent to you by the date specified on the key deadlines page.

When can I request guest tickets? Can I get the guest ticket number I filled in during the Expression of Interest process?

You can request a maximum of two guest tickets for your ceremony in the Great Hall during the Formal Registration process.

We also ask you to estimate how many total guests will join you in Reading during the Expression of Interest process, this aids in organising livestream rooms and celebration spaces across the London Road and Whiteknights campuses. This number does not reflect tickets for the Great Hall.

If you successfully completed the expression of interest process and received a confirmation email by the deadline given, you will have priority when requesting guest tickets during the formal registration process.

Why do I need to express my interest for Graduation?

The Great Hall at our London Road campus has limited capacity, and attendance varies yearly. The responses to the expression of interest process are used by the Graduation Team to create an accurate ceremony schedule and enables us to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend.

If you express your interest by the deadline given, you will have priority when requesting guest tickets during the formal registration process.

Next step: Formal Registration