Graduation ceremony – China

Official source

Monash University

Last checked: 25 Oct 2026 UTC

What this page covers

A typical ceremony schedule
Dress code
Photography

Page text

Text and tables taken from the official page, with collapsed sections opened, so it can be read and searched here. Images and forms are not copied, so open the original page when you need to apply or submit something.

Dreaming of your moment in the spotlight where you stride across the stage and doff your cap at the Chancellor? With your name called out as you receive your award certificate in front of a crowd? A graduation ceremony will fulfill that dream. And an on-stage photo will capture the moment.

Your faculty’s graduation ceremony is a formal occasion to celebrate your achievement with family and friends, who can either come along as ticketed guests or view a livestream from home.

A typical ceremony schedule

Allow approximately five to seven and a half hours for your graduation.

Typical ceremony schedule with details and their duration

Details	Duration
Registration, gown collection and photography	1.5 hours
Graduands and guests take their seats	1 hour
Ceremony	1.5 hours
Refreshments	Up to 1.5 hours
Photography and gown return	Up to 2 hours

Location The graduation ceremony takes place at the Intercontinental Suzhou (No. 288 Wangdun Road, Suzhou 215028 China)

Academic dress One of the highlights of graduation day is wearing a graduation gown, hood and trencher cap. Staff will be there to help you gown up and look just right!

Guests, tickets and fee The ceremony attendance fee covers your ticket, two guest tickets, hire of your academic dress (cap and gown), and refreshments after the ceremony for you and your guests.

Dress code

As your graduation is a formal event, best to dress as if you’re attending a business interview. Your graduation gown is three-quarter length and draped at the front, so keep in mind that your clothing will show underneath. Also make sure to wear footwear suitable for going up and down a few flights of stairs.

Photography

Professional photographers will be available after the ceremony to capture you and your family celebrating this very important occasion.

Parents with children Children under one can come along free of charge, but each child must be seated on the lap of a guest who can supervise them. Children one and older will need a ticket to attend a ceremony. Prams are not permitted in the Ballroom. To avoid disappointment and to accommodate guests who are unwell or unable to make it on the day, the ceremonies will be live-streamed online, so guests can watch them from home.

2. Apply to graduate

3. Your graduation day

Which MPU (General Studies) units do I need to graduate in Malaysia?

Malaysia

At the Malaysia campus, the Ministry of Higher Education requires you to pass General Studies units, also called MPU units, before you graduate. Which ones depends on your intake and on whether you are a Malaysian or an international student, and the list got longer from Semester 2, 2026. International students: Semester 2, 2026 intake: MPU3143, MPU3172, MPU3222, MPU3312, MPU3322, MPU3412. Semester 1, 2025 intake: MPU3143, MPU3193, MPU3312, MPU3412. Semester 1, 2024 intake: MPU3143, MPU3193, MPU3312. Malaysian students: Semester 2, 2026 intake: MPU3182, MPU3192, MPU3222, MPU3312, MPU3322, MPU3412. Semester 1, 2025 intake: MPU3183, MPU3193, MPU3312, MPU3412. Semester 1, 2024 intake: MPU3183, MPU3193, MPU3312. Malaysian students without a Credit in SPM Bahasa Melayu, or without SPM, also take MPU3212. Diploma of Business: international students MPU2143, MPU2313, MPU2412; Malaysian students MPU2183, MPU2313, MPU2412, plus MPU2212 under the same SPM rule. The page names only these intakes, so if you started in another one, ask Monash Connect which list is yours. You can take them at any time, but Monash Malaysia suggests finishing them in your first three semesters.

Do I still need to apply to graduate?

All campuses

From December 2026, Monash confers awards automatically, so you will not need to apply to graduate. Once your faculty confirms you have completed your course, you are conferred in the next monthly cycle and receive your testamur shortly after. You are conferred first and then invited to an upcoming ceremony, so graduating in absentia will no longer apply. If you have already applied to graduate this year, the current process on the official page still applies to you. Full details of the new process will be published in December. Not on the website yet, but confirmed by Monash's graduations office in October 2026: after you complete your course you can delay conferral yourself in the system by up to 3 months. For a longer delay, for example for a graduate recruitment program, ask Monash Connect; it can be up to 12 months after you complete. Your testamur shows the date the award was actually conferred. Monash Malaysia's own graduation pages still describe applying to graduate, so Malaysia campus students should check those as well until they are updated.