Graduating from AUC

As soon as you have completed 180 European Credits and have met the specific major requirements of your degree (see Academic Standards & Procedures) you are ready to graduate. You will receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science diploma accompanied by an official grade list and diploma supplement.  There is also a festive graduation ceremony each year taking place in July to celebrate your achievements.

Mind that the graduation process requires your attention and you are strongly advised to monitor your own progress towards meeting the graduation requirements not only in your final semester but at the end of every semester. Your tutor is there to guide you in determining whether you have met the graduation requirements.

Important dates

There are two official graduation moments per year and thus two opportunities per year for diplomas to be issued.  The most common graduation moment is at the end of the academic year (in summer), but it is also possible to graduate at the end of semester 1 (in winter/spring).

Please mind that if you graduate in February, you will need to stay enrolled as a fee-paying student until your official graduation date (28/29 February). This means that you will also need to be enrolled as a full-time student in February, even though your courses have already been completed.

If you are graduating in summer, then you do not need to terminate your enrolment yourself. Your enrolment for the academic year ends automatically on 31 August (the end of the academic year).

Proof of graduation: if your diploma is issued (too) late for your future plans

Many students go on to continue their studies after AUC and often need to provide proof of their graduation before the official diploma is printed and collected. You  can request a number of documents until you have received your actual diploma to satisfy the requirements of your future programme:

• Transcript of all passed grades: you can request a transcript of all your grades once they are processed in SIS. Please first check if all your grades are correctly registered in SIS through sis.uva.nl before requesting this document. 
  • You can request this document through the Digital AUC Service Desk. Please leave up to five working days for processing your request.
• Statement of expected graduation: as soon as you have completed all your graduation (requirement) checks in the AUC Portal, and the button turns green in the Portal, then the registrar’s team can confirm through a letter that they expect you will graduate. This may serve as proof to your future programme that you are track to meet their entry requirements. The downside of this document is that your graduation has not yet been formally approved by the Board of Examiners, meaning this document is not as strong as a Statement of Graduation. The benefit is that it can be given to you much sooner (once all grades have been processed and your initial graduation check is complete).
  • This document can be requested through the Digital AUC Service Desk. Please leave up to five working days for processing your request.
• Graduation Statement: This document officially declares that you have met the graduation requirements and this has been approved by the AUC Board of Examiners. The document proves that you are only waiting for the diploma to be printed and signed. You can request this document once the checkbox of the BoE in your graduation tracker shows a green check.
  • For your Master's admissions, you can then download a certified extract of your diploma via Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO).

Graduation Ceremony

AUC hosts one graduation ceremony each year, usually in the first or second week of July and always before students move out of their rooms in the student residences (15 July). The ceremony celebrates the achievements of the graduating students and festively marks the beginning of their post-AUC journey. All students who (will) complete their studies in the academic year of the ceremony, both in February and in summer, are invited to participate in the graduation ceremony in July.

Please mind that no actual degrees are conferred during the ceremony. The graduation ceremony is typically held in Koninklijk Theater Carré Amsterdam. As a graduating student you will be able to bring (at least three) invited guests. More details are sent to all graduating students as the ceremony approaches. 

Graduation Ceremony 2024 in July

The Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2024 will take place at Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam on Thursday 11 July 2024.

Celebration for February 2024 Graduates in January

A small-scale celebration for those finishing their studies at AUC in February 2024 will be held in late January. The exact date will be announced through the events calendar on student.auc.nl. All February graduates should receive an email inviting them to RSVP if planning to attend. Please note that all students finishing in February will also be invited to attend the official Graduation Ceremony in July. 

Graduation Process

Due to the complexity and how unique each degree is at AUC, your attention is needed to avoid issues with your graduation. If you wish to graduate without delay and want to avoid unwanted surprises, you will need to closely follow the process to request your graduation and avoid  issues with receiving your diploma in time.

There are different procedures for those who graduate at the end of the academic year (in summer) versus those who graduate after the first semester (in February).