Graduating students celebrate General Admission

Graduating students celebrated today as they formally received their degrees in a ceremony called General Admission.

Final year students celebrated today as they processed from St John’s College to Senate House to receive their degrees.

Ceremonies, or “Congregations” for various degrees take place in Cambridge throughout the year, but the June Congregations are specially set aside for graduation, called General Admission.

The degree ceremony is one of the oldest traditions in the University. No matter what College you attend, your degree is conferred by Cambridge University, and approved by the “Grace of the Regent House”; a resolution by the University’s governing body. Graduating students, called Graduands until they receive their degree, are presented one by one to the Vice-Chancellor of the University or a deputy, in the presence of the Proctors who are the elected representatives of the University.

Students gathered in the College’s Second Court before walking in procession, led by the Praelector, Professor Peter Johnstone, to the University’s Senate House for their ceremony. Crowds of families, friends and well-wishers lined the streets to watch the procession and cheer their support for the Graduands.

The ceremony was followed by lunch and refreshments in Hall and under marquees set up in First Court.

While some students will return to St John’s for postgraduate study, many will go on to start new careers. Wherever they go, they will remain members of the College, and part of the Johnian community, for life.

St John’s would like to congratulate all our graduating students, and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.