Graduation

Personal information such as your name and place of birth will be printed on the diploma and diploma supplement as registered in OSIRIS. Make sure your information in OSIRIS is correct. Check it here.

The examination date is the last working day of the month in which the Examination Committee sends you the graduation notification (by the latest).

In 2024/2025, you will automatically be granted a postponement if you:

• Take on a board position for which a board scholarship from Utrecht University is available;
• Plan to undertake an internship in the following academic year (postponement is required until September) or a course abroad;
• Need to take additional courses to meet the requirements for civil effect;
• Want to complete a second program (Private Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, Innovation and Technology, or Labor Law) within the Dutch Law program (postponement is required until the month in which the examination requirements of both master’s programs are completed); (Note: the master's in Intellectual Property Law, Innovation, and Technology cannot be combined with the master’s in Private Law due to content overlap);
• Start a second master’s at another university in the Netherlands at the statutory tuition rate. Postponement is required until September of the next academic year for a master’s that starts in September and until February for a master’s that starts in February.

Additionally, you can graduate within the same academic year without ending your student registration at Utrecht University. In this case, it is not necessary to request a postponement for, e.g., an internship (that is not part of your examination program) for which you need to remain enrolled as a student.

Be sure to inform the Board of Examiners promptly if you have multiple reasons for requesting a postponement. It is not possible to reverse the graduation decision. Note: Postponing the examination date is only possible for a maximum of one academic year.

Want to pursue a different master’s programme within the Dutch Law programme?
The master’s programmes in Private Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Criminal Law, and Intellectual Property Law, Innovation and Technology at Utrecht University are part of one master’s programme in Dutch Law (CROHO code 66451). If you want to follow one of the other programmes after completing one of these, you must request a postponement of graduation from the Board of Examiners. You can submit this request while still enrolled in your current programme. Your graduation from your current programme will be postponed until the examination requirements of both master’s programmes are completed.

It is not possible to obtain a diploma from one of these programmes if you have already graduated from another programme in the Dutch Law master’s programme. Only one diploma can be awarded for the master’s programme in Dutch Law at Utrecht University. Note: Within the Dutch Law programme, Private Law and Intellectual Property Law, Innovation and Technology programmes cannot be combined.

Postponement Request Approved:
If your request for a postponement is approved, you will be notified by the Board of Examiners. The message will specify the new postponement end date. On this date, you will receive the graduation notification again, indicating that you have met the requirements to graduate. During the postponement, you must remain enrolled at Utrecht University at least until the postponement date.

Postponement Request Denied:
If your request for a postponement is not approved, you will be notified. In that case, you will graduate on the graduation date previously communicated to you by the Board of Examiners in the graduation notification.

On the form, indicate that you want to pick up your diploma. You can then collect your diploma at the Student Information Desk. Only come by after receiving a notification from the exam administration that your diploma is ready. If you haven't received a notification, your diploma is not yet ready. Remember to bring a valid ID when picking it up.

You can also authorize someone else to collect your diploma at the Student Information Desk. Inform them in advance by sending an email to studiepunt.rechten@uu.nl. The person you authorize must be able to provide identification.

To participate in the graduation ceremony, submit the form before the deadline mentioned in the graduation notification. On the form, indicate that you wish to attend the graduation ceremony and fill out additional fields (including a summary of your thesis). Make sure to complete all fields—if possible—otherwise, it’s not guaranteed that you will have a chance to give a speech. The date of the graduation ceremony will always be after your graduation date. You can invite a limited number of family members and friends to attend the ceremony.

If you are graduating in two programmes within one faculty or two master’s programmes simultaneously, after submitting the form indicating that you wish to attend the ceremony, you can specify which ceremony you prefer by sending an e-mail to examencommissie.rechten@uu.nl (with a copy to studiepunt.rechten@uu.nl).

The Board of Examiners will assess whether you meet the requirements for the 'cum laude' distinction (this will be visible on your study progress report). If you would like to know more about the official rules regarding this, you can find them in the Education and Examination Regulations for the Master's programme. It will also be checked whether you meet the requirements for the issuance of the so-called 'civil effect statement'.

By the end of the month following your graduation date, you will receive a confirmation from the Board of Examiners by e-mail about your graduation and the collection of your diploma or participation in the graduation ceremony.

If you wish to end your enrollment at Utrecht University immediately after completing your exams, do so directly after receiving the graduation notice from the Board of Examiners. You must deregister before the 1st of the month via Studielink if you no longer wish to be enrolled. This does not happen automatically. The same applies to the cancellation of your student finance and student OV-chip card if desired.

Make sure that you stop your student finance and student travel product yourself via the website DUO. You can find more information the the UU site Deregistering from a study programme.