Graduation status and ceremony

The Faculty of Dentistry (ACTA) has a different procedure [in Dutch] for graduating.

Students of Amsterdam University College (AUC) can find more information on AUC.nl.

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date. 
• The graduation date is based on the date of your last obtained result. 
• Each month has two graduation dates. Besides December, this is the 15th and last day of the month.  Sundays and public holidays not included.
• If you are granted postponement,  the board of examiners decides on a graduation postponement date. The postponement date will become your new graduation date, that is issued on your diploma.
• Your graduation date is essential for your deregistration in Studielink. It also affects your student loans/funds and your DUO travel product. 

Ceremony and diploma pickup

Are you in a Joint Degree programme? Please refer to the heading “Graduating in a Joint Degree” below.  

Graduation ceremony
Click here for an overview of the graduation ceremonies 2024-2025. If you indicated in the graduation form that you would like to attend the graduation ceremony, you will receive the exact times of the session no later than three weeks before the graduation ceremony. 

Please note: You can participate in the graduation ceremony of fall 2024 only if you graduated on or before August 31. If your grade is registered in September but your graduation date is still on or before August 31, you can participate in the ceremony. If you indicated in the graduation form that you would like to attend the graduation ceremony, you will receive the exact times of the session no later than three weeks before the graduation ceremony. 

Collecting your diploma
We work with diploma pickup by appointment. If you have indicated on the graduation form that you do not wish to attend the ceremony and would like to pick up your diploma at a pick-up time, you will receive a message about picking up your diploma as soon as it is ready to be collected. You can then schedule your own appointment. If you have not completed the graduation form within two weeks of receiving it, we will assume that you want to come and collect your diploma. You will therefore not be invited to the graduation ceremony. 

Graduation Statement

As soon as your grade is processed you can request a graduation statement from the Student Administration on VU.nl. You can also download an electronic diploma extract from the DUO diploma registry as soon as DUO has been informed of your graduation date. An electronic diploma extract has the same value as a certified copy of your diploma. An electronic extract from the degree registry is free of charge. 

Information from DUO

Visit DUO for information about the Ministry of Education’s measures concerning the coronavirus and graduation.

Joint Degree programme

Several degree programmes are offered by the science faculties of VU Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam (UvA). If you complete a joint degree programme, you receive a diploma from both universities. Your graduation process will be arranged by either VU Amsterdam or UvA. Please check below to see which institution provides your degree. 

UvA
If you graduate in one of the following joint degrees, you will apply for your degree at the UvA. Read more about how to do this at diploma application according to the UvA guidelines.

Bachelor

• Bachelor Chemistry  
• Bachelor Physics and Astronomy

Master

• Master Chemistry 
• Master Computational Sciences
• Master Physics & Astronomy 
  

VU
If you graduate in one of the following joint degrees, you will receive your degree according to VU guidelines.

Master

• Master Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
• Master Computer Science 

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date. 
• The graduation date is based on the date of your last obtained result. 
• Each month has two graduation dates. Besides December, this is the 15th and last day of the month.  Sundays and public holidays not included.
• If you are granted postponement,  the board of examiners decides on a graduation postponement date. The postponement date will become your new graduation date, that is issued on your diploma.
• Your graduation date is important for your deregistration in Studielink. It also has an effect on your student loans/funds and your DUO travel product. 

Ceremony and diploma pickup

• Collecting your diploma
  You will receive the latest diploma updates from your faculty. If you have any questions, please contact the Education office. 
• Graduations continue
  You will receive an e-mail from the Education office as soon as your results are registered. You can check your status in Studielink. Once DUO receives your graduation date, you will see this in the ‘My educational background’ section in Studielink. 
• Awards
  View the overview of the 2025 graduation ceremonies.

Proof of graduation 

As soon as your grades are processed, you can request a graduation statement via the  Student Desk. Or download an electronic extract of your diploma at  DUO diploma registry. An electronic diploma extract has the same value as a certified copy of your diploma. An electronic diploma extract is free of charge and easy to download.

Continuing your studies

After completing a Master's degree in Psychology or Educational Sciences, you can increase your professional field opportunities by continuing your studies and adding value to your future as a professional. During your studies, you can already prepare for this by obtaining various endorsements. Read more

Graduation Date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date.
• The graduation date is the date you officially completed your program and received your diploma. This date is on your diploma. The graduation date is not the date of your graduation ceremony.
• The graduation date is based on the date of the last result obtained. Each month has one graduation date. With the exception of December, this is always the last working day of the month. Sundays and holidays are excepted.
• If you are allowed to postpone graduation, the examination board will set a postponement date. The deferral date becomes your new graduation date. This date is then also listed as your graduation date on the diploma.

The graduation date is important for your deregistration in Studielink, the tuition fees, and the public transport card

Graduation Ceremony

• Each year, one graduation ceremony per program is organised.
• When you are about to graduate you will receive an email with a link to a form where you can indicate if you want to come to the graduation ceremony. Everyone who graduates between September 2024 and August 2025 and indicates at the time of graduation that they would like to be present at the award ceremony of the respective programme will get an invitation. The graduation ceremony always takes place in the fall of the following academic year.
• You will receive the invitation to the ceremony in mid-September via the email address you provided. The invitation will include the location, the exact start and end time of the ceremony, and the number of guests you can bring to the ceremony.

The dates for the graduation ceremonies in the fall of 2025 are not yet known. As soon as the dates are known, they will be published here.

Unsubscribing from the graduation ceremony

Did you register for the ceremony, but are unexpectedly unable to attend? Then please cancel as soon as possible by sending a response to the invitation email.

Diploma pick-up

• If you indicate that you will not be attending the graduation ceremony, you can pick up your diploma once a month between November and June, on a set day and time, at the Central Student Desk.
• You will be notified as soon as your diploma is ready for you.
• You can only come by when you have received notice from us that your diploma is ready to be collected.
• Bring valid identification (driver's license, passport or ID card).

The pick-up moments will take place on:

• Monday 25 November 2024: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 16 December 2024: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 27 January 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 24 February 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 24 March 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 28 April 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 26 May 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 23 June 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Please note: You can only attend a pick-up moment if you have received an invitation for it.

Receiving Diploma

After your graduation has been processed and sent to DUO, your physical diploma will be made. The diploma and the supplement with the grade list are prepared carefully. Before you can receive these documents, they need to be signed by the examination board. This can take several weeks, especially during the summer period. Therefore, you can only receive your physical diploma from the end of September if you graduate in June, July or August.

If you have indicated that you want to attend the graduation ceremony, you will receive your physical diploma during the official ceremony.

If you have indicated that you do not wish to attend a graduation ceremony, you can collect your diploma during a specially organised pick-up moment.

For both the graduation ceremony and the pick-up event, you will receive a personal invitation. Please note: you can only participate in the ceremony or the pick-up moment if you have received an invitation!

If you graduate in the months of June till September, you will receive the invitation for the next pick-up moment after the graduation ceremony.

Proof of graduation

Do you need a proof of graduation for applying to another study programme or for a job application? From the moment you have received a notification of graduation from VU Amsterdam you can download a digital copy via DUO diploma registry. This extract has the same value as the official diploma and is free of charge. If you don't have a DigiD, you can apply for a graduation statement here.

Graduation regulations summer 2025

• Bachelor students
• Master students

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date. 
• The graduation date is based on the date of your last obtained result. 
• Each month has two graduation dates. Besides December, this is the 15th and last day of the month.  Sundays and public holidays not included.
• If you are granted postponement,  the board of examiners decides on a graduation postponement date. The postponement date will become your new graduation date, that is issued on your diploma.
• Your graduation date is essential for your deregistration in Studielink. It also affects your student loans/funds and your DUO travel product.

Graduation Ceremonies

• Click here for an overview of the scheduled graduation ceremonies in 2024.
• When you graduate you will receive an email with a link to a form where you can indicate if you want to attend the graduation ceremony.
• No later than two weeks before the ceremony you will receive the invitation to the email address you provided, with the location, exact start and end time and number of guests;

Canceling the graduation ceremony

Did you register for the ceremony, but you cannot attend? Then please cancel as soon as possible via the contact form or by sending a reply to the invitation email.

Diploma pickup

• If you do not attend the graduation ceremony, you can collect your diploma once a month, on a fixed day and time.
• Please let us know at least 1 week in advance on which day you will collect your diploma. Please use the contact form.
• Bring valid identification (driver's license, passport or ID card).
• Click here for an overview of the pickup moments in 2024 and 2025 (until October).

Proof of graduation

As soon as your grades are processed, you can request a graduation statement via the Student Desk. Or download an electronic extract of your diploma at  DUO diploma registry. An electronic extract has the same value as a certified copy of your diploma. An electronic diploma extract is free of charge and easy to download.

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date.
• The graduation date is the date you officially completed your program and received your diploma. This date is on your diploma. The graduation date is not the date of your graduation ceremony.
• The graduation date is based on the date of the last result obtained. Each month has one graduation date. With the exception of December, this is always the last working day of the month. Sundays and holidays are excepted.
• If you are allowed to postpone graduation, the examination board will set a postponement date. The deferral date becomes your new graduation date. This date is then also listed as your graduation date on the diploma.

The graduation date is important for your deregistration in Studielink, the tuition fees, and the public transport card.

Ceremony

• Each year, one graduation ceremony per programme is organised.
• When you are about to graduate you will receive an email with a link to a form on which you can indicate whether you wish to attend the ceremony. Everyone who graduates between September 2024 and August 2025 and indicates at the time of graduation that they would like to attend the graduation ceremony of the respective programme will get an invitation. The graduation ceremony always takes place in the fall of the following academic year.
• You will receive the invitation to the ceremony in mid-September via the email address you provided. The invitation will include the location, the exact start and end time of the ceremony, and the number of guests you can bring to the ceremony.

The dates for the graduation ceremonies in the fall of 2025 are not yet known. As soon as the dates are known, they will be published here.

Unsubscribing from the graduation ceremony

Did you register for the ceremony, but are unexpectedly unable to attend? Then please cancel as soon as possible by sending a response to the invitation email.

Diploma pick-up

• If you indicate that you will not be attending the graduation ceremony, you can pick up your diploma once a month between November and June, on a set day and time, at the Central Student Desk.
• You will be notified as soon as your diploma is ready for you.
• You can only come by when you have received notice from us that your diploma is ready to be collected.
• Bring valid identification (driver's license, passport or ID card).

The pick-up moments will take place on:

• Monday 25 November 2024: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 16 December 2024: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 27 January 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 24 February 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 24 March 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 28 April 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 26 May 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
• Monday 23 June 2025: from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Please note: You can only attend a pick-up moment if you have received an invitation for it.

If you graduate in the months of June till September, you will receive the invitation for the next pick-up moment after the graduation ceremony.

Proof of graduation

Do you need a proof of graduation for applying to another study programme or for a job application? Via DUO diploma registry you can download an extract of your diploma from the moment you have received a notification of graduation from VU Amsterdam. The download of this extract is free of charge and has the same value as the official diploma. If you don't have a DigiD, you can apply for a graduation statement here.

Graduation regulations summer 2025

• Bachelor students 
• Bachelor students PPE
• Master students

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date.
• The graduation date will be based on the assessment date of your last obtained result.
  You can find the date in your VU Dashboard under your results.
  Every month, there are 4 graduation dates (in August there are more), the 7^th, 14^th, 21^th  and the last day of the month. Your graduation date is the first date of the available options after the assessment date of your last obtained result.
  For example, if the assessment date of your last obtained result is 17 May, you will graduate on 21 May.
• If you can postpone graduation, the Examination Board will set a postponement date. The postponement date will become your new graduation date. This date is therefore stated as the graduation date on the diploma.
• The graduation date is important for your deregistration in Studielink, the tuition fees and the public transport card.

Issuing of diplomas

After you have passed your graduation on to DUO, it will take a few weeks before your physical diploma is ready.

Collecting your diploma

If you are not interested in a graduation ceremony, you can collect your diploma. There is a collection time every month. As soon as your diploma is ready you will receive an invitation to make a personal appointment to collect your diploma.

Invitation graduation ceremony

In your graduation notification you will be asked if you are interested in a graduation ceremony. If you respond "yes" you will be invited four weeks prior to the ceremony.

Bachelor's diploma graduation ceremony

For students graduating before 1 September 2025, there will be a ceremony in the Fall. The ceremonies will mostly take place in the evening. The dates for each program are expected to be announced in August.

Master's diploma graduation ceremony

There are graduation ceremonies for each program/specialization in April/May and in November.

April/May: for students who responded to the graduation notification between 1 September and 28 February. Your graduation ceremony will take place on 9 May.

November: for students who responded to the graduation notification between 1 March and 31 August. The dates for each program are expected to be announced in August.

If you are unable to attend, you can collect your diploma. We will send you an invitation to make a personal appointment to collect your diploma.

Proof of graduation

As soon as your degree has been processed, you can request a graduation statement at the Student Desk. You can request the graduation statement via your VU dashboard. It is also possible to download a digital extract of your diploma from the DUO diploma register. The extract has the same value as a certified copy of your diploma. A digital extract from the diploma register is free.

Graduation date

• The Examination Board determines the graduation date. 
• The graduation date is based on the date of your last obtained result. 
• If you are granted postponement,  the board of examiners decides on a graduation postponement date. The postponement date will become your new graduation date, that is issued on your diploma.
• Your graduation date is essential for your deregistration in Studielink. It also affects your student loans/funds and your DUO travel product. 

Graduation ceremonies

• We will be organizing graduation ceremonies by program on the dates listed below.
• Once you have completed the requirements for graduation, you will receive an email with a link to the graduation form, where you can indicate that you want to attend the graduation ceremony.
• You will receive an invitation at the email address you provide on the graduation form no later than five business days before the ceremony. Please note that the invitation may end up in your spam folder.
• The invitation will include the date, time, location, and the number of guests you may bring.

Graduation ceremonies bachelors SBE

To be able to participate in the Bachelor graduation ceremonies, you must have completed all graduation requirements for your program before the 1st of August!

• Bedrijfskunde: TBA
• Econometrics and OR: TBA
• Economics and Business Economics: TBA
• International Business Administration: TBA

Note: these dates are preliminary and may change.

Graduation ceremonies masters SBE

To participate in the Master graduation ceremonies, you must have completed all graduation requirements for your program before the 1st of September!

• Accounting and Control: TBA
• Digital Business and Innovation: TBA
• Econometrics and Operations Research: TBA
• Economics: TBA
• Entrepreneurship (joint degree): TBA
• Finance: Finance / DHP - Finance and Technology / DHP - Quantitative Risk Management: TBA
• Finance: Financial Management / DHP- Corporate Finance: TBA
• Marketing: TBA
• Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics: TBA
• Transport and Supply Chain Management: TBA
• BA: Financial Management / DHP- Corporate Finance: TBA
• BA: Human Resource Management: TBA
• BA: International Management: TBA
• BA: Leadership and Change Management: TBA
• BA: Management Consulting: TBA
• BA: Strategy and Organization: TBA

Note: these dates are preliminary and may change.

Diploma pick up

If you choose not to attend the graduation ceremony you will receive an email when your diploma is ready to be collected at the Programme Secretariat.

Proof of graduation

As soon as your graduation is fully processed, you can request a graduation statement via the Student Desk. Or download an electronic extract of your diploma at  DUO diploma registry. An electronic diploma extract has the same value as a certified copy of your diploma. An electronic diploma extract is free of charge and easy to download.

Submit your thesis

• You need to upload your approved thesis to SURFsharekit, VU's thesis archive, even if it contains confidential information. 
• Your thesis’s grade will only be visible in your results on VU.nl after the digital copy is added to the database.
• If a thesis contains confidential information, you can indicate not to publish. This is only possible with your supervisor’s approval. Your thesis will be included in the database, however not accessible for others. 
• If the thesis is under embargo, it is mandatory to provide an abstract.