2025 Graduation Ceremony
Graduation Ceremony 20 September 2025
Whether you studied in the humanities, natural sciences, law, life sciences or teacher training, this ceremony brings all students together to recognise their excellence and celebrate their graduation in style.
Save the date: Saturday, 20 September 2025, graduation ceremony at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Official invitations will be sent out in June 2025. Registration will also open then.
In addition to the central graduation ceremony, this year there will again be decentralised events organised by individual faculties and institutes.
We don’t only want to celebrate your personal success, but also the community you have built during your time at our Alma Mater Lipsiensis. Let’s celebrate this important moment together!
Professor Eva Inés Obergfell, Rector
FAQs
Questions and answers about the graduation ceremony
The graduation ceremony will take place on 20 September 2025 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. The accompanying programme (including registration) will be held next door, in the Neues Augusteum and in the Paulinum – Assembly Hall and University Church of St. Paul, on the Augustusplatz campus.
Admission to the area for the accompanying programme opens at 10am. The official ceremony at the Gewandhaus begins at 2pm.
- Registration on the day: Please note that all graduates are required to register in person on the day of the event. When registering, you will receive important information as well as a wristband and seat ticket granting access to the Gewandhaus (Augustusplatz 8). You will not be admitted to the ceremony without these. Registration opens at 10am at the information desk in the Neues Augusteum (Augustusplatz 10) and closes at 1.30pm. Please allow sufficient time. Your guests do not need to register with us. They receive direct access with tickets purchased from the Gewandhaus.
- Activities before the ceremony: Between the start of registration and the beginning of the official ceremony, we invite you to visit our information stands in the foyer, where you will find the UniShop, the Career Service and our start-up service. Professional photographers will also be on hand at designated photo stations, where you and your guests can capture this special moment together. A variety of additional tourist activities for you and your guests will also be available and announced here shortly.
- Ceremony from 2pm: The ceremony will open with a musical welcome and congratulations from Rector Professor Eva Inés Obergfell. This will be followed by an address from Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony, and a short moderated conversation with representatives of the City of Leipzig and the Leipzig University Society. Musical interludes will accompany the programme, before alumna Constance Buchheim delivers a keynote speech offering inspiration for the graduates’ future careers. The class of 2024/25 will then be addressed by Global Studies graduate Elena Berger. The highlight of the ceremony will be when the graduates are called up on stage to receive congratulations from the Rector and Vice-Rectors, with official photographs taken to mark the occasion. The ceremony will be hosted by journalist and alumnus Eric Marr. It is expected to last approximately 2.5 hours.
- After the graduation ceremony: After the ceremony in the Gewandhaus, a final photo with a symbolic hat toss will be taken with all graduates in the Paulinum as a lasting memory of the day. We will provide you with this photo free of charge. Afterwards, we warmly invite you and your guests to a drinks reception in the foyer of the Neues Augusteum.
You may register up to two guests to attend the event. Guest tickets cost €10 each and must be purchased exclusively via the Gewandhaus ticket link. This link will be sent to you by email once you have registered for the graduation ceremony. Please make sure to book your guest tickets promptly after registering yourself, as seating in the Gewandhaus is limited. To accommodate everyone, the ceremony will also be live-streamed to the Neues Augusteum.
There’s no fee for graduates to take part in the ceremony. Guest tickets cost €10 per person. This small fee helps cover the cost of holding the event at the Gewandhaus.
We’re very grateful to our sponsors – especially the Leipzig University Foundation and the Leipzig University Society – for their generous support.
There is no dress code, but it is good to remember that the ceremony is a formal occasion. You should feel comfortable in the clothing you choose to wear.
Graduates are encouraged to wear the traditional attire of a cap and gown. You will need to order both on your own from our partner Robe Academicus in advance of the event by 12 September 2025. After you register for the ceremony, you will automatically receive an email with the link to rent a cap and gown. It costs €25 and you will also be required to pay a deposit of €70. Once you have returned the cap and gown, the deposit will be transferred back to your account.
You can pick up your cap and gown on 20 September 2025 (the day of the ceremony) from the Neues Augusteum on the Augustusplatz campus and should return it there after the ceremony. Robe Academicus will send you an email in that will include information about the exact times when you can pick up and try on your gown.
Graduates from abroad (outside of the EU) may pay for their cap and gown on the day using a credit card or in cash. If you wish to do so, you should leave a note in the comments field on the Robe Academcius order form stating that you are from a country outside of the EU and therefore cannot transfer the fee in advance.
Yes, the venue is accessible for individuals with disabilities. If you need additional support, please send an email with detailed information to alumni(at)uni-leipzig.de.
Photos and videos will be taken during the ceremony. When you register for the ceremony, you will give the University consent to use any photos or videos in which you appear.
There will also be photo stations in the Neues Augusteum, where you can have your photo taken professionally. And we will take a “final photo with a symbolic hat toss” as a lasting souvenir of the day, which you will receive free of charge.
You are also welcome to take photos yourself.
In addition to the central graduation ceremony, many faculties and institutes will be holding their own events. Some of these smaller ceremonies may include the presentation of degree certificates. Please note that certificates are not handed out during the central ceremony. Your faculty will inform you of the dates and locations of any decentralised events.
Overview of decentralised ceremonies still to be held in 2025:
- 27 June 2025: Chemistry
Learn more - 1 July 2025: Romance Studies
Learn more - 4 July 2025: Study of Religions
Learn more - 5 July 2025: Cultural Studies
Learn more - 10 July 2025: Faculty of Theology
Learn more - 11 July 2025: American Studies website
Learn more - 14 July 2025: German as a Foreign and Second Language
Learn more - 8 August 2025: Teacher training
Learn more - 18 September 2025: Institute of Sociology and Institute of Political Sciences
Learn more - 14 November 2025: Institute of Communication and Media Studies
Learn more - 15 November 2025: Global Studies
Learn more - TBA: Faculty of Economics and Management Science
Learn more
Looking back
You have spent a lot of time at the University over the past few semesters. We would like to take you on a tour of the campus of your alma mater to remind you of your time here as a student.
Looking forward
You didn’t just study here, you also experienced and helped shape the history of your alma mater. This is why it is important to us to stay in touch with you even after you graduate.
Getting your degree marks a significant milestone in your career – it is a moment you will look back on with pride. Nevertheless, it is not a final farewell as we can continue to stay in touch via the alumni network.
Christin Kieling, Alumni Coordinator
