For doctors wishing to be conferred in 2024

Umeå University invites all doctors, who have earnt their doctoral degree at Umeå University, to participate in the Spring Graduation (in Swedish Vårpromotion). In Sweden, conferment is an old tradition that was first held over 400 years ago. At the Ceremony, doctors receive their doctoral insignia, i.e. the doctoral hat or laurel wreath, the ring and the diploma.

Registration

Registration for the 2024 Spring Graduation is closed. If you are interested in being conferred at the 2025 Spring Graduation, please fill in your information in the form: The 2025 Spring Graduation

Before the Spring Graduation

Make sure to apply for your doctoral degree by 19 April

You can register for the Spring Graduation before applying for your doctoral degree. But the following must be completed no later than 19 April:

• the defence of your doctoral thesis and the approved thesis must be registered in Ladok
• you must have passed all courses for your doctoral degree and the courses must be registered in Ladok and
• the application for your doctoral degree must be submitted in Ladok.

Send your application for a doctoral degree as soon as the first two items on the list are completed. Please read more under the headline "Public defence of doctoral thesis and grade" on the staff website.

Make sure you hire, borrow or buy your doctoral insignia

If you belong to the Faculty of Medicine, you will be conferred with a doctoral hat. You must acquire this hat yourself by borrowing, hiring or buying (deadline: 31 March). You must bring the doctoral hat to the rehearsal. 

If you belong to one of the other faculties, you will be conferred with a laurel wreath. The University will order the laurel wreath and send you an invoice after the event. You will get to try the wreath on after the rehearsal.

Read more about the doctoral hat, the laurel wreath and other doctoral insignia and how to acquire them. 

Prepare your attire according to the dress code

The Spring Graduation Ceremony requires a certain dress code for guests of honour, but also for your guests. This means that you need to wear formal attire (white tie) for some of the events. You can purchase, hire or borrow clothes. Please make sure to prepare in good time before the Spring Graduation.

Learn what dress codes apply for each event.

Mandatory and optional events related to the Spring Graduation

A couple of events connected to the Spring Graduation are mandatory if you wish to be conferred at the Ceremony. The mandatory events are specified in the programme.

Cost for the Spring Banquet and other practical issues

The faculty will pay for you and one accompanying guest to attend the Spring Banquet. For additional guests, you need to cover the cost for their cover charge: SEK 950 per adult and SEK 650 per child under the age of 18. After the Spring Graduation, you will receive an invoice for these costs to the address you have stated in your registration.

Any costs incurred by obtaining clothing suitable to the dress code, for travel or accommodation, you need to cover yourself. If travel, accommodation or clothing is needed it is up to you to make the arrangements.

Programme Friday, 17 May

MANDATORY REHEARSAL 
At 13:30–15:30 in Aula Nordica 
No dress code

During the rehearsal, you will find out where you will walk in the procession and where you will be seated on stage during the Ceremony. Some doctors will practice their conferment. It is mandatory to participate in the rehearsal for all doctors being conferred.

Doctors at the Faculty of Medicine must bring their doctoral hat to the rehearsal.

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S RECEPTION
At 18:00–20:00 at P5, Väven in central Umeå 
Dress code: Business informal attire

The Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University invites doctors and jubilee doctors (doctors who earnt their doctoral degree 50 years ago) to a reception the day before the Spring Graduation Ceremony. You are welcome to bring one guest. Drinks and snacks are served. Registration is needed.

Programme Saturday, 18 May

MANDATORY PROCESSION RECEPTION 
At 15:00 (location to be published)
Dress code: Formal attire (white tie)

At the mandatory procession reception doctors and jubilee doctors attending the Ceremony get a chance to meet other guests before lining up for the procession into Aula Nordica.

Your guests will not attend the procession reception but are instead welcome to mingle with other guests before taking their seats in the auditorium around 15:30 when the doors open. 

MANDATORY SPRING GRADUATION CEREMONY 
At 16:00 in Aula Nordica
Dress code for doctors: Formal attire (white tie)

The Spring Graduation Ceremony starts by doctors and jubilee doctors walking in procession to their seats on stage, where you will remain during the Ceremony.

Jubilee doctors and doctors will be conferred faculty-wise by receiving their doctoral insignia. The Ceremony is open to the public and will generally take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

SPRING BANQUET 
18:00-01:00 in Restaurant Lingon, Universum 
Dress code: Formal attire (white tie) or semi-formal attire 

The Spring Banquet for registered guests starts with a glass of bubbly beverage straight after the Ceremony. Starter, main course and dessert will be served with wine or non-alcoholic options. Pre-registered speeches will be held over the course of the evening. After coffee is served, the dance floor opens up to music by Renhornen.

Dress code

This information explains what the different dress codes mean. If you have questions regarding the dress code, please contact promotion@umu.se.

Business informal attire
Dress code at the Vice-Chancellor's Reception

You and your guest attending the Vice-Chancellor’s Reception must wear:

• suit or a jacket with trousers (not jeans) with a white or discreetly-coloured shirt, a bow tie or a tie. The suit or jacket may be light or dark;
• dress, skirt or trouser suit. The dress or skirt length is short, which means below the knee; or
• a trouser suit more elegant than everyday wear. 

Formal attire (white tie)
Dress code for doctors during the Procession Reception and Ceremony 

You must wear:

• long dress or skirt with a top in any colour. The dress or skirt length must be floor-length;
• black tails with a white shirt, white bow tie and a white waistcoat;
• academic gown; or
• formal national costume or folk costume. 

Any headgear matching your outfit must not be worn during the procession or the Ceremony. You may wear one or several decorations.

Dress code for your guests at the Ceremony

Guests only attending the Ceremony, but not the Banquet, do not need to follow any dress code. Any guests also attending the Banquet must dress according to the Spring Banquet dress code.

Formal attire (white tie) or semi-formal attire
Dress code at the Spring Banquet

All guests attending the Spring Banquet must wear:

• long, ankle-length or short (below the knee) dress or skirt more elegant than everyday wear;
• black tails with a white shirt, white waistcoat and white bow tie;
• a dark blue, dark grey, dark green or dark brown suit with a white shirt and tie or bow tie;
• folk or national costume; or
• academic gown. 

Children may wear a fancy dress or only a white shirt (suitably with a tie or bow tie) and trousers. 

You may wear one or several decorations. Only conferrers, doctors and jubilee doctors from the Faculty of Medicine, who have participated in the  Ceremony, can wear doctoral hats.

Doctoral insignia

Doctoral insignia are the symbolic items awarded the doctor at the doctoral conferment: a doctoral hat or laurel wreath, doctoral ring and diploma. 

Doctoral hat

Only doctors from the Faculty of Medicine are conferred with a doctoral hat.

Doctors at the other current faculties are not conferred with a hat, but can, if they wish, buy a doctoral hat with an Umeå emblem for the former Faculty of Philosophy, to use on later festive occasions.

Borrow a hat

You can borrow a hat from someone who has been conferred previously. Ask your colleagues or friends about this in ample time. A black doctoral hat from other university is also acceptable.

Hiring a hat 

Umeå Medical Sciences Student Union owns 23 doctoral hats that current or previous members of the student union can hire for the Spring Graduation Ceremony. 

Most hats are already reserved, but there may still be some available. Please contact kansli@medicinska.se. 

Buy a hat

You can buy a doctoral hat at your own expense. A hat can cost between SEK 5,000 and SEK 8,000 and must be ordered some months in advance. Contact promotion@umu.se if you wish to know what hat suppliers are available.

Learn more about what hat hat emblem you should have.

Laurel wreath 

All doctors and jubilee doctors of the Faculties of Arts, Science and Technology and Social Sciences at Umeå University are conferred with a laurel wreath at the Spring Graduation.

Umeå University will order laurel wreaths for all doctors who are conferred with a laurel wreath. The cost, SEK 550, will be invoiced to the doctor after the Spring Graduation. The laurel wreath is adjustable and will be tried on at the rehearsal.

Doctoral ring

The ring comes in a special Umeå model for doctors have earnt their doctoral degree at Umeå university.

It is not a requirement to purchase or wear a doctoral ring to participate in the University’s conferment ceremony. Prior to the conferment ceremony, those who have purchased a ring have already put the ring on their left hand. The handover of the ring during the Ceremony is merely symbolic – to avoid delays due to get-away rings rolling away. 

A ring can cost SEK 14-20,000 depending on the variant, possible size and type of gold (white gold is more expensive).

Information about purchasing a ring.

Diploma 

The diploma is a gift from the faculty when you are conferred and is only awarded those who participate in the conferment ceremony.

Please note that the diploma does not replace the official degree certificate. Learn how to apply for your doctoral degree under the headline Public defence of doctoral thesis and grade.

Photos and more information about the doctoral insignia.

Find your way

Maps to the buildings

On campus in the Universum building

Aula Nordica

Restaurant Lingon

Restaurant Hjortron

Downtown

P5, Väven