For doctors wishing to be conferred in 2025

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

To attend the 2025 Spring Graduation you must register and, in the program below, you can see the mandatory events.

Registration is open and the deadline for registration is 24 February.

If you want to participate this year but have not received an invitation, you can contact promotion@umu.se.

If you want participate in 2026 Spring Graduation instead you can register your interest further down the page under the heading About being conferred as a doctor

Before the Spring Graduation

Make sure to apply for your doctoral degree by 17 April

You can register for the Spring Graduation before applying for your doctoral degree. But the following must be completed no later than 17 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.

The names of degrees in English and in Swedish

Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine= Medicine doktor
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy= Filosofie doktor
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Science= Odontologie doktor
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business and Economics= Ekonomie doktor
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science= Teknologie doktor
Degree of Doctor of Laws= Juris doktor
Degree of Doctor of Theology= Teologie doktor

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 or buying. 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 for SEK 575 after the event.

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.

Please contact promotion@umu.se if you have questions regarding the dress code or if you wish to know where to hire white tie in Umeå.

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 will receive an invoice for their cover charge at SEK 950/adult and SEK 650/person under 18 after the Spring Graduation.

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, 16 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 in restaurant Bygden, Umeå Arts Campus
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. Drinks and snacks are served.

Registration is needed and you are welcome to bring one guest.

Programme Saturday, 17 May

MANDATORY PROCESSION RECEPTION 
At 15:00 in restaurant Hjortron, Universum
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. This year the Ceremony starts with the inauguration of the University's new Vice-Chancellor. Jubilee doctors and doctors will be conferred faculty-wise by receiving their doctoral insignia after the inauguration. 

The Ceremony is open to the public and will generally take between 1.5 and 2 hours and there is free seating for the audience.

Here you can read more and watch a short film about the Ceremony.

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

The Spring Banquet 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.

Registration is needed and you and your invited guests will sit together.

Children at the ceremony and banquet

The Ceremony takes about 1.5–2 hours and we do not recommend young children to attend. However, if younger children still need to attend the Ceremony it is important to request special seating, so that the child can easily be brought outside if necessary.

The Banquet lasts 3–4 hours and it can be a long time for a child to sit quietly and still. But children are different and as a parent you are best at determining what your child is capable of. At the Banquet, children are served the same food as adults, except for alcoholic beverages.

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. 

Photos and more information about the doctoral insignia.

The following information about doctoral insignia applies for the conferment.

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 to use on later festive occasions.

Borrow a hat someone you know

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.

Borrow a hat from the Student union

Umeå Medical Sciences Student Union owns 23 doctoral hats that current or previous members of the student union can borrow for the Spring Graduation Ceremony. The deadline for hat reservations has passed, please contact kansli@medicinska.se if you have any questions.

Buy a hat

You can buy a doctoral hat at your own expense.

A hat can cost between SEK 6,400 and SEK 11,000 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 your laurel wreath and send you an invoice for SEK 575 after the ceremony. 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 16-20,000 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. 

Find your way

Maps to the buildings

On campus in the Universum building

Aula Nordica

Restaurant Lingon

Restaurant Hjortron

On Umeå Arts Campus

Restaurant Bygden