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

Registration for the 2025 Spring Graduation is closed. If you want participate in 2026 Spring Graduation you can register your interest further down the page under the heading About being conferred as a doctor.

Here you can see a preliminary list on the Swedish website of those registered for the 2025 Spring Graduation.

Before the Spring Graduation

• Registration of guests, potential cost for the Banquet and other practical issues

  You who have registered for the Spring Graduation should have received an email where you can register your guests and the last day to register is 4 April. 

  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.

• Cancellations

  If you or any of your registered guests can not attend, you must report this as soon as possible to promotion@umu.se.

  Please note that we will charge a cover fee for cancellations to the Banquet made after Friday 2 May at 13:00.

• 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.

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. 

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

  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 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 are invited with one accompanying guest and You and your invited guests will sit together.

• Guests at the ceremony

  Free seating applies for guests in the auditorium at the Ceremony.

  Howevere, you can request seat reservations if your guests for special reasons:

  • need to sit near the exit
  • have access to an elevator
  • if there are younger children among your guests. We do not recommend that young children to attend, but if they need to attend, we would like to know the age of the child and whether a pram will be brought along.

  You can reserve seats for your guests by stating special reasons and number of seats:

  • when you register your guests to the Banqet and Vice-Chancellor's Reception under the "Headline Any special needs for your guests attending the Ceremony, Banquet or anything else we need to take into consideration?".
  • in an email to promotion@umu.se.

• 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

  All hats that the Umeå Medical Sciences Student Union are reserved.

  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