female chc graduate

CHC GRADUATION

A CHC degree can open up opportunities for you to transform your world.

Congratulations! You are about to graduate from CHC, following in the footsteps of more than 3000 other students who are now proud CHC graduates.

Graduation at CHC is a very special time. It is an opportunity to honour and farewell students who are finishing their time at CHC. It is an occasion that celebrates your transition from student to graduate and marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life.

CHC has two conferral periods each academic year: mid-year and end-of-year. Graduates of the School of Education, Humanities and Business, with the Millis Institute are invited to the annual CHC Graduation Ceremony held in December.

Graduates of the School of Ministries are invited to the annual Citipointe Ministry College Graduation Ceremony held in the first quarter of the following year.

If you did not attend your graduation when you completed your studies, you are welcome to attend a ceremony up to two years after the conferral of your award.

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A CHC degree can take you places
you didn’t dream of

APPLYING TO GRADUATE

Graduation is an exciting time to celebrate the successful completion of your study.

There are a number of steps that you need to take and be aware of as you graduate.

You will need to submit an Application to Graduate form and ensure you have met all eligibility requirements. Further information about this can be found in the Eligibility box to the right.

You will also need to check all personal details to ensure we have your correct details. The box to the right has more information about this.

Information about receiving your testamur and transcript is also provided in the box to the right.

To be eligible to graduate, you must satisfy the academic and other requirements of your course as well as a number of administrative requirements. These include settling all financial accounts with CHC and returning all borrowed CHC resources.

After you submit your Application to Graduate form, your Course Coordinator will assess your eligibility to graduate, and you will receive an email regarding the outcome of this preliminary assessment to your CHC email address.

Following the completion of your final semester of study, your Course Coordinator will finalise the assessment of your eligibility, and you will receive a further email to confirm your eligibility or to indicate the reasons that you are not eligible at this time.

While all information regarding graduation will be sent to your CHC email address, it is very important that you keep your personal details up-to-date.

Your testamur will be issued in the name under which you are enrolled at CHC. If you have changed your name for any reason, you must complete a Change to Personal Details form prior to graduation, otherwise your testamur will be issued in your former name.

All graduates of CHC awards receive a testamur, academic transcript and an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS). From Semester 2, 2021 graduates will be issued with electronic documents that can be accessed through My eQuals.

Graduates who attend the Graduation ceremony will also receive a printed testamur.

two men shaking hands

INFORMATION FOR GRADUANDS

The annual CHC Graduation Ceremony is held in December at Citipointe Church.

All mid-year graduates and applicants for the end-of-year conferral period are invited to participate in the graduation ceremony. Information regarding the ceremony will be sent to all mid-year graduates and applicants for the end-of-year conferral period in October/November. If you are expecting to participate in a graduation ceremony but do not receive information from CHC by the end of October, please contact Student Administration.

You will receive an email to your CHC email address that includes information regarding the date of the ceremony and instructions to RSVP to indicate your attendance. Regardless of whether you are attending or not attending the Graduation Ceremony, please ensure that you RSVP using the appropriate form.

female chc graduate in purple smiling

ACADEMIC DRESS

CHC makes available for hire high quality academic dress for graduation ceremonies.

If you are planning to attend the graduation ceremony, you will need to order your academic dress as you RSVP.

You can pay for your academic dress hire through Westpac PayWay secure link (you will be automatically directed to this site once you have completed the online form).

On the day of the graduation ceremony, please make your way to the robing room. You will be required to sign in to receive your academic dress. CHC staff will be available to assist you with dressing.

Academic dress at CHC is governed by CHC Policy: Graduation, which is approved by CHC Council. The complete policy can be found on the CHC website. A summary is provided below.

Gowns

All graduands, including holders of previous Bachelor, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma awards, wear plain black gowns. The gowns for Masters graduands have long sleeves, while the gowns for all other graduands have short sleeves.

Hoods

Only graduands holding ‘degrees’ (that is, Bachelor or Masters awards) wear hoods. Colours are used to differentiate the different awards.

Stoles

Graduands from Diploma and Graduate Diploma courses wear silk stoles, with colours used to differentiate the different awards. If graduates hold previous degrees, the stole is worn over the gown and under the hood of the academic dress appropriate for those awards.

Sashes

Graduands from Associate Degree and Graduate Certificate courses wear silk sashes, with colours used to differentiate the different awards. If graduates hold previous degrees, the sash is pinned to the front of the gown.

Headwear

All graduands wear a black cloth trencher with a black tassel. This is commonly known as a ‘mortar board’.

Holders of more than one degree

Graduands who hold more than one degree are required to wear academic dress appropriate for the award being conferred at their graduation ceremony. Graduates who are having multiple awards recognised at the one ceremony are required to wear academic dress appropriate to the highest award.

female chc graduate in purple smiling
blonde male chc graduate

ATTIRE & PHOTOGRAPHS

CEREMONY ATTIRE

Graduands are required to wear suitable attire beneath their academic dress: for example, shorts, T-shirts, thongs, joggers and other casual clothing or footwear are not considered appropriate. CHC suggests that graduates wear smart casual attire, but graduates are welcome to dress more formally.

Graduands may wish to consider that academic gowns are predominantly black and will cover most of the outfit apart from your shoes. The gowns are open at the front and expose the lower arms.

Please wear sensible footwear as you will be walking up and down stairs to and from the stage. Be aware that you will be wearing a mortar board (cloth trencher) as headwear, so be mindful of this if you are planning an elaborate hairstyle.

PHOTOGRAPHS

CHC contracts a photographer to record the event for you. All graduands are photographed on stage and there is opportunity for formal individual photographs to be taken. Depending upon the photographer, photographs will be available for purchase either on the night or in the following weeks through an online ordering system.

THE GRADUATION CEREMONY

Congratulations, you’ve made it!

After a significant investment of time, intellect and money, you have arrived at the point of graduation. We hope that this information is helpful in planning for your special evening.

two female chc graudates smiling for photo
citipointe church entrance

GRADUAND REGISTRATION

Upon arrival at the venue, you will be required to register.  If you are going to be late, please contact Student Administration up to one day prior to the event, or text or call 0413 589 242 on the day and report to a CHC staff member as soon as you arrive.

When you arrive, please make your way to the robing room. After you register, you will be directed to your allocated area where you can collect your academic dress and CHC staff will be waiting to assist you with dressing.

The graduand briefing will advise you about the proceedings of the ceremony. Please follow the directions of the staff at all times. If you have any questions, please ask the staff for assistance.

two female chc graduates hugging

CEREMONY

What happens during the ceremony?

The Graduand Procession and Academic Procession will enter the auditorium, after which the Chair of CHC Council will give a short welcome address.

Graduands will then be directed from their seats to the stage to receive their awards from the CHC President. The official photographer will take photographs at this time. After leaving the stage, graduates will go to the photography station for individual photographs and to collect their graduation documents before returning to their seats.

The Graduate Address will then be given.

Proceedings will commence with the presentation of special awards, and this is followed by the Guest Speaker’s Address. The graduates are then presented by the President of CHC to the Chair of Council for the conferral of awards.

The ceremony will close with the dedication of the graduates and the departure of the Academic Procession and the Graduate Procession.

two female chc graduates hugging
group of chc graduates posing for photo

AFTER THE CEREMONY

Please ensure that you sign out before leaving to record that you have returned your academic dress.

AFTER GRADUATION

Wherever you find yourself after graduation, CHC stands behind you.

As a CHC graduate, you are joining more than 3000 others who are making a difference in all parts of the world as teachers, community builders, counsellors, accountants, pastors, project managers, authors, singers, business managers and in many other professions.

The CHC alumni are a special network of professionals who can act as guides, mentors and potential employers. We encourage all alumni to stay connected with CHC and continue to benefit from association with one of Australia’s leading Christian higher education providers.

CHC is proud of its graduates and we encourage you to remain in touch and to keep us informed of your achievements in the coming years. We love to hear your stories and, with your permission, to share these with the CHC community on our website and in our publications.

Having graduated with a CHC award, you are now part of the CHC Alumni. If you want to stay connected with CHC or to keep up-to-date with CHC news, you can enter your details into the online form in the Alumni section of the CHC website. You can also give to CHC to support the future of Christian higher education in Australia. CHC is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), which means that gifts of $2.00 or more are tax deductible. Donors will receive an official receipt from CHC.

Graduates are invited to pursue postgraduate study and research opportunities offered by CHC. At CHC you will learn from some of Australia’s best teachers and earn a postgraduate qualification which carries a reputation for excellence. For more information, contact CHC.

The Graduate Outcomes Survey is an annual survey that is coordinated by the Australian Government across all Australian higher education institutions. The survey data is used by the government for developing policy, by students and advisors for assistance with career and study choices, by employers when developing recruitment policies and programs, and by CHC to improve teaching and learning.

Participants for the Graduate Outcomes Survey are selected at random by the survey organisers. If you are selected, you will receive an email inviting you to be involved and providing instructions on how to complete the survey. This normally occurs about three months after graduation to allow time for graduates to be in employment. If you receive an invitation to participate in the survey, please ensure that you respond within the relevant timeframe in order that CHC can receive important feedback on its provision of educational and other services to its students.