UKZN Graduations Set to Honour Close to 8 000 Graduands

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is set to honour and celebrate a total of 7 795 graduands at its 2024 Autumn Graduation which will be spread across 16 ceremonies scheduled from 6-14 May 2024 at the Westville campus Sports Centre.

Of the qualifications to be conferred, 5 164 are undergraduate and 2 631 are postgraduate. Notably, this ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 526 masters and 231 doctoral graduates.

Among the graduands, 132 individuals will graduate with great distinction, having achieved summa cum laude, while 414 will graduate with cum laude.

Notably, women make up 69.57% of the cum laude and 72.73% of the summa cum laude graduands.

Overall, women constitute 65.76% of all graduates at the Autumn Graduation. This underscores our commitment to advancing gender equality and reinforces our reputation as one of the most transformed universities in the country.

The breakdown of degrees conferred by each College is as follows: the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science will award 1 096 degrees, the College of Health Sciences 1 060, the College of Humanities 4 029, and the College of Law and Management Studies 1 610.

The University is particularly proud of the 100 graduands with disability for persevering against all odds to achieve academic excellence.

UKZN Executive Director of Corporate Relations, Ms Normah Zondo says the University is looking forward to hosting the Graduation ceremonies, ‘Preparations are well underway and there is much excitement as Graduation season is upon us. Graduation holds special prominence in our academic calendar as it serves as a platform to acknowledge and applaud the tireless dedication, commitment, and hard work of our students, who have met and exceeded the rigorous demands of their respective academic programmes. Graduation is a milestone not just for our students, but also for the families and communities that have nurtured them.’

Zondo also urged graduands to utilise the Grad Look Up platform to view their information, including seat numbers, the date and time of their Graduation and qualification details. This online resource helps graduands prepare effectively for their Graduation experience.

‘We strongly encourage graduands and their guests to arrive promptly and be seated at least 45 minutes before the commencement of each ceremony. Being punctual ensures a smooth and orderly start to the proceedings and allows everyone to fully enjoy and participate in this momentous occasion. We are looking forward to seeing everybody at Graduation,’ Zondo concluded.

Livestream: Please be advised that the 2024 Autumn Graduation ceremonies are being live-streamed. Watch the ceremonies live on YouTube and Facebook.

Follow the University’s social media pages on: https://www.facebook.com/ukzn1, https://twitter.com/ukzn/, https://www.tiktok.com/@ukzn_official and https://www.instagram.com/ukzn for Graduation highlights and updates. The hashtag to use is: #UKZNGrad2024

Words: Sejal Desai

Photograph: Nkosi Gcabashe