University students are furious that their graduation ceremony is to be moved from historic Rochester Cathedral.

The University for the Creative Arts ceremony is due to take place on June 25 at Maidstone Television Studios.

The university, which has sites in Rochester, Maidstone and Canterbury,said it wished to “bring students in Kent together for their graduation”.

Students have started at least two Facebook groups and an online petition to pressure the university’s management into changing their minds.

One of the Facebook groups, called Let's Have the Graduation at Rochester Cathedral has 231 members, while the other, called Petition Against UCA Canterbury Students Graduating in Maidstone has 213 members.

The online petition has 328 signatures.

One anonymous student, who signed the petition, said: “This is so unfair, how could you be so inconsiderate, we have all worked hard and deserve to finish our degree and graduate at the same place we started. It is just totally out of order”

A message, from Ivonna Poplanska, of Chatham, said: “I strongly believe that our graduation should take place in the historic city (where) we have been attending our studies!”

Sophie Brewster, a 21-year-old fashion promotions student in her third year, said she would even prefer the graduation be held with other students at Canterbury Cathedral rather than the studios.

She said: “They are trying to cram courses into the Maidstone Studio, how long are they planning to spend on each diploma?

“They are not going to be spending long on each person, it will be like a sausage factory.”

Miss Brewster said the university was “covered in posters” and there were petitions in many of the main rooms of the campus asking for a change in venue.

A spokesman for the university denied the decision has been made to save money or for religious reasons, and said the management is having regular meeting with Students’ Union representatives to “ensure that student concerns can be addressed”.

The online petition is at www.gopetition.com/petitions/kent-campuses-uca.html