Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury Wodonga will celebrate the achievements of nearly 700 students in four graduation ceremonies this week.

More than 1700 guests are expected to attend the ceremonies at the Albury Entertainment Centre on Thursday 18 December and Friday 19 December.

Highlights include:

9.30am Thursday 18 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education, including the School of Education.

* The Occasional Address will be delivered by the Hon Susan Ley, Federal Assistant Minister for Education.

* Graduates will be formally admitted to their awards by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes.

* Two PhD's and a baby: Dr Kathryn Hopps and Dr Jake Wallis and their new baby, Erin will attend there ceremony after the couple met early in their postgraduate studies at a research forum at CSU in 2011. Dr Hopps, a Research Fellow with the University's Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE) will receive her PhD titled, 'Intersetting communication and the transition to schoo'l. Dr Wallis, from the University's School of Information Studies, graduated with a PhD titled, '#digitalactivism: Networks, new media and political action' in a ceremony in Wagga Wagga on Monday.

149 graduates and more than 430 guests are expected to attend this ceremony.

3pm Thursday 18 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Science including the School of Community Health, Dentistry and Health Sciences and Biomedical Sciences.

* The Occasional Address will be delivered by Professor Peter Doherty who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 with Swiss colleague Rolf Zinkernagel, for their discovery of how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells.

* Graduates will be formally admitted to their awards by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes.

* Mr Daniel Searle will be awarded his Bachelor of Physiotherapy while his Guide Dog Bear will also receive special recognition from CSU.

* Three PhD's and one Doctor of Health Science will be awarded during the ceremony.

124 graduates and more than 360 guests are expected to attend this ceremony.

9.30am Friday 19 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Science including the School of Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Business.

* The Occasional Address will be delivered by Dr Gordon Burch, the Former Executive Director of the Australian Science and Technology Council (ASTEC).

* Graduates will be formally admitted to their awards by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.

* 12 PhD's will be awarded during the ceremony, including 10 PhD researchers from the Institute for Land Water and Society (ILWS) at CSU in Albury Wodonga.

* Dr Lisa Smallbone will be awarded her PhD titled 'Understanding Bird Responses in Regenerating Agricultural Landscapes'. The study looked at native birds and bushland that has regenerated after lifestyle properties replaced traditional farming in central Victoria. It shows the importance of natural regeneration for birds and biodiversity.

* Dr Jane Roots' research focused on land use planning in rural amenity landscapes, using the Indigo Shire in north east Victoria as a case study. These landscapes are made up of small, often 'unviable' farms but this is also where people are moving to for a lifestyle change. Her research is titled 'The Future of Farming in Rural Amenity Landscapes: The role of planning and governance in a changing landscape'. "Farming as a sustainable land use, meaning producing food and fibre, environmental benefits and contributing to rural communities is very challenging for the current planning processes, it is barely on the planning radar," She said, "There will need to be a cultural shift in the way we look at and value land if we want to maintain and protect attractive and productive rural landscapes".

* Dr Katrina Sinclair's PhD titled 'Transformative Change in Contemporary Australian Agriculture' examined how market deregulation substantially altered the culture, structure and working practices of the dairy industry, including shifting the balance of power from farmers to supermarkets. The research suggests government embarking on deliberate transformations should be aware their interventions will be highly disruptive and unintended consequences are likely.

* Dr Marie Sheahan from CSU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences will be awarded her PhD titled 'Inside the tent with half a loaf of bread: A Critical analysis of the neoliberalisation of community welfare organisations engaged in welfare to work'. Dr Sheahan's thesis examines how community welfare organisations have become integrated into the employment and welfare system.

200 graduates and more than 550 guests are expected to attend this ceremony.

3pm Friday 19 December

Graduates are from the CSU Study Centre in Melbourne in the Faculty of Business.

* The Occasional Address will be delivered by Ms Mell Millgate, Marketing Business Partner at Crowe Horwath.

* Graduates will be formally admitted to their awards by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.

213 graduates and more than 420 guests are expected to attend this ceremony.