Graduation

The academic regalia worn in the commencement procession and at other formal university occasions date back to those worn by faculty and students at medieval European universities.

These regalia have remained unchanged since the 16th century, with only minor modifications. U.S. institutions established standards in 1895 by adopting an intercollegiate code that specifies design and color appropriate for various degrees. As in medieval times, the regalia worn on formal academic occasions denote the wearer’s scholarly heritage.

The modern academic regalia consists of three parts: the gown or robe, a headpiece, and a hood.

The baccalaureate gown is the simplest in design. Usually black, it is distinguished by a wide yoke with shirring in front and back and by open flowing sleeves that end in a point. The baccalaureate gown is worn closed. Honors may be designated by the wearing of a cord or a stole. The gold braided honor cord, worn draped from the neck on the front of the gown, designates the wearer as an honor graduate. Honors for degree candidates in today’s exercises are based on the cumulative grade point average. They are specified in the commencement program as magna cum laude, summa cum laude, and cum laude. Honors are also designated on diplomas. Honor stoles or medallions may be worn by members of various honor or service societies authorized by the university. The honor stole is worn draped from the neck down the front of the gown and bears the Greek initials of the honor society. The color may designate the particular society. Medallions that bear the insignia of the honor society or service organization are suspended from the neck by a ribbon.

The master’s gown is similar to the baccalaureate gown except that it has a closed or glove sleeve that is open at the wrist. The master’s gown has no other trim and may be worn either open or closed. The colorful master’s hood is reserved for those who satisfy the requirements of advanced degrees. It is a special part of academic regalia and denotes scholarly and professional achievements.
The doctoral gown is flowing and has oversized bell-shaped sleeves. It is trimmed with velvet panels down the front and has velvet chevrons on the sleeves. While black is still the predominant color for doctoral gowns, the trim may be in a color that denotes the wearer’s discipline, or the gown’s color may denote the wearer’s university.

The doctoral gown features the university seal embroidered on velvet panels. It may be worn by members of the Board of Trustees (when attending), honorary degree recipients, university administrators, and some doctoral degree candidates.

The mortar board is the headpiece most often worn at American universities for formal occasions. It is appropriately worn flat on the head, with the tassel falling from the left quarter of the board. Tassel colors denote the field or discipline of the degree earned. A blue and pink tassel on the cap signifies the wearer as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Doctoral tassels are often gold. The soft velvet Tudor cap is worn by many who hold a doctorate.

While the gown and headpiece denote the wearer’s level of education, the hood adds meaning and dimension to the academic regalia. The hood is worn, falling from the shoulders down the back in a display of vivid color. The hood’s color denotes the field of study and the degree earned. It is lined in two colors of silk, representing the college or university that bestowed the degree, and is edged in velvet.

Examples from the Intercollegiate Code for colors signifying disciplines:

Accountancy, Business, Commerce: drab 
Arts, Letters, Humanities: white
Education: light blue
Engineering: orange
Fine Arts: brown
Music: pink
Nursing: apricot
Physical Therapy: teal
Public Health: salmon pink
Public Service: peacock blue
Science: golden yellow
Social Science: cream
Social Work: citron

Regalia for Honor or Service Organizations

Only students who are members of recognized USCA honor or service organizations are allowed to wear the regalia of these organizations (please inform your organizational advisor that you should receive the regalia):

Hooding: What is it and why do we do it?

Hooding ceremonies are carried out by institutions of higher education to recognize students who have earned an advanced degree beyond the bachelor’s degree. During the ceremony each graduate comes forward and has their hood placed over their head by the department head as their names are read. The colorful hood of each university is reserved for those who satisfy the requirements or advanced degrees. It is a special part of academic regalia and denotes scholarly and professional achievements.

The pageantry of commencement has its roots in medieval times, dating to the early tradition of Europe’s first universities. Origins of academic attire are obscured in history, but it is likely that the scholar’s distinctive dress was based on modifications of ecclesiastical costumes of the times. In 1895, the United States set for its universities a uniform academic costume code, which is reflected in most of the regalia worn today. Meanwhile, European universities maintained their right to variety. The vivid diversity of regalia for European degree holders brings to the American commencement such visual pleasures as sable berets, cardinal robes and other distinctive garb. The cap, the hood, and the robe are the visual components of the academic costume. The mortarboard, as we see it now, comes from joining the elements of a square bonnet and a skull cap. As early as 1600, scholars at Oxford University began using lightweight boards to hold out the corners of the bonnet. Gown designs represent the levels of academic degrees. The master’s gown has sleeves with a slit to allow the arm to emerge at the elbow of the gown. Color is allowed to break through in the hood. The outer binding of the master’s and doctoral hoods represents the field of study in which the degree was received.