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Graduation with Honors
Students graduating with academic honors are wearing a gold cord. A student who earns a
grade point average of 3.50 is graduated "with honor"; one who earns a grade point
average of 3.70 is graduated "with high honor"; and one who earns a grade point average
of 3.85 is graduated "with highest honor." A student must be in residence at least two full
years (90 quarter hours) in order to qualify for honors.
The Acadeinic Regalia
The colorful academic regalia dates from the Middle Ages when European
universities took form. Academic costume has been in use in the United States since
colonial times and is traditionally used for graduation convocations. An
intercollegiate commission was formed which established the following standard of
uniformity for caps, gowns, and hoods. The standard cap is the mortarboard. The
tassel color indicates the subject field .
apricot
light blue
dark brown
dark crimson
silver gray
drab
sage green
orange
pink
scarlet
white
golden yellow
gold
nursing
education
fine arts
humanities
communications
commerce
physical education
engineering
music
religion
arts, letters, languages, history
science, mathematics
Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education,
Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Arts
(some of the doctors have large
metallic tassels)
The length of the hood and the width of the velvet indicate the level of the degree.
The doctor's hood is quite long, has two tails, and has a five-inch wide velvet. The
master's hood is shorter than the doctor 's and has a three-inch wide velvet. The
bachelor's hood is shorter yet and has a two-inch wide velvet. The color of the
velvet indicates the field of study. Blue velvet indicates the doctoral degrees. The
dark brown velvet indicates the Master of Arts degree. White velvet indicates the
Bachelor of Arts or the Master of Arts degree. Scarlet velvet indicates the Bachelor
of Divinity degree or the Master of Divinity degree. Yellow indicates the Bachelor
of Science degree. The colors in the lining of the hood are the university colors.
The gown's traditional color is black. The distinguishing feature of the master 's
gown is the tippet sleeve. The doctor 's gown has two distinguishing features: it is
cut much fuller than the bachelor's or the master's gown and has velvet panels on
the sleeves, around the neck, and down the front. These panels may be black or the
color which symbolizes the subject field in which the degree was earned.