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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 3.75 is graduated
"with high honor;" and one who earns a grade point average of 3.90 is graduated "with highest honor. "
A student must be in residence at least rwo full years (60 semester hours) in order to qualify for honors.
The Academic Regalia
The colorful academic regalia dares from the Middle Ages when European universities rook form.
Academic costume has been in use in the United Stares since colonial rimes 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 rhe
mortarboard. The tassel color indicates the subject field .
arts, letters, languages, history
business, commerce
communications
education
engmeenng
music
nursmg
philosophy
physical education
religion
science, mathematics
social work
doctor of philosophy, doctor
of education, doctor of
theology, doctor of ans
white
drab
silver gray
light blue
orange
pink
apricot
royal blue
sage green
scarlet
golden yellow
citron
gold
The length of the hood and the width of the velvet indicate the level of the degree. The doctor's
hood is quire long, has rwo rails, 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
rwo-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 rwo 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 fron
r.
These panels may be black or the color which symbolizes the subject field in which the degree
was earned.
Some of the regalia on display represents academic awards that have been conferred from
universities outside the United States, notably from Europe. Universities in Europe have not
undergone the standardization in academic dress that was introduced in the United States. Each
European university retains the right to design unique and distinctive regalia for its graduates.
This results in a wide variety of hood and gown colors. The crest of the university may be woven
into the hood or panels in the gown. Gowns are worn open and formal attire is worn underneath
the gown; women wear black skirts and white blouses, while men wear a formal suit or national
costume.