2021 Commencement Program

The Academic Regalia The colorful academic regalia dates from the first European universities in the Middle Ages. Academic costume has been in use in the United States since colonial times and is traditionally used for graduation convocations. The mortarboard is the standard cap. The tassel color, as established by an intercollegiate commission, indicates the subject field. arts, history, letters, languages...................... white business, commerce. .................................... drab communication. .......................................... silver gray criminal justice............................................ navy blue education..................................................... light blue engineering.................................................. orange fine arts........................................................ dark brown journalism. .................................................. maroon music........................................................... pink nursing........................................................ apricot philosophy................................................... royal blue physical education, allied health. ................. sage green religion........................................................ scarlet science, mathematics, psychology. ............... golden yellow social work, political science, public administration........................... citron doctor of arts............................................... gold doctor of education. .................................... gold doctor of pharmacy. .................................... olive green doctor of philosophy. .................................. gold doctor of theology. ...................................... gold 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 five-inch-wide velvet. The master’s hood is shorter than the doctor’s and has three-inch-wide velvet. The bachelor’s hood is shorter yet and has two-inch-wide velvet. The color of the velvet indicates the field of study. Blue indicates a doctoral degree. Dark brown indicates a Master of Arts degree. White indicates a Bachelor of Arts or a Master of Arts degree. Scarlet indicates a Bachelor of Divinity degree or a Master of Divinity degree. Yellow indicates a 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 that symbolizes the subject field in which the degree was earned. Some regalia represent 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.