Academic Attire Participation in an academic procession requires that appropriate academic robes be worn. This requirement includes faculty advisors who accompany their Ph.D. candidates. Caps, Gowns, and hoods, also known as academic regalia or academic robes , may be purchased in the University Bookstore. You need to ask for the gown that corresponds to your degree, e.g., bachelor's, master's or doctoral. Robes and hoods are designed differently for each level of degree.
Academic hoods are a centuries-old symbol of academic achievement.
The velvet border is the appropriate color for the degree, e.g., Bachelor of Arts is white, Bachelor of Science is yellow, Master of Music is pink, etc. The velvet trim on a Ph.D. hood is always philosophy blue. A Doctorate of Music is pink, while a Doctorate of Arts is white. Tassels are black for both the bachelor and master degrees, while the tassel worn by the doctoral candidate is short gold. Price lists for purchase of caps, gowns, and hoods can be found in the Commencement Planning Guide.