Ever wonder what different parts and colors of the graduation wardrobe represent? Well, we have your answers:
Bachelor’s Degrees
Gown
Designed to be worn closed
Black:Traditional bachelor’s degree gown
Green:University Honors Program Scholar
Gold: Latin Honors gown for graduates with distinction
Stoles
Black: Honors Scholar
Cords
Gold: Honor cord
Master’s Degrees
Sleeves
Oblong sleeve: Rear part of oblong shape is square cut, and the front has an arc cut away.
Gown
Supplied with fasteners to be worn open or closed
Doctor’s Degrees
Sleeves
Bell-shaped sleeves
Gown
Supplied with fasteners to be worn open or closed.
Trimmings
- Agriculture – Maize
- Arts, Letters, Humanities – White
- Commerce, Accountancy, Business – Drab
- Dentistry – Lilac
- Economics – Copper
- Education – Light Blue
- Engineering – Orange
- Fine Arts, including Architecture – Brown
- Forestry – Russet
- Journalism – Crimson
- Law – Purple
- Library Science – Lemon
- Medicine – Green
- Music – Pink
- Nursing – Apricot
- Oratory (Speech) – Silver Gray
- Pharmacy – Olive Green
- Philosophy – Dark Blue
- Physical Education – Sage Green
- Public Administration, including Foreign Service – Peacock Blue
- Public Health – Salmon Pink
- Science – Golden Yellow
- Social Work – Citron
- Theology – Scarlet
- Veterinary Science – Gray
For more information on the history of academic regalia, visit CSU’s commencement website.
This article was created for the 2014 Fall Graduation Guide produced by College Avenue Magazine staff.
