Its that time of year again. The strains of Pomp and Circumstance fill the air as commencement ceremonies all over the country open with the faculty filing into the field, or gymnasium, or stadium, or convention center.
Tradition calls for the faculty and students to be dressed in academic regalia. Academic regalia, or academicals, refer to the cap, gown/robe, and hood worn during graduation. The rules are not hard and fast but faculty with doctorates usually wear robes with three stripes, hoods and velvet tams instead of mortorboards. Faculty with masters degrees wear a simpler gown with a wide hood. Graduating students wear a cap and gown with a hood indicating their degree.
If you are heading off to a graduation this year, here’s a handy chart based on the Intercollegiate Code for Academic Costume from the American Council on Education showing hood colors according to primary field of study.
While researching for this post, I found many versions of color charts for different degrees. The one above was the most common.
The current version of the Code points out “… it is impossible (and probably undesirable) to lay down enforceable rules with respect to academic costume. The governing force is tradition and the continuity of academic symbols from the Middle Ages.”
It seems the Code is more like guidelines really.
June 6, 2012 at 3:16 am
Hello!
I came upon your website looking for Pompeian Red for my late post and find what you present here very interesting. I teach students from 16- 19 years different subjects based on art at Glemmen videregaende skole in Fredrikstad, Norway.