Commencement

Regalia

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The academic costume is a traditional black cap and gown. It is required for your participation in the commencement ceremony. Caps are worn with a colored tassel indicating the degree being awarded. Masters candidates will also receive a hood with the color indicating field of study.

Doctoral and Specialist Degrees

Doctoral and Specialist gowns and hoods may be reserved. They will be distributed in the WMU Bookstore and must be returned to Shaw Theatre immediately after the commencement ceremony.

There is no fee for the use of doctoral and specialist gowns and hoods, however, you will be given a return receipt. Keep the receipt sixty (60) days for your protection. Copies of transcripts will be withheld until gowns and hoods are returned. Tassels and caps may be retained as mementos.

bachelor’s degree
Degree	Color Name / Swatch
Arts	White
Business Administration	Sapphire Blue
Engineering	Orange
Fine Arts	Brown
Music	Pink
Nursing	Apricot
Science	Golden Yellow
Social Work	Citron

graduate degree
Degree	Color Name / Swatch
Arts and Development Administration	White
Business Administration and Accountancy	Sapphire Blue
Engineering	Orange
Fine Arts	Brown
Medicine	Green
Music	Pink
Nursing	Apricot
Public Administration	Peacock Blue
Science	Golden Yellow
Social Work	Citron

doctoral’s degree
Degree	Color Name / Swatch
Audiology	Gray
Education	Light Blue
Philosophy	Dark Blue
Public Administration	Peacock Blue

Regalia History

The use of academic dress stems from costumes worn in universities in the 14th and 15th centuries, particularly at Cambridge and Oxford in England. Since colonial times, it has been worn in the United States and was standardized by an Intercollegiate Code in 1895.

Gowns

The major distinguishing characteristics of the gowns are the sleeves, styled in the following fashions:

bachelor, long pointed;
master, oblong; and
doctor and specialist, bell shaped.

The doctor’s gown has a velvet collar, facing and three bars on the sleeves. The specialist’s gown differs from a doctor’s in that it has no sleeve bars.

Masters, specialists and doctors wear hoods lined with the official colors of the university from which the degree is granted. They vary in size and shape to indicate the several degrees. The doctor’s hood is the largest and most lavishly decorated. The color of the velvet that circles the opening of the hood shows the degree earned-light blue for doctor of education, dark blue for doctor of philosophy, and peacock blue for doctor of public administration.

Caps and tassels

Caps are mortar boards with the tassel worn over the left front quadrant. The tassel’s color indicates the academic program area.

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