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 The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, led by a bedel or mace-bearer. |
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'Academic dress' or 'academical dress' (also known in the
United States as 'academic regalia') is traditional
clothing worn specifically in
academic settings. Nowadays, it is more commonly seen only at
graduation ceremonies, but in former times academic dress was, and to a lesser extent in many ancient
universities still is, worn on a daily basis.
Academic dress in most universities in the
British Commonwealth is derived from the academic dress of the universities of
Oxford and
Cambridge, which themselves are a development of academic and clerical dress common throughout the
medieval universities of
Europe. In the
United States, however, academic dress has also been influenced by the academic dress of continental Europe. Academic dress is also worn by members of certain
learned societies and institutions as official dress. It is generally considered bad form to wear a gown or hood to which one is not entitled: at best it indicates the wearer's ignorance and indifference to correct form, at worst it could be seen as a fraudulent pretence to a status one does not have.
Academic dress today generally consists of a
gown (also known as a robe) with a (usually separate, unattached) hood, and sometimes a cap (either a
mortarboard or a
bonnet). When wearing academic dress, it is usual to dress formally and soberly beneath the gown; so, for example, men would typically wear a dark
suit with a white
shirt and
tie, or
military or
national dress, and women would wear equivalent attire. Though some of the newer universities are relaxed about what people wear under their gowns, it is nevertheless considered bad form to be in
casual wear or the like during graduation. Some older universities, especially Oxford and Cambridge, have a prescribed set of dress (known as ''subfusc'') to be worn under the gown.
British academic dress
There is a distinction between different types of academical dress. Most recently, gowns, hoods and caps are categorised into their shape and patterns by what maybe known as the ''Groves Classification of Academic Dress'', which is based on
Nicholas Groves's document, ''Hood and Gown Patterns''
[1]. This lists the various styles or patterns of academic dress and assigns them a code. For example, the Cambridge BA style gown is designated [b2] and a hood in the Cambridge full-shape is designated [f1], etc.
Gown
The modern gown is derived from the ''roba'' worn under the ''cappa clausa'', a garment resembling a long black cape. In early medieval times, all students at the universities were in at least
minor orders, and were required to wear the ''cappa'' or other clerical dress, and restricted to clothes of black or other dark colour.
The gowns most commonly worn, that of the clerical type gowns of
Bachelor of Arts (BA) and
Master of Arts (MA), are substantially the same throughout the English-speaking world. Both are traditionally made of black cloth, (although occasionally the gown is dyed in one of the college's colours) and have the material at the back of the gown gathered into a yoke. The BA gown has bell-shaped sleeves, while the MA gown has long sleeves closed at the end, with the arm passing through a slit above the elbow.
There are two types of yokes which are used for gowns. The more traditional is the curved yoke, whilst the square or straight yoke is used more in modern times.
Another type of gown is called the lay type gown which is similar to the MA gown in that it has long closed sleeves but it does not have a yoke. Instead, there is a flap collar with the gathers underneath it. Thus it is less volumous than the clerical type gown. This gown is often used for the dress of officers and graduates of some degrees (especially Oxford).
Undergraduates at many older universities also wear gowns; the most common essentially a smaller knee-length version of the BA gown, or the Oxford Commoners gown which is sleeveless lay type gown and has two streamers at the back. This is not the case at the Ancient Scottish universities, such as the
University of St Andrews, where the undergraduate gown is scarlet and typically features a velveteen collar.
In the Commonwealth, gowns are worn open, while in the United States it has become common for gowns to close at the front, as did the original ''roba''.
Dress and undress
Since medieval times, doctors, like
bishops and
cardinals, have been authorised to wear garments of brighter colours such as scarlet, purple or red. In many older universities, doctors have scarlet dress gowns or robes (sometimes called "festal robes") which are worn on special occasions (for example, at graduation ceremonies and on certain
festivals of the Christian calendar, referred to as
scarlet days in the University of Cambridge), as well as black undress gowns which are worn on ordinary occasions. A third form of dress, now rarely seen except at Oxford, is the
Convocation habit. This is a scarlet sleeveless garment worn over the black gown, with the sleeves of the gown pulled through the armholes. It is similar to a bishop's
chimere. It is worn at meetings of Convocation or
Congregation by those presenting candidates for degrees.
There are two distinctive shapes used in the UK for doctor's gown; the Oxford doctor's shape and the Cambridge doctor's shape. The former has bell-shaped sleeves, the latter has long open sleeves.
Hood
The hood was originally a functional garment, worn to shield the head from the elements. In the English tradition, it has developed to an often bright and decorative garment worn only on special occasions. It is also worn by clergy of the
Anglican Communion in choir dress, over the
surplice, and it is common in cathedrals, churches, and chapels for the choirmaster and/or members of the choir to wear an academic hood to which they are entitled during services, over their
cassock and
surplice.
Hoods comprise two basic patterns, 'full shape' or 'simple shape'. The traditional "full-shape" hood consists of a cape,
cowl and
liripipe, as is used at Cambridge. At Oxford, the bachelors' and masters' hoods use "simple" hoods which have lost their cape, and retain only the cowl and liripipe. Some universities only have a cape and cowl and no liripipe; these are referred to as the "Aberdeen shape". Various other universities have different shapes and patterns of hoods, in some cases corresponding to the pattern current at the ancient universities at the time when they were founded, and in others representing a completely new design.
The colour and lining of hoods in academic dress represents the rank and faculty of the wearer. In many Commonwealth universities bachelors wear hoods edged or lined with white rabbit fur, while masters wear hoods lined with coloured silk (originally ermine or other expensive fur). Doctors' hoods are normally made of scarlet cloth and lined with coloured silk.
Cap
The
academic cap or ''square'', commonly known as the "mortarboard", has come to be symbolic of academia. In some universities it can be worn by graduates and undergraduates alike. It is a flat square hat with a tassel suspended from a button in the top center of the board. Properly worn, the cap is parallel to the ground, though some people, especially women, wear it angled back.
The mortarboard may also be referred to as a
trencher cap (or simply trencher). In many universities, holders of doctorates wear a soft rounded headpiece known as a
Tudor bonnet or
tam, rather than a trencher. Other types of hats used, especially in some universities in the UK, are the
John Knox cap (mostly at Scottish universities), the
Bishop Andrewes cap (Cambridge
DDs) and the
pileus (at Sussex). In some universities, such as Oxford, women may wear an Oxford ladies' cap.
For Catholic — and some Anglican — clergy, the traditional black
biretta may be worn in some circumstances instead of the mortarboard. Those clerics who possess a doctorate wear the black biretta with four ridges — instead of the usual three — and with piping and pom of the color of the discipline, thus, e.g., emerald for canon law, scarlet for sacred theology, etc.
As with other forms of headgear, in the Commonwealth, academic caps are not generally worn indoors by men (other than by the Chancellor or other high officials), but are usually carried. In some graduation ceremonies caps have been dispensed with for men, being issued only to women, who do wear them indoors, or have been abandoned altogether. This has led to
urban legends in a number of universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland which have as a common theme that idea that the wearing of the cap was abandoned in protest at the admission of women to the university. This story is told at the
University of Cambridge,
Durham University, the
University of Bristol, the
University of St Andrews and
Trinity College, Dublin among others.
The
tassel comprises a cluster of silk threads which are fixed together and fastened by a button at one end, and fixed at the centre of the headpiece. The loose strands are allowed to fall freely over the board edge. Often the stands are plaited together to form a cord with the end threads left untied.
Dress for university officials
Officers of the universities generally wear distinct and more elaborate dress. The
Chancellor and the
Vice-Chancellor may wear a black damask lay type gown (sometimes with a long train) trimmed with gold or silver
lace and
frogs. Officers of lower rank may wear plain black lay type gowns, sometimes with gold or silver trim.
Marshals and
bedels often wear black lay-type gowns with
bands and a black bonnet.
United States
American academic dress is typically closed at the front and, as well as the hood, other items such as scarves, stoles or cords may be worn.
Academic regalia in the United States has been influenced by the academic dress traditions of Europe. There is an Inter-Collegiate code which sets out a detailed uniform scheme of academic regalia, but not all colleges follow it.
History
In 1893 an Intercollegiate Commission made up of representatives from leading institutions was created to establish an acceptable system of academic dress. The Commission met at Columbia College (now
Columbia University) in 1895 and adopted a code of academic regalia, which prescribed the cut and style and materials of the gowns, as well as determined the colors which were to represent the different fields of learning. In 1932 the
American Council on Education (ACE) authorized the appointment of a committee "to determine whether revision and completion of the academic code adopted by the conference of the colleges and universities in 1895 is desirable at this time, and, if so, to draft a revised code and present a plan for submitting the code to the consideration of the institutional members of the Council." The committee reviewed the situation and approved a code for academic costumes that has been in effect since that year. A ''Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies'', appointed by the American Council on Education in 1959, again reviewed the academic dress code and made several changes.
In practice
Bachelors' and masters' gowns in the United States are similar to their counterparts in the United Kingdom, but the bachelors' gown is only worn closed.
Doctoral robes are typically black, although some schools use robes in the school's colors. The Code calls for the outside shell of the hood to remain black in this case, however. In general, doctoral gowns are similar to the gowns worn by master's graduates, with the addition of three velvet chevrons on the sleeves and velvet facing running down the front of the gown, tinted with the disciplinary color for the degree received. The robes have full sleeves trimmed with bands of velvet instead of the bell sleeves of the bachelor's gown. Some gowns open more at the front to display a tie or
cravat, while others take an almost cape-like form.
In the U.S., academic dress is rarely worn outside
commencement ceremonies or other academic rituals such as
encaenia. During graduation ceremonies in the
United States, both women and men wear caps, and both women and men wear their caps indoors throughout most of the ceremony. The exceptions are for men during the
National Anthem, any
benediction that may be offered by a
chaplain or other authority, and sometimes the singing of the
Alma Mater.
In most American schools, the color of the velvet trimming the hood is distinctive of the disciplines—or as closely related as possible—to which the degree earned pertains (see the table below). For instance, one who has earned a master's degree in public administration focusing on education would wear velvet trim of "light blue" to signify education rather than "peacock blue" to denote a general public administration concentration. The width of the velvet increases from 2 inches to three inches and finally to five inches for the bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, respectively. The silk lining inside displays the colors of the school from which the wearer received the degree denoted by the velvet trim. A number of other items such as
cords,
stoles,
aiguillettes, etc. representing various academic achievements or other honors may also be worn at the discretion of the degree-granting institution. The length of the hood will vary with the level of academic achievement as well: bachelor's wear a 3 foot length, master's a 3.5 foot length, and doctors a 4 foot length. Candidates may have the hood ceremoniously placed upon them, as is done at some Scottish universities, or a college/school may 'self-hood' ''en masse'' at the appropriate time during the ceremony as has been the practice at
Fordham University in the United States. Honorary doctoral degrees are very often conferred by the highest academic officer of an institution by bestowing the appropriate hood, regardless of the procedure being followed for other candidates at the ceremony.
The tassel worn on the mortarboard or
tam may be black, or may indicate the university's colors, or the colors of the specific college, or the discipline in which the candidate's studies were completed. There is in some colleges and universities a practice of moving the tassel from one side to the other on graduating, but this is a modern innovation which would be impractical out of doors due to the vagaries of the wind. However, this mark of transition to graduate status has the benefit of taking less time than more traditional indicators such as the individual conferring of the hood, or a complete change of dress part-way through the ceremony (as at Oxford). In such universities it is common for undergraduates to begin the commencement ceremony with their tassels on the right. Switching the tassel to the left may be done individually or as a group. For doctoral and masters students, the tassel commonly begins and remains on the left.
Opposition to academic attire
As part of the socio-political upheaval of the
1960s in many
western cultures, eschewing academic regalia became a popular means of protest, particularly in response to the
Vietnam War and the
Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
Student protests, which had the effect of cancelling graduation ceremonies at some American universities, led to a general relaxing of protocols on academic attire and ceremonial pageantry. After the war, academic regalia continued to be shunned by some who considered it a symbol of
elitism. However, since the 1980s, academic regalia has been in resurgence. Some colleges or academic departments allow graduating students to vote on whether or not to wear academic regalia at graduation ceremonies.
Since the
1970s, academic uniforms have gained popularity among administrators of American
secondary schools. This has been particularly notable at
socio-economically diverse
public schools where the use of uniform academic attire is considered preferable to individual displays of wealth and fashion. Others have argued that academic uniforms are inappropriate in the context of secondary education and that such uniformity stifles
freedom of expression.
Inter-Collegiate colors
The colors allocated to the various disciplines have been largely standardized in the United States by the American Council on Education in their ''Academic Costume Code''
[2] The codified colors associated with the different disciplines are as shown below:
| Faculty | Color | Sample |
|---|
| Agriculture | Maize | |
| Arts, Letters, Humanities | White | |
| Commerce, Accountancy, Business | Drab | |
| Dentistry | Lilac | |
| Economics | Copper | |
| Education | Light Blue | |
| Engineering | Orange | |
| Fine Arts, Architecture | Brown | |
| Forestry, Environmental Studies, Sustainability | Russet | |
| Journalism | Crimson | |
| Law | Purple | |
| Library Science | Lemon | |
| Medicine | Green | |
| Music | Pink | |
| Nursing | Apricot | |
| Oratory, Speech | Silver Gray | |
| Pharmacy | Olive Green | |
| Philosophy, Political Science | Dark Blue | |
| Physical Education | Sage Green | |
| Public Administration, Public Policy, Foreign Service | Peacock Blue | |
| Public Health | Salmon Pink | |
| Science | Golden Yellow | |
| Social Work | Citron | |
| Theology, Divinity | Scarlet | |
| Veterinary Science, Husbandry | Gray | |
A distinction is made in the code which calls for a graduate to display the color of the ''subject'' of the degree obtained, not the degree itself, which is otherwise indicated by the cut of the robe, the length of the hood, and the width of the trim. For example: if a graduate is awarded a
Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree specifically in "poltical science" the trimming should be dark blue, representing "political science/philosophy", rather than white, representing the broader "liberal arts/letters/humanities"; if the BA had been in "economics" the trim should be copper; if in "environmental studies" it should be russet, etc.
[1] If the BA were in "history", a subject within "the humanities", the velvet should indeed be white. Similarly, if a
Bachelor of Science (BS) degree were awarded for physics, the velvet trim should be golden yellow ("science") representing physics as one of the "
fundamental sciences"; if the BS were in "engineering" the trim should be orange. The same method is true of master's degrees and doctorates. A
Master of Public Administration in Science and Technology should show trim of golden yellow for "science", not peacock blue for "public administration"; conversely a
Master of Science in Public Administration should display peacock blue trim for "public administration" and not golden yellow for "science". In the case where a color is specified for a field that may be included in another discipline that has been assigned its own different color (e.g.: "philosophy", represented by dark blue trim, is generally regarded as among "the humanities", represented by white trim), the graduate should wear the color of the more specific field (''dark blue'' for a degree in "philosophy", rather than ''white'' for "humanities", in the last case).
In 1986, the American Council on Education updated the code and added the following sentence clarifying the use of the color dark blue for the
Doctor of Philosophy degree: "In the case of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, the dark blue color is used to represent the mastery of the discipline of learning and scholarship in any field that is attested to by the awarding of the degree, and it is not intended to represent the field of philosophy."
Only one hood may be worn at any given time. Trim colors may not be combined or displayed together in any way to attempt to indicate more than one discipline. The discipline associated with the highest degree attained is generally displayed, though the Code seems to indicate that a graduate may choose to revert for some occasion to the entire academic costume (i.e. robe style, trim width, hood length, etc.) for a lesser degree earned. Those who hold multiple degrees of the same level (i.e. more than one master's or doctorate degree) may wear the regalia of any degree earned. However, holders of multiple degrees will wear the trim color of the discipline associated with the degree earned from the institution denoted by the lining of the hood being worn and, if applicable, wear that university's entire prescribed academic costume.
Materials
In general, the material used for academic regalia is heavily influenced by the climate where the academic institution is located, or the climate where the graduate will usually be wearing the costume (as a faculty member at another institution, for example). In either case, the ACE allows for the comfort of the wearer, and concedes that lighter materials be used in tropical climates, and heavier materials elsewhere, etc.
The materials used for academic dress varies and range from the extremely economical to the very expensive. In the United States, most Bachelor and Master degree candidates are often only presented the "
souvenir" version of regalia by their institutions or authorized vendor, which are generally intended for very few wearings and are comparatively very inexpensive. For some Doctoral graduates commencement will be the only time they wear academic regalia, and so they rent their gowns instead of buying them. These rented gowns are often made of inexpensive
polyester or other man-made synthetic fibre. People who choose to buy their dress may opt for finer fabrics, such as
pricetta,
poplin,
crosgrain,
cotton,
wool,
cassimere,
broadcloth,
bengaline,
Russell cord (a cotton and wool mix fabric) or corded/ribbed material. For silk, there are a range of types including
artificial silk,
rayon,
taffeta,
satin,
alpaca, true
silk or a mixture. Some gowns may be trimmed with
gimp lace.
In the past, fur has been used to line certain hoods (especially those of the UK) which range from
rabbit to
ermine. Most now use imitation fur instead, mainly because of cost and
animal rights concerns. Some robemakers will use fur if the customer requests and pays for it, as some feel that the quality and feel of artificial fur has yet to match that of real fur.
Doctor's robes usually use wool
flannel,
panama,
damask or
brocade and are brightly coloured (or black, but faced with a bright colour) to distinguish them from lower degrees.
A full set may cost about $360 (£180) for cheap materials to as much as $5800 (£2900) for high quality materials
[3].
See also
★
Academic procession
★
Encaenia
★
Academic stole
★
Chinese academic dress
★
Ede and Ravenscroft
★
The Burgon Society
★
The Central Institute London
Academic dress regulations for the following universities are available via these links:-
'United Kingdom'
★
Academic dress of the University of Bristol
★
Academic dress of the University of Cambridge
★
Academic dress of Durham University
★
Academic dress of the University of Hertfordshire
★
Academic dress of the University of Kent
★
Academic dress of the University of London
★
Academic dress of the University of Nottingham
★
Academic dress of the University of Oxford
★
Academic dress of the University of St Andrews
★
Academic dress of the University of Wales
★
Academic dress of the University of Wales, Lampeter
'Others'
★
Academic dress of Harvard University
★
Academic dress of universities in Queensland, Australia
★
Academic dress of the University of Melbourne
★
Academic dress of Macquarie University
References
'Books'
★ Wood, T.W. (1882), ''The Degrees, Gowns and Hoods of the British, Colonial, Indian and American Universities and Colleges''. London: Thomas Pratt & Sons.
★ Rashdall, H. (1895, 1936), ''The Universities of Europe in the Middle Ages''. Oxford: Claredon Press.
★ Haycraft, F.W. (1948), 4th ed. rev. Stringer, E.W Scobie, ''The Degrees and Hoods of the World's Universities and Colleges''. Cheshunt Press.
★ Hargreaves-Mawdsley, W.N. (1963), ''A History of Academical Dress in Europe''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
★ Franklyn, C.A.H. (1970), ''Academical Dress from the Middle Ages to the Present Day Including Lambeth Degrees''. Lewes: WE Baxter.
★ Rogers, F.R.S., Franklyn, C.A.H., Shaw, G.W., Boyd, H.A. (1972), ''The Degrees and Hoods of the World's Universities and Colleges''. Lewes: WE Baxter.
★ Smith, H.H., Sheard, K. (1970), ''Academic Dress and Insignia of the World''. Cape Town: AA Balkema.
★ Shaw, George W. (1995), ''Academical Dress of British and Irish Universities''. Chichlester: Philmore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-85033974-X
★ Venables, D.R. & Clifford, R.E. (1998), 8th ed., ''Academic Dress of the University of Oxford''. Oxford: Shepherd & Woodward. ISBN 0-9521630-0-4
★ Goff, Philip (1999), ''University of London Academic Dress''. London: University of London Press. ISBN 0-7187-1608-6
★ Groves, Nicholas; Kersey, John (2002), ''Academical Dress of Music Colleges and Societies of Musicians in the United Kingdom''. Norfolk: Burgon Society. ISBN 0-9544110-0-5
★ Groves, Nicholas (2002, 2003), ''Key to the Identification of Academic Hoods of the British Isles''. London: Burgon Society.
'Journals'
★ Powell, Michael (ed.) et al. (2001), ''The Burgon Society Annual 2001''.
★ Kerr, Alex (ed.) et al. (2005), ''Transactions of the Burgon Society: Volume 5''. ISBN 0-9544110-7-2
External links
★
The Burgon Society Promotes the interest in and the formal study of academic dress.
★
University of London Academic Dress. Publication concerning University of London academic dress.
★
History of Graduation Gowns, Academic Regalia and Dress
★
Pictures, information and literature of some academical caps, especially academical birettas
Notes
1. The Burgon Society: The Design of Academical Dress (http://www.burgon.org.uk/design/groves.php, 6th May 2007) Classification of Styles
2. American Council on Education: An Academic Costume Code and An Academic Ceremony Guide (http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=10625, 18 May 2007)
3. Ede & Ravenscroft: Oxford DMus undress and full dress academic dress costs £2910 (undress gown: £181, hood: £409, rigid mortarboard: £80, full dress gown: £2117, velvet bonnet: £123). Information retrieved 18 May 2007.
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