Academic dress

Universities are heirs to traditions that date back eight centuries.

For universities in the English-speaking world, there are normally three separate garments that make up the academic regalia - the gown, the hood and the hat. The gown is the loose outer garment common to lawyers and university lecturers. Often, the cut of the sleeve indicates whether the wearer holds a Bachelor's or a Master's degree. Doctor's gown sleeves tend to be decorated.

La Trobe University academic regalia

La Trobe University graduates are required to wear the appropriate academic dress, also called academic regalia, to participate in graduation ceremonies. Graduation attendance consists of a registration fee and academic dress hire fee. You may also choose to purchase your own regalia gown set as part of the online graduation registration process.

Diploma

front of diploma graduation gown, yellow silk sash over shouldersback of diploma graduation gown, with yellow silk sash

Stole: 10 cm wide lined with silk in the colour of the discipline, worn around the neck and drapes down the front of the gown

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

No trencher (hat) is worn

Bachelor degree

front of bachelor's degree gown, light blue silk sash in v shape around neck to shouldersback of bachelor's gown, light blue silk sash hanging in hood like shape

Hood: Burgon style Oxford hood of Oxford blue cloth with a 10 cm silk facing in the colour of the discipline; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on the right shoulder.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

Trencher (hat): Black cloth

Bachelor (Honours) degree

front of bachelor (honours) gown, deep red silk sash hanging around neck in triangle shape back of bachelor (honours) degree gown, deep red silk sash in hood like shape hanging over back

Hood: Burgon style Oxford hood of Oxford blue cloth with a 10 cm silk facing in the colour of the discipline; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on the left shoulder.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

Trencher (hat): Black cloth

Graduate certificate and diploma

front of graduate certificate and diploma gown, deep purple/pink silk sash in triangle over shouldersback of graduate certificate and diploma gown, deep purple/pink silk sash in triangle over shoulders

Stole: 10 cm wide lined with silk in the colour of the discipline, worn around the neck and drapes down the front of the gown.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

Trencher (hat): Black cloth

Master degree

front of master's degree gown, large orange silk sash in triangular shape over shouldersback of master's degree gown, large orange silk hood draped over back

Hood: Burgon style Oxford hood of Oxford blue cloth lined and bound to a depth of 2 cm with silk in the colour of the discipline; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on the right shoulder.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

Trencher (hat): Black cloth

Master (Honours) degree

front of master's (honours) degree gown, light gold/burgundy silk sash in triangular shape over shouldersback of master's (honours) degree gown, light gold/burgundy large silk hood draping down back

Hood: Burgon style Oxford hood of Oxford blue cloth lined and bound to a depth of 2 cm with silk in the colour of the discipline; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on the left shoulder.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth

Trencher (hat): Black cloth

Professional Doctorate

front of professional doctorate gown, silk red sashes vertically running down off either shoulder down front of body, red sleeve cuffs, red hoodback of professional doctorate gown, deep red silk hood with red silk sleeve cuffs

Hood: Oxford doctorate cut hood in Oxford blue, lined with Post Office red silk; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on both shoulders.

Gown: Oxford blue cloth with a 10 cm wide Post Office red silk facing and cuffs

Bonnet (hat): Black velvet Tudor bonnet with a Post Office red cord and tassel

Doctor of Philosophy

front of doctor of philosophy gown, all red silk with blue hood, cuffs and two vertical blue sashes running down front of body from shouldersback of doctor of philosophy gown, deep red silk gown with blue cuffs and blue silk hood

Hood: Oxford doctorate cut hood in Post Office red lined with blue silk; the hood is worn with the hood's silk exposed on both shoulders.

Gown: Post Office red cloth with 10 cm wide facing and cuffs

Bonnet (hat): Black velvet Tudor bonnet with a Post Office red cord and tassel

Double and multiple degree graduands

  • Double degrees wear the colour of the discipline that runs the course. For example, Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts wears the colour for Law.
  • Multiple degrees wear the academic dress for the highest award. For example, Graduate Diploma in Education/Bachelor of Arts wears the academic dress for the Graduate Diploma.

Indigenous graduands

Graduands of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent may also opt to wear, in addition to the appropriate academic dress, a stole 10 centimetres wide of the following colours:

  • Aboriginal: Equal bands of Jet Black, Saffron and Post Office red silks
  • Torres Strait Islander: Larkspur silk edged on each side with Juniper silk, each colour separated by a narrow band of black piping

Hoods, facings and stole colours

Colour references are to the British Colour Council Dictionary of Colour Standards.

Discipline

Colour

Agriculture
Brunswick green
Business, Economics
Tangerine
Education
Claret
Engineering
Nutmeg
Health Sciences
Signal red
Humanities and Social Sciences
Turquoise
Law
Crocus (mauve)
Psychological Sciences
Sulphur
Science, Technology
Saffron
Social Work
Smalt (cornflower blue)