Doctoral colors and there meaning

Is there consistancy in the doctoral robe colors among schools? For instance, what are the colors for a Ph.D. in Leadership, Biology, or Business Administration.

Are they almost always the same for the same major, or does it vary depending on the granting intitution?

I recently saw some images of a Regent University doctoral graduation and saw all the different colors the grads were recieving for different fields, this made me a bit curious as what they meant and why. Does anyone know what the colors are for each major and why the different colors?

 

There are web sites out there with this info. Run a search on "academic regalia".

 

Degree Colors

From the American Council on Education:
Academic Costume Code

The lining of the hoods are the university/college colors e.g., Unversity of California colors are blue and gold. Some universities have special doctoral regalia:
E R Moore Co

 

I have seen it two ways. At my undergrad school, there is a color for the college (Business, education, etc), then one for the specific discpline (OB, MGMT, etc) - this is what all graduates wear, then a special hood for the doctorate students. I am not sure of their color.

At my master's school there was one ugly light rbown for us all. not sure of the doctorate.

 

Colors

The velvet trim is for the degree field - drab (light brown)is business, light blue-education, apricot-nursing etc. The satin lining of the hood is the university/college colors. Doctoral hoods are large and very fancy.

 

Re: Colors

I can't wait!!!!

 

Actually the regalia questions are a lot of fun. The information listed about the various web pages is very helpful. In general, the following apply: masters degree caps have a black tassle and the masters degree robe is specific with a particular piece of cloth hanging form the arm. Masters degree hoods are 3 feet 6 inches long. The velvet on the hood is three inches wide. The inside satin of the hood is the school colors. Typically you will see white for the MA velvet, yellow gold for the MS hood , Drab (or brown or copper) for business and light blue for M.Ed.. Other colors include scarlet for religious related degrees and citron for social work degrees. There are several other colors agreed upon for various degrees. Doctoral caps have a gold tassle. They may be 4 sided, 6 sided or 8 sided. They may be in degree color or in black velvet. The robes are specific. American universities have agreed to a specific code, while candian and british universities have a different set of rules. In general the doctoral robes has 5 inch velvet around the neck and down the front of the doctoral robe. Doctoral robes also have three velvet stripes on the arms. The velvet stripes on the robe can be in degree colors. For example, most Ph.D. robes are in navy blue or black velvet regardless of the field. SOme schools use degree colors on the velvet so yellow gold is used for science, drab is used for business, pink is used for music, etc. Ed.D. robes often use light blue on the velvet. The doctoral hood is 4 feet long. Typically it has a five inch degree velvet around the outside and school color satin on the inside, with a thin school color around the outside edge. For example I have a doc from Oklahoma State. It is an Ed.D. My velvet on the black doctoral robe is light blue. My hood is light blue velvet around he outside with a black and orange satin in the center and an orange edge around the outside. I choose to wear a light blue 6 sided cap with a gold tassle. I have a friend with a Ph.D. in counseling from Oregon State. SHe has a Navy blue velvet outer edge and a solid orange satin interior. She has chosen black velvet for her robe. SOme shcools have been approved for specifc robes. Harvard has a scarlet robes with black velevet on the robes and the hood. Washington has a purple robe with Purple velvet on all robes and hood and purple and gold satin. Adstionally medical degrees are kelly green velvet, law degrees are pruple velvet, pharmacy degees are gray velvet as examples. Nova Southeatern has a beautiful light gray blue robes with a navy cap and navy striping and if it is an ed degree light blue velvet on the hood. Stanford has a really unique combination of red and blue, Wayne State has a kelly green robes with black striping. The regalia stuff is really interestng once you know what it is. You are supposed to be able to look at the robe and hood and know school, degree, and major.

 

Regalia certainly is fun but it has also been a source of acrimony.

When I took my J.D.,we wore standard black robes with the three black velvet sleeve stripes and black velvet facings and velvet square Oxford style mortorboards. Our tassles were purple for law. We also took the standard Doctor of Laws hood, school color lining in "silk" faced with purple velvet. According to the less-than-universal convention, our J.D. regalia could be told from J.S.D. regalia by the tassel. A gold tassel marks the dissertation degree holder.

The M.D.s wore the exact same regalia except that their velvet and tassels were green.

During our convocation (the hooding ceremony that is separate from the University commencement), our dean actually SAID that we should be entitled to wear a GOLD tassel because (you guessed it) the J.D. is a DOCTORATE. Like, who CARES?!? We were DONE with law school! That's all WE cared about!

BTW, the Dean himself was arrayed in a too tight Master's gown and Master's hood because he is an LL.M. holder.

Well, anyway, a few years later, the school changed the M.D. and J.D. tassels to gold. At the same time, however, they created a renaissance-looking getup for the Ph.D.s with a ruffled Beefeater hat that is like nothing I've ever seen or dreamt of.

At the University of Washington, they settled the Great Tassel Controversy by adopting an "old" gold tassel for the J.D. and M.D. regalia and "new" gold for the dissertation degrees. However, the LL.M. wears a Master's gown, hood and BLACK tassel.

I understand that Harvard doesn't use gold tassels for anyone but administration officials.

These people really have too much time on their hands.

 

"Doctoral colors and there meaning"

their

Roy Maybery

 

One of these monsters, perchance? http://www.ryderamies.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RA&Product_Code=DB&Category_Code=Academic
Or merely a close relative?

Angela

 

No, it was even more bizarre. The brim was rigid and had pleats in it, corrogated like.

 

Academic Regalia

Perhaps this one

or the Beefeater type at the bottom of this page.

 

I recently participated in a master's degree convocation where two people with degrees from Stanford particiapted. Their robes are very different. They are bright red and blue, with the big caps as described by nosborne. The robes are more distinctive than the hood.

 

Regalia

So many universities are developing their own styles for doctoral regalia that the old rules are becoming obsolete. Stanford's gown is one example, but Harvard, Columbia etc. have unique gowns and hoods. However, the black gown with velvet front and velvet chevrons is still the generic doctoral gown.

Many universities no longer use a bachelor's hood and use colors other than black for bachelors gowns. Master's regalia has probably changed the least.

Our regalia evolved from the British, though their designs are slightly different e.g., masters gown.

The Burgon Society is an interesting organization devoted to academic dress.

 

This is one area that I will truely miss in DL, no robe, or graduation ceremony.

 

History

From Capella University's website section on graduation (BTW, even though Capella U is a distance learning institution, they have commencement ceremonies every year as a celebration of the graduate's achievement - and I definitely intend to go when I complete my PhD!):

History of Academic Regalia:
The academic costume worn originated in the Middle Ages, when gowns and hoods kept scholars and clerics warm. The distinctive gown served to set the student apart from his fellow citizens, giving birth to the expression "town and gown."

Until after the Civil War, students at most American universities wore caps and gowns daily. They varied in design until they were standardized by the American Intercollegiate Commission in 1894. At that time it was decided that all robes should be black: bachelor's gowns to be made of worsted material with long, closed sleeves; doctorate's gowns of silk with longer sleeves and faced with black velvet from neck to back.

Doctoral gowns also carry three velvet bands around each sleeve above the elbow. Hoods are made of the same materials as the gowns, the length varying with the degree. The lining of the hood identifies the highest degree granting university by its colors.

The border of the hood indicates the academic disciplines in which the degree is earned:


Color Discipline Color Discipline
Gold: psychology Scarlet: theology
Green: medicine Dark blue: philosophy
Yellow: science and technology Brown: architecture, fine arts
Pink: music Lilac: dentistry
Olive: pharmacy Drab: business
Lemon Yellow: library science Peacock Blue: international affairs
Light blue: education Citron yellow: social work
White: arts and letters, journalism, interdisciplinary studies and human services

~Michele Boudreau
BSW (social work): University of Nebraska
MS (Human Services - Professional Counseling): Capella University
PhD candidate (Human Services - Marriage & Family): Capella University

 

PhD

Dark blue: philosophy

A PhD in any field can use dark blue - not just philosophy.


This is one area that I will truely miss in DL, no robe, or graduation ceremony.

Most DL programs have Commencement or graduation ceremonies, even tiny Northcentral U and Western Governors U. What school are you attending ?

 

Northcentral is one of those institutions that have chosen to have distinctive regalia. They were a green robe with black chevrons.

 

University of New Mexico doctor hat.

You can make out the doctoral hats in this series of photos from UNM's Fall 2001 commencement. If I find a better pic I'll post it. It's a lulu!

http://commence.unm.edu/index1.html

 

I just walked my DBA. I was very disappointed. Not so much for the colors, but the hats. I wanted one of them nifty 8 sided puffy hat things. Instead, we had mortar boards <glum>

I've been toying with the idea of looking for a place that sells regalia and seeing if I can get one of the puffy hats. Afterall, that's why I went through it all...... to make a bold fashion statement! :-D


22 days away from defending!

Russ