Academic dress originated at universities in the Middle Ages when a warm gown and hood were necessary in unheated buildings. For centuries these gowns distinguished students from their fellow citizens; sometimes this distinction in dress symbolized unfortunate controversies between “town and gown.” The European habit of using academic robes came to this country in the 18th century with the founding of what is now Columbia University. In 1895 American universities and colleges standardized their styles of academic costume, and this system, with occasional modifications, is still in force. Today the various colors, trimmings and patterns of gown, hood and cap are all traditional and symbolize both degree and field of learning.
GOWNS: American academic gowns are usually of black material, and their pattern varies with the degree held. Bachelor’s gowns are relatively simple in design with a closed front and long, pointed, open sleeves. Master’s gowns have an open front with long, closed sleeves, the arm extending through a slit at the elbow, giving the appearance of short sleeves. Doctoral gowns are the most elaborate, with velvet panels down the open front and three velvet bars on the bell-shaped sleeves.
CAPS: A square mortarboard is the approved headgear. The tassel, fastened to the middle point of the top of the cap, is black or the color appropriate to the subject; it may be gold if the holder has a doctorate.
The following is a list of the hood and tassel colors that represent various categories of learning:
Agriculture - Maize
Arts, Letters, Humanities - White
Commerce, Accountancy, Business - Drab
Dentistry - Lilac
Economics - Copper
Education - Light Blue
Engineering - Orange
Fine Arts - Brown
Forestry - Russet
Journalism - Crimson
Law - Purple
Library Science - Lemon
Medicine - Green
Music - Pink
Nursing - Apricot
Oratory (Speech) - Silver Gray
Pharmacy - Olive Green
Philosophy - Dark Blue
Physical Education - Sage Green
Public Administration - Peacock Blue
Public Health - Salmon Pink
Science - Golden Yellow
Social Work - Citron
Theology or Divinity - Scarlet
Veterinary Science - Gray
All hoods are edged with one of the above colors. These same colors may be used for the facing and sleeve bars of doctoral gowns and tassels on bachelor’s and master’s caps.
Honors Graduates
Honors graduates are recognized with medallions:
GOLD Summa Cum Laude 3.95-4.00 GPA
SILVER Magna Cum Laude 3.75-3.94 GPA
BRONZE Cum Laude 3.60-3.74 GPA
Candidates for graduation who are members of international or national honor societies with sanctioned local chapters at Trident Technical College are wearing honor society regalia that represent the particular national honor society.
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society Gold Stoles
Alpha Mu Gamma Foreign Language Honor Society Gold Cords
High School Student and Military/Veteran Graduates
High school students who have taken dual credit classes and earned enough college credit to complete a Trident Technical College program of study while still in high school are eligible to wear white cords with their regalia. Military and veteran graduates are eligible to wear red, white and blue cords with their regalia to signify their service to our country.