The mortarboard should be positioned so that its point faces the middle of the forehead. When viewed from above, it should create a diamond shape, not a square. Also, the mortarboard should be horizontal (parallel) to the floor. Imagine it to be a flat surface on which a cup or book can be placed.

How is a mortarboard worn?

The mortarboard should be positioned so that its point faces the middle of the forehead. When viewed from above, it should create a diamond shape, not a square. Also, the mortarboard should be horizontal (parallel) to the floor. Imagine it to be a flat surface on which a cup or book can be placed.

What side of the mortarboard does the tassel go?

Traditionally tassels are worn on the right side and moved to the left during a special portion of the ceremony for high school graduates. For college graduates, Bachelor again wear tassels on right side until their degrees are conferred, then move to left.

How is a grad cap worn?

The cap should be worn directly on your head and not tilted back and it should lie about one inch above your eyebrows. Keep in mind that your cap will usually distinguish which side goes in the front and which side goes in the back. Simply flip your cap over and you should find the instructions on the under side.

Why do you wear a mortarboard at graduation?

Those funny hats are called “mortarboards” because they resemble a tool used by bricklayers to hold mortar. … Scholars believe the mortarboard is based on the biretta, a similar hat worn by Roman Catholic clergy.

How do you wear a cap?

The crown of the baseball cap should top your head, leaving a little space between your head and the cap. A baseball cap should fit on your head so that it will not come off with a wind gust yet won’t leave a mark on your forehead.

Why do only female graduates wear caps?

It is thought that women wear the graduation cap as a symbol of the end of their education, it is now “capped”. … Men are expected to remove hats in places of worship, as a mark of respect and to avoid “dishonouring” his head, while women are required to remain covered during acts of worship.

Why do graduates turn the tassel?

The tassel before graduation symbolizes your time as a student. When you move it to the other side, you are confirming your newfound graduate status. … If you’re a high school student, the graduation tassel starts on the right side. The tassel is then moved to the left at the end of the ceremony.

How do you keep your cap on at graduation?

1. Try not to wear the cap too far back on your head. If possible, the cap should partially cover your forehead. …
2. Hairspray and pins are your new closest friends. …
3. Put a headband in there. …
4. As soon as you get the cap, just throw it in the air.

When can you wear academic regalia?

Contemporarily, it is commonly seen only at graduation ceremonies, but formerly academic dress was, and to a lesser degree in many ancient universities still is, worn daily.

Article first time published on

Why are graduation hats shaped the way they are?

square, became symbols of varying prestige. At Oxford University in the 17th century, undergraduates were resigned to the older, rounded caps, while those with higher degrees were allowed to wear pileus quadratus. By 1675, aristocratic undergraduates were given permission to wear the square caps as well.

What should a guy wear under his graduation gown?

Women are best wearing either dress pants or a shorter skirt underneath the gown, while men should choose khakis or dark-colored dress pants.

What mortarboard means?

Mortarboard caps are thought to have been created in the 15th century, as part of an evolution from a hat type known as a birettas which was used by Catholic clerics and professors. The distinctive square shape of a mortarboard is believed to signify a book, chosen in recognition of scholarly achievements.

What is the hat called you wear when you graduate?

The graduate hat (also known as an academic cap, graduate cap, mortarboard, or trencher) is part of the formal academic attire to be worn by graduating students (graduands) during the graduation ceremony.

What does a graduation hat symbolize?

Graduation caps symbolize intellectual superiority and while bachelor degree graduates and undergraduates are required to wear the tassel on the left, higher academic achievement allows the graduate to move it to the right. So, it also plays a major symbolic role in the whole pageant.

What is the doctoral hat called?

The square academic cap, graduate cap, cap, mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the mortarboard used by brickmasons to hold mortar) or Oxford cap, is an item of academic dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the centre.

Do you keep your cap and gown after graduation?

Most graduates keep only the tassel from their hat, tossing the cap and gown as soon as the ceremony ends. … After graduation, gowns are recycled and reprocessed into new product.

Do you have to zip up your graduation gown?

When you put on your gown, slip your hands through the wrists’ opening, which will cause the back of the sleeves to hang down. Remember: the zipper should zip up the front and your hemline should fall below the knee and above the ankle. Whether you wear flats or heels, it won’t affect the hemline.

Where do the pins go on a graduation gown?

I have a pin from an honor society that I want to wear for graduation. Where on the outfit should I put it? Usually medals, pins, etc. are worn over the left breast, about halfway between the collarbone and the nipple.

Do caps suit everyone?

Young children, grown men, and women wear them, as do basketball players and tennis players, umpires and truck drivers, and postal workers and servicemen. Indeed, it seems there are baseball cap styles to suit every person across all walks of life.

Why is it rude to wear your hat inside?

According to the etiquette experts over at the Emily Post Institute, the act of removing your hat indoors is a longtime sign of respect. In fact, it probably began with medieval knights. … In other words: wearing a hat at the wrong time is rude because wearing a hat at the wrong time is rude, writes todayifoundout.com.

What side should the tassel be on before you graduate?

All tassels are to start on the right side of the cap for undergraduate students. During the ceremony, students will move the tassel to the left when instructed.

What hand do you shake with at graduation?

Graduate should stand beside the speaker and hand his/her note card to the Reader. Graduates must remain there until called on stage. Each graduate, upon hearing his/her name called, will walk across the stage and receive a diploma cover with the left hand and shake hands with the college president with the right hand.

What do tassels represent?

Tassels on the cap are most often the color of the school and represent belonging to a particular class. The tassels that finish off the ends of an honor cord represent membership of a smaller group within that class.

What do tassel colors mean?

Below are some of the different colors of tassels and cords one might expect to see during graduation. Tassels: Black – College of Applied Science and Technology. Orange – Electronics Engineering (Bachelor Degrees) White – Telitha E.

What is the purpose of a tassel?

A tassel is an invention, typically attached to textile items for ornamental purposes, and they were originally knots used to stop threads from coming undone, especially on the ends of woven fabric.

What do the different color graduation robes mean?

You use the hood and color that represents your highest ranking degree (with Doctoral as highest, Masters as second highest, Bachelors as third highest, and Associate as the lowest). If you have two different degrees at the same highest ranking degree, you generally use the most recently awarded degree as your hood.

Do masters students get hooded?

A: The Hooding Ceremony is a special recognition for graduates receiving a final master’s degree or a Ph. … Students receiving a master’s degree will be hooded by the chief marshal. The Hooding Ceremony is for graduate students only and does not replace Commencement.

Do masters graduates wear honor cords?

While any graduate can choose to wear a graduation stole — and most do — an honor cord is granted by the university. A graduation cord is typically a silk rope that has tassels on either end.