Academic Attire

Regalia (cap and gown) is required for all graduates participating in Commencement ceremonies. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Please note that bachelor and master degree regalia does not have an option to rent. The doctoral regalia has the option to rent or purchase.

Cap and Gown

Gown styles differ for Bachelor, Master and Doctoral candidates. The regalia vendor knows what is required and will provide you with the appropriate regalia selection when ordering. For further details:

  • Bachelor candidates wear a black cap and robe. Tassel color is determined by school/college. Latin Honors recipients wear an honors hood (provided by Seattle University).
  • Master candidates wear a black cap and robe paired with hoods in colors that correspond to academic degree.
  • Doctoral candidates wear a special red and black robe with a black tam (cap) along with a hood specific to Seattle University.

Stoles

Stoles are an optional add-on and not required for participation in the ceremony. Stoles may be available to students for specific club or program participation.  If you are eligible for one of those, a club or program representative will reach out to you about that opportunity.

Cords

Cords are an optional add-on and not required for participation in the ceremony. Graduating veterans receive a special red, white and royal blue honor cord to be worn with their regalia at Commencement in recognition of their service to our country. Other programs may also provide cords, and if you are eligible for one of those, a representative will reach out to you about that opportunity.

Watch this quick tutorial video made by your fellow graduates! 

If you are an undergraduate graduating with academic honors, your hood will be issued when you pick up your regalia at the Seattle University Bookstore. Master's, educational specialists and doctoral degree candidates wear hoods appropriate to their degrees.

Be sure to pick up the color tassel that corresponds with the school or college granting your degree. In academic tradition, the student who has not yet earned a degree wears the tassel on the RIGHT side of the mortarboard. After the baccalaureate degrees have been conferred, graduates will be directed to move the tassel to the LEFT. Master's candidates wear their tassel on the left, to begin with and, therefore, do not move it during the ceremony.

College/School Undergraduate Graduate
College of Arts and Sciences White Peacock Blue
Albers School of Business and Economics Tan Tan
College of Education Not applicable

Light Blue

Old Gold (Doctoral)

College of Nursing Apricot Apricot
College of Science and Engineering

Gold (Sciences)

Orange (Engineering - Civil, Electrical, Mechanical)

Orange

Gold (Computer Science)

Campus Ministry supports undergraduates to access regalia for graduation. If you are a first-gen student and/or a student of high financial need and would like to borrow a cap and gown from our Commencement Closet, please contact cmjustice@seattleu.edu.

Unsure of what to do with your commencement regalia after graduation? Donate it to Campus Ministry's regalia closet, which provides Redhawks of high financial need with loaner regalia. Drop your regalia off at Campus Ministry in Student Center 120 during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) or mail it to:

Campus Ministry (STCN 120)

901 12th Ave

Seattle, WA 98122