Regalia
Regalia is required to participate in the hooding and/or main Commencement ceremony. The University's regalia ordering portal opened on Monday, February 27, and all ship-to-bookstore regalia orders (including all doctoral orders) were due Friday, April 21.
If you are a PhD student who has confirmed their participation in this year's hooding ceremony and are still in need of regalia, please email the Office of Graduation and Senior Year Experience immediately with your height, weight (i.e. over or under 200 lbs) and type of degree conferred (i.e. doctoral).
Masters students may continue to place orders for ship-to-home rental regalia through Friday, May 12. Please visit the regalia page of the graduation website to find the ordering link and note the following:
- Friday, April 21: Ordering deadline for master’s students shipping to Evanston bookstore and ALL PhD regalia orders
- Friday, May 12: Ordering deadline for master’s students shipping regalia to their home (additional shipping fees apply)
- Wednesday, May 24: Regalia pick-up begins for orders shipped to Norris University Bookstore
Please consider the following when placing your regalia order:
- MFA graduates will purchase the master’s package, which includes a cap, gown, tassel with signet, and hood. This regalia may be picked up at the Norris Bookstore or shipped to you for an additional fee. It is yours to keep.
- PhD graduates will rent the doctoral package, which includes a tam, gown, tassel with signet, and hood. There also is an option to purchase fine-quality doctoral regalia. All doctoral rental regalia must be picked up in person at the Norris Bookstore. It cannot be shipped to you. For those unable to make it in person, you are welcome to send a proxy to pick it up on your behalf. Rental regalia must be returned after the hooding ceremony or the main Commencement ceremony. All rental pieces must be returned except for the tassel.
- No additional accessories are required to participate in the hooding ceremony. (Note, the stole option listed on the regalia website is worn by bachelor’s degree recipients in lieu of a hood.)
- For graduate students with financial need, all applications for financial assistance must have been finalized by Friday, April 21.
- Please note, financial assistance applies to the purchase of the master’s package or the rental of the doctoral package and does not apply to the purchase of the fine-quality doctoral regalia.
Differences Between Rental Regalia Package and Finer-Quality Regalia Package
- Please note that the rental regalia package meets the traditional requirements for doctoral regalia at Northwestern. However, the fabric is more lightweight than the finer-quality regalia. The rental regalia is intended for one-time use, has open sleeves, and has a removable tassel. It does not have embroidered school seals on the panels. It is sized generally according to the weight and height information you provide.
- The finer-quality academic regalia is intended for use for the duration of your academic career. It is made with higher-grade fabric that is dry clean only. It has bell sleeves and embroidered school seals on the panels. The tassel is sewn onto the tam. It is custom-made according to the measurements you provide.
- Graduates should allow eight to ten weeks for fine-quality regalia orders to arrive.
Gown
Please note: these details describe the finer-quality academic regalia package.
The gown body is purple with black velvet front panels softly curving around the neck and sweeping down the length of the gown. A special Northwestern University “1851” embroidered emblem is placed at chest level on each of the front panels. Each of the purple double bell sleeves has three black velvet sleeve chevrons. The gown has a pocket slit on the wearer’s right and a zipper closure.
Hood
The hood is standard doctoral style with a black shell, a velvet trim, and a purple satin lining with a gold satin chevron.
MFA graduates wear a brown hood while PHD graduates wear a dark blue hood.
Cap/Tam
MFA graduates wear a traditional cap while PhD graduates wear a tam.
The tam is a four-corner style cap in black velvet accented with a gold metallic tassel.
Hooding instructions
Faculty hooders may download this diagram with detailed hooding instructions.
Returning Regalia
- MFA graduates may keep their purchased regalia, which includes a cap, gown, tassel with signet, and hood.
- PhD graduates must return their rented regalia, which includes a tam, gown, tassel with signet, and hood. Rental regalia must be returned after the hooding ceremony or the main Commencement ceremony. All rental pieces must be returned except for the tassel.
- Faculty must return regalia rented by TGS before leaving the venue. The accompanying tams belong to TGS and will be dropped off in a separate receptacle nearby. If you wish to wear your rental regalia for post-ceremony photos, it must be returned before 5:00 PM when the building closes.
Last Updated: June 9, 2023