Academic attire

Caps & Gowns Pickup, April 17

It's time to get ready for our graduation ceremony! Academic caps and gowns can be picked up at the Grad Fair on April 17th from 10 am-6 pm in the Union Atrium.

Bookstore Pickup

If you can't make it, you can collect them from the Wagner College Bookstore by April 29th. Bookstore hours are Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Please ensure you pick up your regalia early to allow time for pressing. Remember to wear proper attire underneath your gown. Gentlemen, a white shirt and tie are recommended.

When wearing your mortarboard cap, position it squarely on your head with the flat surface parallel to the ground, and the tassel on the right side.

For Doctor of Nurse Practitioner (DNP) students:

Order your regalia by visiting http://collegegrad.herffjones.com/. The website closes on 4/16/2024.


Academic costume

The use of the academic costume, which seems to have originated in the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge, has been traditional in university life since medieval times. In England and other European countries academic attire generally is distinctive with each university so that very colorful ensembles of diverse styles are commonly used abroad.

Unlike European academic apparel, the academic costume of American universities follows a regular pattern, the styles and colors having been established by an intercollegiate agreement in 1895. Cap, hood and gown are prescribed in style. Color variations indicate differences in the field of knowledge presented and the conferring institutions. You will see these differences in the academic regalia worn by members of our faculty, seated on either side of the stage, during commencement.

The mortarboard cap is identical for holders of bachelor’s and master’s degrees. For holders of the doctorate, the cap may be made of velvet and the tassel may be gold. Candidates for the bachelor’s degrees wear the tassel on the right of the cap, changing it to the left side after the degree has been conferred.

The bachelor’s gowns are designed with full sleeves. The master’s gown comes with a long, decorative attachment to the sleeves, called a “tail.” The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves with velvet bars and is faced with velvet around the collar and down the front edges.

Wagner College master’s students also wear hoods signifying their area of study: brown for business (including MBA and accounting), blue for education and yellow for the sciences (including microbiology, nursing and physician assistant).

Graduating students may purchase a Wagner Green gratitude stole, which they may wear over their commencement robe. After the commencement program, the gratitude stole is given to someone who has made a difference in the student’s academic career.

Bachelor’s students who have studied abroad, either for an Expanding Your Horizons course or for a semester or more, may wear a sash signifying the country in which they studied. Up to four countries may be signified on a single sash.