The gown and hood worn for BA graduation

As is natural in the second oldest university in the United Kingdom, the University of Cambridge has a long tradition of academic dress. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A professor giving a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Full dress bachelors gown, with hood and cap The traditional BA gown and hood from Cambridge University, which formed the basis of academic dress at many other English-speaking Universities The University Officers in charge of the degree ceremony at Cambridge An alternative coloured gown Academic dress or academical...

When academic dress is worn

Academic dress is still worn quite often in Cambridge on formal occasions. Many undergraduates in their first week at Cambridge buy (or borrow) a gown for the purpose of enrolment in the University (known as matriculation). It is more common to buy a gown, especially at the more traditional colleges, as the number of occasions on which it is worn quickly repays the investment; gowns are often recycled between 'generations', as new graduate students in turn need to upgrade their gowns at the start of the year. It is usually sufficient for students to buy their gowns in the first few weeks after arrival at the University. Matriculation refers to the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by acquiring the required prior qualifications. ...

In some colleges, gowns are worn to Formal Hall (formal dinner, held almost every night in some colleges, once a term in others) and to Chapel. Various College events also demand academic dress; for example, in the Trinity College statutes, it specifies that certain senior members of College (such as the Dean) prefer students to wear academic dress when addressing them in their official capacity (often when having been "deaned" for breaking the College Rules). The extent to which these rules apply vary greatly from college to college, some dispensing with them even for formal hall. Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names Kings Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College Christ Church Master Sir Martin Rees Location Trinity Street Undergraduates 656 Graduates...

Gowns are also worn, with a hood, to graduation ceremonies. There are strict rules regarding which gown and hood a graduating student should wear.

Components of Cambridge academic dress

When wearing academic dress, a person wears both the gown and the hood of the highest degree he or she has already received from the University of Cambridge.

Anyone who does not hold a Cambridge degree (such as an undergraduate, or a graduate of another university) wears a gown according to his or her status in Cambridge (ie undergraduate, BA status or MA status (graduates over 24 years old have MA status)). In addition, he or she wears the hood of the degree, or the higher of the degrees, which he or she is to receive.

Thus for example an undergraduate graduating to a BA degree wears an undergraduate gown, and a BA hood. A holder of a BA from Cambridge graduating to a PhD wears both a BA hood and gown, whereas a graduate of another university graduating to a PhD wears a BA (or MA if over 24) gown and PhD hood.

Degrees are ranked as follows (highest to lowest):

PhD, MA, MPhil, MEng, MSci, MB, BChir, VetMB, BA.

Academic dress worn for a graduation ceremony

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... The Bachelor of Medicine, abbreviated BM is an academic degree abbreviation denoting the degree obtained after studying Medicine at University. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... Typical gown as worn for graduation at Cambridge University Photo by Harry Tubbs I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Typical gown as worn for graduation at Cambridge University Photo by Harry Tubbs I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Gowns

The gowns in use in Cambridge, like those generally used throughout the UK but not the US, are open-fronted. The main types are the undergraduate gown, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) gown, Master of Arts (M.A.) gown and doctoral gown. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has news related to this article: United States United States government CIA World Factbook Entry for United States House. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. ...

Hoods

Hoods are worn on the back as an indicator of academic status. The colours for those receiving an undergraduate degree are as follows, in order of precedence.

Academic caps

A form of a black cap known as a mortarboard (or square) may be worn or carried. Properly, it is worn outdoors and carried indoors, except by people acting in an official capacity who may continue to wear it indoors. In practice, few people wear (or even carry) a cap nowadays; caps ceased to be compulsory for undergraduates in the 1950s after a shortage but are nominally still required for graduates. Graduation portrait of Linus Pauling, 1922 A mortarboard is an item of academic headgear consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the centre. ...

With their festal gowns, Doctors wear Tudor bonnets, which are round and made of velvet, with gold string and tassels, except that Doctors of Divinity wear a black velvet cap. A tudor bonnet is an academic cap worn by one holding a doctorate degree as part of the academic dress. ...

Sub-fusc

Sub-fusc means "of a dark/dusky colour", and refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Cambridge. Generally, this involves a dark suit and white shirt, collar, bands and bow tie for men, and a dark suit and white blouse for women. The rules for dress on graduation for women also specify that women's attire must have long sleeves and, if a skirt is worn, it must be knee-length or longer and worn with tights.

In place of sub-fusc, members of Her Majesty's Forces have worn their service uniform, persons in holy orders their clerical dress, and national dress has been worn, together with the appropriate gown and hood. (Military and national dress are not formally permitted, but have been allowed up to 2005, however there are current moves to prevent this.) Armed forces are the military forces of a state. ... This page describes uniform in the sense of clothing. ... Holy Orders in the modern Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic Churches, includes three degrees: bishop, priest, and deacon. ... National dress is a type of clothing which identifies with a certain nationality or culture. ...

The Cambridge form of sub-fusc is usually not as strict as that at Oxford, and gowns are often worn with less formal attire (particularly by undergraduates who are required to wear gowns to hall). However, the rules are enforced strictly at formal graduation ceremonies, and persons who are incorrectly dressed may be prevented from graduating in person and their Praelector or Presenter may be fined. In Cambridge University, praelectors are Fellows of colleges who formally present students during the graduation ceremony, the Congregation of the Regent House, when degrees are conferred. ...

Student dress

Undergraduates

All undergraduate gowns resemble knee-length versions of the B.A. gown, but many colleges at Cambridge have gowns that differ slightly from the main pattern. The standard gown is black, and most colleges' gowns include minor variations such as sleeve decoration. The most distinct differences are the blue colour of the undergraduate gowns of Trinity and Caius and the blue facings of Selwyn. Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names Kings Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College Christ Church Master Sir Martin Rees Location Trinity Street Undergraduates 656 Graduates... Full name Gonville and Caius College Motto - Named after Edmund Gonville & John Caius Previous names Gonville Hall (1348), Gonville & Caius (1557) Established 1348 Sister College Brasenose College Master Neil McKendrick (Lent 2006: Sir Christopher Hum) Location Trinity St Undergraduates 468 Graduates 291 Homepage Boatclub Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, generally... Full name Selwyn College Motto ΑΝΔΡΙΖΕΣΘΕ quit ye like men Named after George Augustus Selwyn Previous names - Established 1882 Sister College Keble College Master Prof. ...

B.A. and M.A.

The two most common graduate gowns in Cambridge are the B.A. gown and the M.A. gown. Unlike in most other universities, except the University of Oxford, all undergraduates at Cambridge traditionally graduated with a B.A. degree after 3 years, although, these days, many graduates also obtain a master's degree, such as an M.Eng or M.Sci., after a further year of study, and graduate from both degrees at once. The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ...

As in Oxford, the degree of Masters of Arts in Cambridge is granted automatically to B.A.s seven years after matriculation (three or four years after graduating).

The B.A. gown is a long black stuff (cloth) gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists. The gown is gathered at the back in a yoke, and falls down to between the knees and the ankles. The B.A. hood is of black cloth, bound and half-lined in white rabbit fur.

The M.A. gown is similar to the B.A. gown, except that the sleeves are long, rectangular and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end, and a horizontal arm-slit just above the elbow. The M.A. hood is black cloth bound and lined in white silk. Other Masters' gowns vary from subject to subject at Cambridge; for example, the Master of Engineering (MEng) gown is the standard M.A. gown but has an embroidered wheel on each sleeve, and the corresponding hood is worn. Licensure and Qualifications for the Practice of Engineering The Engineers Ring The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer Engineering Disasters and Learning from Failure American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) ASEE engineering profile (2003) PDF Categories: Architecture and engineering occupations | Engineering ...

Persons without a Cambridge degree (including those with a degree from another university) wear a "B.A. status" or "M.A. status" gown, which is identical to a B.A. or M.A. gown but with the "strings" (black ribbons attached inside the shoulder) removed. The B.A. status gown is for those aged under twenty-four while the MA gown is for those aged twenty-four or over. (The rationale is that Cambridge students would usually join the university at 18, obtain their B.A. after 3 years, at 21, and their M.A. 3 year after a further 3 years, at 24.)

Doctors

Doctors in Cambridge have two forms of academic dress: undress and full dress (or scarlet). Scarlet is worn on formal college and university occasions, and so-called Scarlet Days (mostly Church of England festivals such as Easter and Christmas). The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his death by crucifixion (see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year around AD 30-33. ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ...

The undress gown is similar to an M.A. gown (for Ph.D, Litt.D, Sc.D and in practice D.D.) or is a 'lay-type' gown similar to that worn by Queen's Counsel (LL.D., M.D., Mus.D.). Different doctorates are distinguished by different arrangements of lace on the sleeves, facings or flap collar. The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood. The Ph.D. hood, the one most commonly seen, is made of black silk lined with scarlet cloth; the hoods of higher doctors are made of red cloth and lined with silk in the faculty colour (scarlet for letters, pink shot light blue for science, light cherry for laws, mid cherry for silk, dove grey for divinity). The Mus.D. hood is of cream damask lined with dark cherry satin. Queens Counsel (postnominal QC), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as Kings Counsel (KC), are barristers or, in Scotland, advocates appointed by Letters patent to be one of Her Majestys Counsel learned in the law. They do not constitute a separate order or degree of...

The full dress or scarlet gown differs for each doctorate, but uses the same material and colours as the hood. For Ph.D.s, the scarlet gown is the same as the M.A. gown, with the addition of a broad red cloth stripe down each side at the front; a common but unauthorised variation uses detachable facings on an undress Ph.D. gown, which is distinguished from the M.A. gown by doctors' lace on the sleeves that is not found on the proper festal Ph.D. gown. For the higher doctorates, such as LL.D. or Sc.D., the scarlet gown is a more impressive affair, being brightly coloured and voluminous, with open bell-shaped sleeves and gathered at the yoke. The linings of the sleeves and the facings are in silk of the faculty colour.

University officials

University officials dressed for a degree (graduation) ceremony

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The Chancellor

The Chancellor of the University wears on ceremonial occasions a black silk gown with a long train, decorated with gold lace, similar to the gown of the Lord Chancellor. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ...

Proctors

The Proctors in Cambridge are formally responsible for the discipline of junior members of the university. In addition, they have various ceremonial and administrative roles, which they are, in practice, mainly occupied with. Proctor is the name of certain important university officials. ...

In both Oxford and Cambridge, the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university police, or bulldogs, who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford. These traditions have now ceased, although the Proctors are still responsible for posting various disciplinary notices (e.g. highlighting the restriction on undergraduates' possession of motor cars) around the Colleges.

The Proctors wear the academic dress of a Master of Arts, but with a distinctive 'ruff' at the neck. (See also Ruff (clothing).) Ruff of c. ...

Other officals

• Esquire Bedell
• Orator

Orator is a Latin word for speaker (from the Latin verb oro, meaning I speak or I pray). In ancient Rome, the art of speaking in public (Ars Oratoria) was a professional competence especially cultivated by politicians and lawyers. ...

External links

• Ordinances Chapter II, with academical dress regulations (PDF)
• The Burgon Society, founded to promote the study of Academical Dress
• Cambridge University Heraldic & Genealogical Society gown guide
• Dress at graduation
• Academic dress
• One-page summary (PDF)
• Discussion of the wearing of academical dress on scarlet days
• Discussion of academical dress for the Vet.M.D. degree
• Ryder and Amies academic tailors, with images of academic dress on their website
• Information on dress at graduation from the website of Trinity Hall