UW Commencement

Student Academic Attire

All apparel is provided by Oak Hall Cap & Gown. You will order cap & gown when you complete the Registration/Order Form (available on this website in early May).  You will also be able to order other items as desired (souvenir tassels, extra degree tassels, mortarboards, hoods, honor cords, and stoles of gratitude for those who have helped you during your college career). Bachelor’s and Master’s degree regalia is purchase-only.  Regalia for PhD and professional degrees will be on a rental basis, unless you wish to purchase custom doctor regalia from Oak Hall directly (https://oakhalli.com/contact/; 1-800-223-0429). Prices will be announced in March.  Those living in the Seattle area will pickup their orders at the University Book Store, May 30 – June 3.  When you order, you will be asked to select your pickup date.  Students who are no longer in the Seattle area will be directed to specific pick up times closer to the date of the ceremony.

Please plan your order carefully! Adding additional items to your order after it has already been placed may be difficult.

Bachelor’s Apparel – $59 plus tax

Black gown w/seal, mortarboard, degree-colored tassel.
Bachelor robe

Honor Cords – $12 plus tax

Baccalaureate Honors

Special gold honor cords, if awarded, may be worn by undergraduate students who have earned baccalaureate honors:

 

  • Summa Cum laude (highest)
  • Magna Cum Laude
  • Cum Laude

Baccalaureate honors are determined by the Registrar based on GPA.  GPA requirements for Autumn 2023 – Summer 2024 graduates can be found here.  Additional information is available here.

Ceremonial cords are also available to students completing a curriculum within the University Honors Program: Interdisciplinary Honors (purple cord), Departmental Honors (purple cord), or College Honors (Departmental Honors plus Interdisciplinary Honors – purple and gold braided cord). For details, contact the Honors Program at uwhonors@uw.edu or 206-543-7444.

Master’s Apparel – $84 plus tax

Black master’s gown, mortarboard with black tassel, hood with degree-colored trim.
master robe

Professional Degree Apparel Rental – M.D., J.D., D.D.S., Pharm D – $98 plus tax

Black doctoral gown, black tam with old gold tassel, degree-colored hood*.professional robe

*Trim colors for the professional degree hoods are as follows:

  • M.D. – green
  • J.D. – purple
  • D.D.S. – lilac
  • Pharm D – olive green

Those wishing to purchase custom-fitted UW professional degree regalia may contact Oak Hall directly at 1-800-223-0429.

PhD Degree Apparel Rental – $98 plus tax

Purple doctoral gown, purple doctoral tam, purple PhD hood.

Graduates who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Musical Arts, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Audiology or Doctor of Nursing Practice, will wear PhD regalia.

Those wishing to purchase official custom-fitted UW PhD regalia can contact Oak Hall directly at 1-800-223-0429.

Changing Your Order and Refunds

Once your form has been submitted, you will not be able to make changes online. Any changes required to your order (e.g., extra tickets or parking passes., additional regalia items) may be requested when picking up your order. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their order at the time of pick up. Late notification of an error may result in additional costs.

Refunds for apparel will be granted only before orders are picked up. Once the order has been picked up, no refunds will be granted. Please check your order before you leave the pickup location to make sure you have what you ordered. Prior to the first day of order pickup, you may request a refund by completing the online Refund Form. Refund requests after the start of order pickup must be made in person by talking with a representative from the Office of Ceremonies. No online refund requests will be processed if submitted on or after the first day of order pickup.