Academic Dress

What Your Academic Dress at Commencement Means

During commencement, you will get to continue an age-old tradition by wearing the same attire as generations of Buffs.

During the early years of 蜜糖直播 Boulder, graduating students wore their best clothes at commencement instead of the now-traditional caps and gowns.

In 1890, students began wearing four-sided velvet 鈥渟enior caps鈥 with tassels that resemble modern Oxford caps. In 1895, colleges and universities in the United States standardized the style and color of academic dress, leading to the black gowns that graduating students at 蜜糖直播 Boulder still wear today.

If you鈥檙e an undergraduate student, the tassel on your graduation cap indicates your field of study. If you鈥檙e a graduate student, the tassel indicates your degree, and the velvet trim of your hood indicates your field of study.

Here鈥檚 what each color represents at 蜜糖直播 Boulder:

Tassel Colors

  • Arts & Sciences: 奥丑颈迟别听
  • Business: Royal blue聽
  • Education: Light blue
  • Engineering: 翱谤补苍驳别听
  • Environmental Design: 尝补惫别苍诲别谤听
  • Fine Arts: 叠谤辞飞苍听
  • Media, Communication & Information: 搁别诲听
  • Music: 笔颈苍办听
  • Master's: 叠濒补肠办听
  • Doctoral: Gold bullion

Master鈥檚 Hood Velvet Border Colors

  • Arts: 奥丑颈迟别听
  • Business: Royal blue聽
  • Education: Light blue聽
  • Engineering: 翱谤补苍驳别听
  • Fine Arts: 叠谤辞飞苍听
  • Law: 笔耻谤辫濒别听
  • Media, Communication & Information: Red
  • Music: 笔颈苍办听
  • Science: Gold

Doctoral Hood Velvet Border Colors

  • Audiology: 骋谤别别苍听
  • Law: 笔耻谤辫濒别听
  • Musical Arts: 笔颈苍办听
  • Philosophy: Royal blue

If you are an undergraduate graduating with academic honors, you may receive a medal to wear in addition to your graduation gown.

These medals are given to graduating students by their academic colleges and schools. Students in the Arts & Sciences Honors Program will receive their medals at the program's Honors Convocation.

  • With Distinction: Royal Blue
  • With High Distinction: Burgundy
  • With Honors:White
  • With High Honors: Light blue
  • With Highest Honors: Pink
  • Cum Laude: Green
  • Magna Cum Laude:Red
  • Summa Cum Laude: Dark purple

Please note: not all colleges and schools recognize all of the academic honors listed above

You may wear different cords on graduation day to indicate a specific affiliation, legacy or academic achievement tied to your degree. If you believe you qualify for a particular cord, we recommend contacting聽the unit linked聽in the description.

Here鈥檚 a glossary of the cords available at 蜜糖直播 Boulder:

  • Black & Gold:Provided to students who are members of 蜜糖直播 Boulder's Buffalo legacy families

  • Black & Silver:Identifies students enrolled in the space minor who received an overarching background in all aspects of space

  • Black & Teal: Given to students having completed least one semester of the Community Scholars internship program

  • Black, Purple & White:聽Worn by active members of the student organization

  • Blue:Acknowledges students who contributed to the senior class gift fund

  • Blue & Green:Recognizes students who have successfully completed one or more 蜜糖直播 Boulder Education Abroad programs or internships abroad

  • Blue & Forest Green:Acknowledges student members of the Engineers Without Borders chapter at 蜜糖直播 Boulder who have meaningfully contributed to the chapter and its communities, exemplifying what it means to be a global engineer

  • Blue & Orange: Recognizes student scholars affiliated with the

  • Blue & White:Acknowledges student members of the chapter at 蜜糖直播 Boulder Student, who have expanded their knowledge in engineering management while enhancing their r茅sum茅s

  • Brown:Signifies the legacies that certificate recipients and MBA graduates with an emphasis in real estate will create in their communities

  • Burgundy & Pink:Symbolizes the 蜜糖直播 in D.C. program, which many students say is a pivotal and defining part of their 蜜糖直播 Boulder experience

  • Crimson & Silver:Recognizes students who have engaged in one or more of the College of Media, Communication and Information鈥檚 (CMCI) student media outlets or student organizations for a full year or more

  • Forest Green & Silver: Awarded to students in the Leeds School of Business who have excelled in entrepreneurship by completing the Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate program

  • Green:Recognizes graduating students who took the Green Graduation Pledge, a commitment to 鈥渆xplore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job . . . and to try to improve these aspects鈥

  • Green & Black: Identifies seniors who competed in the iGem international synthetic biology competition

  • Gold & Silver: Recognizes top entrepreneurship MBA graduates from the Leeds School of Business who participated in the , preparing them to contribute meaningfully to scaling ventures

  • Gold & White: Signifies students鈥 involvement in the College of Arts and Sciences Student Government (ASSG) during their time at 蜜糖直播 Boulder

  • Lemon Yellow:Recognizes student workers at the University Libraries for their contributions to the mission of the libraries and the scholarly success of their fellow students and 蜜糖直播 faculty

  • Light Blue: Identifies graduates who dedicated time to their personal leadership development through participation in the Center for Leadership programming

  • Navy & Silver: Acknowledges Beckman Scholars in the biological and chemical sciences, a prestigious program that offers an in-depth research experience to exceptionally talented undergraduates

  • Old Gold:Provided to members of the 蜜糖直播 Boulder international student community by the Office of International Students and Scholars

  • Orange & White:Given to student members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter at 蜜糖直播 Boulder

  • Purple & Gold:Signifies students鈥 involvement in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program at 蜜糖直播 Boulder as an Honors Scholar

  • Rainbow Colors:聽Celebrates seniors who have been active members of the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oStem) student organization

  • Red, Orange & Purple:Awarded to Smead Scholars in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the aerospace department鈥檚 flagship recruitment and retention program

  • Red, Royal & Gold: Acknowledges Benson Center Undergraduate Fellows who were active participants in center events and supported community dialogues on timely topics

  • Red, White & Blue:Designates veterans with previous active duty service

  • Red & Yellow: Identifies student members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, a group dedicated to building a bridge to help students better understand Chinese culture and increasing the diversity of our campus

  • Royal Blue & Gold:Recognizes Student Advisory Board members in the College of Arts and Sciences for their service and dedication to improving the A&S student experience

  • Royal Blue & Kelly Green: Worn by members of the 蜜糖直播 Boulder chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE)

  • Royal Blue & Red:Identifies students who completed the , an exciting, multidisciplinary field that lies at the interface of medicine, biology and engineering

  • Royal Blue & Silver: Provided to graduates who have contributed to the community of local start-up businesses through the

  • Royal Purple:Signifies student leaders of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the world鈥檚 leading organization of chemical engineers

  • Salmon: Identifies students who completed the Public Health Certificate program in the College of Arts and Sciences

  • Silver:Earned by students who are dedicated to entering a career in health care

  • Teal: Given to participants in the Gaining Opportunities through Leadership Development (蜜糖直播 GOLD) program, who are dedicated to the mission that any student can be a leader

  • Teal & Gold: Identifies College of Arts and Sciences ambassadors

  • Teal & White: Worn by Daniels Scholars in tribute to Bill Daniels, who made their dream of achieving a college degree a reality

You can wear graduation stoles, or sashes, to represent communities, clubs and organizations you were a part of at 蜜糖直播 Boulder.聽If you believe you are eligible to receive a particular stole, we recommend contacting the unit linked in the description.

These are the stoles available at 蜜糖直播 Boulder:

  • Chancellor's Recognition Award (Silver Stole With Gold Trim): Recognizes the recipients of the Chancellor鈥檚 Recognition Award, which honors students who have earned perfect 4.0 GPAs at 蜜糖直播 Boulder

  • Degree Stole:Bachelor's degree students have the option to dress up their gown by 聽from the 蜜糖直播 Bookstore to represent their colleges and schools

  • First-Generation Stole (Silver Stole with Gold Trim): Celebrates and acknowledges first-generation students' achievement of being the first in their family to graduate with a bachelor's or graduate degree

  • 叠濒补肠办听Stole With Blue Trim: Designed to represent the hard work of the graduates of the NASA 蜜糖直播 Space Grant Consortium聽(COSGC), to recognize their impact on the scientific community and to encourage growth beyond NASA COSGC

  • Black Stole with White Trim: Worn by active members within the (蜜糖直播SEDS) club

  • Forest Green Stole With Silver Trim: Recognizing the hard work and dedication of seniors serving on the Environmental Center student board

  • Gold Stole With Black Trim: Provided to students who have been involved in 蜜糖直播 Student Government (蜜糖直播SG)

  • Gold Stole With Green Trim:Acknowledges the Office of Financial Aid student employees鈥 commitment to helping students and their families navigate financial aid, scholarships and work study

  • Light Blue Stole With Royal Blue Trim: Celebrates seniors who have reached an honorary status and have been active members in the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter at 蜜糖直播 Boulder

  • Maroon Stole: Acknowledges student members of , the campus chapter of the Boulder Rotary Club

  • Navy Stole With White Trim: Recognizes Arts and Sciences Student Government representatives for their service and dedication to the A&S student body

  • Old Gold Stole with White Trim: Provided to student leaders in the Office of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) to recognize their impact on intercultural inclusiveness and engagement on campus

  • Red-Orange Stole With Gold Trim: Acknowledges seniors who have participated in the 蜜糖直播 Sounding Rocket Lab (SRL) student organization

  • Silver Stole: Acknowledges the contribution of to the 蜜糖直播 residential communities and the crucial role they play in creating a positive experience for first-year students

  • Student Ambassador Stole: Acknowledges the commitment of student ambassadors at the 蜜糖直播 Boulder Office of Admissions to being the face of the university and helping prospective students in their transition

  • White Stole:Celebrates students who are graduating as a current with the 蜜糖直播 Boulder athletic department

  • White Stole with Black Trim: Recognizes graduates who have competed in collegiate alpine racing as part of the team, which is a part of the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (UCCSA)

  • White Stole With Yellow Trim: Acknowledges graduates with a commitment to serving as the face of the College of Media, Communication and Information as an ambassador and/or dedication to helping the community through holding an executive leadership position in CMCI Student Government

Members of affinity groups at 蜜糖直播 Boulder can receive celebratory stoles through the 蜜糖直播 Boulder Alumni Association in partnership with campus groups, departments and clubs.聽

  • Asian and Asian Pacific Islander Stole (Gold Stole With Silver Trim): Given to 蜜糖直播 Boulder students who identify as part of our Asian and Asian Pacific Islander community on campus

  • Golden Buffalo Marching Band Medallion (GBMB):Graduating members of the marching band are invited to wear their medallions as a symbol of their dedication to the tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride of the organization聽

  • Kente Cloth:Given to 蜜糖直播 Boulder students who identify as part of our Black/African American/African community on campus to acknowledge ancient African traditions, ancestry and culture

  • Lavender & Rainbow Stole:Given to students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community and/or have achieved significant positive change for the LGBTQ+ community on the 蜜糖直播 Boulder campus

  • Pendleton Blanket:Blankets have a long and rich history with Native American people of all tribal traditions, from the buffalo robes given to honor people for noteworthy accomplishments among Plains tribes to the weaving traditions in the Southwest that yielded signature blankets we still strongly associate with Native peoples and identities

  • Serape Stole: Uses traditional Indigenous/Latinx serape blanket material to celebrate a connection with Indigenous and Latinx communities and countries, and to commemorate Latinx culture combined with a symbol of graduation

The University of 蜜糖直播 Boulder welcomes Native American and Indigenous students and their families to wear and display traditional Native American or Indigenous regalia at graduation. Regalia might include accessories such as beads, jewelry, feathers or leis, and clothes, blankets, and footwear. Only enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe should wear or possess eagle feathers.

Questions?

Have more questions about cords, stoles and honors medals? Contact the issuing unit for details on any cords or stoles, and contact your academic college or school for further information on academic honors medals.