College of the Desert

The College of the Desert (COD) holds its all-school commencement ceremony annually; for the Class of 2025, it is scheduled for May 27, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at Acrisure Arena. Graduation check-in begins at 2:30 p.m., and each graduate is allotted four guest tickets. The ceremony is live-streamed for family and friends who cannot attend in person.

COD provides a Grad Fest event before commencement, where graduates can pick up their academic regalia, take professional photos, and creatively decorate their graduation caps. For regalia, caps, gowns, and tassels are distributed via the COD Bookstore or the COD Foundation.

According to COD’s graduation packet, students must purchase their own tassel for the current year’s ceremony. COD’s policies clearly state that only specific accessories may be worn with the gown: acceptable adornments include the COD stole, Honor Cord, Veteran Cord, PTK stole, and the Transfer Medallion. Other decorations such as leis, unauthorized accessories, or altered gowns are not allowed.

COD allows graduates to decorate their mortarboard cap, but caps must follow rules—no three-dimensional decorations are allowed. The honor cords are handed out during the check-in process.

However, COD’s publicly available documents do not provide a detailed color chart for stoles or cords by discipline or honor level. The graduation materials and regalia guidance focus more on permitted items rather than discipline-based color coding.

In short, COD offers a traditional academic regalia system for its commencements: a gown, cap, and tassel are mandatory, while honor cords, special stoles, and medallions are allowed in defined cases. The school emphasizes proper decorum (limiting cap decorations and unauthorized accessories), maintains a clear regalia policy, and supports graduates through its Grad Fest and bookstore or foundation‑provided regalia.

College of the Desert Graduation Cap & Gown Set

Celebrate your achievement at College of the Desert with this official academic regalia set. Perfect for COD commencement, this package includes a classic graduation gown, a mortarboard graduation cap, and a tassel (must be purchased per the current year’s requirement). Accessory options like honor cords, COD stole, veteran cord, PTK stole, and transfer medallion follow COD’s strict regalia policy.

Graduation Gown: Traditional black academic gown compliant with COD commencement standards.
Graduation Cap (Mortarboard): Classic academic cap, ready to decorate (with COD-approved guidelines).
Tassel: Year‑specific tassel sold separately through the COD Bookstore.
Honor Cords & Stoles: Only authorized adornments including COD stole, honor cord, veteran cord, PTK stole, and transfer medallion.
Cap Decoration Rules: Permitted but no three-dimensional decorations allowed.
Multiple Sizes: Gown available in a broad range of sizes to accommodate all graduates.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at College of the Desert, you can reach out directly to the college's administration or the office responsible for commencement and student services. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding academic regalia.