Dakota State University

Dakota State University holds its commencement ceremonies in December (Fall) and May (Spring), with the hooding ceremony for master’s and doctoral graduates taking place before the main commencement event. The master’s and doctoral hooding is conducted at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse, while the main commencement ceremony occurs in the DSU Fieldhouse.

Academic regalia at DSU follows traditional design. According to their student commencement checklist, regalia is ordered via the DSU Bookstore (Trojan Zone), and the standard graduation gown and mortarboard cap are black, with a coordinating year-tab on the tassel. For master’s graduates, a academic hood is required; this hood must be ordered through the bookstore to ensure the correct discipline-specific velvet hood color. Doctoral regalia includes a velvet-striped gown, doctoral hood, and tassel.

The hooding ceremony program (DSU) explains that the hood’s lining is designed with DSU’s official colors, and the velvet trim reflects the graduate’s discipline, in line with standard academic dress tradition.

When it comes to honor cords and stoles, DSU supports several recognition traditions. The commencement program notes a red-white-blue cord for military/veteran graduates. DSU also awards a legacy cord (color not specified in the public program) to graduates who are from families with previous DSU alumni. While there is mention of international stoles in the student checklist, specific color details for stoles based on discipline or international status are handled by the International Programs Office.

Faculty regalia at DSU aligns with traditional academic regalia: faculty with doctoral degrees wear gowns with velvet panels and discipline-colored hoods, consistent with historic academic dress codes.

Overall, DSU’s commencement dress code offers a classic and unifying academic regalia system — black graduation gown and cap, discipline-specific hoods for graduate programs, and honor cords or stoles recognizing legacy and military service — while keeping ordering centralized and accessible via the DSU Bookstore.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Dakota State University, 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.