Dominican University, based in River Forest, Illinois, holds formal commencement ceremonies each December (winter) and May (spring). The winter commencement is held in Lund Auditorium. Graduating students who participate must order academic regalia (cap, gown, hood) through a “Countdown to Commencement” portal; graduates keep their regalia after the ceremony.

According to Dominican’s 2022 Commencement Program, the bachelor’s gown is black with long, pointed sleeves. Master’s students wear a gown with oblong sleeves, and doctoral graduates wear bell-shaped sleeves with three wide velvet chevrons per sleeve. The standard cap is the square mortarboard (Oxford cap). Graduate/regalia hood colors reflect the discipline of study: for example — Business = drab, Conflict Resolution = white, Education = light blue, Library & Information Science = yellow, Nutrition = gold, Physician Assistant = green, and Social Work = citron.

On honor cords and stoles, Dominican University’s public materials (handbook, commencement program) do not clearly define a fixed color scheme for general honors or organizational stoles; these appear to be managed by individual academic or student groups. Their Student Handbook doesn’t mention a universal honor cord color. For its “Candle & Rose” spring ceremony, participants wear a black cap and gown, and do not wear honor cords or a hood at that event.

Faculty regalia is governed by traditional academic dress: faculty wear gown and hood, but Dominican University does not appear to publicly publish a full, fixed color-chart for velvet trim on hoods for all disciplines in its faculty handbook.

In summary, Dominican University’s commencement emphasizes formal academic tradition with black gowns and mortarboards, discipline-coded hoods, and flexible honor cords/stoles managed on a case-by-case basis. The university does not provide a universal color chart for tassels, cords, or stoles in its public-facing materials, so students or regalia vendors should verify with the Registrar or commencement office when ordering custom regalia.

Dominican University Cap, Gown & Academic Regalia

Get your official Dominican University graduation attire — cap, gown, hood, and honor cords — built to reflect the university’s academic traditions.

• Gown & Cap: Black gown and Oxford mortarboard standard for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral ceremonies.
• Academic Hood: Lined in university colors, with velvet trim according to major (e.g. Counseling = white, Social Work = citron).
• Tassel Options: No fixed Tassel color defined publicly — check with Dominican’s commencement office for guidance.
• Honor Cords & Stoles: Vary by honors society or student organization; Dominican does not list a universal honors color scheme.
• Faculty / Doctoral Regalia: Standard academic robes with velvet chevrons and hoods, colors based on discipline and degree level.
• Important Details: Order regalia via the Countdown to Commencement system. Regalia is yours to keep after graduation.

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