Frostburg State University

Frostburg State University (FSU) holds formal commencement ceremonies twice a year — in May (spring) and December (fall) — at the Cordts PE Center Main Arena. Graduates must arrive about 60 minutes before the start time, check in with their name card, and wear full academic regalia, including cap, gown, and hood (if applicable).

According to FSU’s published Regalia Policy, the graduation gown is traditionally black. The bachelor’s gown has long, pointed sleeves, while the master’s gown has wrist-slit sleeves. Doctoral gowns feature bell-shaped sleeves, velvet facings, and three velvet bars, per standard academic regalia design. The cap is a black mortarboard; doctoral caps may be velvet, and tassels may be gold or the color of the holder’s field.

FSU’s hoods carry institutional and discipline colors: the hood’s lining shows the school colors (red, black, and white), while velvet trim on the hood represents the field of study.

Regarding tassel, honor cord, and stole color, the university’s “Cord Colors & Meanings” page shows many organization-based cords and sashes. Graduating students with honors (Cum Laude, Magna, Summa) wear a gold tassel instead of black. Cords include: blue & silver for Psi Chi (psychology), teal for Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology), yellow & red for Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish), and many more. The stole options are more limited: FSU offers a woven kente stole for Black Student Alliance members. There is no published universal “faculty stole” color; faculty participating in commencement wear academic regalia per discipline, with gowns required for stage and communion.

In short, Frostburg State University’s commencement emphasizes traditional academic regalia—black gowns, mortarboard caps, hood colors by discipline, and a thoughtful range of honor cords and a few stoles to reflect scholastic and organizational achievement.

FSU Academic Regalia – Frostburg State University Graduation Essentials

Order your official Frostburg State University commencement regalia here: gown, cap, tassel, cords, and stole.

• Black graduation gown: Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral styles available.
• Mortarboard cap with tassel: standard black, or gold for honor students.
• Hood: lined in red, black & white (FSU school colors), with velvet trim per academic discipline.
• Honor cords: many colors available depending on academic society (Psi Chi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Delta, Sigma Delta Pi, Sigma Tau Delta, etc.).
• Stole: multi-colored kente cloth stole for Black Student Alliance.
• Faculty: academic regalia required, hood colors reflect faculty discipline.
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Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Frostburg 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.