Northwestern College Bridgeview, Illinois

Northwestern University – Commencement & Academic Regalia

Northwestern University holds an annual Commencement ceremony each June for all eligible graduates, including undergraduates, master’s, and doctoral (PhD / MFA) candidates.

Regalia is required for participation: the university offers “souvenir regalia” for bachelor’s and master’s graduates — a distinctive purple graduation gown featuring the University crest. Bachelor’s‑level regalia includes a souvenir stole, while advanced‑degree candidates (master’s and doctoral) wear academic hoods.

The hood lining for Northwestern’s regalia is purple and gold — the institution’s official colors — and the velvet border (trim) of the hood, as well as in many cases the cap tassel color, corresponds to the graduate’s academic area (discipline).

For example:

• Arts, Letters & Humanities: white
• Engineering: orange
• Education: light blue
• Music: pink
• Science: golden yellow

Many other disciplines follow the standard academic‑regalia color code.

For doctoral graduates (PhD / MFA), the regalia is more elaborate: the doctoral gown has bell sleeves and velvet front panels, and the doctoral hood carries both the institutional lining and discipline‑specific velvet border. Doctoral candidates wear a tam (velvet cap) instead of a mortarboard, with a gold metallic tassel on the tam for PhD graduates.

Northwestern permits approved honor cords, stoles, medallions, and pins for recognized campus organizations — for achievements, leadership, service, or membership. However, Latin honors are conferred after Commencement, so honor cords at Commencement reflect society or organizational honors rather than GPA‑based Latin honors.

In short: Northwestern University follows a traditional academic‑regalia system with a purple institutional gown for undergraduates/masters, discipline‑coded velvet‑trimmed hoods (and matching tassels) for graduates, and specialized doctoral robes and tam cap for PhD/MFA. Honor cords and stoles are allowed for recognized societies. Prospective graduates and vendors sourcing cap/gown sets should refer to the official regalia ordering portal to ensure correct hood velvet, tassel color, and discipline alignment.

Northwestern University – Official Academic Regalia & Graduation Apparel

This listing outlines the required cap, gown, hood and accessory standards for Northwestern graduation — ideal for graduates, families, or regalia suppliers sourcing proper academic dress kits.

• Cap & Gown Required for Graduation: Northwestern mandates approved academic regalia for all participating graduates — bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral.
• Bachelor’s Regalia: Purple gown featuring University crest; includes a souvenir stol
• Master’s Regalia: Purple gown; mortarboard cap; academic hood lined in purple & gold with velvet border color indicating the graduate’s academic discipline.
• Doctoral / Advanced Degree Regalia: Bell‑sleeve gown with velvet front panels; velvet‑trimmed doctoral hood; velvet tam cap (instead of mortarboard); gold tassel for PhD.
• Hoods & Discipline Colors: Hood lining uses purple & gold (Northwestern colors); hood velvet border and often cap tassel use discipline‑specific colors: e.g. white (Arts & Humanities), orange (Engineering), light blue (Education), pink (Music), golden yellow (Science), etc.
• Honor Cords, Stoles & Organizational Honors: Recognized honor cords or stoles from campus organizations may be worn — for achievements, service, or membership. Latin honors are awarded after Commencement (so cords at Commencement reflect society/organization honors).

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Northwestern College (Bridgeview, Illinois), 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.