Penn State Harrisburg Commencement — Cap, Gown, Tassel, Hood & Honor Cord Overview

Penn State Harrisburg requires all graduates to wear official academic regalia to participate in commencement. Undergraduate candidates wear a blue gown with wide sleeves and a blue mortarboard cap with a tassel on the right front edge, switching to the left when degrees are conferred. Graduate (master’s) candidates wear a black gown with pointed sleeves, black mortarboard, and hood; the tassel is worn on the left front edge. Doctoral candidates wear a .

Caps, gowns, and hoods must be purchased (or rented for doctoral regalia) via the Penn State Harrisburg Bookstore before the ceremony; no regalia will be provided at the venue. Uniforms of the U.S. Armed Forces are the only alternate acceptable attire approved by the university.

Academic disciplines at Harrisburg determine hood velvet trim or tassel color. A published 2024 commencement program provides a detailed color chart: for instance, Engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, etc.) use **orange**; Business and Information Systems use **drab**; Education uses **light blue**; Public Administration and Homeland Security use **peacock blue**; Arts and Humanities use **white**.

For undergraduate academic honors, Harrisburg awards honor cords based on GPA: **white** cord for Cum Laude, **blue** for Magna Cum Laude, and **blue‑and‑white** for Summa Cum Laude. In addition, eligible veterans/active military graduates may receive a **red‑white‑blue military honor cord**. Official cords from recognized honor societies are also permitted; these include cords for membership in national societies (e.g., criminal justice, business, education, psychology, health administration, etc.) — each society uses its designated cord colors.

The policy prohibits any unapproved ornamentation (sashes, stoles, ribbons, scarves, medallions, pins, etc.) representing clubs, fraternities, personal decoration, or nationalities — unless the cord/stole is officially issued or recognized by the University or by official honor societies.

In summary: Penn State Harrisburg’s commencement emphasizes consistent academic regalia — defined gowns & caps by degree level, discipline‑specific hood/tassel colors, and honor cords only for academic distinction or eligible service. Official cap‑and‑gown sets must be ordered beforehand; no ceremony‑day regalia or unapproved decorative stoles are allowed.

• Undergraduate regalia: blue gown with wide sleeves + blue mortarboard cap; tassel on right until degree conferred, then move left.
• Graduate regalia: black gown with pointed sleeves, hood, black mortarboard — tassel on left.
• Doctoral regalia: black gown with velvet panels & chevrons, 6‑sided tam cap with gold bullion tassel, discipline hood.
• Hood / tassel colors reflect academic discipline — e.g., orange for Engineering, drab for Business, light blue for Education, peacock blue for Public Administration, white for Arts/Humanities.
• Honor cords: white (Cum Laude), blue (Magna), blue‑and‑white (Summa); red‑white‑blue cord for military/veteran grads; official cords for recognized honor societies.
• No unapproved stoles, sashes, ribs, scarves, or decoration allowed — only official cords/hoods recognized by Penn State Harrisburg.
• Caps, gowns, tassels and hoods must be purchased (or rented for doctoral) from PSU Harrisburg Bookstore before ceremony day; no regalia provided onsite.
• Official academic regalia and honor‑cord sets required for participation in commencement procession and degree conferral.

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