Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University – Commencement & Academic Regalia Summary

Santa Clara University schedules its undergraduate commencement ceremonies annually at Stevens Stadium (Buck Shaw Field). Graduates register for Commencement via the university’s “Tassel” system, claim their stage‑pass, and must order “Academic Attire” (cap, gown, hood, tassel) from the licensed vendor in order to participate.

SCU’s academic‑regalia policy follows traditional academic‑dress conventions: the type of gown, hood length, and hood colors depend on the degree level and academic discipline. The bachelor’s gown features a closed front with pointed sleeves; the master’s gown has long sleeves slit at the elbows; and the doctoral gown (for applicable doctoral degrees) displays full bell sleeves and velvet panels, indicating the highest academic rank.

The hood worn by master’s (and doctoral) graduates at SCU carries three symbolic elements: (1) the university’s colors (cardinal over white) lining, (2) a velvet trim whose color signifies the graduate’s discipline — for example: white for arts & humanities, golden yellow for sciences, orange for engineering, drab (brown) for business, light blue for education, purple for law, and scarlet for theology, per SCU’s official academic‑attire guide.

Undergraduate graduates who meet honors criteria (e.g. Latin Honors: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude) receive honor cords at Commencement. ([SCU Academic Attire page]) Additionally, graduates may wear optional stoles such as international‑student stoles representing their home country, distributed in a separate “International Graduation Celebration.”

Faculty and university officers attending the ceremony also wear full academic regalia: gowns, hoods, and appropriate caps. The ceremonial regalia for faculty reflects their highest earned degree and disciplinary hood color.

In summary: SCU maintains a formal, traditional academic‑regalia system for Commencement. All participating graduates must wear a gown, cap, and tassel; master’s/doctoral graduates wear discipline‑specific hoods; honor‑eligible undergraduates receive cords; and optional stoles or international‑student sashes may be worn. The publicly available policy defines gown styles, hood‑trim colors by discipline, and guidelines for cords and stoles, making it possible for vendors to supply compliant “cap and gown, tassel/hood, cords/stoles” sets consistent with SCU tradition.

Santa Clara University Academic Regalia – Complete Cap, Gown & Hood/Tassel Kit

• Graduation cap (mortarboard), academic gown, and appropriate hood or tassel — required for participation in SCU Commencement ceremonies.
• Gown cut to degree level: Bachelor’s (pointed sleeves), Master’s (elbow‑slit sleeves), Doctoral (bell sleeves + velvet trim) — as per SCU tradition.
• Hood lined with SCU colors (cardinal over white) and trimmed with velvet color representing academic discipline — white, gold, orange, light blue, drab, purple, scarlet, etc.
• Honor cords for undergraduates with Latin Honors; optional stoles/cords for special recognition (e.g. international students).
• Suitable for undergraduates, master’s, doctoral candidates, alumni, faculty, and any participants requiring official regalia for formal ceremonies or academic photo sessions.
• Important: Confirm your major’s velvet‑trim color and your degree‑level gown style before ordering. Orders should be placed through the approved vendor to meet SCU commencement requirements.

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