Southwestern Illinois College

Southern Illinois University schedules commencement ceremonies twice annually (May and December) for eligible graduates who have completed degree requirements and submitted their graduation application and fee.

All participating graduates must wear academic regalia to walk at commencement. Regalia — including cap, gown, and tassel — must be rented or ordered separately (graduation fees do not cover rental). Undergraduates, master’s candidates, and doctoral candidates follow distinct regalia protocols depending on their degree.

For undergraduates, the tassel color reflects the student’s academic discipline (major/field of study). There is a published color‑code mapping for bachelor‑degree tassels: e.g. maize for agricultural sciences, orange for applied sciences and arts, drab for business, light blue for education/human services, orange for engineering, white for liberal arts, blue for mass communication and media arts, pink for music, dark blue for philosophy, salmon for public health, gold for science, citron for social work, purple for law, etc.

Graduate (master’s) and doctoral regalia include a gown and a hood; the hood’s velvet trim color identifies the major field of study, according to the same color chart used for tassels (e.g. those colors listed above). For doctoral‑level candidates, the hood and doctoral regalia must be ordered as part of the graduation regalia rental.

SIU also allows optional stoles, cords, and ribbons for honors (e.g. Latin honors), athletics, military service, or organization membership. Undergraduates renting regalia receive a “Stole of Gratitude” to wear at commencement; cords such as honor‑society cords are distributed via the Academic Excellence ceremony, or available for pickup.

Southern Illinois University (SIU) holds formal commencement ceremonies for all graduates who have met degree requirements. To participate, graduates must wear university-approved academic regalia including a graduation gown, cap, and tassel. Regalia orders are processed through the SIU Bookstore, ensuring compliance with university standards. All students must wear properly fitted caps and gowns, and borrowed or non-standard regalia is not permitted.

Bachelor Degree Graduates: Tassel colors reflect the student’s field of study following SIU’s official color chart. Honor cords and stoles may be worn to signify academic achievement, service, or organizational membership. Undergraduate regalia typically includes black gowns with discipline-specific tassels, plus optional cords and stoles.

Master Degree Graduates: Master’s regalia includes a gown with distinctive sleeve design, a mortarboard cap, tassel, and a hood. The hood’s velvet trim color identifies the academic discipline, while the lining reflects the university’s colors. Honor cords or stoles may also be added to signify achievement.

Doctoral Degree Graduates: Doctoral candidates wear full doctoral gowns with bell-shaped sleeves, a velvet tam or mortarboard, tassel, and a hood with discipline-specific velvet trim. Optional honor cords or stoles may be incorporated to reflect achievements, honors societies, or organizational participation.

Faculty Regalia: Faculty wear formal academic regalia consistent with their highest degree, with color-coded hoods and gowns per the university’s academic regalia guidelines. All other discipline regalia colors are standardized according to SIU’s official charts for academic fields.