University at Albany (UAlbany) Commencement & Academic Regalia Summary

The University at Albany (UAlbany) celebrates its annual commencement ceremony every May, honoring undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral graduates. Graduates are required to wear full academic regalia, including a graduation gown, graduation cap, and tassel, all of which are available through the UAlbany Bookstore. The university follows traditional American academic dress codes for gowns, hoods, and caps, ensuring a formal and ceremonial experience.

Graduation gown styles vary by degree: bachelor’s gowns feature pointed sleeves, master’s gowns include arm slits and closed sleeves, and doctoral gowns are trimmed in velvet with three velvet sleeve stripes. Tassels reflect academic level and discipline: undergraduate tassels are typically color-coded by major, master’s tassels are black, and doctoral tassels are old gold.

Honor cords and stoles vary by recognition. UAlbany offers a purple and white generosity cord for graduates contributing to the class gift, while additional cords and stoles may be awarded by honor societies. Hoods for advanced degrees are lined with the university’s official colors of gold and purple with velvet trim indicating the field of study. Academic disciplines have designated colors, such as orange for Engineering, light blue for Education, and golden yellow for Natural Sciences.

Faculty regalia follows standard academic dress practices: faculty wear gowns, hoods, and caps denoting their terminal degree, with hood velvet trim reflecting their discipline. Graduates are encouraged to verify tassel, hood, and stole colors with their department or the Registrar to ensure compliance with UAlbany’s formal commencement requirements. The University at Albany emphasizes a visually cohesive and ceremonial graduation, with a structured system for graduation gowns, caps, tassels, hoods, honor cords, stoles, and faculty regalia, creating a dignified academic tradition for all participants.