University of Arkansas at Little Rock

University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Commencement & Academic Regalia

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) celebrates its graduates with formal commencement ceremonies held at campus venues, including the Jack Stephens Center and surrounding event spaces. Academic regalia is required for all degree candidates, ensuring a professional and unified appearance during the ceremony. Graduates wear a classic black graduation gown paired with a black mortarboard cap, reflecting traditional academic regalia standards followed across U.S. universities.

Undergraduate candidates wear a maroon tassel, while master’s graduates use a black tassel, and doctoral degree holders don a gold or silver tassel. Tassels are worn on the right side before the conferral of the degree and moved to the left upon graduation, symbolizing the transition from candidate to graduate.

Honor cords and stoles are awarded according to academic distinctions. Summa Cum Laude honors require a GPA of 3.70 or higher, Magna Cum Laude for GPAs of 3.50–3.6999, and Cum Laude for GPAs of 3.30–3.4999. Graduates may wear colored stoles to signify their honors distinction, as approved by UALR policies. Additionally, cords and stoles may represent membership in honor societies, student organizations, military service, or cultural and international groups.

Master’s candidates wear gowns with closed sleeves and hoods appropriate to their degree, while doctoral graduates wear more distinctive robes featuring velvet trim and colorful hoods representing their discipline. Faculty participating in the ceremony wear formal academic robes, hoods, and mortarboards or tams consistent with their highest earned degrees.

All graduation regalia—including caps, gowns, tassels, honor cords, and stoles—must be purchased through the UALR Bookstore or an approved vendor. This ensures consistency and adherence to university standards. UALR’s commencement traditions combine visual uniformity, ceremonial dignity, and recognition of academic achievement, maintaining a professional and inclusive academic environment.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Commencement & Academic Regalia

• Institution: University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), main campus including the Applied Sciences & Technology programs.
• Graduation Gown & Cap: UALR’s commencement requires a classic black graduation gown paired with a black mortarboard cap, adhering to traditional academic regalia standards.
• Undergraduate Tassel: Bachelor’s (undergraduate) candidates wear a **maroon tassel**, symbolizing UALR’s school color.
• Master’s Tassel: Graduate (master’s) students wear a **black tassel**, consistent with UALR policy for advanced degrees.
• Doctoral Tassel: Doctoral graduates at UALR wear **gold or silver tassels**, reflecting the prestige of the doctorate degree.
• Honor Cords & Stoles Color (All Levels):
  • Honor cords are available in **yellow** (associate honors), **maroon** (Cum Laude), **silver** (Magna Cum Laude), and **gold** (Summa Cum Laude).
  • Discipline or society-specific honor cords: for example, Pre‑Law Society uses **royal purple**, Nursing honor society uses **apricot**, Education uses **purple & green**, Psychology (Psi Chi) uses **blue/gray and a stole**, etc.
  • Some stoles: e.g., McNair Scholars wear a **royal blue stole**; Donaghey Scholars wear **black stoles with maroon stripes**.
• Master’s & Doctoral Academic Regalia:
  • Master’s graduates wear gowns with closed sleeves and use a hood appropriate to their discipline (hood must be purchased separately).
  • Doctoral graduates wear distinctive robes with three velvet stripes on the sleeves and colorful hoods representing their academic field.
• Faculty Regalia: UALR faculty participating in commencement wear formal academic regalia aligned with their highest degree — robes, hoods, and either mortarboards or tams, depending on their level of advancement.
• Regalia Purchase & Policy: All regalia—caps, gowns, tassels, stoles, and honor cords—must be ordered through the UALR Bookstore or their approved vendor. The deadline to order is published before each commencement ceremony.
• Commencement Ceremony Details: UALR holds its graduation ceremonies in the **Jack Stephens Center**. Graduates arrive early for check‑in, process into the arena, and the ceremony is broadcast or streamed online.

Summary: The University of Arkansas at Little Rock maintains a dignified and cohesive academic regalia tradition: black graduation gowns and caps, tassels in **maroon for undergraduates**, **black for master’s**, and **gold/silver for doctorates**, and a structured system of honor cords and stoles in colors like yellow, maroon, silver, and gold to celebrate academic excellence. Faculty wear full academic regalia, and all items are university‑approved, helping preserve visual unity and academic decorum during UALR’s commencement ceremonies.

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