University of California, Santa Cruz Commencement & Academic Regalia

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) hosts formal commencement ceremonies where graduates wear traditional academic regalia. All students are encouraged to order their cap and gown through UCSC-approved providers and pick them up at the regalia tent on the day of the ceremony. The standard attire includes a black graduation gown and mortarboard cap. Undergraduate students wear their tassels on the right side, while master’s and doctoral graduates wear them on the left. Doctoral students may wear a gold tassel to signify their advanced degree.

Graduate students also have the option to wear an academic hood with velvet trim representing their field of study. UCSC holds a dedicated hooding ceremony for doctoral graduates as part of the Graduate Division commencement. Students may also include approved honor cords, stoles, leis, or medallions from recognized student organizations or academic departments, while all decorations must comply with university guidelines.

Faculty members participating in commencement wear traditional academic regalia appropriate to their terminal degree, with gowns, hoods, and colors reflecting their academic disciplines. The UCSC commencement dress code ensures that students and faculty present a dignified, unified, and scholarly appearance for the ceremony while allowing for personal or organizational recognition through stoles, cords, or leis.

In summary, UCSC commencement emphasizes:

• Black graduation gown for all degree levels
• Mortarboard cap with tassel placement by degree
• Optional academic hood for graduate students
• Honor cords, stoles, or medallions for recognized societies or departmental honors
• Faculty regalia corresponding to terminal degrees and academic disciplines
• Cap decorations and personal accessories within university conduct guidelines

This academic regalia framework celebrates tradition, scholarship, and achievement at UCSC while offering students ways to honor affiliations and personal milestones during graduation.

UCSC Academic Regalia – Cap, Gown & Graduation Accessories

• Official black gown – available for UCSC bachelor, master’s, and doctoral graduates
• Mortarboard cap – classic design included with regalia set
• Graduation tassel – standard tassel, gold option for doctoral students
• Academic hood (optional) – for Ph.D. hooding during UCSC’s Graduate Division ceremony
• Cords or stoles – allowed if issued by UCSC-recognized student groups or departments (Latin honors are not cord-based)
• Eco-friendly gown material – gown produced from 100% recycled bottles
• Preorder or pick up – order by deadline, pick up at commencement tent (Herff Jones)

Get your UCSC commencement look ready — with cap, gown, tassel, hood, and honors-ready regalia — designed to satisfy University of California, Santa Cruz’s official standards.

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