At West Chester University, the commencement ceremony celebrates students’ academic achievement with a formal procession and presentation of degrees. Graduates must apply online through RamPortal and meet all academic requirements including residency, majors, and clearances before participating in the ceremony.
For the ceremony, graduates wear full academic regalia: a traditional graduation gown, graduation cap (mortarboard or tam as appropriate), and accompanying tassel. The institution emphasises the importance of correct attire and provides ordering guidance for cap, gown and tassels sets. The tassel is worn on the right side before crossing the stage, and graduates are asked to arrive one hour ahead of the ceremony wearing their gown and cap.
In addition to the standard regalia, WCU publishes a detailed roster of honour cords, stoles and tassel colours which recognise specific honours, societies and campus organisations. For example, cords for Cum Laude/Magna Cum Laude/Summa Cum Laude are in Purple and Gold. Stoles and special tassels also reflect affiliations such as the Center for Trans & Queer Advocacy (Black stole with rainbow stripes and rainbow tassel).
Faculty and doctoral regalia feature distinctive design and colour accents at WCU. Doctoral students have the option of a souvenir regalia set or custom regalia: the souvenir doctoral gown includes greenweaver fabric with purple panels and bars, a mortarboard cap in purple with a gold tassel. While the exact gown colour for bachelor and master levels remains the traditional black for undergraduate and master’s, the school’s focus on correct cap, gown and tassels sets ensures that each graduate appears in ceremony-ready academic regalia. If you are ordering your graduation gown, graduation cap and tassel or preparing for faculty regalia, ensure you follow WCU’s published guidelines and refer to the cord/stole colour roster which enumerates organization-specific colours.
Celebrate your milestone at West Chester University with premium academic regalia designed for each level of achievement. Whether you’re walking the stage for your bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, our full cap and gown kits—including graduation gown, graduation cap, tassel, honor cord and stole—ensure you look ceremony-ready. Available in traditional graduation gown colour with bespoke accessories reflecting WCU’s official cord, stole and tassel palette.
Please confirm your specific accessory colours (cord/stole/tassel) with West Chester University’s Registrar or Commencement office prior to ordering your graduation gown, cap and accessories to ensure alignment with official guidelines.
Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at West Chester 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.