Commencement ceremonies at universities connect today’s graduates to centuries of academic tradition—expressing achievement, institutional identity, and scholarly lineage. One of the most recognizable symbols of this tradition is academic regalia: the cap, gown, hood, and ceremonial accessories.
The academic procession begins with the ceremonial mace, combining the royal scepter and medieval mace to symbolize institutional authority. It precedes the president’s party and marks the formal opening of the event. The ceremonial mace is often carried by the university marshal, faculty marshal, or a designated professor. When not in use, the mace is displayed in the UAB Office of the Provost.
The procession typically features faculty in order of academic rank, deans, trustees, and university leadership behind the mace-bearer.
Academic Regalia: What It Represents
Gowns and hoods began as practical garments worn by monks and scholars to keep warm in unheated buildings. Universities, emerging from cathedral schools, adopted similar attire to reflect a serious, scholarly identity.
In 1895, the Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume standardized regalia in the U.S., assigning gown styles, hood lengths, and velvet colors to different degrees and disciplines. This code is still followed (with some institutional customization).
At the UAB commencement, "regalia" refers to the traditional academic attire consisting of caps, gowns, and hoods (if applicable) worn by graduates and faculty during the ceremony. These garments symbolize academic achievement and uphold the traditions of higher education, while also representing UAB's unique identity. The regalia, particularly the GreenWeaver gowns, are also a commitment to sustainability, made from recycled plastic bottles.
Caps, Gowns & Hoods
The gown signals academic level—bachelor's, master's, or doctoral—according to the Intercollegiate Code of 1895 and later updates. The Bachelor’s gown is generally plain with pointed sleeves. A simple, unornamented design reflecting the first academic degree. The Master’s gown has longer, closed sleeves with slits; more fabric symbolizes deeper study and experience. The Doctoral gown is the most elaborate with velvet panels, sleeve bars, sometimes in school colors—symbolizing the highest scholarly rank.
Mortarboard caps are standard for undergraduate and master’s degrees, while soft velvet tams and gold tassels are reserved for doctoral candidates. Some students may choose to personalize their mortartboard for the commencement ceremony.
The hood represents both the university (through its lining colors) and the academic field (via velvet trim color). The trim follows a standardized color chart—for example, golden yellow for sciences, light blue for education, green for medicine, etc.
Stoles
Stoles are a meaningful part of commencement attire for many students. Often worn draped over the shoulders, stoles can represent a variety of affiliations, accomplishments, and identities—such as cultural heritage, student organizations, academic honors, or community service. At UAB, students are welcome to wear stoles that reflect their personal journeys and the communities that supported them. The university does not discourage the wearing of stoles, and encourages graduates to celebrate their achievements and identities with pride.
Ceremonial Elements & Institutional Symbols
Ceremonial Mace
The university mace is typically made from meaningful metals and materials—often including local symbolism. At UAB, for instance, it includes brass, bronze, and stainless steel to reflect the region’s industrial heritage, and enamel medallions illustrating the lamp of knowledge, institutional seal, and city’s steel tradition.
Its placement at the head of the procession underscores its role as the ceremonial embodiment of the president’s authority to confer degrees.
Academic Gonfalons
Each academic unit (college or school) is represented by a gonfalon—a banner bearing the institution’s seal, school name, and bordered in the unit’s academic color. This visual tradition unites the different schools under the broader university while highlighting their individual identities.
President’s Medal
The President’s Medal, awarded at commencement, recognizes individuals who have attained scholarly distinction and/or rendered distinguished service to UAB; it is one of the highest honors bestowed by UAB. It features an engraved medallion or plaque mounted in a displayable stand that is bestowed at the formal ceremony.
Academic Colors & Dress Code
Universities often align with the Intercollegiate Academic Costume Code (adopted in 1895), which defines gown styles, hood shapes, and trim colors by academic discipline. The academic colors are used for masters and doctoral hoods, tassels, gonfalons, and more throughout the ceremony.
- Arts: White
- Nursing: Apricot
- Business: Drab
- Optometry: Seafoam green
- Dentistry: Lilac
- Philosophy: Dark Blue
- Education: Light Blue
- Public Health: Salmon Pink
- Engineering: Orange
- Science: Gold-yellow
- Fine Arts: Brown
- Social Science: Citron
- Medicine: Green