Academic Regalia
Commencement is a formal academic occassion. You must be in proper academic regalia (cap, gown, hood and academic tassel) to participate in the exercises. Be sure to bring these items with you. The tassel is worn on the right side of the mortarboard (cap) prior to the degree being conferred and on the left side after the degree is conferred.
Under the robe, men traditionally wear a dress shirt, dress slacks, tie, and black shoes. Women traditionally wear a dress or skirt and blouse and dress shoes.
Purchasing
Graduates should purchase their regalia at the Graduation Fair.
Honors Regalia
Latin honors are not recognized at the commencement ceremony. There are no "honor cords" to wear that are comparable to a high school commencement. This is because final grades are not confirmed until after the ceremony has taken place.
If you are a member of an honor organization (ODK, Golden Key, etc), you must contact that organization directly for their regalia. The ODU Bookstore does not sell or supply these items.
Hood Binding Colors
The color of the hood binding is usually that of the last-designated discipline that is incorporated in the official title of the degree (e.g., Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Education.)
Colors associated with the subject vary somewhat at American colleges and universities. The following, a partial list taken from American Colleges and Universities, 14th edition, published by the American Council on Education, has been adopted by Old Dominion University.
College of Arts & Letters
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelors of Arts and Letters White |
Art History |
Communication |
Criminal Justice |
|
English |
Foreign Languages |
Geography |
|
History |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
International Studies |
|
Music |
Philosophy |
Political Science |
|
Sociology |
Studio Art |
Theatre and Dance |
|
Women's Studies |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelors of Science Yellow |
Communication |
Criminal Justice |
Geography |
|
Interdisciplinary Studies |
Political Science |
Sociology |
|
Women's Studies |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Fine Arts Brown |
Acting |
Fine Arts |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Music Pink |
Composition |
Performance |
Music Education |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Arts White |
Applied Linguistics |
Applied Sociology |
Criminal Justice |
|
English |
History |
Humanities |
|
International Studies |
Visual Studies |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Fine Arts Brown |
Creative Writing |
Visual Studies |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
International Studies |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Batten College of Engineering & Technology
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology Orange |
Civil Engineering Technology |
Electrical Engineering Technology |
Engineering Technology |
|
Mechanical Engineering Technology |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Engineering Orange |
Aerospace Engineering |
Civil Engineering |
Computer Engineering |
|
Electrical Engineering |
Engineering Mechanics (AE) |
Engineering Mechanics (ME) |
|
Environmental Engineering |
Global Engineering |
Materials Science and Engineering |
|
Mechanical Engineering |
Modeling and Simulation |
Systems Engineering |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Engineering Management Orange |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science Orange |
Aerospace Engineering |
Civil Engineering |
Computer Engineering |
|
Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Electrical Engineering |
Engineering Management |
|
Engineering Mechanics (AE) |
Engineering Mechanics (ME) |
Environmental Engineering |
|
Mechanical Engineering |
Modeling and Simulation |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
Aerospace Engineering |
Civil Engineering |
Engineering Management |
|
Engineering Mechanics (AE) |
Engineering Mechanics (ME) |
Mechanical Engineering |
|
Modeling and Simulation |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
College of Business and Public Administration
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelors of Arts White |
Economics |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelors of Science Yellow |
E-Commerce Systems |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Drab |
Accounting |
Economics |
Decision Sciences |
|
Financial Management |
Information Systems and Technology |
International Business |
|
Management |
Marketing Management |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Arts White |
Economics |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Business Administration Drab |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Public Administration Peacock Blue |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science Yellow |
Accounting |
E-Commerce Systems |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Taxation Drab |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Urban Studies Peacock Blue |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
Business Administration |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Darden College of Education
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelors of Science Yellow |
Human Services Counseling |
Occupational and Technical Studies |
Physical Education |
|
Recreation and Leisure Studies |
Recreation and Tourism Studies |
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science Yellow |
Occupational and Technical Studies |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science in Education Light Blue |
Biology |
Chemistry |
Counseling |
|
Early Childhood Education |
Educational Leadership |
Elementary Education |
|
English |
General Secondary Education |
Mathematics |
|
Physical Education |
Reading |
Social Studies Education |
|
Special Education |
Speech-Language Pathology |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Education Specialist Light Blue |
Counseling |
Educational Leadership |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
Community College Leadership |
Urban Services |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
College of Health Sciences
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Lilac |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Green |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Green |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology Green |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology Green |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Apricot |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Physical Therapy Teal |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Public Health Salmon Pink |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science Yellow |
Community Health |
Dental Hygiene |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science in Nursing Apricot |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
Physical Therapy |
Urban Services |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
College of Sciences
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Bachelors of Science Yellow |
Biochemistry |
Biology |
Chemistry |
|
Mathematics |
Ocean and Earth Science |
Physics |
|
Psychology |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Yellow |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Master of Science Yellow |
Biology |
Chemistry |
Computational and Applied Mathematics |
|
Computer Science |
Geology |
Oceanography |
|
Physics |
Psychology |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Philosophy Dark Blue |
Biomedical Science |
Computational and Applied Mathematics |
Computer Science |
|
Ecological Sciences |
Industrial / Organizational Psychology |
Oceanography |
|
Physics |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Doctor of Psychology Yellow-Gold / |
|
Royal Blue |
|
Clinical Psychology |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Multidisciplinary Doctorate
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Degree & Hood Color |
Majors |
|
Doctor of Psychology Dark Blue |
Urban Services Health Services |
Urban Services Urban Education |
Urban Services Urban Management |
 |
 |
 |
 |