Why do you wear a mortarboard at graduation?

Mortarboard caps are thought to have been created in the 15th century, as part of an evolution from a hat type known as a birettas which was used by Catholic clerics and professors. The distinctive square shape of a mortarboard is believed to signify a book, chosen in recognition of scholarly achievements.

Why do people wear square hats for graduation?

square, became symbols of varying prestige. At Oxford University in the 17th century, undergraduates were resigned to the older, rounded caps, while those with higher degrees were allowed to wear pileus quadratus. By 1675, aristocratic undergraduates were given permission to wear the square caps as well.

Why do they call it a mortarboard?

The cap we know today, which resembles a skull cap with a square board perched on top, is thought to have evolved from a tufted, square cap (called a pileus quadratus) worn by medieval laity. The term for the modern cap, mortarboard, stems from its resemblance to a mason's square board for carrying mortar.

What do the different hats mean at graduation?

They graduated the students according to the level of their degree. The doctoral students, those earning a PhD., went first, followed by the master degree recipients, then the bachelor degree students. As the doctoral students came up to receive their diploma, each was hooded.

How do you wear a mortarboard?

How do you wear a mortarboard? Wear your mortarboard like the academic pro you are. Place the cap on your head so the point is in the front, about 1 inch above the eyebrows. Your mortarboard should be worn level on your head, and the tassel should be placed on the right side.

How to wear your graduation gown and mortarboard

Why do only female graduates wear caps?

Like many other traditions in Ireland, the Catholic church had some influence over this social norm. Men are expected to remove hats in places of worship, as a mark of respect and to avoid “dishonouring” his head, while women are required to remain covered during acts of worship.

Who invented the mortarboard?

During the 16th and 17th centuries, it was called a “corner-cap”. By 1950, a Catholic priest named Joseph Durham and an inventor named Edward O'Reilly were working together to file a mortarboard patent in the United States.

What is a PHD graduation hat called?

The very recognizable square academic cap is often called a mortarboard because of its similarity in appearance to the board used by bricklayers to hold mortar. This style of academic headwear consists of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap (crown) with a tassel attached to the center.

What does a hood mean for graduation?

The hood is a triangular fold of cloth worn over the back of the gown. The hood is faced with a color that denotes the graduate's field of study.

What do the tassels mean?

The graduation tassel attached to a mortarboard for a school or college represents a belonging to a particular class that has completed its goals. 3) The turning of the tassel has become a more modern tradition, used to signify a person's transition from candidate to graduate.

Why graduation gown is black?

The gowns and hoods (often brown or black in color) worn by students signified their religious status, marking their difference from the laypeople of the town in which they studied. As Columbia University points out in its history of the regalia, that means the origins of “town and gown” divides were quite literal.

Do doctoral graduates wear honor cords?

Honor cords are not worn at the doctoral level or with doctoral regalia. Deadlines for ordering are included in the semester Graduate School calendar.

What is PhD short for?

The PhD, also known as the Doctor of Philosophy, is a research degree, which is one of the most common types of doctoral degrees, and is awarded to graduates in many different fields.

Why do masters robes have long sleeves?

Today, master's gowns are generally worn closed, but for the first sixty-five years of American academic costume history, they were worn open in the front. The sleeve design of the master's gown required a jacket to be worn underneath, otherwise the wearer's bare arms would show and create an awkward appearance.

Are masters gowns different than bachelors?

The bachelor's degree recipient wears a plain black gown with a bell sleeve and a red tassel on the cap, or mortar board, and no hood. The master's degree recipient wears a black tassel, a colored hood and a gown that has a visibly odd sleeve.

Are masters gowns different than bachelors UK?

The gowns most commonly worn, that of the clerical type gowns of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA), are substantially the same throughout the English-speaking world.

What does a GREY graduation gown mean?

Typically, silver is used to represent the communications field, including Broadcasting, Oratory, and general communications. Meanwhile, Veterinary Science graduates have a darker gray trim on their gowns.

What do the Colours mean on graduation gowns?

If you are graduating with an undergraduate or postgraduate Masters, you will have a red hood, with a white lining. Postgraduate doctors wear a scarlet gown with a dark violet facing, sleeves and hood lining. Higher doctorates wear a scarlet gown with salmon-coloured facing, sleeves and hood lining.

What is the string on a graduation hat called?

Tassels are worn on the right side of the cap before the ceremony and are then moved from the right side to the left after receiving a diploma or when directed to do so by the graduation speaker.

What is it called when graduates throw their hats?

The tradition of throwing the mortarboard — named for its resemblance to a tool used by masons to hold mortar and made fashionable in the 14th and 15th centuries by artists and students — started at the Naval Academy in 1912.

Why do you wear a cap and gown at graduation?

On 13 March 1786, the Corporation of the University decreed that 'in future, the Candidates for Bachelors degrees, being Alumni of the College should be clad at Commencement in black flowing robes & caps similar to those used at other Universities …'

What do you do with your cap and gown after graduation?

They can be donated to schools, thrift stores, theaters, or drama clubs and find repurposing there. Old graduation gowns can also be handed down to friends or relatives who might have need of them during their own graduations.

Who gets an academic hood?

Both honorary and earned doctoral degrees are very often conferred by the highest academic officer of an institution bestowing the appropriate hood at the podium, regardless of the procedure being followed for other candidates at the ceremony. Only one hood should be worn at any given time.