Styles of academic dress

In Commonwealth countries such as Australia, it is common for universities to follow the style of Oxford or Cambridge universities in the design of academic dress. VU's academic dress is based on the Oxford style.

All VU undergraduate and postgraduate graduands wear a black gown. Doctoral candidates wear a red gown. The gown distinguishes undergraduate and higher degrees, with the hood or stole testifying to the discipline of the award.

The masters gown has a long narrow sleeve extension. The VE/FE and undergraduate gowns have a large slit in each sleeve.

Gown sizes range from size 42 to size 54. Gown size is based on the height of the graduand. The most common size is 48.

Bonnets and caps are doffed in acknowledgement of the Office of the Chancellor.

Certificates, diplomas and graduate certificates

Students graduating from a Certificate, Diploma or Graduate Certificate dress in a black trencher cap, gown and stole, with a facing in the colour of the award discipline.

The stole is placed over the head to sit flat on the shoulders and hangs down the front of the gown.

Certificate	Associate Diploma	Diploma

Advanced Diploma	Graduate Certificate	Graduate Diploma

Undergraduate degrees

VE/FE and undergraduate gown sleeves have a large slit in each sleeve. Make sure that the arm goes straight through the sleeve and not through the slit in the sleeve.

The undergraduate hood is partly lined on the inside. The hood is placed over the head with colour displayed on both sides of the shoulders. The edges are curled so that colour is also displayed at the back of the hood.

Postgraduate degrees

The master hood is fully lined with colour on the inside and a coloured stripe along the outside edge so that the colour is displayed on both shoulders and at the back of the hood.

The gown has a long narrow sleeve extension.

Doctorates

Doctoral candidates wear a red gown. The doctorate hood is the same style as the master hood, with the colour displayed on both shoulders and at the back of the hood.

Indigenous Australians

The academic dress is the habit of their award together with a calf length black and red silk stole. The stole has:

• gold tassels
• a map of Victoria in gold silk
• 'Victoria University' embroidered in gold on the left end of the stole
• the sun in gold silk
• 'Ngaga Jindi Woraback' embroidered in gold on the right end of the stole

Caps

Black caps are worn by VE/FE, Undergraduate and Master graduands.

The cap has a deep point and a shallow point. The shallow point is worn to the front. The cap should be worn so the mortarboard is level and not placed on the back or to the side of the head. The tassel is worn over the front left temple. Do not use pins to secure the cap as it needs to be removed for the national anthem.

Caps range in size from size 52 to size 63. The most common size is 56.

Doctoral candidates wear a bonnet.

Discipline colours

The colour worn over the gown is called a hood or stole. The following indicates what colour is worn for each discipline and what the different hoods and stoles look like.

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