Academic regalia must be worn by all degree candidates choosing to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Please visit https://www.buildagrad.com/rice to order your regalia. Deadlines are as follows:

IMPORTANT! As soon as you receive your regalia, please check the package to ensure you have received all of the correct pieces. For missing pieces please contact the Campus Store immediately as there are no extra pieces available at the ceremony venues.

Learn more about each degree type's academic regalia components below.

Undergraduate Degree Candidates

Three main garments compose the regalia — cap, gown, and hood. In addition, a stole is worn by many undergraduates at Rice to indicate an affiliation with one of Rice’s residential colleges. Stoles are provided to degree candidates by their college coordinator.

The bachelor’s gown is the simplest in design and has long, pointed sleeves. For undergraduate degrees and majors, a palette of five colors denotes a specific academic field of study:

• Golden Yellow – Natural Sciences and Engineering
• White – Humanities and Social Sciences
• Brown – Architecture
• Drab – Business
• Pink – Music

For example, these three undergraduate students at right are wearing a light blue stole, which signifies Martel College. Note the different hood colors: golden yellow (for natural sciences and engineering programs) and white (for humanities and social sciences programs). Pink hoods denote degrees and majors from the Shepherd School of Music.

NOTE: For undergraduate students completing multiple majors and/or multiple degrees, if those majors cross differing fields of study (with differing hood colors), the student may choose one hood color from those options.

A detailed list of undergraduate hood colors by field of study can be found at: https://rice.app.box.com/s/zs59f3v8sydkbhsmrvvz9g9fnlb4wak3

Advanced Degree Candidates

Three main garments compose the regalia — cap, gown, and hood.

The master’s gown, which is slightly more elaborate, has oblong sleeves open at the wrist. At Rice, the gowns are blue. The hood color indicates the field of study. For graduate degrees and programs, there is an expanded palette, specifically the addition of an orange hood for engineering, distinguishing it from the golden yellow for natural sciences. The most common hood colors at the master’s level are for the Business (drab) and Engineering (orange) degrees and programs.

• Orange – Engineering
• Golden Yellow – Natural Sciences
• White – Humanities and Social Sciences (including Education and Liberal Studies)
• Brown – Architecture
• Drab – Business
• Pink – Music

The left photo shows an example of MBA recipients (blue master’s gown and mortarboard with drab-colored hood). The right photo shows a Master of Architecture recipient (blue master’s gown and mortarboard with brown-colored hood).

Those receiving a Master of Accounting, Artist Diploma in Music, a Diploma in Liberal Sciences, or a Bachelor of Architecture should order a Master's regalia package.

A detailed list of advanced degree hood colors by field of study can be found at https://rice.box.com/s/xvppbxrqq5rlqx21acbwj2fubip9u1ss

Doctoral Degree Candidates

Three main garments compose the regalia — cap, gown, and hood.

The doctoral gown is, appropriately, the most elaborate – velvet trim runs down the front and around the neck, and three velvet bars decorate the bell-shaped sleeves. Special blue gowns for Rice doctoral students were introduced at the 1997 Commencement. For doctoral degrees, the hoods are trimmed in velvet, with the following colors:

• Blue – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees/programs
• Pink – Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degrees/programs

A detailed list of doctoral degree hood colors by field of study can be found at: https://rice.app.box.com/s/9x6uu8w8nmw5f5q589o3tffsr8hrkr50

For more information regarding academic regalia, visit https://www.buildagrad.com/rice or call the Campus Store at 713-348-2039.