Academic Dress
What Your Academic Dress at Commencement Means
During commencement, you will get to continue an age-old tradition by wearing the same attire as generations of Buffs.
During the early years of CU Boulder, graduating students wore their best clothes at commencement instead of the now-traditional caps and gowns.
In 1890, students began wearing four-sided velvet “senior caps” with tassels that resemble modern Oxford caps. In 1895, colleges and universities in the United States standardized the style and color of academic dress, leading to the black gowns that graduating students at CU Boulder still wear today.
If you’re an undergraduate student, the tassel on your graduation cap indicates your field of study. If you’re a graduate student, the tassel indicates your degree, and the velvet trim of your hood indicates your field of study.
Here’s what each color represents at CU Boulder:
Tassel Colors
- Arts & Sciences: ³ٱ
- Business: Royal blue
- Education: Light blue
- Engineering: Բ
- Environmental Design: Ի
- Fine Arts: Ƿɲ
- Media, Communication & Information:
- Music: ʾ
- Master's:
- Doctoral: Gold bullion
Master’s Hood Velvet Border Colors
- Arts: ³ٱ
- Business: Royal blue
- Education: Light blue
- Engineering: Բ
- Fine Arts: Ƿɲ
- Law: ʳܰ
- Media, Communication & Information: Red
- Music: ʾ
- Science: Gold
Doctoral Hood Velvet Border Colors
- Audiology: Ұ
- Law: ʳܰ
- Musical Arts: ʾ
- Philosophy: Royal blue
If you are an undergraduate graduating with academic honors, you may receive a medal to wear in addition to your graduation gown.
These medals are given to graduating students by their academic colleges and schools. Students in the Arts & Sciences Honors Program will receive their medals at the program's Honors Convocation.
- With Distinction: Royal Blue
- With High Distinction: Burgundy
- With Honors:White
- With High Honors: Light blue
- With Highest Honors: Pink
- Cum Laude: Green
- Magna Cum Laude:Red
- Summa Cum Laude: Dark purple
Please note: not all colleges and schools recognize all of the academic honors listed above
You may wear different cords on graduation day to indicate a specific affiliation, legacy or academic achievement tied to your degree. If you believe you qualify for a particular cord, we recommend contacting the unit linked in the description.
Here’s a glossary of the cords available at CU Boulder:
Black & Gold:Provided to students who are members of CU Boulder's Buffalo legacy families
Black & Silver:Identifies students enrolled in the space minor who received an overarching background in all aspects of space
Black & Teal: Given to students having completed least one semester of the Community Scholars internship program
Black, Purple & White: Worn by active members of the student organization
Blue:Acknowledges students who contributed to the senior class gift fund
Blue & Green:Recognizes students who have successfully completed one or more CU Boulder Education Abroad programs or internships abroad
Blue & Forest Green:Acknowledges student members of the Engineers Without Borders chapter at CU Boulder who have meaningfully contributed to the chapter and its communities, exemplifying what it means to be a global engineer
Blue & Orange: Recognizes student scholars affiliated with the
Blue & White:Acknowledges student members of the chapter at CU Boulder Student, who have expanded their knowledge in engineering management while enhancing their résumés
Brown:Signifies the legacies that certificate recipients and MBA graduates with an emphasis in real estate will create in their communities
Burgundy & Pink:Symbolizes the CU in D.C. program, which many students say is a pivotal and defining part of their CU Boulder experience
Crimson & Silver:Recognizes students who have engaged in one or more of the College of Media, Communication and Information’s (CMCI) student media outlets or student organizations for a full year or more
Forest Green & Silver: Awarded to students in the Leeds School of Business who have excelled in entrepreneurship by completing the Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate program
Green:Recognizes graduating students who took the Green Graduation Pledge, a commitment to “explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job . . . and to try to improve these aspects”
Green & Black: Identifies seniors who competed in the iGem international synthetic biology competition
Gold & Silver: Recognizes top entrepreneurship MBA graduates from the Leeds School of Business who participated in the , preparing them to contribute meaningfully to scaling ventures
Gold & White: Signifies students’ involvement in the College of Arts and Sciences Student Government (ASSG) during their time at CU Boulder
Lemon Yellow:Recognizes student workers at the University Libraries for their contributions to the mission of the libraries and the scholarly success of their fellow students and CU faculty
Light Blue: Identifies graduates who dedicated time to their personal leadership development through participation in the Center for Leadership programming
Navy & Silver: Acknowledges Beckman Scholars in the biological and chemical sciences, a prestigious program that offers an in-depth research experience to exceptionally talented undergraduates
Old Gold:Provided to members of the CU Boulder international student community by the Office of International Students and Scholars
Orange & White:Given to student members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter at CU Boulder
Purple & Gold:Signifies students’ involvement in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program at CU Boulder as an Honors Scholar
Rainbow Colors: Celebrates seniors who have been active members of the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oStem) student organization
Red, Orange & Purple:Awarded to Smead Scholars in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the aerospace department’s flagship recruitment and retention program
Red, Royal & Gold: Acknowledges Benson Center Undergraduate Fellows who were active participants in center events and supported community dialogues on timely topics
Red, White & Blue:Designates veterans with previous active duty service
Red & Yellow: Identifies student members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, a group dedicated to building a bridge to help students better understand Chinese culture and increasing the diversity of our campus
Royal Blue & Gold:Recognizes Student Advisory Board members in the College of Arts and Sciences for their service and dedication to improving the A&S student experience
Royal Blue & Kelly Green: Worn by members of the CU Boulder chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE)
Royal Blue & Red:Identifies students who completed the , an exciting, multidisciplinary field that lies at the interface of medicine, biology and engineering
Royal Blue & Silver: Provided to graduates who have contributed to the community of local start-up businesses through the
Royal Purple:Signifies student leaders of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the world’s leading organization of chemical engineers
Salmon: Identifies students who completed the Public Health Certificate program in the College of Arts and Sciences
Silver:Earned by students who are dedicated to entering a career in health care
Teal: Given to participants in the Gaining Opportunities through Leadership Development (CU GOLD) program, who are dedicated to the mission that any student can be a leader
Teal & Gold: Identifies College of Arts and Sciences ambassadors
Teal & White: Worn by Daniels Scholars in tribute to Bill Daniels, who made their dream of achieving a college degree a reality
You can wear graduation stoles, or sashes, to represent communities, clubs and organizations you were a part of at CU Boulder. If you believe you are eligible to receive a particular stole, we recommend contacting the unit linked in the description.
These are the stoles available at CU Boulder:
Chancellor's Recognition Award (Silver Stole With Gold Trim): Recognizes the recipients of the Chancellor’s Recognition Award, which honors students who have earned perfect 4.0 GPAs at CU Boulder
Degree Stole:Bachelor's degree students have the option to dress up their gown by from the CU Bookstore to represent their colleges and schools
First-Generation Stole (Silver Stole with Gold Trim): Celebrates and acknowledges first-generation students' achievement of being the first in their family to graduate with a bachelor's or graduate degree
Stole With Blue Trim: Designed to represent the hard work of the graduates of the NASA Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC), to recognize their impact on the scientific community and to encourage growth beyond NASA COSGC
Black Stole with White Trim: Worn by active members within the (CUSEDS) club
Forest Green Stole With Silver Trim: Recognizing the hard work and dedication of seniors serving on the Environmental Center student board
Gold Stole With Black Trim: Provided to students who have been involved in CU Student Government (CUSG)
Gold Stole With Green Trim:Acknowledges the Office of Financial Aid student employees’ commitment to helping students and their families navigate financial aid, scholarships and work study
Light Blue Stole With Royal Blue Trim: Celebrates seniors who have reached an honorary status and have been active members in the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter at CU Boulder
Maroon Stole: Acknowledges student members of , the campus chapter of the Boulder Rotary Club
Navy Stole With White Trim: Recognizes Arts and Sciences Student Government representatives for their service and dedication to the A&S student body
Old Gold Stole with White Trim: Provided to student leaders in the Office of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) to recognize their impact on intercultural inclusiveness and engagement on campus
Red-Orange Stole With Gold Trim: Acknowledges seniors who have participated in the CU Sounding Rocket Lab (SRL) student organization
Silver Stole: Acknowledges the contribution of to the CU residential communities and the crucial role they play in creating a positive experience for first-year students
Student Ambassador Stole: Acknowledges the commitment of student ambassadors at the CU Boulder Office of Admissions to being the face of the university and helping prospective students in their transition
White Stole:Celebrates students who are graduating as a current with the CU Boulder athletic department
White Stole with Black Trim: Recognizes graduates who have competed in collegiate alpine racing as part of the team, which is a part of the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (UCCSA)
White Stole With Yellow Trim: Acknowledges graduates with a commitment to serving as the face of the College of Media, Communication and Information as an ambassador and/or dedication to helping the community through holding an executive leadership position in CMCI Student Government
Members of affinity groups at CU Boulder can receive celebratory stoles through the CU Boulder Alumni Association in partnership with campus groups, departments and clubs.
Asian and Asian Pacific Islander Stole (Gold Stole With Silver Trim): Given to CU Boulder students who identify as part of our Asian and Asian Pacific Islander community on campus
Golden Buffalo Marching Band Medallion (GBMB):Graduating members of the marching band are invited to wear their medallions as a symbol of their dedication to the tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride of the organization
Kente Cloth:Given to CU Boulder students who identify as part of our Black/African American/African community on campus to acknowledge ancient African traditions, ancestry and culture
Lavender & Rainbow Stole:Given to students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community and/or have achieved significant positive change for the LGBTQ+ community on the CU Boulder campus
Pendleton Blanket:Blankets have a long and rich history with Native American people of all tribal traditions, from the buffalo robes given to honor people for noteworthy accomplishments among Plains tribes to the weaving traditions in the Southwest that yielded signature blankets we still strongly associate with Native peoples and identities
Serape Stole: Uses traditional Indigenous/Latinx serape blanket material to celebrate a connection with Indigenous and Latinx communities and countries, and to commemorate Latinx culture combined with a symbol of graduation
The 鶹Ƶ welcomes Native American and Indigenous students and their families to wear and display traditional Native American or Indigenous regalia at graduation. Regalia might include accessories such as beads, jewelry, feathers or leis, and clothes, blankets, and footwear. Only enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe should wear or possess eagle feathers.
Questions?
Have more questions about cords, stoles and honors medals? Contact the issuing unit for details on any cords or stoles, and contact your academic college or school for further information on academic honors medals.