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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: �³󾱳ٱ���
• 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: �³󾱳ٱ���
• 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, 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, Gold & White: Given to students having completed least one semester of the Community Scholars internship program
• 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