Academic dress of University of Melbourne

The academic dress of the University of Melbourne refers to the formal attire, including robes, gowns, and hoods, as prescribed by the Statutes and Regulations^[1] for undergraduates, graduates, officers, and honorands of the university. This follows the style of the University of Oxford for the gowns and hoods for Bachelors and Masters degrees. Melbourne adopts the style of the University of Cambridge for its doctorates. The hoods are all black, resembling the size and shape of the Oxford MA hoods, which are in the simple Burgon shape. These hoods are lined with the color specified for the corresponding faculty or degree and are bound with white on the lower edge for bachelors, while masters' hoods have no binding. The specific faculty or degree colors are outlined in the University Regulations. In the past, Pass degrees were bound in fur and Honours degrees in silk; however, this distinction no longer holds. Bachelors wear an Oxford Bachelors gown, while Masters wear an Oxford Masters gown. The gown for undergraduate students is the same as the bachelors', but its sleeves must not be split.

The BHort/BAgr hood (not normally worn with a mortarboard until 2023)

In the past, policies regarding the use of the mortar board were strictly for Masters with Bachelors and undergraduates not being permitted to wear the mortar board. This rule applied to both graduation photography and the ceremony itself.^[2] However, as of 2023, the university has revised its regulations, allowing all Bachelors to receive a mortar board at their ceremony and granting permission to have photographs taken with it.^[3]

For individuals holding a PhD degree, the academic dress includes an Oxford Masters gown, faced in scarlet, with a black hood lined in scarlet, accompanied by a bonnet with a scarlet cord. Higher doctorates, on the other hand, feature a gown that is scarlet, lined, and faced with the color representing the faculty/degree, along with a larger scarlet hood lined in the same color as the faculty/degree. A bonnet with a gold cord completes the ensemble for higher doctorate holders.

Occasions for academic dress

Dignitaries, officers, staff, graduates and students wear academic dress at public ceremonies of the University of Melbourne. These include graduation ceremonies and important public lectures.

Dignitaries, visitors and residents of the residential colleges wear their academic regalia to a formal dinner several nights per week during the lecturing semester (varying depending on the college). Some residential colleges dignify their fellows with distinct gowns.

Faculty colours

Faculty or School	Colour
Architecture, Building and Planning - all degrees except Bachelor of Environments	magenta
Bachelor of Environments	saffron yellow
Arts	stewart blue
Business and Economics	sky blue
Education	malachite green
Engineering	gold
Graduate Studies	pea green
Law	white; white with black band for undergraduate hoods
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences:
Medicine, including Medical Science, Gynaecology & Obstetrics and Surgery	cardinal
Dentistry, including Dental Studies	mink
Physiotherapy	jade
Nursing	petunia
Health Sciences – for higher degrees offered by the schools of Behavioural Science, Medicine (non-medical qualification prescription), Population Health, Physiotherapy (non-physiotherapy qualification prescription), Nursing (non-nursing qualification prescription), Rural Health	dove grey
Social Work	chartreuse green
Melbourne Business School	sky blue with gold band
Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs	empire blue
Science - all degrees except Optometry (including Bachelor of Arts and Sciences)	olive green
Biomedicine	olive green with cardinal band
Optometry	juniper
Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences:
Melbourne School of Veterinary Science degrees	garnet
Department of Agriculture and Food Systems degrees	old gold
VCA and Music:
Parkville New Generation BMus	lilac
all other degrees	lemon

Definition of colour names:

Colours

cardinal	B.C.C. 186	chartreuse green	B.C.C. 171
cherry	B.C.C. 185	dove grey	B.C.C. 123
empire blue	B.C.C. 87	garnet	B.C.C. 160
gold	B.C.C. 114	jade	B.C.C. 122
juniper	B.C.C. 192	lemon	B.C.C. 52
lilac	B.C.C. 176	magenta	B.C.C. 198
malachite green	B.C.C. 23	mink	B.C.C. 169
old gold	B.C.C. 115	olive green	B.C.C. 78
pea green	B.C.C. 172	petunia	B.C.C. 109
sky blue	B.C.C. 162	stewart blue	B.C.C. 149

Notes

1. . Statutes and Regulations. University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 11 October 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
2. . union.unimelb.edu.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008.
3. . 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.

References

• Regalia (Academic Dress) requirements for University of Melbourne degree courses 9 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine