Academic dress of the University of Oxford
Encyclopedia
The University of Oxford
has a long tradition of academic dress
, and a visitor to Oxford during term will see academic dress worn on a regular basis.
Academic dress is still worn very often in Oxford, and every undergraduate and graduate
must obtain a gown, cap, and white bow tie (for men) or black ribbon (for women) for the purpose of the University matriculation
ceremony, where students formally become members of the University.
Regulations regarding gowns differ from college to college, but gowns are commonly worn to:
Gowns and caps are worn to disciplinary hearings in the Proctors' Court.
In addition, gowns are worn with cap, hood (for graduates), and subfusc to:
In 2006, a referendum held amongst the Oxford student body showed 81% against making the wearing of subfusc voluntary in examinations — 4,382 voted in the poll, almost 1,000 more than voted in the previous term's students' union elections. This was widely interpreted by students as not so much being a vote on making subfusc voluntary, but rather a vote on whether or not to effectively abolish it by default, as it was assumed that if a minority of people came to exams without subfusc, the rest would soon follow.
is given.
s' convocation habit which is closed at the front.
The clerical-type gown has no collar, but instead has the voluminous material of its back and sleeves gathered into a yoke. All of the above have open bell-shaped sleeves, with the exception of the MA gown and the Doctors' convocation habit. The MA gown has long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow and a crescent-shaped cut at the foot of the sleeve, forming two forward-facing points. The Doctors' convocation habit is sleeveless.
Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by barrister
s (see court dress
), preachers and bishop
s in the Church of England
.
The lay-type gown derives from a garment fashionable in Elizabethan times. It is less voluminous than the clerical-type gown, and has a flap collar and long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow, except for the Commoners' and Graduate students' gowns, whose closed sleeves have evolved into streamers through which the arm does not pass.
Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by solicitor
s, Queen's Counsel
, court ushers, the Speaker of the House of Commons
, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
, and the Lord Chancellor
.
Hoods in Oxford are of three shapes. Doctors (except Doctors of Clinical Psychology and Doctors of Engineering) and Bachelors of Divinity wear hoods in the Oxford full shape [f5], scarlet in the case of doctors and black in the case of Bachelors of Divinity. All other hoods can be either in the Burgon shape [s2] or the Oxford simple shape [s1], though some are traditionally made in one shape or the other. Most of the newer degrees use the Burgon whilst older degrees use either, although the Burgon shape is becoming more popular.
Generally, hoods are worn by graduates whenever subfusc is worn, but sometimes they are worn with an ordinary tie, e.g. by the lecturer at a public lecture.
Women may choose between the mortarboard or the soft cap [h5]. Originally, women were required to wear their soft caps during university ceremonies. From Michaelmas 1995, they were required to wear the soft cap, but permitted either to wear or to carry the mortarboard. From Hilary 2008, they are now, like men, required to carry their mortarboards when at university ceremonies indoors. Women who opt for the soft cap must still wear, and not carry, them indoors.
Doctors in the lay faculties (i.e. those except Divinity and Philosophy) wear Tudor bonnet
s [h2], which are round and made of velvet.
Subfusc comes from the Latin for "of a dark/dusky colour", and refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Oxford. Generally, this means, for men:
For women:
In addition, doctors in the higher faculties and senior university officials wear bands, such as those worn with legal court dress
.
Members of the British Armed Forces
may wear their service uniform
with gown and hood (for graduates) in place of subfusc and cap. There is no formal guidance about what order of dress should worn (i.e. Army No. 1 or Service Dress) or whether swords are to be worn; however, uniform caps are to be worn in the street and carried when indoors. Persons in Holy Orders
may wear clerical dress instead of subfusc.
Subfusc is worn at university matriculation
, at university examinations and degree ceremonies and at Encaenia
. During exams, candidates often also wear a carnation
in their buttonholes: white for the first exam, pink thereafter, and red for the final exam of the run. Although this system has differed over time, this is the one currently advised by the University and its Colleges.
A number of myths surround subfusc and its use in examinations - for example, that subfusc has a counterpart in 'full fusc', said to be a full suit of armour, which if worn to Finals examinations automatically results in a student being given a First; or the claim that one enterprising undergraduate examined the University statutes prior to an examination and discovered that all students sitting exams in full fusc are entitled to a glass of sherry. He demanded his due in the exam, and the University's Proctor
s duly responded, before fining him one shilling for failing to wear his sword, allegedly also part of the archaic statutes. This latter story is disputed as untrue, and has been circulating in various forms (sometimes attributed to Cambridge) since at least the late 1950s.
, Russell cord
or (in the case of members of the higher faculties) silk, most modern gowns and robes are made from synthetic material. Similarly, hoods traditionally made out of silk are now more usually made of synthetic "art silk". Rabbit fur is also rarely now used in the making of bachelors' hoods, with artificial fur used instead.
or exhibition
) wear a short black lay-type gown which just covers the suit jacket. The gowns have a flap collar and instead of sleeves have two streamers adorned with folds. These are the remnants of closed sleeves, as can still be seen on the laced gowns of the higher faculties.
Scholars (and some exhibitioners) wear a black clerical-type gown down to the knee. The gowns are gathered at the yoke, and have bell sleeves to the elbows (in effect they are shorter versions of the BA gown).
Until the abolition of their statuses in the nineteenth century,
gentlemen-commoners and noblemen-commoners each had distinct gowns, generally of coloured silk in the lay shape, decorated with lace.
It is also only in recent years that female undergraduates have been permitted to remove their mortarboards during university ceremonies. Women who opt for the mortarboard now no longer wear them indoors, but conform with the practice of male members of the university. As mentioned earlier, women who opt for the traditional women's soft cap still do not have this dispensation, and should remain covered at all times.
There are instances when male undergraduates are required to wear their mortarboards indoors. Undergraduates appearing before the Proctors' Court are required to present themselves wearing their caps and to salute the Proctors in the customary manner upon entering. They then remove their caps for the remainder of the proceedings.
s, who wear no gown, even with sub-fusc. Alternatively, graduate students may wear the academic dress of their old university except at those occasions where "foreign" academic dress is prohibited, such as the Encaenia and the second half of degree ceremonies when the graduand pays his respects to the Vice-Chancellor in the dress of his new Oxford degree.
See also Degrees of the University of Oxford.
The BA gown is a long black clerical-type gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists. The gown is gathered at the yoke. The MA gown is similar to the BA gown, except that the long sleeves are squared and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end, and a horizontal slit just above the elbow for the arm to pass through.
The hoods are as follows:
Undergraduate master's degrees awarded to those on certain 4-year courses in the sciences (M.Biochem., M.Chem., M.CompSci., M.EarthSc., M.Eng., M.Math., M.MathCompSci., M.MathPhil., M.Phys., M.PhysPhil.) wear BA gowns and hoods, and were previously entitled to wear an MA gown after gaining the precedence of a Master of Arts. Such graduates still automatically gain MA precedence 21 terms after matriculation; however, in 2009, the out-going Vice Chancellor, Dr Hood, in consultation with the Proctors, decided with retrospective effect that such graduates would not be entitled to wear the MA gown even after gaining MA precedence. This produces some odd results. Undergraduate masters will now wear a different gown from their exact contemporaries when they are exercising their dining rights. Moreover, someone who was unable successfully to complete the 4-year course, or chose not to, and who was instead permitted to supplicate for a BA degree, will in due course be able to incept as a Master of Arts and wear an MA gown; whereas a contemporary who had successfully completed exactly same course may only be able to wear a BA gown.
The undress gown in the lay faculties is a black lay-type gown with a flap collar and closed sleeves, decorated with black silk lace. The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood, which is scarlet lined with coloured silk:
The full dress gown is a scarlet clerical-type gown, with open bell-shaped sleeves and gathered at the yoke. The sleeves and facings are in the appropriate coloured silk. The full dress gown of Doctors of Music is exceptional (see below). Full dress gowns are normally worn with sub-fusc, but never with a hood.
The convocation habit or chimere
is like a scarlet full-dress gown, except in that it has no sleeves, is fully lined with silk of the appropriate colour, and closed at the front. It is worn over the black undress gown, with the sleeves of the undress gown pulled through the armholes. It is always worn with white tie, bands and hood. A similar garment (in scarlet or black) is worn over a white rochet
by bishop
s in the Church of England
e.g. when sitting in the House of Lords
.
The hoods of bachelors and masters of the lay higher faculties are as follows:
, unlike their counterparts in the other higher faculties, do not wear the black silk laced gown but wear a black undress gown of the clerical type, identical to the MA gown, but in silk rather than stuff. This is worn with a cassock, cincture and scarf.
Doctors of divinity also have the scarlet full dress gown (facings and sleeves of black velvet) and the scarlet convocation habit, which is worn over the black silk gown.
The hoods in the faculty of divinity are as follows:
Today, the full dress gown is made of cream silk brocade with apple blossom embroidery, with cherry silk sleeves and facings. The hood worn with the undress gown is of the same materials:
Holders of the MJur degree wear the BCL hood. Holders of the undergraduate masters' degrees now wear the BA gown and hood.
The newer bachelors' degrees follow with the stuff gown of the BA, and the following hoods:
The academical dress of the new professional doctorates are:
There is no full dress gown for the professional doctorates so the doctor's undress gown is worn.
and the Chancellor of the Exchequer
. The Chancellor's mortarboard has a gold tassel, like that of the former noblemen commoners. In undress he wears the DCL dress or undress gown. In Oxford he always wears white tie and bands.
, a non-MA from outside the Congregation of the University, was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2005, a new lay-type (undress) gown was designed for him, being black with simple gold trimming on the sleeves and flap collar.
A official/dress robe was commissioned in 2006. It is a lay-type gown with detachable panels on the lower sleeves of embroidered gold and silver laurel branches growing out of the University shield with the arms of the University's colleges seated on them. The back of the gown has a large University shield similarly trimmed with gold and silver laurel branches.
In Oxford the proctors wear white tie and bands, and a black clerical-type gown of the doctors’ full dress pattern with sleeves and facings of blue velvet. A hood fully lined with miniver
is worn turned inside out so that only the fur is visible. This was formerly the full dress of the M.A. On their undress M.A. gown they have a tippet
, or small pouch, sewn to the yoke, which they keep for life.
In both Oxford and Cambridge the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university police
, or bulldogs, who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford.
s (or mace-bearer
s) and the University Verger wear plain black lay-type gowns and Tudor bonnet
s, and white tie and bands.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
has a long tradition of academic dress
Academic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
, and a visitor to Oxford during term will see academic dress worn on a regular basis.
When academic dress is worn
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
must obtain a gown, cap, and white bow tie (for men) or black ribbon (for women) for the purpose of the University matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
ceremony, where students formally become members of the University.
Regulations regarding gowns differ from college to college, but gowns are commonly worn to:
- Formal HallFormal (university)Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the meal held at some of the oldest , universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine...
(formal dinner, which occurs as frequently as every night in some colleges and as rarely as once a term in others, or not at all) - "Schools" that is formal lectures in the Oxford University Examination Schools.
- Chapel
- College collectionsCollection (Oxford Colleges)At Colleges of the University of Oxford, a Collection may be one of two things:*An examination taken at the beginning of term by undergraduates/graduates, testing the work done in the previous term, and often based on past paper questions . Undergraduates usually sit one or two Collections per...
(tests that take place at the start of term) - Head of house's collections (end of term academic progress reports)
- College matriculation
Gowns and caps are worn to disciplinary hearings in the Proctors' Court.
In addition, gowns are worn with cap, hood (for graduates), and subfusc to:
- University examinations
- University matriculation
- GraduationGraduationGraduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremonies - The annual EncaeniaEncaeniaEncaenia is an academic or sometimes ecclesiastical ceremony, usually performed at colleges or universities. It generally occurs some time near the annual ceremony for the general conference of degrees to students...
(Commemoration) ceremony.
In 2006, a referendum held amongst the Oxford student body showed 81% against making the wearing of subfusc voluntary in examinations — 4,382 voted in the poll, almost 1,000 more than voted in the previous term's students' union elections. This was widely interpreted by students as not so much being a vote on making subfusc voluntary, but rather a vote on whether or not to effectively abolish it by default, as it was assumed that if a minority of people came to exams without subfusc, the rest would soon follow.
Components of Oxford academic dress
After the names of the components, the Groves classification systemGroves classification system
The Groves classification system is a system intended to enable the shape of any academic gown or hood of the United Kingdom to be easily classified and identified. It was devised by Dr Nicholas Groves and adopted as standard by the community of scholars that study academic dress...
is given.
Gowns
The gowns in use in Oxford can be divided into two basic shapes. All gowns are open-fronted, except for the DoctorDoctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s' convocation habit which is closed at the front.
Clerical-type gowns
- Scholars' gown [u2]
- BA gown [b1]
- MA gown [m1]
- Doctors' full dress gown [d2]
- Doctors' convocation habit [d5]
- Proctors' dress gown [d2]
The clerical-type gown has no collar, but instead has the voluminous material of its back and sleeves gathered into a yoke. All of the above have open bell-shaped sleeves, with the exception of the MA gown and the Doctors' convocation habit. The MA gown has long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow and a crescent-shaped cut at the foot of the sleeve, forming two forward-facing points. The Doctors' convocation habit is sleeveless.
Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s (see court dress
Court dress
Court dress comprises the style of clothes prescribed for courts of law, and formerly for royal courts.- Where court dress is worn :Court dress is worn at hearings in open court in all Senior Courts of England and Wales and in county courts. However, court dress may be dispensed with at the option...
), preachers and bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
Lay-type gowns
- Commoners' gown [u5]
- Graduate students' gown [u5]
- Higher faculties bachelors' and masters' laced gown [d4]
- Doctors' undress laced gown [d4]
- Chancellor's/Vice-Chancellor's gold laced gown [d4]
- Bedels', University Verger's, etc. gown [d4]
The lay-type gown derives from a garment fashionable in Elizabethan times. It is less voluminous than the clerical-type gown, and has a flap collar and long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow, except for the Commoners' and Graduate students' gowns, whose closed sleeves have evolved into streamers through which the arm does not pass.
Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
s, Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, court ushers, the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, and the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
.
Hoods
Generally, hoods are worn by graduates whenever subfusc is worn, but sometimes they are worn with an ordinary tie, e.g. by the lecturer at a public lecture.
Academic caps
Men wear a mortarboard (also known as a square or trencher cap) [h1], which is not worn indoors, except by the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Proctors. When meeting the Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, or other senior official of the university in the street, it is traditional for a man to touch or raise his cap. In practice few people wear their caps nowadays, and instead carry their caps on occasions where caps are required.Women may choose between the mortarboard or the soft cap [h5]. Originally, women were required to wear their soft caps during university ceremonies. From Michaelmas 1995, they were required to wear the soft cap, but permitted either to wear or to carry the mortarboard. From Hilary 2008, they are now, like men, required to carry their mortarboards when at university ceremonies indoors. Women who opt for the soft cap must still wear, and not carry, them indoors.
Doctors in the lay faculties (i.e. those except Divinity and Philosophy) wear Tudor bonnet
Tudor bonnet
A Tudor bonnet is a traditional soft round cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the puggaree of the hat...
s [h2], which are round and made of velvet.
Subfusc
- Dark suit and socks.
- Black shoes.
- White shirt and collar.
- White bow tie.
For women:
- White blouse.
- Black tie.
- Black skirt or trousers.
- Black stockings or tights.
- Black shoes.
- Dark coat (if desired).
In addition, doctors in the higher faculties and senior university officials wear bands, such as those worn with legal court dress
Court dress
Court dress comprises the style of clothes prescribed for courts of law, and formerly for royal courts.- Where court dress is worn :Court dress is worn at hearings in open court in all Senior Courts of England and Wales and in county courts. However, court dress may be dispensed with at the option...
.
Members of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
may wear their service uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
with gown and hood (for graduates) in place of subfusc and cap. There is no formal guidance about what order of dress should worn (i.e. Army No. 1 or Service Dress) or whether swords are to be worn; however, uniform caps are to be worn in the street and carried when indoors. Persons in Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
may wear clerical dress instead of subfusc.
Subfusc is worn at university matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
, at university examinations and degree ceremonies and at Encaenia
Encaenia
Encaenia is an academic or sometimes ecclesiastical ceremony, usually performed at colleges or universities. It generally occurs some time near the annual ceremony for the general conference of degrees to students...
. During exams, candidates often also wear a carnation
Carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus is a species of Dianthus. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years. It is the wild ancestor of the garden carnation.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall...
in their buttonholes: white for the first exam, pink thereafter, and red for the final exam of the run. Although this system has differed over time, this is the one currently advised by the University and its Colleges.
A number of myths surround subfusc and its use in examinations - for example, that subfusc has a counterpart in 'full fusc', said to be a full suit of armour, which if worn to Finals examinations automatically results in a student being given a First; or the claim that one enterprising undergraduate examined the University statutes prior to an examination and discovered that all students sitting exams in full fusc are entitled to a glass of sherry. He demanded his due in the exam, and the University's Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
s duly responded, before fining him one shilling for failing to wear his sword, allegedly also part of the archaic statutes. This latter story is disputed as untrue, and has been circulating in various forms (sometimes attributed to Cambridge) since at least the late 1950s.
Materials
Although gowns and robes have traditionally been made from stuffStuff (cloth)
In the context of materials Stuff can refer to any manufactured material. This is illustrated from a quote by Sir Francis Bacon in his 1658 publication New Atlantis:"Wee have also diverse Mechanicall Arts, which you have not; And Stuffes made by them; As Papers, Linnen, Silks, Tissues; dainty Works...
, Russell cord
Russell cord
Russell cord is a corded fabric made with a cotton warp and worsted filling; two warp ends are woven together to form the cord. The cord lines run warpwise. It can be woven using 40% cotton and 60% wool . It is mainly used in the making of quality black academical dress, as well as clerical dress...
or (in the case of members of the higher faculties) silk, most modern gowns and robes are made from synthetic material. Similarly, hoods traditionally made out of silk are now more usually made of synthetic "art silk". Rabbit fur is also rarely now used in the making of bachelors' hoods, with artificial fur used instead.
Undergraduates
Commoners (i.e. those without a scholarshipScholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
or exhibition
Exhibition (scholarship)
-United Kingdom and Ireland:At the universities of Dublin, Oxford and Cambridge, and at Westminster School, Eton College and Winchester College, and various other UK educational establishments, an exhibition is a financial award or grant to an individual student, normally on grounds of merit. The...
) wear a short black lay-type gown which just covers the suit jacket. The gowns have a flap collar and instead of sleeves have two streamers adorned with folds. These are the remnants of closed sleeves, as can still be seen on the laced gowns of the higher faculties.
Scholars (and some exhibitioners) wear a black clerical-type gown down to the knee. The gowns are gathered at the yoke, and have bell sleeves to the elbows (in effect they are shorter versions of the BA gown).
Until the abolition of their statuses in the nineteenth century,
gentlemen-commoners and noblemen-commoners each had distinct gowns, generally of coloured silk in the lay shape, decorated with lace.
Undergraduates and mortarboards
It is often claimed that undergraduates by custom do not wear their caps (or even that they can be fined for doing so). This is incorrect . Out of doors caps may be worn, but it is customary to touch or raise one's cap as a salute to senior university or college officers. Like all other male members of the university (including graduates) other than the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Proctors, male undergraduates must remove their caps during university ceremonies indoors.It is also only in recent years that female undergraduates have been permitted to remove their mortarboards during university ceremonies. Women who opt for the mortarboard now no longer wear them indoors, but conform with the practice of male members of the university. As mentioned earlier, women who opt for the traditional women's soft cap still do not have this dispensation, and should remain covered at all times.
There are instances when male undergraduates are required to wear their mortarboards indoors. Undergraduates appearing before the Proctors' Court are required to present themselves wearing their caps and to salute the Proctors in the customary manner upon entering. They then remove their caps for the remainder of the proceedings.
Postgraduates
Graduate students who do not already have an Oxford degree wear a black lay-type gown that is a full-sized version of the commoner's gown, reaching to the knee. However, they are not worn by graduates of other universities who are reading for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, who wear a commoner's or scholar's gown as appropriate. Nor are they worn by non-members of the University reading for diplomaDiploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
s, who wear no gown, even with sub-fusc. Alternatively, graduate students may wear the academic dress of their old university except at those occasions where "foreign" academic dress is prohibited, such as the Encaenia and the second half of degree ceremonies when the graduand pays his respects to the Vice-Chancellor in the dress of his new Oxford degree.
Graduate dress
BA and MA
The two most common graduate gowns in Oxford are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) [b1] and Master of Arts (MA) [m1] gowns, which are worn by new graduates of whatever subject. The degree of Masters of Arts is granted to BA graduates at a degree ceremony no sooner than 21 terms after matriculation.The BA gown is a long black clerical-type gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists. The gown is gathered at the yoke. The MA gown is similar to the BA gown, except that the long sleeves are squared and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end, and a horizontal slit just above the elbow for the arm to pass through.
The hoods are as follows:
- MA — black silk edged and lined with crimson / shot crimson silk
- BA — black silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
Undergraduate master's degrees awarded to those on certain 4-year courses in the sciences (M.Biochem., M.Chem., M.CompSci., M.EarthSc., M.Eng., M.Math., M.MathCompSci., M.MathPhil., M.Phys., M.PhysPhil.) wear BA gowns and hoods, and were previously entitled to wear an MA gown after gaining the precedence of a Master of Arts. Such graduates still automatically gain MA precedence 21 terms after matriculation; however, in 2009, the out-going Vice Chancellor, Dr Hood, in consultation with the Proctors, decided with retrospective effect that such graduates would not be entitled to wear the MA gown even after gaining MA precedence. This produces some odd results. Undergraduate masters will now wear a different gown from their exact contemporaries when they are exercising their dining rights. Moreover, someone who was unable successfully to complete the 4-year course, or chose not to, and who was instead permitted to supplicate for a BA degree, will in due course be able to incept as a Master of Arts and wear an MA gown; whereas a contemporary who had successfully completed exactly same course may only be able to wear a BA gown.
Doctors
Doctors in Oxford have three forms of academic dress: undress, full dress and convocation dress.The undress gown in the lay faculties is a black lay-type gown with a flap collar and closed sleeves, decorated with black silk lace. The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood, which is scarlet lined with coloured silk:
- DM, DCL — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with crimson silk
- DLitt, DSc — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with grey silk
- DPhil — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with dark blue silk
The convocation habit or chimere
Chimere
A chimere is a garment that was formally worn as part of academic dress, or by Anglican bishops in choir dress.A descendant of a riding cloak, the chimere resembles an academic gown but without sleeves, and is usually made of scarlet or black cloth. In modern English use the garment is worn as part...
is like a scarlet full-dress gown, except in that it has no sleeves, is fully lined with silk of the appropriate colour, and closed at the front. It is worn over the black undress gown, with the sleeves of the undress gown pulled through the armholes. It is always worn with white tie, bands and hood. A similar garment (in scarlet or black) is worn over a white rochet
Rochet
A rochet is a white vestment generally worn by a Roman Catholic or Anglican Bishop in choir dress. It is unknown in the Eastern Churches. The rochet is similar to a surplice, except that the sleeves are narrower...
by bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
e.g. when sitting in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Lay higher faculties
Members with postgraduate bachelors or masters degrees in the lay higher faculties (i.e. those other than Divinity or Arts) wear gowns almost identical to the lay doctors' undress gowns (with the exception of the MCh, the gowns of bachelors' and masters' do not have an extra panel of gimp underneath the arms).The hoods of bachelors and masters of the lay higher faculties are as follows:
- MCh — black silk edged and lined with dark blue silk
- BM BCh, BCL — steel blue silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
- MLitt, MSc — light blue silk edged and lined with grey silk
- BLitt, BSc (no longer awarded) — light blue silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
- BMus — lilac silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
- MPhil, BPhil — dark blue silk edged and lined with white silk
Divinity
Bachelors and doctors of DivinityDivinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
, unlike their counterparts in the other higher faculties, do not wear the black silk laced gown but wear a black undress gown of the clerical type, identical to the MA gown, but in silk rather than stuff. This is worn with a cassock, cincture and scarf.
Doctors of divinity also have the scarlet full dress gown (facings and sleeves of black velvet) and the scarlet convocation habit, which is worn over the black silk gown.
The hoods in the faculty of divinity are as follows:
- DD — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with black silk
- BD — black corded silk (full shape) lined with black ribbed silk
Doctors of Music
Doctors of music have no convocation habit, as this degree (as well as that of Bachelor of Music) was open to those who were not members of Convocation. The degree is known to have existed since the early 16th century, and seems to have originally used the same robes as Doctors of Medicine, on the rare occasions when this was necessary. However, since the beginning of the 17th century, Doctors of Music have worn gowns of white or cream damask or brocade, with facings and sleeve-linings of cherry-red silk being present since at least the late 18th century: the latter are shown in a 1792 plate by Charles Grignion.Today, the full dress gown is made of cream silk brocade with apple blossom embroidery, with cherry silk sleeves and facings. The hood worn with the undress gown is of the same materials:
- DMus — cream apple blossom silk brocade (full shape) lined with cherry silk.
Other masters', bachelors' and doctors' degrees
The newer masters degrees follow with the silk gown of the lay higher faculties, and the following hoods:- MBA — claret silk edged and lined with dark grey silk
- MSt — deep green silk edged and lined with white silk
- MEd (no longer awarded) — black silk edged and lined with green silk
- MTh — black silk edged and lined with magenta silk
- MFA — gold silk edged and lined white silk
- MPP — TBA
Holders of the MJur degree wear the BCL hood. Holders of the undergraduate masters' degrees now wear the BA gown and hood.
The newer bachelors' degrees follow with the stuff gown of the BA, and the following hoods:
- BFA — black silk with a narrow band of gold silk
- BEd (no longer awarded) — black silk with a narrow band of green silk
- BTh — black silk with a narrow band of magenta silk.
The academical dress of the new professional doctorates are:
- DClinPsychol — blue Burgon simple-shape lined red silk
- EngD — red Burgon shape lined petrol blue edged grey
There is no full dress gown for the professional doctorates so the doctor's undress gown is worn.
University officials
The Chancellor
The Chancellor of the University is elected for life by the Convocation (i.e. the alumni with degrees) of the University. He wears on ceremonial occasions a black silk lay-type gown with a long train, decorated with gold lace, similar to the gowns of the Lord ChancellorLord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
and the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
. The Chancellor's mortarboard has a gold tassel, like that of the former noblemen commoners. In undress he wears the DCL dress or undress gown. In Oxford he always wears white tie and bands.
The Vice-Chancellor
Previously Vice-Chancellors had no distinctive dress, but instead wore the black gown, convocation habit and hood if they were doctors or the MA gown and hood if they were not. When John HoodJohn Hood
John Hood was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 5 October 2004 until 30 September 2009. He was the first Vice-Chancellor to be elected from outside Oxford's academic body, and the first to have addressed the scholars' congregation via a webcast...
, a non-MA from outside the Congregation of the University, was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2005, a new lay-type (undress) gown was designed for him, being black with simple gold trimming on the sleeves and flap collar.
A official/dress robe was commissioned in 2006. It is a lay-type gown with detachable panels on the lower sleeves of embroidered gold and silver laurel branches growing out of the University shield with the arms of the University's colleges seated on them. The back of the gown has a large University shield similarly trimmed with gold and silver laurel branches.
Proctors
The two proctors in Oxford are responsible for the discipline of junior members of the university. In addition they have various ceremonial and administrative roles.In Oxford the proctors wear white tie and bands, and a black clerical-type gown of the doctors’ full dress pattern with sleeves and facings of blue velvet. A hood fully lined with miniver
Miniver
*Miniver is an unspotted white fur derived from the stoat, and with particular use in the robes of peers. For the use of the fur in heraldry, see Ermine and Tincture *For the fictional character, see Mrs. Miniver...
is worn turned inside out so that only the fur is visible. This was formerly the full dress of the M.A. On their undress M.A. gown they have a tippet
Tippet
A tippet is a stole or scarf-like narrow piece of clothing, worn over the shoulders. They evolved in the fourteenth century from long sleeves and typically had one end hanging down to the knees...
, or small pouch, sewn to the yoke, which they keep for life.
In both Oxford and Cambridge the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, or bulldogs, who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford.
The Assessor
Previously the Assessor wore an MA gown with a tippet sewn onto the yoke. He now wears a Proctor's dress gown with purple instead of blue velvet sleeves. The hood is Burgon or Oxford simple-shape made of unlined white corded silk.Bedels and the Verger
The university bedelBedel
The bedel was, and is to some extent still, an administrative official at universities in several European countries, and often had a policiary function at the time when universities had their own jurisdiction over...
s (or mace-bearer
Mace-bearer
A Mace-bearer, or Macebearer, is a person who carries a mace, either a real weapon or ceremonial.-Armed:When the mace was still in actual use as a weapon, it was deemed fit for close-protection, and hence a mace-bearer could be a bodyguard....
s) and the University Verger wear plain black lay-type gowns and Tudor bonnet
Tudor bonnet
A Tudor bonnet is a traditional soft round cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the puggaree of the hat...
s, and white tie and bands.