Commencement Regalia Information
- On this Page
- Ordering Regalia
- Military Recognition
- Choosing Your Hood Color
Learn more about academic dress, military recognition, and the process of ordering academic regalia for upcoming commencement.
Academic regalia, or the dress uniform of one of the U.S. Armed Forces, is required to participate in the commencement ceremony. Advanced degree candidates wear the tassel of the cap on the left front edge. Doctoral candidates should carry their hoods over their left arms during the processional; master’s candidates should wear the hoods over their shoulders (velvet toward chin).
Ordering Regalia
The deadline to order regalia for the spring 2026 semester is June 29. Please ensure you choose the proper hood color for your degree program (see hood colors below).
Military Recognition
All Penn State students who have met graduation requirements and have served on active duty, in the Reserve/National Guard, or who will be granted a commission through Penn State Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) are eligible to receive a red, white and blue honor cord to wear with approved academic dress at commencement ceremonies. Students should contact the Office of Veterans Programs at veteran@psu.edu or 814-863-0465 to coordinate a pickup inside the Penn State Student Veteran Center. ROTC personnel may pick up their honor cord from their representative/office. Students who have not yet submitted the required proof of service to receive an honor cord should visit Priority Registration / Honor Cord for specific guidance.
Students receiving commissions in the armed forces will stand with their classmates when the academic degree is conferred, and when receiving acknowledgment as a group.
Please note - Military cords received through the University is University-recognized commencement attire. Additional ornamentation is not permitted.
Choosing Your Hood Color
You will choose a hood color based on your degree type and your graduate program.
For all Ph.D. Programs
Select Royal Blue for your regalia color.
For all Professional Doctorate Programs
Regalia hood colors are:
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA): Drab
- Doctor of Education (D.Ed.): Light Blue
- Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.): Orange
- Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA): Pink
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): Apricot
- Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.): Salmon
For all Master's Programs
Find your program below to determine your regalia hood color.
Master's Regalia Colors
College of Arts and Architecture
Brown:
- Architecture
- Art Education
- Art
- Art History
- Geodesign
- Landscape Architecture
- Theatre
Pink:
- Conducting
- Composition-Theory
- Music Education
- Performance
- Music
- Pedagogy & Performance
- Piano Performance
College of Agricultural Sciences
Maize:
- Agricultural & Biological Engineering
- Agricultural and Environmental Plant Science
- Animal Science
- BioRenewable Systems
- Energy, Environmental, and Food Economics
- Ecosystem Management and Administration
- Entomology
- Food Science
- Plant Pathology
- Soil Science
- Turfgrass Management
- Wildlife & Fisheries Science
Peacock Blue:
- Community & Economic Development
- Education, Development, and Community Engagement
Russet:
- Forest Resources
Golden Yellow:
- Pathobiology
White:
- Rural Sociology
Smeal College of Business
Drab:
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Business Analytics
- Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Accounting Analytics
Drab:
- Marketing and Analytics
- Real Estate Analysis and Development
- Supply Chain Management
- Strategic Management and Executive Leadership
- Taxation
Penn State Behrend
Drab:
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Project Management
- Quality & Manufacturing Management
Penn State Harrisburg/Capital College
White:
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Clinical Psychology
- American Studies
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
Peacock Blue:
- Health Administration
- Homeland Security
- Public Administration
Light Blue:
- Teaching and Curriculum
Drab:
- Business Administration
- Accounting (World Campus)
- Information Systems
Orange:
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Management
- Engineering Systems
- Mechanical Engineering
Bellisario College of Communications
White:
- Mass Communications
- Media Studies
- Strategic Communications
College of Education
Light Blue:
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Counselor Education
- Educational Leadership
- Educational Psychology
- Educational Theory & Policy
- Education
- Education Policy and Leadership
- Higher Education
- Learning, Design, & Technology
- Lifelong Learning and Adult Education
- Special Education
- School Psychology
- Workforce Education & Development
Drab:
- Organization Development and Change
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Golden Yellow:
- Geography
- Geosciences
- Geographic Information Systems
- Meteorology and Atmospheric Science
- Spatial Data Science
Orange:
- Energy & Mineral Engineering
- Materials Science & Engineering
- Renewable Energy & Sustainability Systems
College of Engineering
All engineering programs use orange.
Orange:
- Acoustics
- Architectural Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing and Design
- Biomedical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Computer Science & Engineering
- Engineering Design
- Electrical Engineering
Orange:
- Engineering Leadership and Innovation Management
- Engineering Mechanics
- Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Engineering Science & Mechanics
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Engineering, Law, and Policy
- Engineering at the Nano-scale
- Nuclear Engineering
Penn State Great Valley
Golden Yellow:
- Data Analytics
Orange:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Science
- Engineering Management
- Software Engineering
- Systems Engineering
Drab:
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Finance
- Information Science
- Leadership Development
College of Health and Human Development
Salmon Pink:
- Biobehavioral Health
- Communication Sciences & Disorders
White:
- Human Development & Family Studies
Drab:
- Hospitality Management
- Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management
Sage Green:
- Athletic Training
Peacock Blue:
- Health Policy & Administration
Citron:
- Social Work
Golden Yellow:
- Kinesiology
- Nutritional Sciences
School of International Affairs
Peacock Blue:
- International Affairs
Intercollege (Huck/Fox)
Golden Yellow:
- Bioinformatics and Genomics
- Ecology
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences
- Integrative and Biomedical Physiology
Maize:
- Plant Biology
College of Information Sciences and Technology
Drab:
- Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations
- Enterprise Architecture and Business Transformation
- Informatics
College of the Liberal Arts
White:
- Ancient Mediterranean Studies
- Anthropology
- Applied Linguistics
- Communication Arts & Sciences
- Criminal Justice Policy and Administration
- Comparative Literature
- Criminology
- English
- French and Francophone Studies
- German
- History
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Psychology of Leadership
- Russian & Comparative Literature
- Sociology
- Spanish
Copper:
- Economics
Drab:
- Human Resources & Employment Relations
- Labor and Global Workers' Rights
Royal Blue:
- Philosophy
Peacock Blue:
- Public Policy
Light Blue:
- Teaching English as a Second Language
College of Medicine
Golden Yellow:
- Anatomy
- Biostatistics
- Biomedical Sciences
- Clinical Research
- Epidemiology
- Neuroscience
Gray:
- Laboratory Animal Medicine
Salmon Pink:
- Public Health
Nese College of Nursing
Apricot:
- Nursing
Eberly College of Science
Golden Yellow:
- Applied Statistics
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Biochemistry, Microbiology, & Molecular Biology
- Chemistry
- Forensic Science
- Mathematics
- Neuroscience
- Physics
- Statistics
University College
Sage Green:
- Occupational Therapy