How to Wear an Academic Hood

Putting On Your Own Hood

Determine your university’s policies for hoods. How you wear your hood will depend on your whether you put it on yourself, or a professor places the hood on you at your ceremony. If you’re participating in a hooding ceremony, you may need to drape your hood over your arm or shoulder while you wait for it to be placed over your neck. Ask your university about your specific hooding timeline and instructions.

Unfold your hood. Your hood will likely come folded up in a plastic bag or on a hanger. Shake out the hood so it’s fully extended. Then place it on a flat surface so you can ensure that it’s properly prepared before you put it on or drape it over your arm or shoulder.

Turn out the velvet lining. Your hood will have a velvet lining that extends down from the top, or where you’ll be putting your head. This brightly colored velvet indicates your degree, so it should be facing out. You don’t want to hide the colors that show your accomplishments!

Turn out the satin trim. About halfway down the velvet lining, most hoods will have a satin trim that reflects the school colors. Fold this out so that the velvet remains visible on the top half of the hood, and the trim is showing on the bottom half. Hoods will also generally include a small button and cord that you can secure horizontally across this halfway-point to keep the satin trim visible. This fold should be right below your shoulder blades when the hood is placed over your head.

Place the hood over your head. An academic hood is meant to drape down your back. You should also make sure the small, pointed end of the hood, usually also lined in velvet, is laid flat at the base of your neck. Remove your graduation cap or tam when you put on your hood, as you don't want your hat to get tangled up in your hood.

Secure the hood using the cord and a button or pin. Most hoods include a small cord that hangs off the triangular end that goes around your neck. Loop this cord around a shirt button or a purposefully made button inside your graduation gown to keep the hood safely in place. Once the hood has been secured to your clothing or the inside of your academic gown, you may close your robe. If you are not wearing a shirt or dress with buttons and your gown does not come with a specially made button, you can use a safety pin instead. If your hood doesn’t come with a cord, or the cord breaks, use a thick needle and sturdy yarn to create a homemade cord. Be sure to use a color that won’t clash with the hood, likely black.

Ask a family member or friend to check the folding. You may jostle the folding when you put the hood over your head. Because it will be out of easy reach once it’s down your back, you’ll want another person handy in case they need to fix it.

Being Hooded At the Ceremony

Bring your academic hood to the graduation ceremony. Your superiors, professors, and school heads will award you with your achievement by placing your earned academic hood on you during the ceremony. At some universities, you will not need to carry your hood with you. Instead, you will be expected to drop off your hood ahead of time. Follow your university's commencement instructions closely.

Drape the folded hood over your arm or shoulder. You’ll want your hood folded in half with the turned-out velvet lining fully visible. The velvet strip should be at the front of your arm, facing outward. The narrow, or neck, end should be facing out from your body. If the hood includes a button and cord, such as for the satin lining, be sure these are unfastened. Your professor will secure them for you during the ceremony.

Carry your draped hood to the stage. You’ll need to check on your program’s policies to be sure you use the correct arm. Most will require you to use to the arm closest to the adorner and furthest from the audience, usually the left. Some university ceremonies, however, may want you to drape your hood over the right arm.

Face away from your adorner and remove your cap. Your hat can get in the way of the hooding ceremony. Remove it and then turn your back to the adorner. This will allow your adorner to smoothly affix the hood to your robes.

Allow your adorner to hood you. Your adorner will lift the hood over your head and place it on your shoulders. They will then align the cord with your neck. Your adorner will place the velvet lining along your shoulders so the hood flows smoothly down your back and turn the bottom half of the hood out so the satin lining shows. Finally, the adorner will fasten the cord across the middle of the hood to secure the fold.

Acquiring the Correct Hood

Purchase or rent academic regalia. Most universities will give you the option of either purchasing or renting academic regalia. For most people, renting academic regalia is more cost effective. However, if you are planning on becoming a professor, you might be expected to wear regalia as a faculty member at future events. In that case, purchasing your own regalia might be more efficient.

Consult your university policies about regalia. Many universities have a specific provider of academic regalia and will not permit you to purchase regalia elsewhere. Other universities will allow you to buy or rent regalia from any provider you choose, or perhaps borrow regalia from an alumna. Always adhere to your specific school's regalia requirements so that you are allowed to participate fully in commencement exercises.

Tell your regalia provider which degree you’re earning. Different types of degrees require varying academic hoods. To make sure that you acquire the correct kind of hood, inform your provider whether you are earning an Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, or Doctoral degree. An Associate's degree hood is usually worn flat against the back like a cape or cowl. Note that Associate's hoods are not as commonly worn as graduate degree hoods--you might not need a hood to be a part of your regalia. A Bachelor's degree hood is 3 feet long and does not end in a sharp point. Note that Bachelor's hoods are not as commonly worn as graduate degree hoods--you might not need a hood to be a part of your regalia. A Master's degree hood is 3.5 feet long and comes to a point at the bottom. A Doctoral hood is the longest hood at 4 feet long. It has the sharpest point and also the largest trim of all hoods.

Provide your seller with the name of your institution. If you’re not using the university provider, it’s important to double check that your regalia adheres to school standards. Make sure that your regalia provider has all the relevant institutional information so that you match your fellow graduates.

Inform your provider of your field. American universities have a standard set of colors that indicate your field of study, rather than just your degree. These fields determine the color of the velvet trim that lines your hood. European universities are not standardized in the same way as American universities. Check with your institution to make sure you are purchasing the correct academic hood. Law students, for example, wear hoods trimmed in purple, while all Ph.D. students wear hoods trimmed in royal blue.