Academical dress code - St Edmund's College

St Edmund’s College
Cambridge CB3 0BN
Telephone Cambridge (01223) 767068 Fax (01223) 336111
FROM THE PRAELECTOR
ACADEMICAL DRESS
Dress at Congregations: advice to those proceeding to degrees
University dress code website:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/degrees/dress/
The following rules apply to academical dress worn by those proceeding to
degrees:
(1) A person being admitted to a degree by incorporation or to the M.A. degree
under Statute B, III, 6 wears the gown and hood of the degree he or she is to
receive.
(2) A person who already holds a degree or degrees of Cambridge University wears the
gown and hood of the highest degree he or she has already received from this University
(except that a person being admitted to the M. B. under Special Regulation 7 for the
conferment of the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery is allowed if he or she is a
B. A. but holds no higher degree than B. Chir., to wear the B. A. gown and hood).
(3) Any person who does not hold a degree from Cambridge University (e.g. an
undergraduate) when being admitted to a degree wears as appropriate his or her
undergraduate, B.A. status or M.A. status gown, with the hood of the degree, or the higher
of the degrees, which he or she is to receive.
(4) Under no circumstances should the academical dress of another university be worn by
a graduand.
(5) For those wearing gowns appropriate to PhD or higher degrees, Scarlet is worn only
on Scarlet Days (normally the only Congregations which fall on Scarlet Days are the days
of General Admission). As a consequence all graduands wear either undergraduate or
plain black gowns as appropriate.
(6) The only form of head-dress which may be worn with academical dress (and the use of
head-dress is optional) is the square (or the bonnet for doctors on Scarlet Days), unless an
exception is made for religious reasons. Graduands may not, however, wear a square or
bonnet in the Senate House; it must be carried.

St Edmund’s College
Cambridge CB3 0BN
Telephone Cambridge (01223) 767068 Fax (01223) 336111
(7) Men will wear bands except when service uniform (see below) or national dress is
worn. Women need not wear bands.
Hair colouring and style
Exaggerated hair styles and /or colouring are inappropriate for such a ceremony, and
graduands should be encouraged to adopt a conventional neat and tidy hairstyle.
National, clerical and military dress
National dress or clerical dress or military uniform may be worn by both men and women
with academical dress as an alternative to the dress indicated below. Hood and gown are
still worn. If candidates are presented in service dress or national costume they do not
wear white tie and bands unless it is a normal part of that dress or costume and it they
bring head-dress it should be appropriate to the uniform or costume worn. National dress
should be approved by Praelectors: if in doubt about a particular costume, Praelectors
should consult the Esquire Bedells well before the date of the Congregation.
Congregation at Senate House
Please note that it is absolutely inappropriate to use chewing gum, to take photographs
and for guests to clap during the congregation ceremony.
Praelector: Dr Michael Robson