Academic Dress

All Graduands attending a ceremony are required to wear academic dress and gowns must be hired in advance.

Merging legacy City and St George's resources

As we bring together resources for Clerkenwell & Moorgate (legacy City) and Tooting (legacy St George’s) students, some content may be specific to one campus and not the other. For the most relevant information, try using specific keywords or exploring content related to your department. If you need help, our support teams are available to guide you.

Clerkenwell & Moorgate students can use Support@City

Tooting students can contact studentlifecentre@sgul.ac.uk.

Selecting and hiring your academic dress

City St George's University of London uses a company called Ede and Ravenscroft as our preferred supplier to provide academic dress.

Gowns can be hired online but you should read the notes below first to ensure that you hire the correct academic dress.

The style of gown differs according to which degree you completed. This is determined by the level of your award (BA/BSc, MA/MSc, PhD, etc). You will also be asked to provide your head circumference, your height and chest size.

If you are unable to use the online ordering facility, you may contact Ede and Ravenscroft directly via their contact form, or on 01223 861 854 (UK callers) or +44 1223 440 949 (callers from outside the UK), but you will not receive the discount offered to graduands ordering online.

If you are still unsure as to which gown you need to hire, please contact the Graduation Team and we will do our best to advise you on which gown you need.

IMPORTANT: Please note when you login to the Ede and Ravenscroft ticketing website, the correct gown/hood/cap will automatically be selected for you. Generic award names such as ‘Bachelors/1st Degrees’, ‘Masters Taught eg. MSc/MA’, ‘Postgraduate Diploma’ or ‘PhD/DPhil’ will appear. Please be assured that this information has been provided by the University itself, and the correct gown/hood/cap will be offered. Please also note that not all photos on the ticketing website will be accurate/relate to City St George's, University of London.

Other gown providers

Whilst the University’s preferred partner is Ede and Ravenscroft, graduands are permitted to use other gown providers if they wish. It is the graduand’s responsibility, however, to make sure any alternative gowns are identical to the one provided by Ede and Ravenscroft - otherwise admission to the graduation ceremony may be refused.

What to wear at graduation

As graduation is a formal occasion, an appropriate standard of dress is expected. For men and women, business wear or formal dress is classed as appropriate. National dress of your home country is also acceptable.

Please note that casual clothes such as jeans, shorts or t-shirts are not suitable and should be avoided.

Clerkenwell and Moorgate Students

The following descriptions should help you decide which level of award to choose and the appropriate dress for each.

LevelAward
Bachelors/1st degrees BA, BSc, BEng, LLB, BMus, MMath, MEng, MSci
Diploma Undergraduate Diploma in Nursing or Midwifery, all Foundation Degrees
Masters degrees (taught Masters) MBA, MA, MSc, MEB, LLM
MPhil MPhil
PG Awards Postgraduate Diplomas, CPE, LPC
PhD/DPhil PhD, DPsych, DMA, DJour etc

Gowns

Award Type of gown required
Bachelors and holders of all Diplomas Gown of black cloth
Masters Gown of black cloth with an inverted T-shaped slit in the sleeves
Doctors other than Higher Doctors (full dress) Gown of maroon cloth similar in shape to the Masters' gown with 2 1/2 inches gold taffeta the outside edge of the facings and quarter inch gold taffeta bindings on the sleeve slits
Higher Doctors Gown of maroon cloth similar in shape to the Masters' gown with 5 inches gold taffeta on the facings and on the bottom of the hanging sleeve and quarter inch gold taffeta bindings on the sleeve slits
All Doctors (undress) Gown of black cloth or similar to the Masters' gown.

Hoods

Award Type of hood required
Undergraduate Diploma/Certificate No hood
Foundation Degrees No hood
Bachelors
Holders of Graduate Certificates
Holders of Graduate Diplomas
Hood of simple shape of maroon cloth lined with gold taffeta with gold neckband
Holders of Postgraduate Certificates
Holders of Postgraduate Diplomas
Hood of full shape of maroon silk but no lining or edging with gold neckband
Masters by Taught Courses Hood of full shape of maroon silk, lined and with both the top edge and the cape edged with half inch gold taffeta with gold neckband
Masters by Research Hood of full shape of maroon silk, lined and with the cape only edged with half inch gold taffeta and with one inch maroon ribbon immediately inside top edge with gold neckband
Doctors other than Higher Doctors Hood of full shape of maroon cloth, lined half maroon and half gold taffeta with gold neckband
Higher Doctors Hood of full shape of cardinal red cloth, lined half maroon and half gold taffeta with gold neckband

Caps

Award Type of cap required
Undergraduates, Bachelors, Holders of all Diplomas and Masters Black cloth mortar board or black soft cap
Doctors other than Higher Doctors (full dress) Round black cloth hat with maroon cord
Higher Doctors (full dress) Round black velvet hat with cord and tassel of maroon and gold
All Doctors (undress) Black cloth mortar board or black soft cap

Note: Since the 2007/08 academic year, the City, University of London has ceased to indicate discipline via neck band colour.

City alumni graduating prior to 2007/08 are entitled to wear either the gold neckband or that with which they graduated.

Approved by Senate 2.7.75
Revised 2.12.87, 23.5.90, 24.6.92, 17.3.93, 23.6.93, 2.3.94, 17.6.98,
Approved (Senate) as regulation 4.07.07

Tooting Students

If you have any questions about which gown to hire, please contact the Graduation Team.