Cap and Gown
All graduating students are issued Rockhurst regalia for hooding, pinning, and commencement events. For all degrees, "regalia" includes a cap and gown, with special hoods and attire to denote completing a master's or doctoral degree. Regalia is issued at no cost to the student and is the required dress code for Commencement and Commencement Mass.
Students graduating with a master's or doctoral degree will receive a hood with their regalia. Please bring this hood with you to the hooding ceremonies, as you will be officially hooded onstage.
Graduates will receive a link to order their graduation regalia in their Rockhurst email account several months before commencement, hooding or pinning event with strict adherence to given deadlines to ensure that regalia is delivered on time to every student. Emails to students are sent as follows:
- Master's or doctoral degree will receive an email in the fall for the December hooding ceremony and in the spring for the May hooding ceremony. Hooding ceremonies are different from the May commencement ceremony.
- Undergraduates with nursing degrees will receive an email in the fall for the December and the spring for the May pinning ceremony.
- Undergraduate degrees will receive an email for the commencement ceremony in the spring.
If you have not received this email by the beginning of April and still need to order your cap and gown, contact graduation@rockhurst.edu ASAP.
What is included in your regalia package:
- Bachelor's Degree: Blue and white tassel, flat black mortarboard sure-fit cap, black gown
- Master's Degree: Black tassel, flat black mortarboard sure-fit cap, black gown with extended sleeve drape and hood with specific velvet discipline color:
- EMBA, MA, MS, MBA Business degrees — Drab colored velvet hood with RU blue and white satin
- M.Ed. degrees — Light blue colored velvet hood with RU blue and white satin
- MSN Nursing degrees — Apricot-colored velvet hood with RU blue and white satin
- Doctoral Degrees: (see specific discipline colors below)
- DPT Physical Therapy degrees — Short fat gold tassel on Teal velvet tam, black gown with three Teal velvet sleeve stripes, Teal velvet hood with RU blue & white satin
- Ed.D. Education degrees — Short fat gold tassel on black velvet tam, black gown with three light blue velvet sleeve stripes, light blue velvet hood with RU blue and white satin
- OTD degrees — Short fat gold tassel on black velvet tam, black gown with three black velvet sleeve stripes, Sage velvet hood with RU blue and white satin
All graduating students wear their tassels on the right of their caps until their degree is conferred at the commencement ceremony. All graduates ceremoniously move their tassels from the right to the left as an entire class at the direction of the president following completion of the degree conferrals.
Graduation Cap Decoration Guidelines
Decorations on graduation caps (mortar boards) symbolize pride and accomplishment. The decorations represent a personalized statement about accomplishments that can be presented as a quote or images.
To ensure that commencement exercises remain dignified celebrations of the achievement of all students, the following rules must be followed when decorating caps for graduation:
- Only the flat-top black cap may be decorated.
- Decorations are prohibited on academic gowns and hoods.
- Decorations must be compliant with the code of conduct for Rockhurst University and in line with the mission and values of RU.
- Decorations may not hang off the sides of the cap.
- Decorations should not interfere with attaching the tassel to the cap.
- Only flat embellishments are allowed as others may interfere with the view of students seated behind you.
- Symbols, words, or slogans that can be construed as inappropriate or degrading are not allowed.
Graduation Announcements
Herff Jones has a variety of graduation announcements (invitations) and Rockhurst commencement memorabilia, including class rings, diploma covers, and more, available to graduates and their guests. To order, visit this link.
Honor Cords and Graduation Stoles
Rockhurst University holds all of its graduates in high esteem. In addition to the traditional cap and gown regalia, specific students who have excelled academically are entitled to wear honor cords, and graduation stoles may also be worn to signify achievement through or membership in college organizations. Graduation stoles and honor cords must be in keeping with the decorum of the event and the following guidelines:
- Honor Cords - An Honor Cord is a token consisting of twisted cords with tassels on either end. Their wearing signifies specific academic achievement or membership in a recognized academic honor group or society. By tradition, more than one cord may be worn simultaneously. A gold honor cord will be provided by Rockhurst for students graduating with Latin honors (Cum laude, Magna cum laude, and Summa cum laude). Those cords will be given on the day of graduation. All other cords will be provided by the organization that you are involved in.
- Graduation Stole: A graduation stole is a decorative vestment worn by students who are members of college organizations to recognize membership or achievement. It is a cloth scarf-like garment worn over the shoulders adorned with the awarding Society's colors and/or insignia. You may purchase a personalized stole at your expense at the Herf Jones website, or you may receive a stole from the university organization in which you are involved that the Provost's office has preapproved.
No other stoles will be allowed with your regalia. Any student wanting to wear a non-university stole must submit an email to graduation@rockhurst.edu for approval for these graduation accessories to be worn at commencement, hooding or pinning. All such accessories must be approved each year to be worn at graduation. Requests will be answered within seven business days. The deadline for completing this request is November 1 for the anticipated fall semester hooding and pinning ceremony and April 1 for the anticipated spring semester graduation.
Organization Approval Process:
If your organization has been approved for either cords or stoles and you are making NO CHANGES to the design or color, this approval is still valid, and you do NOT need to request approval again.
If your organization has not been approved in the past, you are unsure of prior approval, or you are making ANY changes to design or color, please email graduation@rockhurst.edu with the details of the changes and a photo of the design. You will receive notification within 7 days whether your request was approved or declined.
Doctoral Graduation Accessories
Students graduating with doctoral degrees have more elaborate commencement regalia. Watch this quick video to learn how to dress in your doctoral regalia.
Foot Wear
We suggest students consider their footwear for the events. Students participating in ceremonies inside Arrupe Auditorium must navigate the stairs and be walking throughout campus for the day. In Municipal Auditorium, the procession from the lower to the main level is a long walk on steep ramps. Students will also be maneuvering stairs during the event. Immediately following the ceremony, students will begin the Hawk Walk a few blocks to KC Live.