Regalia Guidelines

Guidelines for academic regalia at convocation

The purpose of the university's guidelines for academic regalia at convocation is to allow for inclusion while maintaining the tradition of academic regalia.

General protocol:

• Graduands are to wear the appropriate gown and hood for the degree being conferred at the convocation ceremony.

• Graduands from certificate programs wear blue bachelor gowns without a hood.

• Graduands from professional master’s diploma programs wear black master’s gowns without a hood. 

• At Toronto Metropolitan University mortarboards are only worn by graduands receiving their PhD.

Exceptions and other considerations:

• Indigenous graduands are encouraged to wear their traditional attire to convocation. They may choose to wear the academic gown and hood over top of their traditional attire, they may choose to wear only the hood, or they may choose to participate wearing only their traditional attire.

• Graduands who are in the Canadian Armed Forces, police services or fire and emergency services may choose to wear their uniform without an academic gown. The hood should still be worn and placed directly on the uniform or carried over the left arm.

• Academic stoles. There are currently three academic stoles worn at convocation: Black Excellence stole, Indigenous stole and LGBTQIA2S+ stole. Endorsed by an official office or committee on campus, these stoles are distributed prior to convocation for graduands who self-identified and requested a stole during their application to graduate.
  
  Learn more about the Black Excellence stole and the Indigenous stole intiatives. 

• Items that are not permitted to be worn over or along with academic regalia are: country flags, sports team fan items (flags, hats, scarves etc.), student group buttons or other items affixed to the gown or hood. If a graduand is wearing any of these items along with their academic regalia they will be asked to remove it.
• Along with their academic regalia, graduands may wear honour cords, achieved through other designations or programs, signifying their academic achievements.