Academic dress of the University

The academic dress of the University is different, depending on the course a student has studied, or position an academic or officer holds.

We have created a gallery of the most commonly seen academic robes, based on those worn at recent graduations.

There are other robes that have been used historically but are no longer in common use. Some of these are related to courses we no longer teach, while others were designed for specific people or positions.

You can find out further detail about the historical aspects of our academic dress after the gallery.

The history of our academic dress

The academic dress of the University of Dundee was designed to emphasise in certain ways the special association of the University with the City and Royal Burgh of Dundee, the patron saint of which is Saint Mary The Virgin.

The colour by long tradition associated with Saint Mary The Virgin is 'liturgical' blue, and her symbol is the madonna lily, which appears conspicuously in the City Coat of Arms.

The City-University association is evoked in the academic dress by the use of the colour (Stewart Blue - BCC149) nearest to 'liturgical' blue in the robes of the:

• principal officers of the University;
• in the facings of the Rector's robe;
• in the body of doctors' robes and capes of doctors' hoods;
• and in the yokes and frontal embellishments of student gowns.

Both Scotland and The Virgin Mary are called to mind by the use of the thistle and by the fleur-de-lis (as an echo of the lily) in preference to the more usual frogging on the sleeves of the Chancellor's and Vice Chancellor's robes.

Chancellor

A robe of Stewart blue (BCC149) damask with bag sleeves, the latter having an inverted T arm-slit braided in gold. The sleeves are decorated with a gold wire fleur-de-lis at the shoulder, above the arm-slit, and with four pairs of gold wire thistles below the arm-slit, each pair separated from the next by a single gold wire fleur-de-lis. The robe is long, reaching to within 3 or 4 inches of the ground, and is faced and trimmed with gold braid. It has a flap collar and a short train*, the rear having a central inverted pleat trimmed on the edges with gold braid and headed by a single gold fleur-de-lis, two gold thistles being disposed one on either side of the pleat a little below the fleur-de-lis.

Headdress: trencher cap in Stewart blue velvet, braided and tasselled in gold.

*train for the first Chancellor, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, only

Vice-Chancellor

A robe of Stewart blue damask with bag sleeves, the latter having an inverted T arm-slit braided in silver. The sleeves are decorated with a silver wire fleur-de-lis at the shoulder, above the arm-slit, and with three pairs of silver wire thistles below the arm-slit; each pair separated from the next by a single silver wire fleur-de-lis. The robe is long, reaching to within 3 or 4 inches of the ground, and has a flap collar. The robe and collar are faced and trimmed with silver braid.

Headdress: trencher cap in Stewart blue, braided and tasselled in silver.

Rector

A robe of Union Jack red (BCC210) ottoman with Stewart blue yoke collar and facings (full length facings of 5 inch width) also in ottoman. The sleeves are 'cape' sleeves (as opposed to 'bell' sleeves) of the same style as student gown sleeves but fuller.

Headdress: trencher cap in Stewart blue with silk tassel of Union Jack red.

The Rector's robe is an elaboration of the student gown (see 'Students' below) and is so designed with the purpose of signifying the special relationship between the Rector of a Scottish University and the students.

Doctors

A Stewart blue ottoman robe with yoke collar; bell shaped sleeves; cuffs to the sleeves and facings in colour corresponding to the cowl lining colour of the hood of the appropriate degree.

Hoods: cowl shape similar to Aberdeen hood, having no liripipe, shallow in depth and falling naturally open when worn so as to expose the lining to view; but with cape of oblong form (as opposed to the pear shape of Aberdeen) having rounded bottom corners. The obverse of the cape and the exterior of the cowl are of Stewart blue ottoman; the reverse of the cape and the cowl lining are in ottoman of the degree colour.For degree colours see Appendix.

Doctors' robes of the style described above have been prescribed for the degrees of LLD, DLitt, MD, DDSc and DSc; and with these robes the hood of the degree is worn. The robe for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is similar to the black Master's gown (see 'Masters' below) with the addition of Stewart-blue facings. The doctoral hood is worn with this robe.

Headdress: (other than for PhD) black velvet Tudor bonnet with silk cord of the degree colour. PhD: black trencher cap with eggshell blue tassel.

Masters

Black stuff gown of traditional style with bag sleeves, the point facing forward.

Hoods: shape as for Doctors' hoods but with cape obverse and cowl exterior in black ottoman. For degree colours see Appendix.

Headdress: black trencher cap with black silk tassel.

Bachelors

Gowns as for Masters.

Hoods: shape as for Doctors and Masters, but trimmed on the cowl edging with white fur or fur substitute; the lining colours as for the appropriate Doctors' or Masters' degrees; cape obverse and cowl exterior in black ottoman.

Headdress: as for Masters.

Students

A gown of nap material in Union Jack red (BCC210) with cape sleeves and with a yoke and collar and abbreviated square patch facings in serge or flannel of Stewart blue.

Headdress: black trencher cap with black silk tassel.

Honorary Doctors

Honorary doctoral graduands are habited for the degree ceremony in the full attire of the degree conferred.

Assessors

The Chancellor's Assessor and the Rector's Assessor if graduates of any university may wear the academic dress appropriate to their degree. Otherwise the Chancellor's Assessor wears a gown of Stewart blue damask with bag sleeves, having inverted T slit, and flap collar. The facings, collar and arm-slits of this gown are embellished with a narrow band of gold oakleaf braid. The gown of the Rector's Assessor is of Stewart blue damask with cape sleeves, bearing facings and a yoke collar of Union Jack red ottoman.

Headdress: none.

The Assessor of the Graduates' Council wears the academic dress appropriate to his or her degree.

Other Lay Members of the Court

A gown of Geneva pattern, with long open sleeves, in Stewart blue poplin; each front facing bears a badge of the University coat of arms.Headdress: none.