Academic dress
What you'll wear
If you're graduating at a ceremony, you'll wear the traditional academic dress of black gown, a hood or a stole and a mortarboard.
RMIT’s academic dress is based on the Oxford style, and exactly what you wear is determined by your program’s discipline and the level of award you receive, e.g. diploma, bachelor, master.
Scroll down for colours and sizes.
Hire your academic dress
For the Melbourne Graduation Ceremony and Parade
| Collection |
Pick up your academic dress at one of our Gown and Ticket events. |
| Cost |
The cost is included in your graduation fee. |
| Return | As you leave the ceremony. |
Not attending the Melbourne Ceremony?
If you've already graduated, you can hire academic dress between April and September.
Complete the Academic dress hire request form and:
- email it to graduation@rmit.edu.au, or
- post it to:
Academic dress hire request
Exams, Awards and Graduations
RMIT University
GPO Box 2476
Melbourne Vic 3001
We'll then email you a direct link to our online payment system where you can pay by VISA or MasterCard. Remember to bring a copy of your receipt when you collect your academic dress.
| Cost | $60 + $150 deposit. |
| Collection and Return | When: April to September, Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Where: RMIT Building 88, Level 9 - 440 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne 3000 |
We'll refund the deposit to your credit card within approximately three business days after you return the items hired (unless any items are lost, returned damaged or late - then we may retain it).
Colours of hoods and stoles
The colour of your hood or stole represents your program’s discipline.
Diploma graduates will wear a stole, while degree graduates wear hoods. If you're graduating with a double degree you are entitled to wear two hoods, one for each discipline.
Professional Doctors wear a black gown faced with the colour of their award discipline.
| Discipline | Colour | Discipline | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Science | Honeysuckle | Law | White |
| Architecture | Cherry | Nursing | Fuschia |
| Arts | Magenta | Pharmacy | Opaline green |
| Business | Heliotrope | Public Health | Peacock green |
| Design | Silver grey | Social Science | Buttercup |
| Education | Turquoise | Social Work | Powder blue |
| Engineering | Spectrum blue | Technology | Spectrum green |
| Health Science | Violet | Doctor of Philosophy | Scarlet red |
Gown sizes
Your gown size is determined by your height and is intended to be loose fitting.
Gown size |
cm |
feet and inches |
|---|---|---|
XS |
156 and under |
5' 1" and under |
S |
157–166 |
5' 2" to 5' 5" |
M |
167–176 |
5' 6" to 5' 9" |
L |
177–186 |
5' 10" to 6' 1" |
XL |
187 and over |
6' 2" and over |
Mortarboard sizes
You'll wear a mortarboard (or cap) made from black cloth with a folding crown and a black tassel. Mortarboards are loose fitting and may need to be secured with hair clips.
Size |
cm |
|---|---|
Small |
53–55 |
Medium |
56–59 |
Large |
60–63 |
To determine your size, measure the circumference of your head just above the ears.
Doctorate bonnets
If you're graduating with a doctorate you'll wear a black velvet Tudor bonnet with a coloured cord and tassel.
Need help?
Email your questions to graduation@rmit.edu.au.
