University Academic mortarboard (Bachelor) - Graduation Cap

Product Information

Members of the armed forces may wear service dress under their gown, in place of sub fusc. This is only applicable to members of The British Armed Forces in the UK. Uniform caps should be removed when indoors.

These and other chapters continue the tradition of adopting unique, historical or symbolic local names as their chapter designations, and do not use traditional alphabetized Greek Letter names as are common among other honor societies. [2] The mortarboard cap is also sometimes called a “trencher,” which is short for “trencher cap.” The tassel is made of a cluster of threads, which are traditionally made from silk. These threads are attached together and fastened to a button in the middle of the cap, and are allowed to fall freely over the side of the cap. They may also be plaited together to form a single cord, though the end of the threads are usually left untied. While uncommon in Commonwealth countries, in America, the tassel is traditionally moved from the left side to the right side upon graduation and the conference of a degree.

Traditional wear [ edit ] Two British mortarboards; left one is a folding-skull and the right one is a rigid-skull. Top view of an academical mourning cap as used at Cambridge. Worn by those taking postgraduate taught, or postgraduate research degrees (e.g. MSc, MPhil, DPhil etc.) Like most types of headgear, academic caps typically are not worn by men indoors in the Commonwealth, except for by Chancellors and high officials. In the event the wearer moves indoors, the hat is carried. In some ceremonies, caps are no longer worn by men, and are only worn by women, for whom wearing the cap indoors is acceptable. Some graduation ceremonies have completely abandoned the cap, leading to a popular urban legend in the UK and Ireland that not wearing the cap began as a protest against the admission of female members to universities. The academic cap is also sometimes called the “square” or, more commonly, “mortarboard.” It has become a symbol of higher education and academia, and in some universities it is worn by undergraduates as well as graduates in lieu of the traditional hood. At the University of Cambridge, undergraduates by ancient convention used to cut their tassels very short so that the tassel does not extend beyond the edge of the board. After they graduated, they wore the square cap with the tassel at the normal length. [10] This convention has now fallen into disuse; few people now wear headgear with academic dress at any time and undergraduates in particular have no need to wear the cap.

Due to this influence, both teachers and students ended up wearing clerical clothing. This clothing choice helped teachers and students stay warm. The majority of lectures took part in large, cold stone buildings where the only source of heat was one of the many fires. Wearing robes allowed them to “layer up” underneath without looking out of place. In late Old English or early Middle English the sense was extended to include "table;" hence the transferred meaning "food" (early 14c.), as "that which is served upon a table," especially "daily meals provided at a place of lodging" (late 14c.). Compare boarder, boarding, and Old Norse borð, which also had a secondary sense of "table" and an extended sense "maintenance at table." Hence also above board"honest, open" (1610s; compare modern under the table"dishonest"). Misunderstanding over regulations has contributed to the confusion. For example, Open University no longer prescribes headwear for graduation ceremonies. Likewise, others have done away with the cap for socio-political purposes, or due to designer intent, as with Vivienne Westwood’s design for the ceremonies of King’s College London. The cap, together with the gown and sometimes a hood, now form the customary uniform of a university graduate in many parts of the world, following a British model.This tale is relayed at Durham University, University of Cambridge, University of Bristol, Trinity College of Dublin, and the University of St Andrews among many others. Newcastle University has a similar tale, in which graduates from Durham University threw away their hats to the River Tyne as an act of independence. Andrea Mantegna: Ludovico III Gonzaga (detail from the frescoes of the Camera degli Sposi, 1465–74). Origins [ edit ] Photographic evidence exists proving that the modern style of mortarboard has been in existence since the 1800s. The style and shape changed not only for aesthetic purposes but to keep up with societal progression as well. When women were allowed into university in the United Kingdom, changes had to be made in uniform to compensate for the differences in clothing and bodily shape. Despite these changes, the first mortarboard cap patent was only approved in 1930. Modern Times In the UK, the tassel is shorter and is gathered at the button at the centre of the board. The U.S. style is slightly longer, gathered at a cord attached to the button. More than quarter of a million members have been initiated nationwide, with established careers in numerous fields. Some of the notable alumni are:

For schools where the graduation regalia is rented or borrowed by the student, the tassel might be a part of the rental or provided separately. Some schools that do not provide a tassel for graduates to keep may offer a souvenir tassel that is not worn with the regalia.In most cases, academic caps are not worn indoors by men – with the exception of university Chancellors and other high-ranking officials. Instead, they are typically carried. Other changes have occurred over time. In some graduation ceremonies, caps are no longer worn by men, and are only issued to women – who typically do wear them indoors. Undergraduates/Undergraduate Masters: For music recitals, oral examinations, presentations and any other form of viva voce examination, you must always wear the commoners’ gown.