Academic Dress
You should wear the Oxford gown (eg. commoner's, scholar's, senior status), academic cap, and where appropriate the hood, to which you have previously been entitled, with subfusc. For men this should be a dark suit and socks, black shoes, white shirt and collar and white bow tie. Women should wear a dark skirt or trousers (and dark coat if desired), white blouse, black tie, black tights or stockings and black shoes. Stiletto heels are not allowed, so as to protect the flooring in the Sheldonian.
Please bear in mind that if you are not dressed as the regulations require you are likely to have to forego being presented for your degree in person. The Proctors have particularly asked Deans of Degrees to enforce the dress-requirement for ceremonies and they have instructed the Bedels not to grant admission to the ceremony any graduands who are not in the correct academic dress.
If you are taking a degree in person and other degrees in absentia at the same ceremony you should arrive wearing the academic dress appropriate to your status before admission to any of the degrees to be conferred. Please do not hesitate to ask us if you have any queries about academic dress.
Gowns and hoods may be hired from Shepherd and Woodward (tel. 01865 249491), who will both deliver to and collect from College. Payment must be made to Shepherd and Woodward in advance for this service. The College is unable to provide academic dress.
After being admitted to their new degree, the new graduates re-enter the Sheldonian in the gowns and hoods of the degree they have just taken. It is possible to hire gowns, hoods and academic caps. The College can arrange for a College scout to attend outside the Sheldonian with the gown and hood for the degree which you are about to take. If you do choose to ask a member of the College staff for this service it would be proper to offer a gratuity (£5 is thought to be reasonable).
The Oxford tradition is to admit candidates to the MA, DD, DCL, DM, and MCh in the name of the Trinity, which involves kneeling to be touched on the head with a copy of the New Testament. Please let the College Office know at the time you book your place if you would prefer that this part of the ceremony be omitted.
