Cap & Gown Information

All students will be able to purchase a cap and gown through the University Bookstore. The cap and gown will be shipped directly to each student’s home or available for pick-up at the bookstore for on-campus students.

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The History of the Cap & Gown

The blue cap and gown that you wear for Commencement has a long tradition. Caps, gowns, and hoods were first worn at university functions in Europe during the Middle Ages when monks and students found them necessary for warmth in the cold and drafty castles and centers of learning. Until well into the 19th century, it was customary for many American college students to wear gowns while in daily residence or at meals. This practice has ceased to exist and, except for some British and European schools, few colleges request students to wear gowns except at Commencement exercises.