Academic Regalia

The full academic regalia consists of a traditional gown, a hood, and a mortarboard or a cap with tassel. The origin of academic dress dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking form. The original dress of a scholar was the dress of a cleric. As buildings in those days were unheated, long gowns with hoods were worn for protection against the cold.

Gown

Black is the most common colour for academic gowns. The gown for the bachelor’s degrees has pointed sleeves, while the gown for master’s degrees has oblong sleeves. The doctoral gown is faced down the front with black or coloured velvet, three bars of the same colour across the sleeves, and typically has bell-shaped sleeves. All SMU gowns are designed to be worn closed.

Mortarboard

The mortarboard is usually square with a tassel attached to the middle point of the top of the cap. The tassel is usually black but may be gold for the doctoral degree. At commencement, graduates traditionally wear the tassel on the right side, moving it to the left when their degrees are conferred. Faculty participating in academic ceremonies wear the tassel to the left throughout the proceedings.

Hoods

The colours of the hood signify the field of study.

Co-curricular Cord

(only applicable to bachelor’s degree graduands)

The co-curricular cord for SMU bachelor’s degree graduands signifies their growth and achievements in co-curricular and out-of-classroom experiences (including community service, internship and in addition, global exposure) which are a hallmark of an SMU undergraduate education. All SMU bachelor’s degree graduands will don the SMU co-curricular cord as part of their graduation academic regalia. The SMU co-curricular cord is draped around the neck with the ends hanging down evenly on either side.

Gonfalons & Mace

Gonfalons

The school gonfalons carry the SMU crest in the centre against a white backdrop. The lower portion of each gonfalon has the school’s name fully spelt out in white against the designated colour of each school.

University Mace

The university mace represents the university’s power to grant degrees. Featuring a “retro-modernist” design, the mace incorporates the traditional metaphors of a mace with modern aesthetics suitable for the 21st century beginnings of a university.

The “SINGAPORE 2000” text at the top of the headset suggests hierarchy, with the country and state at the very pinnacle. The three sectional banners of the headset bear the symbol of the “Tangram Lion”, representing SMU. The three sectional banners also represent the values of SMU in innovative pedagogy, research, and educational excellence. The three jadeite inserts on the sides symbolise the staff and students of SMU, the community at large, and Singapore.