How to wear your doctoral cap and gown for commencement

Congratulations! You’ve made it through your doctoral program, and you’ve learned to thrive!

Arizona State University
4 min readMay 5, 2018
Congratulations, graduates!

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the thesis, lectures and presentations — and you’ve learned to thrive! Whether you’re graduating with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, figuring out how to wear your cap and gown might be one of your most crucial moments at Arizona State University.

Don’t let wardrobe confusion get in the way of your proud day. Check this article for tips on how to wear your doctoral cap and gown!

How to wear your doctoral cap and gown:

Hang up your gown on a hanger ASAP! You might have outgrown others telling you to pick up your clothes from the floor, but it’s never too late for a reminder — trust us, you really need to hang your gown. 😉

Only cool iron or steam your gown. Do not wash or dry clean it. After all, no one wants a wrinkled — or worse — shrunken gown!

Remember: The zipper should zip up the front and the sleeves should fall below the elbow and above the palm of the hand.

Your hemline should fall below the knee and above the ankle. Whether you wear flats or heels, it won’t affect the hemline.

Fasten the hood around your neck and drape it down your back. Fasten the cord to the front of your shirt, dress or gown.

Now for a quick check: Make sure the hood’s velvet portion is displayed and everything is even. 👍

Now, you may be wondering, “What about my cap?”

Read on:

The front of the cap is indicated by the crown area, and the bottom of the cap should be 1 inch above your eyebrows. It should also be flat and level with the floor.

The tam should be flat and level to the floor.

The tassel needs to be on the left, near your temple.

Once you’re done putting on your cap, you’re set!

Congratulations, graduate!

Watch the whole video:

Not what you were looking for?

Check these videos on how to wear your bachelor’s cap and gown or how to wear your master’s cap and gown.

Now that you’re all dressed up …

Here are the best scenic spots around ASU campuses to take your commencement photos.

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