Academic dress of the University of Oxford: Encyclopedia II - Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Graduate dress

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Graduate dress

See also Degrees of Oxford University.

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - BA and MA

The two most common graduate gowns in Oxford are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) gowns, which are worn by new graduates of whatever subject. The degree of Masters of Arts is granted to graduates 21 terms after matriculation, and is one of the most significant degrees as it historically conferred full membership of the University. It is hence frequently worn even by people who have a higher degree, such as a doctorate.

The BA gown is a long black clerical-type gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists. The gown is gathered at the yoke. The MA gown is similar to the BA gown, except that the long sleeves are squared and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end, and a horizontal slit just above the elbow for the arm to pass through.

The hoods are as follows:

• MA — black silk edged and lined with crimson / shot crimson silk
• BA — black silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Doctors

Doctors in Oxford have three forms of academic dress: undress, full dress and convocation dress.

The undress gown in the lay faculties is a black lay-type gown with a flap collar and closed sleeves, decorated with black silk lace, . The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood, which is scarlet lined with coloured silk:

• DM, DCL — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with crimson silk
• DLitt, DSc — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with grey silk
• DPhil — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with dark blue silk

The full dress gown is a scarlet clerical-type gown, with open bell-shaped sleeves and gathered at the yoke. The sleeves and facings are in the appropriate coloured silk. The full dress gown of Doctors of Music is exceptional (see below). Full dress gowns are normally worn with sub-fusc, but never with a hood.

The convocation habit or chimere is like a scarlet full-dress gown, except in that it has no sleeves, is fully lined with silk of the appropriate colour, and closed at the front. It is worn over the black undress gown, with the sleeves of the undress gown pulled through the armhole of the chemir. It is always worn with white tie, bands and hood. A similar garment (in scarlet or black) is worn over a white rochet by bishops in the Church of England e.g. when sitting in the House of Lords.

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Lay higher faculties

Members with postgraduate bachelors or masters degrees in the lay higher faculties (i.e. those other than Divinity or Arts) wear gowns almost identical to the lay doctors' undress gowns.

The hoods of bachelors and masters of the lay higher faculties are as follows:

• MCh — black silk edged and lined with dark blue silk
• BM BCh, BCL — steel blue silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
• MLitt, MSc — light blue silk edged and lined with grey silk
• BLitt, BSc (no longer awarded) — light blue silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
• BMus — lilac silk half lined and bound with white rabbit fur
• MPhil, BPhil — dark blue silk edged and lined with white silk

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Divinity

Bachelors and doctors of Divinity, unlike their counterparts in the other higher faculties, do not wear the black silk laced gown but wear a black undress gown of the clerical type, identical to the MA gown, but in silk rather than stuff. This is worn with a cassock, cincture and scarf.

Doctors of divinity also have the scarlet full dress gown and the scarlet convocation habit, which is worn over the black silk gown.

The hoods in the faculty of divinity are as follows:

• DD — scarlet cloth (full shape) lined with black silk
• BD — black silk (full shape) lined with black silk

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Music

Doctors of music have no convocation habit. Instead of scarlet the full dress gown is made of cream silk brocade with apple blossom embroidery, with cherry silk sleeves. The hood worn with the undress gown is of the same materials:

• DMus — cream apple blossom silk brocade (full shape) lined with cherry silk

Academic dress of the University of Oxford - Other masters' and bachelors' degrees

The newer masters degrees follow with the silk gown of the lay higher faculties, and the following hoods:

• MBA — claret silk edged and lined with dark blue silk
• MSt — deep green silk edged and lined with white silk
• MEd (no longer awarded) — black silk edged and lined with green silk
• MTh — black silk edged and lined with magenta silk

Holders of the MJur degree wear the BCL hood.

The newer bachelors' degrees follow with the stuff gown of the BA, and the following hoods:

• BFA — black silk with a narrow band of gold silk
• BEd (no longer awarded) — black silk with a narrow band of green silk
• BTh — black silk with a narrow band of magenta silk just like KDW.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Graduate dress", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki