Academic dress of Imperial College London

Graduates and associates of Imperial College London wear its academic dress. After gaining its independence from the University of London in 2007,[1] graduates began wearing Imperial academic dress in 2008. The unifying colour for Imperial's academic dress is purple after the work by William Henry Perkin.[2][3]

Academic dress worn at Commemoration Day graduation

First degrees

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All hoods for first degrees are black, part lined with white watered silk, with a narrow purple velvet band. Graduates are distinguished by the colour of the neckband, which denotes the faculty. No hat is worn.

Postgraduates

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Postgraduate gowns

Postgraduate masters students wear a black hood, fully lined with white watered silk, with a narrow purple velvet band. As with first degree recipients, the faculty is denoted by neckband colour and no hat is worn.

Colours

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The neckband colour is associated with the faculty in which the degree was taken, rather than the name of the degree.[4]

Engineering - (BSc (Engineering), BEng, MEng, MSci, MSc and MRes) Silver Grey

Medicine - (MBBS, MSc, MEd, MRes and MPH) Scarlet

Science - (BSc, MSci, MSc, MRes) Saffron

Humanities - (MSc and MRes) Purple, bound white watered silk

Business - (MSc, MBA and MRes) Pink

PG certificate and diploma recipients wear black neckbands. MPhil graduates also wear black neckbands, but wear a hood that is fully lined with purple, with a narrow white band.[5]

Doctorates

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Using the Groves classification system, PhD, DEng and MD graduates wear a Cambridge doctors [d1] shape gown of purple cloth, with front facings of white watered silk with a 1" purple velvet ribbon ½" from outside edges of facings. The sleeves are purple and held back with white twisted cords and buttons. The hood is purple, fully lined and bound around the gown with ½" white watered silk, and with a purple velvet ribbon ½" from the cowl edge. Research doctorate recipients wear a hat, which is a black velvet Tudor bonnet with purple cord and tassel.

Imperial DSc recipients wear a similar gown but with the sleeves lined with white watered silk and held back with purple twisted cords and buttons.[6] Their hat is a purple velvet Tudor bonnet with white cord and tassel.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "University of London: Imperial College Leaves University of London". Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  2. ^ "Imperial College London - Academic Dress" (PDF). Burgon Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Imperial students celebrate in largest ever Postgraduate Graduation Ceremonies | Imperial News | Imperial College London". 6 May 2015.
  4. ^ Nicholas Groves, Shaw's Academical Dress of Great Britain and Ireland (Burgon Society, 2011)
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Academic dress". Imperial College London. Retrieved 28 March 2023.