Graduation

We are proud of our graduates

The University of Wollongong's graduation ceremony enshrines centuries of tradition, which date back to medieval times. The gowns worn by our graduates are fashioned after the dress of the medieval clergy who, at the time, held a virtual monopoly on learning and the granting of licences to teach.

Morining Tea after the Graduation Ceremony

We have chosen royal blue gowns for all of our graduates. The hoods, originally a useful head cover, are now worn over the shoulders and are lined with different coloured silks and trims. Since 1600 a graduates' hood colour has denoted her or his university and degree. The headwear worn by graduates dates back to 17th century Oxford and Cambridge: degree graduates wear blue, tasselled trenchers or mortar boards while doctoral graduates wear black, velvet Tudor bonnets with coloured tassels.

A graduation ceremony is in many ways an historical pageant but is, above all, a celebration of individual achievement and the continuing role of the University.