At USC, all undergraduate and master’s robes are black, while doctoral robes are created custom for the university in a beautiful cardinal.
Undergraduates and master’s degree students may rent or purchase robes from the USC Bookstores for Commencement. Each rental comes with a tassel for the cap that can be removed and kept as a souvenir. The only official regalia decorations offered by USC are undergraduates’ honor cords. However, many students choose to augment their cap and gown with floral leis or customized stoles.
Gowns and hoods of rented regalia should be returned to the drop-off bins located around campus.
New USC Regalia
The new regalia, featuring a USC Shield and cardinal piping, was created to enhance and personalize the USC commencement experience. While the new customized gowns are the preferred commencement regalia, there is no requirement for graduates beyond the traditional black robes.
Graduate Student Regalia
Special instructions for master’s degree and doctoral students: please be very clear when telling the staff what degree you are earning, to make sure you get the right color trim on your hood; a doctorate is different from a Ph.D., and various doctorate hoods can be very different colors. Please review the color key for regalia for additional details.