Selecting the Proper Hood Color

Doctoral Regalia
The hoods for the Doctor of Philosophy regalia are edged with dark blue; Doctor of Education (EdD) hoods are edged with light blue. Doctoral gowns are faced with black velvet with three bars across the sleeves. Tassels for doctoral students are gold.
Master's Regalia
The colors for the edging of hoods for master's students are determined by the college and discipline granting the degree, as listed in the table below. The tassels of caps for Master's students are black.
Academic Regalia Colors by College |
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College | Discipline | Color | |||
Agriculture & Life Sciences | |||||
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All Disciplines with 1 Exception | Maize (Pale Yellow) | |||
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Biochemistry | Bright Gold (Golden Yellow) | |||
Architecture & Urban Studies | |||||
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All Disciplines with 2 Exceptions | Blue Violet | |||
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Environmental Design & Planning (Ph.D.) | Ph.D. Blue | |||
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Public Administration | Peacock Blue | |||
Pamplin College of Business | |||||
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All Disciplines | Drab (Yellow-Brown) | |||
Engineering | |||||
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All Disciplines | Orange | |||
Interdisciplinary Degrees | |||||
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All Disciplines | White | |||
Liberal Arts & Human Sciences | |||||
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Apparel, Housing & Resource Management | Maroon | |||
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Communication | Crimson | |||
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Educational Leadership & Policy Studies | Light Blue | |||
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English | White |
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Foreign Language & Literatures | White |
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History | White |
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Human Development |
Maroon |
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Interdisciplinary Studies | White |
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International Studies | White | |||
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Music | Pink | |||
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Philosophy | Ph.D. Blue | |||
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Political Science | White |
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School of Education | Light Blue | |||
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School of the Arts | White |
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Science & Technology in Society | White |
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Sociology | White |
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Teaching & Learning | Light Blue | |||
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Theatre Arts | White |
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Natural Resources | |||||
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All Disciplines | Russet (Rust) |
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Science |
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All Disciplines with 1 Exception | Bright Gold (Golden Yellow) | |||
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Economics | Copper |
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Veterinary Medicine |
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VM | Gray |
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PhD | Gold Tassel / Blue Hood | |||
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MS | Black Tassel / Yellow Hood | |||
MPH | Salmon Pink |
For more information on academic regalia, please contact the Virginia Tech Bookstore .