Dress guide - University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Graduation is a significant milestone in your academic journey and is an opportunity for you to celebrate your successes with your family and friends. It's a time to put on your best outfit and take pride in your achievements.

What to wear with your gowns

Graduation is a formal university event so you are expected to wear smart clothing. We suggest male graduates wear a shirt and smart trousers, and female graduates wear a smart blouse and pants or a smart dress.

Gowns are generally easy to wear although they can tend to slip backwards – especially if worn over a silky top/blouse. Hoods need pinning or buttoning to a shirt/blouse. A shirt or blouse with buttons down the front is useful to secure hoods. On the day university staff will provide pins to where requested.

Casual clothing, e.g. jeans, T-shirts, flip-flops and sneakers are not considered acceptable attire for graduation ceremonies. We reserve the right to refuse entry to graduates wearing casual clothing.

A guide to our hoods and gowns

A full set of graduation gown consists of a gown, a hood and a cap.

At the University of Nottingham, the gown for Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees is black, and the gown for PhD degree is claret. The hood ribbons are different according to different degrees.

Find your degree from the table below to see what colour your gown and hood will be.