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What is the academic dress for ceremonies, and how can I book it?

In 2007 King’s was granted degree-awarding powers in its own right. One of the impacts of securing its own degree-awarding powers was the need for King’s to design its own academic dress. We are most grateful to Dame Vivienne Westwood for the major role she played in bringing the academic dress, which is based on a medieval design, up to date. Through her reworking of the traditional robe, Vivienne Westwood hoped to “link the past, the present and the future”. The new King’s academic dress design was approved by the university and does not include a mortarboard. Important to know: Academic dress must be worn by all students/graduates, who should also be in smart clothing underneath the gown (no jeans or trainers are allowed). To see what the King’s graduation gowns look like, take a look at our academic dress .

How do I book my graduation gown?

Gown hire is provided by Ede & Ravenscroft and you can  book your gown online  or by calling 01223 86 1854. You must book your gown by approximately 3 weeks prior to your graduation ceremony. Most students will receive a King's College London award and will therefore need a King's College London gown. However, if you are expecting to receive a University of London award please log a case and let us know, and we will be able to advise you on ordering your gown. Important to know : The only approved gown supplier for King's College London is Ede and Ravenscroft. Please be wary of alternative gown companies that offer cheaper rates (including Churchill Gowns) as they do not have patents to produce King's College London academic dress.   

What colour will the hood be on my gown?

The colour of your hood will be the colours of your faculty. The King’s faculty colours are as below:

• Faculty of Arts & Humanities : Green
• Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences : Fuchsia
• Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine : Orange
• GKT School of Medical Education : Purple
• Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences : Coral
• Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy : Gold
• Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care : Lilac
• Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience : Deep Red
• King’s Business School : Teal
• School of Bioscience Education : Orange
• The Dickson Poon School of Law : Silver

Gown cost (by qualification)

Foundation degree, BA, BSc, BEng, LLB, PGCert, PGDip, PGCE: Online: £40.50 Call Centre: £45 On the day: £50 MA, MSc, LLM, Mphil: Online: £45.90 Call Centre: £50.40 On the day: £54.00 PhD, MD: Online: £52.20 Call Centre: £56.70 On the day: £59.00 Important to know : These costs are a guide; for an up-to-date price please check with Ede & Ravenscroft .

Does my gown hire include a hat?

For graduates receiving a King's College London award the gown and hood don’t feature a hat/cap (officially known as a ‘mortarboard’) as part of their design, and so won’t be included in your gown hire. However, many students like to wear mortarboards in their photographs, and so we have a selection available at the photography booths on graduation days. You can use these free of charge; just let us know at the photography booth you’d like to use one. Alternatively, you can hire a mortarboard hat for a small fee for use during graduation event from Ede & Ravenscroft Private Hire service on 01223 20 5617. Important to know : Since the hats don’t form part of the official academic dress, you will not be allowed to wear it when crossing the stage, and any students hiring hats will be asked to remove them during the ceremony itself.

What happens if I've completed the Associateship of  King's College?

If you're graduating with a King’s College London award and have completed the Associateship of King's College (AKC), you will wear a black epitoge embroidered with the University's lion 'Reggie'. The epitoge is a short streamer of black fabric that matches the fabric of the university's gowns, and is buttoned to the left shoulder as part of your academic dress.

This will be given to you to attach to your gown as you are checked before you cross the stage. The epitoge will be collected by an usher after you have crossed the stage. 

Important to know : epitoges cannot be ordered through Ede & Ravenscroft. They are provided by the Graduation Office based on information from the Dean's office. Please contact us about this through our Ceremonies & Events contact form should you have any queries. 

Can I use a different gown hire company?

The only approved gown supplier for King's College London is Ede & Ravenscroft . Please be wary of alternative gown companies that offer cheaper rates (including Churchill Gowns) because they do not have patents to produce King's College London academic dress. The university is also not affiliated with any certificate framing companies, including King’s Photo Frames and Momento Frames.

Can I purchase my gown instead of hiring?

If you prefer to purchase your gown instead of hiring, you can. You can purchase it online or by calling 01223 86 1854. If you are a clergy graduate wishing to purchase a King's hood to be worn with your choir dress, please use the  Ede & Ravenscroft contact form .

Important to know : These hoods can’t be worn on the day of the ceremony as they are designed specifically to be worn with choir dress.

Can I cancel my gown hire?

If you ordered your gown online you may cancel the order via the website – Ede & Ravenscroft gown hire , but this must be done no later than 7 days before the ceremony . If you booked your gown by telephone, you will need to request your cancellation either by email  or by writing to: Ede & Ravenscroft Ltd, Unit A Denny Industrial Centre, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB5 9QD Important to know : The refund will have an administration fee of £1.50.

What if I need to defer my ceremony to a later date?

If following your gown booking your situation changes, and you will be re-sitting exams and intend to attend a future ceremony, you can request that your booking and payment retained and transferred to a future ceremony. You will need to notify Ede & Ravenscroft of this, and let the company know the date of the next ceremony as soon as you can. Important to know : If you don’t intend to come to a future ceremony after re-sitting your exams, no refund will be made.

How can I contact Ede & Ravenscroft?

If you would like to contact Ede & Ravenscroft or are having an issue relating to gown hire, please use the Ede & Ravenscroft contact form and a customer service representative will get back to you.

Related Articles (3)

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King’s Crowns: The History of Academic Dress at King’s College and Columbia University

The adoption and use of gown, cap and, later, hood at Columbia began in its Colonial predecessor, King’s College. After independence, student enthusiasm for academic dress increased but withered by the mid-nineteenth century before growing again. Influences including the need for discipline, camaraderie among students, and competing with other universities played roles at various times. Originally published in Transactions of the Burgon Society.

Related Papers

Stephen Wolgast

A compilation of original research into the origins of the document that outlines suggestions for academic dress — gown, hood, cap — in the U.S., with specific examples from Princeton, Columbia and Harvard.

A list of significant developments in the the history and use of gown, hood, and cap in the U.S. and Canada. Originally published in Transactions of the Burgon Society.

While the number of academic specialties has grown tremendously since the 1950s, the variety of colors assigned to academic disciplines has remained unchanged in more than a half-century. The result is that few fields of study are properly represented by American faculty colors. A realignment of faculty colors would help return some sense to the standard, along with a few new colors.

A review of first-person accounts of cap and gown at Columbia as published by students in the Columbia Spectator (and, later, the Daily Spectator) from the nineteenth century on. Includes notes referring to the author’s previous article, ”King’s Crowns: Academic Dress at King’s College and Columbia University.” Both were originally published in Transactions of the Burgon Society.

Nicholas Jackson

A dissertation on the history and development of academic dress in the University of Warwick, from 1963 to 2008. Successfully submitted for fellowship of the Burgon Society, and later published in slightly edited form in Transactions of the Burgon Society 8 (2008) 10-59.

digitalcommons.bryant.edu

Giaramita Gaspare

The history of academical dress is the history of education in Europe. Separated from the education of the classical world by a profound religious and ethical divide, education in early mediaeval Europe was intimately associated with the Church. Centres of learning had grown up in a number of the leading cities of the West after the intellectual nadir of the Dark Ages, in many cases from the monastic and cathedral schools. These eventually became established as the proto-universities. For centuries scholars remained clerics, both in their inward lives (allowing for the inevitable laxity of behaviour common to students throughout history), and in their outward appearance, for they appeared habited in the clothes of the cleric. This sober dress owed its origins, as with other clerical attire, to lay fashion. But before long the long closed robe, and the hood, had become distinctive of the scholar, whether layman or cleric. Whilst academic dress ought not to be thought to have stagnated since the early middle ages- for indeed, this could not be further from the truth, it does indeed owe many of its distinctive features to this time. In the course of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries academic dress was abandoned throughout much of continental Europe, as a result of the religious and political upheavals of the time. In some countries professors alone retained academic dress. In others certain items of attire or insignia remained, such as doctoral swords, hats, or rings. Full use of academical dress was largely confined to Great Britain and to Iberia. With the colonial expansion of these countries, the use of academic dress gradually spread. Academical dress, whilst preserved in the United Kingdom in the universities as emblems of political orthodoxy, and by the religious discipline of the Roman Catholic Church in the Spanish and Portuguese universities, was to undergo an expansion. This was to take it to those countries included within the British empire, as well as to those comprised of the Iberian empires. New Zealand shared in the rich heritage of British academic dress. With the establishment of universities from the nineteenth century came academic dress, usually modelled on that of the University of Cambridge. Indeed, so dominant has the influence of Cambridge academic dress been that the dress of that university may be regarded as the norm in New Zealand.

Transactions of the Burgon Society

In the United Kingdom, as in other modern liberal democracies, there are few, if any, restrictions upon one’s choice of habiliment. There have in the past, however, been repeated attempts in most countries and civilisations – from the Romans (and indeed earlier civilisations) onwards – to strictly control aspects of apparel, by legislation. They were motivated by political, moral or economic considerations. However, these sumptuary laws, as they were known, were generally a failure, for many reasons. Those who wished to ignore them often could do so with impunity. The frequency of such legislation is a sign both of the perceived importance of such measures, and of their failure. Yet the authorities persisted, despite their inability to suppress extravagance, or control expenditure. These sumptuary laws were generally intended to combat the ills wrought by extravagance. These ranged from financially ruining many families – clothing constituted a substantial portion of one’s expenditure in the middle ages and later – to encouraging thievery and violence. Extravagance led to the loss of business by domestic wool merchants, because of the importation of costly foreign fabrics – which also cost the country much-needed foreign currency. The attire of men might cause disquiet, and bring upon themselves some adverse comment, by assuming the dress of their “betters”. The Church was also keen to encourage less ostentatious clothing, though its focus was usually upon the dress of ministers, which were (and remain) regulated by canon law. There are no general sumptuary laws now in effect in the United Kingdom. None ever applied specifically to academical dress, but some did include provisions which expressly applied to graduates and undergraduates. Franklyn cited one such Act, 24 Henry VIII c 13 (1533) as authorising all doctors to wear scarlet, as well as claiming that the MA and BD are thereby entitled to a black chimere, or tabard. The time of King Henry VIII is particularly important with respect to the development of sumptuary laws – as it was also for the evolution of academical dress. While Franklyn’s interpretation of this particular Act may be disputed, hitherto a study of this aspect of academical dress has been inhibited by the general unavailability of copies of the complete statute. Sumptuary laws in general and the ideological justifications for such laws are beyond the scope of this paper, the purpose of which is two-fold. First, it is intended to offer, for the first time, the full text of the 1533 statute, with a short commentary. For the purposes of contextualisation and comparison, an earlier sumptuary law is also transcribed in full, also with commentary. Second, it will address the contentious question of whether the Act of 1533 does in fact allow doctors to wear scarlet. It is the author’s intention – over time – to collect and publish the texts of all sumptuary laws of the United Kingdom.

During the long eighteenth-century, large numbers of men from northern Europe and particularly Great Britain, moved away from the comforts of their temperate climate to the tropical climates of India, China, Africa, islands in the Caribbean, Central, South, and North America, bringing with them their cultural traditions. Climate determines or strongly influences culture. The material culture of these uprooted Europeans serves as evidence of adaptation as people moved into regions that challenge their comfort. Architecture, foodways, and daily routine, changed due to the extreme heat. Clothing, the most outward and visual representation of culture also modified in order to meet the human desire of comfort. This thesis uses the experience of individuals living in the southern regions of North America as a case study to examine how colonists, merchants, manufacturers, and tailors adapted textiles, cut, and construction of men’s clothing in pursuit for personal comfort.

Medieval Clothing and Textiles, Vol. 9

John B . Friedman

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• Academic dress of King's College London

Academic dress of King's College London describes the robes, gowns, and hoods worn by undergraduates, graduates and associates of King's College London . After being vested the power to award its own degrees from the University of London in 2006, [1] graduates began wearing King's College London academic dress in 2008.

• 4 First degrees
• 5 Postgraduates
• 6 Graduating with an Associateship of King's College (AKC)
• 8 References

Prior to 2008, the Academic dress of King's is basically that of the University of London's which, like most academic dress, is based on medieval attire. Graduates of the University of London have been formally presented to the Chancellor of the University since 1849, and the first public presentation of the University was held at King's Great Hall in 1850. [2] From 1903 to 1992 this University ceremony was continued in the Royal Albert Hall , and King's first held its own ceremony in 1989. [2] In 1995, the University of London granted some of its constituent colleges the power to confer degrees on behalf of the University. [2]

In 2007, in line with the evolution of the University's constituent colleges, King's successfully petitioned the Privy Council for its degree-awarding powers in its own right; these powers were first used in 2008. [2] Such development in securing its own degree-awarding powers brought the need for King's to design its own academic dress. During the transition phase, global fashion icon Dame Vivienne Westwood was approached by Patricia Rawlings, Baroness Rawlings , then Chairperson of King's College London , to design an academic gown of the institution. [3] Working with Ede & Ravenscroft , the producers of the academic dress, the Westwood-designed academic dresses for King's College London have been unveiled in 2008. On the gowns, Vivienne Westwood commented: "Through my reworking of the traditional robe I tried to link the past, the present and the future. We are what we know." [3]

The 'new' academic gowns were showcased at the first graduation of summer 2008, where Dame Westwood and former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Smith were among those wearing the gowns as they received their King's College London Honorary Fellowships. [3]

Westwood-designed academic dress features two long (4') stole-like streamers which serve as gown facings. There is no neckband. [4] Westwood's unique but unifying style for King's academic dress is the King’s College London lion gold button on each shoulder. [5] Influenced by University of London 's tradition, being the first university in the world to devise a system of academic dress based on faculty colours, [6] the gowns and hoods have been designed with colours that reflect the university's faculties/schools/institutes of study and the level of the degree. [5] Owing to its unique shape, the hood cannot be folded flat. [4]

The King's gowns and hoods have been designed with colours to reflect the academic faculties or schools. [3]

• Faculty of Biomedical & Health Sciences - Orange
• Dental Institute - Fuchsia
• Faculty of Arts & Humanities - Green
• Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience - Deep Red
• Dickson Poon School of Law - Silver
• Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Medical Education (MBBS) only - Purple
• Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery - Lilac
• Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences - Coral
• Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy - Gold

First degrees

All hoods and gowns for first degrees are black, lined with a certain colour. Graduates are distinguished by the colour lining of the hood and stole, which denotes the respective Faculty, School or Institute. [7]

Postgraduates

Postgraduate master's level graduates wear black gowns with hood, lined with a certain colour. A colour lining is also present on the sleeves. As with first degree recipients, the Faculty/School/Institute is denoted by the colour. [7]

For Master of Philosophy (MPhil), graduates wear a black gown, and a black hood attached to the gown on each shoulder with a King's lion button; the sleeve vents, cape and cowl are bound in blue with the binding extending over the shoulders. [2]

For research degree [i.e., PhD/MD(Res)] graduates wear a dark red gown, and a dark red hood attached to the gown on each shoulder with a King's lion button; the sleeve vents, cape and cowl are bound in blue with the binding extending over the shoulders. [2] Using the Groves classification system , such research graduates wear a King's Full [f12] shape gown of deep red cloth, with stole of purple silk. The sleeves are held back by purple linings and gold buttons. The hood is lined with fully lined with purple silk.

Specialist doctors (EdD/DClinPsy/DHC/DrPS/DthMin) graduates wear a blue gown, and a blue hood attached to the gown on each shoulder with a King's lion button. The sleeve vents, cape and cowl are bound in dark red with the binding extending over the shoulders; a King's Full [f12] shape gown of deep blue cloth, with stole of red silk. The hood is fully lined with red silk.

Graduating with an Associateship of King's College (AKC)

Students graduating who have also completed the tradition of Associateship of King's College (AKC), will wear as part of their academic gown a black epitoge with a golden embroidery of the university's lion 'Reggie', buttoned to the left shoulder.

The epitoge is a short streamer of black fabric that matches the fabric of King's gowns. [8]

PG certificate and diploma recipients wear black gowns with King's Simple hood [s12]. [4]

The various officers of King's wear their official robes, while members of the academe wear the academic dress of the university from which they graduated; such would include that of other universities in the UK as well as around the world. [2]

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• ↑ Groves, N. et al. (2011). " Shaw 's Academical Dress of Great Britain and Ireland". Burgon Society.
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Academic dress of the University of London

Academic dress of the University of London describes the robes, gowns and hoods which are prescribed by the university for its graduates and undergraduates .

Undergraduates

• Bachelors 2

Faculty colours

Further reading.

The University of London was created out of a partnership between University College and King's College , receiving its royal charter in 1836; however, it later subsumed much older colleges, such as the 13th century St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, and The London Hospital Medical College dating from the 1760s. By 1844 a rudimentary code for academic dress had been established. This code was completely revised in 1862. London was the first university to devise a system of academic dress based on faculty colours, an innovation that has been taken up by many universities after. [1]

Following the UK government's granting of autonomous degree awarding powers to a number of the University of London's constituent institutions, all students graduating from King's College London , University College London , and the London School of Economics and Political Science from 2007 have the choice of receiving a degree from their respective place of study or from the federal university. [2] Thus, each of these institutions now has its own distinctive academic dress that differs from that of the federal university. The remaining fifteen colleges continue to award University of London degrees (as at 2014), and so for these the academic dress of the University of London remains in place. For more information concerning the classification of academic dress see the article on the Groves system .

Generally, the material that the gowns are made of are in Russell cord (wool-cotton mix), silk/cotton-rayon grosgrain, or polyester. Doctoral gowns are usually wool or polyester, trimmed with silk or rayon.

They wear a short black gown gathered at the yoke with pointed sleeves, the point of the sleeve not reaching below the knee, similar to the Oxford scholars gown but with shorter sleeves.

Three different gowns are worn, depending upon the faculty of the degree.

• The BD gown is as above but with the addition of a black cord and a Sarum red button on the yoke of the gown.
• The Medicine / Music Gown   : MB BS , BVetMed , BDS , MPharm . A black silk or stuff gown with a flap collar and long closed sleeves. This shall be the same shape as the Cambridge Doctor of Laws undress gown except that the sleeves shall be hollowed out at the bottom in a double ogee curve. Before the abolition of Convocation on 17 July 2003, [3] the Bachelor of Music gown was light blue.
• The Legal Gown   : LLB , LLM and LLD (in undress). A black gown with a square flap collar and long closed sleeves squared off at the ends with a slit in the back of the gown. There is an 'inverted T' armhole. This is the same shape as the generic solicitor's gown.
• MA , MSc , etc.: A black gown with long closed sleeves as for the Cambridge MA . The sharp point of the Cambridge MA ogee curve on the bottom of the sleeve is rounded off.
• MS : a violet corded silk gown of the same pattern as the MB,BS gown
• MDS : An olive green corded silk gown of the same pattern as the MB,BS gown.
• MMus : before the abolition of convocation 17 July 2003 the gown was of light blue corded silk and since then has been black.
• MTh : A black cord and Sarum red button on the yoke in addition to the pattern described above for other master's gowns.
• MPhil : The standard master's gown with a 1" claret ribbon on the outer edge of the facings of the gown.

Until c.   1997 holders of University of London doctoral degrees had two sets of costume: full dress and undress.

• PhD : A claret coloured robe with long open winged sleeves held back at the wrists with claret cord and button. The sleeves and facings lined with a lighter claret silk. The outside edge of the facings are bound with 1" dark blue silk. (Under previous regulations this one inch binding of silk was the same colour as that of the faculty awarding the PhD).
• Professional doctorates : as the PhD but lined with ruby shot silk and without the blue silk binding.
• Higher Doctorates : A robe of scarlet cloth in the Cambridge Doctors pattern with twisted cords and buttons on the sleeves. The robe is faced with five inches of silk of the faculty colour. The sleeves are fully lined with silk of the faculty colour.

All the above gowns have 'strings' attached to the inside of the gown behind facings. These are long wide ribbons the same colour as the gown.

Until c.   1997 doctoral undress was officially the nearest black Masters gown; in practice the black MA/MSc style gown rather than the law, music or medicine gowns. The practice continues, although without any official sanction in the post-1997 regulations.

These are of a full shape which is characteristic of the university. This consists of a full shape, like Cambridge, but with rounded corners to the cape. Hoods have either a silk/cotton-rayon grosgrain or wool/polyester shell, lined with silk/rayon.

A black stuff or silk hood edged along the cowl with a twisted cord of white, blue and red. The neckband is plain. In practice, the hood is self lined to add more weight to it.

A black stuff or silk hood fully lined with white silk. The cowl shall be faced inside for three inches and edged outside with three-eighths of an inch of faculty silk. The neckband shall be similarly edged. Before the abolition of Convocation, non-members were not entitled to a lining of white silk, instead they only had a facing of the faculty silk. Afterwards, all bachelor hoods were allowed the white silk lining.

• BMus: A hood of the above pattern. A light blue corded silk hood faced inside for three inches and edged outside with three-eighths of an inch of white watered silk.

A black silk hood fully lined and bound all edges with the faculty silk. Before the abolishment of Convocation, members were entitled to a facing of white silk.

• MMus: a mid-blue silk hood lined and bound all edges with white watered silk.
• MPhil: a black silk hood fully lined with light claret silk and bound all edges with blue silk.

A hood made of wool and lined with silk. The colours used are the same as the gown. The PhD has all its edges bound with blue silk (or prior to 1997, in the faculty colour silk).

Everyone below the rank of doctor wears a standard black cloth mortarboard .

Doctors wear a black velvet (or, prior to 1997, cloth for PhD) Tudor bonnet which has a cord and tassel of the faculty colour.

Women may wear a black Oxford ladies soft cap in lieu of mortarboard.

• Divinity - Sarum red
• Medicine - Violet
• Veterinary Medicine - Lilac
• Dental Surgery - Olive green (corded)
• Engineering - Turquoise
• Science - Gold
• Music - White (watered)
• Arts - Russet brown
• Business Administration - Fawn
• Education - Eau-de-nil green
• Commerce - Deep orange (no longer awarded)
• Humanities - Pale pink (no longer awarded)

These were the Faculty colours as at September 1994, degrees introduced after that date that do not fall under the above faculties use a grey-silver silk instead.

Related Research Articles

Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, mainly tertiary education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree, or hold a status that entitles them to assume them. It is also known as academical dress , academicals , and, in the United States, as academic regalia .

The University of Oxford has a long tradition of academic dress, which continues to the present day.

The academic dress of Durham University has many similarities with that of other older British universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Most colleges of Durham University insist on gowns being worn on formal occasions, including matriculation and formal halls (dinners); exceptions are Van Mildert, St Cuthbert's Society, Collingwood, Stephenson, St Aidans, and The College of St Hild and St Bede. Some colleges also insist on their being worn to Junior Common Room meetings, and they are often seen in college chapels. At formal halls, only gowns are worn and doctors normally wear their undress gowns; for more ceremonial occasions full-dress gowns and hoods are worn by graduates. Until 1990, the General Regulations of university 'recommended' the wearing of gowns by members of the university when attending divine service at the Cathedral – but this is now left to individual choice apart from at certain services. Gowns are also customarily worn to meetings of the university Senate by members of that body.

The academic dress of the former University of Wales was designed for the first graduations in 1893, and has as its main identifying feature a faculty colour scheme involving 'shot silks'.

The University of Cambridge has a long tradition of academic dress, which it traditionally refers to as academical dress . Almost every degree which is awarded by the university has its own distinct gown in addition to having its own hood. Undergraduates wear college gowns which have subtle differences enabling the wearer's college to be determined. Academic dress is worn quite often in Cambridge on formal, and sometimes informal, occasions, and there are a number of rules and customs governing when and how it is worn. Black gowns (undress) are worn at less formal events, while on special days full academical dress is worn, consisting of gown, hood and headdress with Doctors in festal dress. The university's officials also have ancient forms of academic dress, unique to the university.

The academic dress prescribed by the University of Bristol is a mixture of that prescribed by Cambridge and Oxford. Bristol has chosen, for graduates, to mainly specify Oxford-style gowns and Cambridge-style hoods. Unlike many British universities, the hood itself is to be "University red", lined with a specified colour. University red is defined to be Pantone 187. Bristol also specifies that undergraduates are to wear gowns "of the approved pattern" in certain circumstances, although the pattern itself is not specified. This is not too important since, in practice, undergraduates are only required to be gowned when graduating or at dinner as a member of Wills Hall.

In general, the academic dress of the University of Nottingham dates from the award of its Royal Charter in 1948. Prior to this date, University College, Nottingham taught students for University of London examinations and "Nottingham graduates" were actually London graduates and wore the appropriate dress. There was, however, a unique Nottingham undergraduate gown. This still exists but, like equivalent gowns at most other universities, is now very rarely seen.

Academic dress at the University of St Andrews involves students wearing distinctive academic gowns whilst studying at the University of St Andrews. Undergraduate gowns in Scotland were once common at all the ancient universities of Scotland, with each having its own distinctive style. St Andrews undergraduates wear either a scarlet gown if they are part of the United College and studying in the Faculties of Arts, Medicine and Science, or a black gown if they are part of St Mary's College and studying in the Faculty of Divinity.

The academic and official dress of the University of Warwick dates originally from the mid-1960s, shortly after the university's foundation. Despite persistent offers from Charles Franklyn the theatrical costume designer Anthony Powell was commissioned to design robes for officials and graduates of the university. Due to pressure of other work, and some apparent differences of opinion, Powell withdrew from the project, and the robes for graduates subsequently designed in consultation with J. Wippell and Company of Exeter, with Ede and Ravenscroft designing and making the robes for officials.

There are a number of universities in Queensland, Australia, all with distinct academic dress.

This page describes the different types of academic dress allowed at the University of Exeter. Definitions of the academic dress for the award holders and officials of the University are set out in the University's regulations.

The University of Leeds, like other universities in the United Kingdom and many other countries throughout the world, has its own unique system of academic and ceremonial dress for undergraduates, graduates and senior officials. As at most other universities, graduands will wear the gown, hood and hat appropriate to the degree they are about to receive. All of the graduates' hoods incorporate one or more shades of green, and the Doctors of Philosophy, Education and Clinical Psychology are unique in the UK in having a green full-dress gown.

Academic dress at the University of Edinburgh is compulsory at official ceremonial occasions, such as graduation and the installations of Rector and Chancellor, and otherwise optional, usually only worn for events.

Academic dress prescribed at the University of Dublin and its sole constituent college, Trinity College, follows a relatively complex protocol which, nonetheless, shares some particular characteristics with other universities in Ireland and with the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Academic dress of the University of Manchester describes the gowns, hoods and headwear which are prescribed by the university for its graduates and officers.

Academic dress of Imperial College London describes the robes, gowns, and hoods worn by graduates and associates of Imperial College London. After gaining its independence from the University of London in 2007, 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.

Academic dress at the University of Glasgow is worn at ceremonial events throughout the academic year. This primarily entails graduations, but includes Commemoration Day, church services, and the installation of Chancellors and Rectors of the University. The academic dress of all members of the University of Glasgow, including students, is regulated by the University Regulations. It shares many similarities with the other ancient universities of Scotland, most conspicuously that, unlike in the rest of the United Kingdom, headwear is only very rarely worn. Academic dress has been worn in the University of Glasgow since medieval times

The academic dress of McGill University describes the caps, gowns and hoods which are prescribed by the university for its degree candidates/holders. Until the mid-20th century, McGill also prescribed academic dress for its matriculating or enrolled students as well as its faculty. Founded in 1821, McGill University is consistently ranked as one of Canada's preeminent universities, and among the top 20 universities in the world.

The academic dress of the Robert Gordon University is normally only worn at graduation ceremonies and occasionally at other very formal events. In common with most British universities, a graduand of the Robert Gordon University begins the ceremony wearing the dress of the degree to which they are being admitted except for the hood. This is in contrast to the practice at some universities such as Oxford where a graduand only dons the dress of a degree after it has been conferred. The current pattern of academic dress dates from 1992 when the institution became a university.

Academic dress of King's College London describes the robes, gowns, and hoods worn by undergraduates, graduates and associates of King's College London. After being vested the power to award its own degrees from the University of London in 2006, graduates began wearing King's College London academic dress in 2008.

• ↑ Groves, N. et al. (2011). " Shaw 's Academical Dress of Great Britain and Ireland". Burgon Society.
• ↑ Groves, N. et al. (2011)
• Goff, Philip (1999). University of London Academic Dress . University of London Press. ISBN   0-7187-1608-6 .
• ' Annex 1 Regulations on Academic Dress ', University of London Regulations , online resource accessed 15 July 2017.
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Office of graduate admission.

The Office of Graduate Admission is located in George and Giovita Maffei Family Commons, 29 W. North St., Wilkes Barre, PA 18711. The Director of Graduate Admission is available to answer questions about graduate programs, application procedures, course schedules and registrations, and any other matters relating to graduate study. Contact the Office of Graduate Admission here.

Information about graduate course offerings is available from the Office of Graduate Admission at the number listed above and on the Graduate Course Descriptions webpage.

Philosophy of Graduate Programs

Consistent with its history, tradition and mission statement King's College has designed its graduate programs to prepare and develop professionals for business, industry, government, health care and education who possess the desire, skills, and education to accept management responsibilities and creative leadership positions in regional, national and international organizations. King's College also seeks to offer high-quality education in specialized fields of study which not only enhance the student's technical background but also maintain a balance between the qualitative and quantitative methods, and the technical and socio-economic approaches to current issues.

Graduate Honor Society

The King’s College Graduate school is a member of Alpha Epsilon Lambda (AEL), a national honor society founded in 1990 by former officers of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.  Before AEL, no honor society was devoted exclusively to recognizing graduate students.  The mission of Alpha Epsilon Lambda is to promote intellectual achievement, leadership, and ethics among graduate students.

The King’s College Alpha Epsilon Chapter of AEL was established in 1999.  To be invited to apply for membership, graduate students must have completed a specific number of credits in their graduate program and place in the top 35% of that graduate program academically (GPA). Admission to membership is based on the student applicant’s record of leadership, scholarship, research and service activities.  Admission to membership is decided by the Graduate Policy Committee.

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MPhil/PhD Programmes

There are over 400 research students at the Institute who come from a range of backgrounds including psychology, psychiatry, nursing, social work and basic sciences.

Our MPhil/PhD programme allows students to carry out research in any of our 14 departments and in a wide variety of areas;  from molecular genetics and biology, to neuroscience, neuroimaging, clinical research studies, psychological studies and new treatments; from longitudinal studies to clinical trials, bio statistics, epidemiology and health services research and transcultural studies. 

Please see their departmental webpages and online prospectus entries to see research options/areas currently being undertaken:

Is a PhD for me?

Our PhD students come from a variety of backgrounds, with a variety of qualifications and experience. Take a look at the following information and recent/current student profiles, to find out whether a PhD is right for you:

King's College London says:

• All candidates should usually possess the normal minimum entry qualifications for registration prescribed in the King’s  Core Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Degrees . This is normally a 2:1 in a relevant field. 
• Candidates should possess an adequate level of English competence. Candidates for whom English is not the first language will be required to provide proof that they possess an adequate level of English competence . The minimum level accepted is an IELTS score of 6.5. Grade C or above in GCSE English is also acceptable. Candidates must also satisfy their appointment panel of their competence. 

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) says:

• It is useful to have a Masters degree, or related work experience in your chosen area of interest.  

EU and International students should check the list of equivalent grades for international qualifications . Please contact the  Health Schools Admissions Centre  for further enquiries.

If you wish to study full time:

• You will be expected to submit your thesis within 3 years.
• You are permitted to work part time, but students are expected to work on their PhD for 35 hours a week and we encourage any part time work to be agreed with your supervisors.

If you wish to study part time:

• You will be expected to submit your thesis within 6 years. 
• You are allowed to submit your thesis early (as early as 4 years) but this must be agreed with your supervisors and other conditions apply. Please contact the  Postgraduate Research Team  for more information.

The current fees for the 2022/2023 academic year are:

• Full time Home = £7,050 per year
• Full time Overseas = £26,640 per year
• Part time Home = £3,525 per year
• Part time Overseas = £13,320 per year

If you are a member of staff at the IoPPN you may be eligible for a discount on fees. Please contact the  Postgraduate Research Team  for more information. 

Please note that tuition fees are subject to an annual increase of up to 5%. For more information, see the Fees webpage.

Students can start in either October (when most students start), February or June. 

Students who are being funded by an external source should check whether there are any limitations on start dates.

If you are not able to self fund your PhD studies, then you will need to find funding from another source. 

The IoPPN offers a number of full time studentships on an annual basis, funded by the Institute itself, and partly by the Medical Research Council. These studentships offer students full payment of tuition fees for 3 years and a monthly tax free stipend for living. These studentships are for set projects. 

Individual academics and departments also offer full time fully funded studentships, on an ad hoc basis, if they receive funding themselves. These are also usually for set projects.

All funded studentships are advertised on our Studentships webpage.

If you have your own project in mind and would like to find funding, browse these links:

• Centre for Doctoral Studies Funding Database
• Research & Development Office
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• Medical Research Council
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• Government Loans

For more information on funding at Kings, please see the  Funding  webpage.

Student Profiles

Students take classes together in their first year and all have offices on the same floor, which makes it a very social and friendly place to study. It also means that students researching different areas of psychiatry, psychology, neuroimaging, and genetics are in constant contact, which helps to broaden your exposure to research. 

Students and staff alike are always keen to get involved in collaborative projects, whether small or large, allowing students to explore areas of interest outside those strictly relevant to their PhD. 

The PhD itself is usually very independent, driven by the student's own ideas and interests. These collaborations often also extend beyond the Centre, allowing for research and conference opportunities abroad. 

All in all, it's a great place to be!

I wanted to understand how pioneering brain imaging could lead to new ways for diagnosing the condition, and as a result, I applied for a PhD with Dr Andy Simmons at the Department of Neuroimaging. 

As a PhD student, the Institute has provided outstanding research facilities for postgraduate education and the provision of college organised training courses for personal development and teaching has been fantastic. 

I have enjoyed this experience so far, and benefited from excellent supervision in a friendly and stimulating research environment. 

The IoPPN has great research facilities and I'm really pleased that I have had the chance to study here.  

With Psychosis Studies being one of the larger departments at the IoPPN, I've found there are always lots of opportunities to attend relevant talks and seminars, including weekly Psychosis Studies meetings with internal and external speakers.

I am really enjoying being a student here and one of the best things is that you can create your own opportunities.  I set up a problem-based learning group to help students gain a greater understanding of magnetic resonance imaging, including the physics and basic analysis. They have been really well attended and the group has grown considerably since it was first stated.  I have also had the opportunity to be the student representative for Psychosis Studies and be a mentor to some MSc students too.

When I graduate, I would like to continue working in research as a post doc, working my way up the academic ladder to professor.

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