Tassel
In US graduation ceremonies, the side on which the tassel hangs can be important. Sometimes it is consistent among all students throughout the ceremony, in other cases it differs based on level of study with undergraduate students wearing the tassel on the right, and graduate student wearing them on the left. In some ceremonies, the student wears the tassel on one side until reception of the diploma, then it is switched to the other.
At the high school level, the tassel is usually either the school's primary color or a mix of the school's colors with as many as three colors in a tassel. Sometimes a tassel of a distinctive color, such as gold, is worn by those graduating with Latin Honors (i.e. cum laude) or on the "honor roll".
Universities in the United States might use tassels in black or the school's colors, usually for higher degrees.
For Bachelor degrees the tassel may be colored differently from the traditional black or school colors to represent the field (or one as closely related as possible) in which the wearer obtained his or her education. In 1896 most colleges and universities in the United States adopted a uniform code governing academic dress. The tassel may be adorned with a charm in the shape of the digits of the year.
However, strictly speaking, the American Council on Education (ACE) code states that "The tassel should be black or the color appropriate to the subject," and only makes an exception for the gold tassel. The gold metallic tassel is reserved for those entitled to wear the doctoral gown, as is the use of velvet for headwear. Only one tassel is worn at a time.
| Faculty | Color | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Maize | |
| Arts (Liberal Arts), Letters (Literature), Humanities | White | |
| Commerce, Accountancy, Business | Drab | |
| Dentistry | Lilac | |
| Economics | Copper | |
| Education | Light Blue | |
| Engineering | Orange | |
| Fine Arts, Architecture | Brown | |
| Forestry, Environmental Studies, Sustainability | Russet | |
| Journalism | Crimson | |
| Law | Purple | |
| Library Science, Information Management | Lemon | |
| Medicine | Green | |
| Music | Pink | |
| Nursing | Apricot | |
| Oratory, Speech, Broadcasting | Silver Gray | |
| Pharmacy | Olive Green | |
| Philosophy | Dark Blue | |
| Physical Education, Manual Therapy, Physical Therapy | Sage Green | |
| Public Administration, Public Policy, Foreign Service | Peacock Blue | |
| Public Health | Salmon Pink | |
| Science (both Social and Natural) | Golden Yellow | |
| Social Work | Citron | |
| Theology, Divinity | Scarlet | |
| Veterinary Science | Grey |
For schools where the graduation regalia is rented or borrowed by the student, the tassel might be a part of the rental or provided separately. Some schools that do not provide a tassel for graduates to keep may offer a souvenir tassel that is not worn with the regalia.
In the UK, the tassel is shorter and is gathered at the button at the center of the board. The U.S. style is slightly longer, gathered at a cord attached to the button.
At the University of Cambridge, undergraduates by ancient convention used to cut their tassels very short so that the tassel does not extend beyond the edge of the board. After they graduated, they wore the square cap with the tassel at the normal length. This convention has now fallen into disuse; few people now wear headgear with academic dress at any time and undergraduates in particular have no need to wear the cap.
Read more about this topic: Square Academic Cap