The Rocky Vista University (RVU) commencement ceremony requires all graduates to wear official academic regalia — including graduation cap, gown, tassel and (when applicable) hood, honor cords, or stoles.

For advanced degrees, such as the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), the doctoral gown is mandatory, and the cap may be a tam rather than a mortarboard. The tam must not be decorated or altered.

Graduates who have earned recognized honors, distinctions, or completed special tracks are permitted to wear university-issued honor cords and stoles. These accessories must be approved by the university — no personal or non-approved adornments are allowed.

Regalia orders (cap, gown, hood, tassel, etc.) are typically processed through an official vendor, though students may choose alternative suppliers at their own discretion.

Failure to comply with the regalia policy — for example, wearing non-approved cords or altering the cap/tam — can result in a graduate being barred from participating in the commencement ceremony and degree conferral.

During the ceremony, there is provision for “Guest Hooders” — a guest selected by each graduate (or a faculty member, if no guest is chosen) to perform the hooding. Guest hooders are required to follow professional attire guidelines; regalia is optional but not provided by RVU.

Rocky Vista University Commencement Regalia — Official Cap, Gown & Tassel Guidance

• Official regalia: Rocky Vista University requires official academic regalia for commencement — caps, gowns, hoods, and doctoral tams as specified by program handbooks.
• Doctoral vs Master’s: Doctoral graduates wear velvet-trimmed gowns with tam caps and longer hoods; master’s candidates wear mortarboards with hoods reflecting school colors and discipline velvet.
• Honor cords & stoles: University-issued honor cords and program stoles are distributed to eligible graduates; stoles recognize tracks and honors and must be university approved.
• Ordering & vendors: Regalia and tassel sets are ordered through the university’s approved supplier to ensure correct hood lining and velvet colors for each academic discipline.
• Appearance rules: Caps and tams must not be decorated or altered; tassel placement follows standard academic practice and faculty wear distinctive faculty regalia.

Rocky Vista University’s commencement ceremony is a formal academic event centered on traditional academic regalia: graduation gown, graduation cap, hoods, tassels, stoles and honor cords. The procession highlights faculty regalia and degree-level distinctions — master’s and bachelor’s candidates wear mortarboards and hoods, while doctoral candidates wear velvet-trimmed gowns with chevrons and tam caps. Hoods display the university colors in the lining and a velvet edge indicating the graduate’s discipline, following inter-collegiate academic color conventions. Honor cords denote academic distinction and are issued by the university; program-earned stoles recognize specialized tracks and are distributed on campus prior to the ceremony. The university handbook and degree handbooks specify regalia rules, including that tams and caps must remain unaltered and that only university-approved cords and stoles may be worn. Graduates are instructed to order official cap, gown and tassel sets through the approved supplier to guarantee accurate hood colors and proper faculty regalia. Photographer and staging details are coordinated by the university, and ceremonial procedures — hooding, platform party, and diploma presentation — follow a standardized script to honor academic achievement. This concise guide is optimized for SEO with keywords such as graduation gown, graduation cap, faculty regalia, academic regalia, cap, gown and tassels sets to support product listings on Amazon and Google Store.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at rocky vista university , you can reach out directly to the college's administration or the office responsible for commencement and student services. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding academic regalia.