Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University Commencement & Academic Regalia Summary

Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) holds formal commencement ceremonies to honor undergraduate and graduate students for completing their academic programs. Graduates must apply for graduation through the mySEMO portal and pay a $50 non-refundable application fee. Once approved, students receive instructions for ordering academic regalia, including caps, gowns, and hoods, through the university bookstore. SEMO’s commencement program emphasizes recognition of student achievement, but the university does not publish a complete degree-level or discipline-specific regalia color system.

Undergraduate students wear a standard cap, bachelor’s gown, and tassel. Master’s and specialist degree candidates wear a cap, gown, tassel, and hood appropriate to their degree. Graduates who earn Latin honors—cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude—receive a red tassel with their cap and gown. Students achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA are awarded a red honor cord. Additionally, graduates completing an approved scholarly project or major-specific distinction may receive an engraved medallion to include with their regalia.

SEMO allows eligible student organizations or academic departments to provide additional cords, stoles, or medallions, though these are not standardized across the university. There is no publicly available chart indicating hood colors by discipline or gown variations by degree beyond honors distinctions. Faculty regalia typically follows traditional academic-dress conventions with no official color coding published for SEMO faculty.

For most students, the visible commencement regalia includes the standard cap, gown, and tassel, with honors distinctions highlighted through red tassels, red cords, or medallions as applicable. Graduates and vendors should note that SEMO does not provide a formal color guide for discipline-specific regalia, stoles, or hoods, and any special adornments should be verified with the Registrar or relevant academic department.

SEMO Commencement & Academic Regalia Overview

• Cap, gown & tassel required for all undergraduates; master’s and specialist graduates wear hood in addition to cap and gown.
• Red tassel awarded for honors graduates (associate / bachelor’s with Latin honors).
• Red honor cord awarded to students with perfect 4.0 GPA at commencement.
• Engraved medallion awarded to students earning approved academic distinction via special project or scholarly paper.
• Cords, stoles or medallions by campus organizations allowed — var y by group and must be verified with issuing office.
• No public discipline‑based color chart or hood‑color guidelines — standard regalia applies by default.
• Standard black (or default) gown and mortarboard cap expected for general graduates; special adornments only if officially approved.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Southeast Missouri State 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.