Academic dress of the University of Manchester describes the gowns, hoods and headwear which are prescribed by the university for its graduates and officers.
Introduction
The
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...
was created as a result of the merger of
UMIST
The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research. On 1 Oct ...
and the
Victoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. Afte ...
in 2004. Rather than adapt the academic dress of its predecessor institutions, the university appointed
Ede & Ravenscroft
Ede & Ravenscroft are the oldest tailors in London, established in 1689. They have two London premises, in Chancery Lane and Burlington Gardens, very close to the famous Savile Row. They make, sell and hire out legal gowns and wigs, clerical dr ...
to create a new range of academic robes upon its foundation.
In the university regulations it states: "Those Members of the University who are entitled to wear academic dress shall do so at the ceremonials of the University." The wearing of academic dress is confined to occasions of high ceremony, especially graduation congregations, therefore undergraduate gowns for university-wide purposes do not exist, neither do 'undress robes' for doctors. However, in a few traditional halls of residence undergraduates wear academic gowns at formal dinners, held biweekly at
St. Anselm Hall
St Anselm Hall, known colloquially as Slems, is a traditional University of Manchester hall of residence situated in Victoria Park, Manchester, Victoria Park.
It was founded in 1907 by Rev. Thomas B. Allworthy on behalf of the Church of England ...
and twice a term at
Hulme Hall. Also, university staff participating in ceremonies as ushers wear a black gown of a different pattern than that prescribed for bachelor or master graduates.
At a University of Manchester graduation ceremony the graduands wear the academic dress appropriate to the qualification they are about to be awarded. Mortarboards or Tudor bonnets are worn at the finish of the ceremony and in procession, but held in the hand otherwise. Officers of the university and participating academics wear their headgear throughout, except when tipping their hats to the presiding officer and speakers.
Gowns
Bachelors and holders of Diplomas and Certificates
*Bachelors etc. - A robe of black silk or stuff of the shape special to the University. The gown is of the traditional masters' shape with the boot of the sleeve cut into the shape of an 'M', a distinction unique to the university, designated
18under the
Groves classification system The Groves Classification is a numbering system to enable the shape of any academic gown or hood to be easily described and identified. It was devised by Nicholas Groves to establish a common terminology for hoods and gowns to remedy the situation ...
.
Masters
*Masters - A robe of black silk or stuff of the shape special to the University, as for bachelors.
Doctors
*Higher Doctorates (e.g.
DSc DSC may refer to:
Academia
* Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
* District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India
* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Educational institutions
* Dalton State Col ...
,
DLitt
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
) - A robe of scarlet cloth in the Oxford Doctors' pattern. The robe has sleeves and facings of purple, edged for one inch with gold ribbon (the 'gold ribbon' used throughout the university's academic dress is yellow, rather than metallic, in appearance)
*Other Doctorates (e.g.
PhD,
DEng Deng may refer to:
* Deng (company), is a Danish engineering, electrical, solar power and sales company in Accra, Ghana
* Deng (state), an ancient Chinese state
* Deng (Chinese surname), originated from the state
** Deng Xiaoping, paramount leader ...
) - A robe of maroon cloth in the Oxford Doctors' pattern. The robe has sleeves and facings of purple, edged for one inch with gold ribbon
Hoods
Most hoods are of the Cambridge Full
1shape in the
Groves classification system The Groves Classification is a numbering system to enable the shape of any academic gown or hood to be easily described and identified. It was devised by Nicholas Groves to establish a common terminology for hoods and gowns to remedy the situation ...
with the exception of the Certificates and Diplomas hood, which is of a modified Aberdeen
7shape. All have purple neckbands with a centrally-placed band of gold ribbon. Excepting those of doctors, all hoods are of black corded material.
Certificates and Diplomas
*Diplomas and Certificates - self-lined with a narrow band of purple within the cowl;
Bachelors
*Bachelors requiring five or more years of study (e.g.
MBChB
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...
) - a full lining of purple, trimmed within the cowl with two ribbons, the outer of gold and the inner of red
*All other Bachelors - a broad facing of purple within the cowl, trimmed with a single band of gold ribbon;
Masters
*Undergraduate Masters - a full lining of purple trimmed with two bands of gold ribbon within the cowl;
*Master of Philosophy - a full lining of purple trimmed with a broad band of gold ribbon within the cowl and a maroon edging on the cape
*All other Post-Graduate Masters - a full lining of purple carried over as an edging on the cape;
Doctors
*Higher Doctorates - scarlet (woollen) cloth fully lined with purple, the cape edged in gold;
*Other Doctorates - maroon (woollen) cloth fully lined with purple carried over as an edging on the cape;
Caps
*Bachelors and Masters - a standard black cloth
mortarboard
The square academic cap, graduate cap, cap, mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the mortarboard used by brickmasons to hold mortar) or Oxford cap is an item of academic dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed up ...
with a black silk tassel.
*Doctors - a black cloth or velvet
Tudor bonnet
A Tudor bonnet (also referred to as a doctor's bonnet or round cap) is a traditional soft-crowned, round-brimmed cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the hat. As the name suggests, the Tudor bonnet was popularly worn in England and ...
with a cord and tassels of gold.
Officers
![Manc Chancellor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Manc_Chancellor.JPG)
Officers of the university wear special academic dress on ceremonial occasions.
The robe of the Chancellor is of purple silk damask with flap collar and closed, square ended sleeves
4 edged with silver lace throughout and trimmed with silver frogs on the sleeves, and with the university arms, crest and motto embroidered on each of the revers at chest height. The cap is a black velvet Tudor bonnet with a cord and tassels of silver. The robes worn by other university officers, such as the Vice-Chancellor, Deans and Registrars, and those deputising for them, are similar.
The mace-bearer wears a gown with square ended sleeves of plain purple silk or stuff, edged for one inch in gold ribbon, and a black Tudor bonnet with cord and tassels of gold. Major benefactors of the university and other people associated with the university (but who are neither students nor staff) can wear a generally similar gown, in being of plain purple material with edgings of gold ribbon, at ceremonies.
References
* Nicholas Groves (ed.) (2011) ''Shaw's Academical Dress of Great Britain and Ireland'', 3rd edition, Published by the Burgon Society, , pp. 281–282
The University of Manchester - General Regulations Including Academic Dress
* Philip Lowe ''Manchester Academic Dress: the origins and development of academical dress at the Victoria University of Manchester from 1880 to the present day''. Manchester: University, 2002
{{Portal bar, Greater Manchester
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
University of Manchester