Academic Dress

What kind of academic dress do you need?

Graduation ceremonies are official occasions and the wearing of academic dress is compulsory.聽

For Abertay, this means a gown and a hood. Mortar boards are not worn. Gowns and hoods vary in style and colour, and indicate your award (degree) and the university you are graduating from (Abertay).

The majority of gowns for undergraduates and postgraduates are black, PhDs and MPhils are different. Hoods depend on the qualification you are getting. Find out聽about the academic dress colours and hoods.

You must be wearing a gown and hood to cross the stage. Although there鈥檚 no formal dress code apart from gowns and hoods, we suggest you dress smartly. This isn't a day for jeans and trainers.聽

5 graduates standing outside wearing black and pink graduation gowns.

How to hire your Academic Dress

You hire your academic dress (gown and hood) directly from their website. You can't hire it until you are registered, so don't forget to do that first.

The deadline for hiring academic dress is midnight (23:59) on Monday 22 June. It usually costs around 拢44 (subject to change). We recommend you hire your academic dress as soon as you have registered to graduate.

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You'll be emailed a QR code from Marston before graduation (usually one week before the ceremony). It's important so keep it safe - you'll need it to collect your academic dress.

It'll be easier to keep your hood in place if you have a top or shirt with buttons, or you can use a safety pin.

A large group of graduates sitting in the Caird Hall on their graduation day, they wear graduation gowns and are seen looking forward.

Summer 2026: where/when to collect your Academic Dress

You collect your gown and hood from Marston Events at The Caird Hall on Thursday 9 July from 2pm-5pm, or from 8.30am on Graduation Day.

You must have your QR code and allocated seat number with you when you collect it. This identifies the gown and hood that you've hired. The colour you get is specific to your degree subject and university. Find out more about details of the colours of gowns and hoods for each degree.

If you can't collect your academic dress yourself, someone else can do it for you, so long as they have your full name and QR code.