Academic dress

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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The colourful academic dress worn at convocation was introduced more than 600 years ago. At the university, all graduates wear a gown, with a cap and hood.

Bachelor's and master's graduates wear black gowns and mortarboards. The hoods of bachelor's and master's graduates are black with an inside lining of royal blue. The hood has a velvet trim in a colour distinctive of the dree that have been earned by the graduate.
Doctoral graduates wear custom-designed gowns that are dark blue and trimmed in light blue and velvet bonnets. The hoods of doctoral graduates are also custom-designed and blue.
Graduate diploma graduates wear a black gown.

Academic Council designates the academic dress to be worn at all ceremonial functions. The academic dress symbolizes a graduate's achievement in attaining a degree and becoming a member of the university's alumni community.

Degree	Hood trim
Master of Applied Science	Orange
Master of Arts	White
Master of Business Administration	Light olive brown
Master of Education	Light blue
Master of Engineering	Orange
Master of Health Sciences	Salmon
Master of Information Technology Security	Light olive brown
Master of Science	Golden yellow
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)	White
Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours)	Orange
Bachelor of Applied Science and Management (Honours)	Orange
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)	Light olive brown
Bachelor of Education	Light blue
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)	Orange
Bachelor of Engineering and Management (Honours)	Orange
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences (Honours)	Salmon
Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours)	Light olive brown
Bachelor of Science	Golden yellow
Bachelor of Science (Honours)	Golden yellow
Bachelor of Science and Management (Honours)	Golden yellow
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Honours)	Apricot

The university President and Chancellor shall wear gowns that are distinctive of the positions they hold in the community.

University governors, officers, faculty and staff who participate in the convocation ceremony shall wear the academic dress distinctive of the institution from which they graduated and the degree they received. Members of the academic procession who have not been awarded a degree shall wear a black gown.