Regalia and Honors Cords

Undergraduates wear purple robes.  Master’s Candidates are required to purchase a Master’s Hood in addition to the Master's black cap and gown.  You may purchase your cap, gown and mortarboard & tassel from the WCU Bookstore.  For best selection, please purchase your regalia early in your graduating semester.

Cords, stoles, pins and other graduation regalia indicating membership or participation in a recognized student organization or honor society and which is distributed to you by an approved student organization or honor society sponsor may be worn at commencement.  It is your responsibility to procure the regalia in advance and bring it with you to commencement.  This type of regalia is not distributed on commencement day or at the commencement ceremony.

Official final grades for the graduating semester are not available until after commencement.  Walking with Latin honors is calculated based on your most recent cumulative GPA.  Students who graduate with Latin honors will receive a gold cord to wear during the commencement ceremony.  Latin honors GPA determinations are as follows:
Cum Laude – 3.5 – 3.69
Magna Cum Laude – 3.7 – 3.89
Summa Cum Laude – 3.9 – 4.0

Graduate students are not eligible for Latin honors.

You will receive an e-mail with instructions for picking up your Latin honors cords.  Please pay special attention to any e-mails from graduation@wcu.edu.

Students in the Brinson Honors College who complete the Brinson Honors College Degree requirements should display their Brinson Honors College Medallion during commencement.

Graduating students from the Brinson Honors College will receive their honors medallion at the official Brinson Honors College Medallion Ceremony, prior to commencement. Two Medallion Ceremonies are held annually, in May and December. Graduation candidates will receive notifications and updates regarding the event in the months leading up to the Medallion Ceremony. If a student is unable to attend the ceremony, individuals should contact the Brinson Honors College by way of phone, in-person visit, or email.

Please view the video below for instructions for carrying your Doctoral/Master of Fine Arts hood.
Student Instructions