Colour Guide
Academic colours and their meaning
Our range of coloured pieces – from cap and gown, through the tassel and the sash to the velvet facing on doctoral gowns – has its origins in the North American market. There they were defined by the „Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume“. They were later consolidated by the „American Council on Education“ in the „Academic Costume Code“.
The colours are not assigned strictly to a single course of study; what matters is the closest possible match to one of the defined colours for each faculty. Bachelor’s and master’s gowns carry no facing, while doctoral gowns feature velvet facing (revers, sleeves and chevrons on the arm) in the corresponding colour.
Academic colours by discipline
| Discipline | Colour (EN) | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Maize | |
| Arts & Humanities | White | |
| Commerce, Accountancy, Business | Drab | |
| Dentistry | Lilac | |
| Economics / Business Administration | Copper | |
| Education | Light Blue | |
| Engineering | Orange | |
| Fine Arts & Architecture | Brown | |
| Forestry | Russet | |
| Journalism | Crimson | |
| Law | Purple | |
| Library Science | Lemon | |
| Medicine | Green | |
| Music | Pink | |
| Nursing | Apricot | |
| Oratory (Speech) | Silver Gray | |
| Pharmacy | Olive Green | |
| Philosophy | Dark Blue | |
| Physical Education | Sage Green | |
| Public Administration | Peacock Blue | |
| Public Health | Salmon | |
| Science | Golden Yellow | |
| Social Work | Citron | |
| Theology | Scarlet | |
| Veterinary Medicine | Grey |
Please note: The colour assignment is based on the US „Academic Costume Code“. In Germany and Europe, colours may vary from one institution to another. If you have any questions about the right colour for your university, please do get in touch.
