You will need to wear University of Bristol academic dress for your ceremony. This can be hired when registration opens, or purchased in advance.  Hire prices start at £45.

You can apply for a Graduation gown bursary if you need help to cover the cost of gown hire.

Please note, you will not be able to graduate without the correct gown and hood in the official University of Bristol colours.

Order your gown

Our official suppliers of the correct academic dress for your University of Bristol award are Ede & Ravenscroft, and you can order your gown when registration opens by accessing their website and following their step-by-step ordering process. Please make sure you enter your institution, ceremony date and time and award correctly.

Masters intercalators: if you are graduating with both your undergraduate degree and masters degree at the same ceremony you should order a masters gown.

Order your gown

Deadline for January 2025

For the January 2025 congregation, the deadline for ordering your gown and hat online from our official supplier is 5 pm on Monday 13 January 2025.

Picking up and dropping off your gown

Your hired gown and hat will be available for collection from our official supplier at the Richmond Building from 8 am on the day of your ceremony.  You can collect your gown any time from 8 am, to fit in with your other commitments on the day.

Gowns should be returned by 7 pm at either the Richmond Building or Wills Memorial Building.

See our Timetables for the day page for information about timings.

What our gowns look like

Download an image of University of Bristol gowns - all degrees (PDF, 265kB).

Download and image of University of Bristol gowns - postgraduate certificate and diploma (PDF, 102kB)

Bachelors and masters gowns are black, with a draping known as a hood. The colours in your hood depend on your award.

If you are graduating with a BA, BSc or BEng degree you will have a hood in a colour called University red, in lighter and darker shades. If you are graduating with an LLB degree the hood will be in University red with a violet trim. The hood for MBChB, BDS and BVSc degrees is in University red with a white trim.

Undergraduate and postgraduate masters hoods are in University red with a white lining.

Postgraduate certificate and diploma gowns are black, with a red hood with a white lining and green trim.

Doctoral degrees: PhD, DDS, EdD, EngD, DEdPsy, DSocSci and MD have a scarlet gown with a dark violet facing, sleeves and hood lining.  Please note that doctoral degrees have mortarboard style hats.

Higher doctorates: DEng, DLitt, DMus, DSc and LLD have a scarlet gown with salmon-coloured facing, sleeves and hood lining. Higher doctorates have tudor bonnet style hats.

‌Hats

Graduates awarded all degrees apart from higher doctorates, plus postgraduate certificate and diploma awards, wear a mortarboard style hat.  Higher doctorates wear a hat in a tudor bonnet style.

What to wear with your gown

You should feel comfortable in the clothes you choose to wear. Most people decide to wear something smart that reflects that this is a special and more formal occasion. 

Traditional dress is also acceptable for graduation.