Academic Dress
What is academic dress?
Academic dress refers to the gown, cap and hood that Graduands and academics wear as part of the formal graduation ceremony. The details of your academic dress will vary depending on the award you are receiving. You will get guidance on the appropriate academic dress when you make your booking.
We want all eligible students to be able to attend their graduation ceremony. If you have any concerns about the costs associated with graduation you can contact our Student support services for advice and guidance at student.finance@port.ac.uk.
Academic Dress FAQ's
Our official gowning company is Graduation Attire.
Bookings will open 16 April 2024. You will receive an email from the Graduation team to notify you when the booking system is available. As our official gowning company, Graduation Attire has an in-depth knowledge of the University’s academic attire requirements and will provide you with the correct gown and hood based on the award you are due to receive.
It is recommended that you hire or purchase the appropriate academic dress as soon as possible after the booking system opens. This ensures enough time to correct any errors and answer any queries. The booking system will close on 3 June 2024. Whilst you may be able to book your academic attire after this date, it is likely you will incur a late booking fee.
If you do not book your academic dress in good time we cannot guarantee that the appropriate academic dress will be available on the day; if it is, or you are content to walk across the stage in the wrong attire, you may be able to hire it on the day.. Availability on the day of your ceremony is not guaranteed, and costs may be different from the advance booking prices
Academic dress will be available for collection in advance of your ceremony. Graduation Attire staff will be on hand in Ravelin Sports Centre to assist you.
We will publish collection and return times nearer the time, but we recommend you give yourself at least an hour to collect and get dressed in your academic attire.
More detailed information will be available on the Graduation Attire booking site; the information below reflects Graduation 2023 prices and are indicative only:
| Day Hire | Extended Hire* | Purchase | |
| Bachelors | £39.60 | £75.00 | £150.00 |
| Masters | £39.60 | £75.00 | £162.00 |
| PhD | £45.00 | £45.00 | £210.00 |
*Extended Hire means returning your gown using a provided pre-paid Royal Mail bag within 7 days of your ceremony.
Graduation is a formal event so we recommend you dress smartly, however, it is also important you are comfortable and can move easily. You will be wearing your academic dress for a few hours and walking between spaces, up and down the Guildhall stage steps and seated for periods of time.
Your cape and hood often come with a button loop at the front. This enables you to secure the attire to a top button (if you are wearing a garment with a small top button, such as a shirt or dress) and stops it from sliding backwards. Safety pins are a handy thing to bring if you are planning on wearing something with no buttons!