Academic Dress

Description of Academic Dress

Members of the University must appear at its public ceremonies in their prescribed dress.  For graduation you must hire, borrow, or buy the appropriate academic dress as listed below:

• Gown – there are three types of gowns:
  • a light tapa brown colour gown for Certificates, Diplomas and Bachelors degree
  • a dark tapa brown colour gown for Master Degree, Master of Philosophy, Master of the University, Postgraduate Diploma, and Postgraduate Certificate
  • a blue indian silk gown for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Hood – the hood is a simple cowl lined at the rear with the degree colour
• Trencher – the headgear, are in three colours:
  • a light tapa brown colour for Bachelors Degree
  • a dark tapa brown colour for Master Degree
  • a blue Indian silk for Doctor of the University, Honorary Degree

What to wear with your Academic Dress?

There is no prescribed dress code, but most graduands chose to wear smart, semi-formal day wear with their academic dress.  Please be aware that the Graduation day involves a lot of walking, including going up and down stairs, so high heels may not be practical. Salusalu’s and equivalent ceremonial garlands of other cultures may be worn with the academic dress.

Purchase & Hire of Academic Dress

If you wish to hire an academic dress you must pay the full purchase price as a deposit. A refund of the deposit, less the hire charge, will be deposited into your bank account when the academic dress is returned. Please fill in your bank account details on the attached Academic Dress Deposit Refund Form (Fillable) and lodge it with the Cashier when making payment for academic dress.

Payment of Academic Dress

Graduands must present Completion Letter and Student ID Card to the Cashier, when making payment for academic dress.  All grandaunts who will be attending the graduation ceremony at Laucala Campus are required to pay their academic dress deposit at Laucala Campus cashier and not at another campuses, as all refunds will only be processed by the student finance office at Laucala Campus.

Persons Collecting Academic Dress / Ceremony Tickets on Behalf of a Graduand

Academic dress will only be released if your name is on the confirmed list of graduands and if you produce an Official Receipt issued from the Cashier.

Persons collecting academic dress/ceremony tickets on behalf of a graduand must have a letter of authority and photo identification. The authorised individual must produce either a valid Driver’s License or FNPF Card or Voter Registration ID or Passport. The letter of authorisation must state the graduand’s student identification number and programme of study that he/she is being awarded.

Refund of Academic Dress Deposit

All refunds will be paid directly to graduate bank accounts. Please fill in your bank account details on the attached Academic Dress Deposit Refund Form (Fillable) and lodge it with the Cashier when making payment for academic dress. You may also email your Refund form to student.finance@usp.ac.fj

USP Laucala Campus Cashier – Opening hours

8:15am to 4:15pm – Monday to Thursday

8:15am to 3:45pm – Friday

The cashier also closes on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays.

USP Regional Campus Cashier – Opening hours

Students to contact the respective Campus Administration Office.

Cost of Hiring and Purchasing of Academic Dress