The mortarboard is the hat that you wear exactly once (or a few times if you pursue multiple degrees) and never again outside an academic context. This makes it one of the most ritualised hat forms in existence: the act of wearing it is inseparable from the ceremony it marks, and that ceremony is inseparable from a tradition of academic culture that stretches back to medieval European universities. Understanding what the mortarboard is, why it looks the way it does, and what the ceremony conventions mean -- including the turning of the tassel -- explains why an otherwise impractical hat has retained its central ceremonial role for so long.
What a Mortarboard Is
A mortarboard is an academic cap with a flat, horizontal, square board attached to the top of a close-fitting round cap, with a tassel hanging from the centre of the board. The name derives from the hat's resemblance to the flat board (mortarboard) that bricklayers use to hold mortar while laying brick -- the square, flat top on a handle-like cap is the visual equivalence.
Structural elements:
- Square board: the flat, square top panel, typically made from the same fabric as the academic gown (usually wool or polyester in black, or in school colours)
- Close-fitting cap: the lower rounded cap portion that fits on the head, made in a stretch or fitted construction
- Tassel: the decorative hanging element attached to the centre of the board. Tassel colour may indicate the graduate's field of study, degree level, or institutional affiliation
The Historical Origin
Academic regalia traces to medieval European universities, where scholars wore long gowns and close-fitting skull caps as their standard dress. The medieval scholar's cap (the pileus) was a precursor to academic headwear, but the specific mortarboard form appears to have developed in 16th and 17th century England and Oxford and Cambridge specifically.
The square academic cap is sometimes called the 'Oxford cap' in reference to this association. The tradition was carried to colonial universities in North America, which adopted British academic dress conventions, and from there the mortarboard spread globally as Western university models were established or adopted worldwide.
The Tassel Convention
The most culturally visible convention of graduation ceremonies is the turning of the tassel -- the moment when graduates move the tassel from one side of the cap to the other to mark the conferring of the degree. In American academic tradition:
- Before the degree is conferred, the tassel is typically worn on the right side
- After the degree is conferred (or at a specific moment designated by the ceremony), graduates move the tassel to the left side
- The tassel turn is a collective moment in many ceremonies, performed simultaneously by all graduates at a signal
This convention is primarily an American practice. British universities and many other academic traditions do not have a tassel-turning convention -- the tassel is worn consistently and the moment of degree conferring is marked differently in each tradition.
Tassel Colour and Field of Study
In American academic tradition, tassel colour is often used to indicate the graduate's field of study according to a colour-code established by the American Council on Education. Examples include:
- Dark blue: philosophy
- Copper: economics
- Light blue: education
- Gold: science
- Pink: music
- White: arts and letters
- Scarlet: theology
These colour codes are not universally followed -- many universities use their institutional colour for all tassels regardless of field, and the system is not standardised across institutions.
When and How the Mortarboard Is Worn
The mortarboard is worn as part of academic regalia for graduation ceremonies, academic processions, and specific formal academic occasions. Outside these formal academic contexts, it is not worn -- the hat's functional limitations (the board's flat top makes it balance-dependent; the hat must be worn level or it sits awkwardly) and its strong ceremonial associations make it impractical and contextually inappropriate for any other use.
Wearing convention: the mortarboard is worn level on the head, with the board sitting flat and horizontal. The front edge of the board is typically positioned approximately two finger-widths above the eyebrows. The cap fits close to the head, and the overall effect should be stable enough that the hat can be worn without constant hand support -- though in windy outdoor ceremonies, hand support of the cap is entirely normal.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a graduation cap called a mortarboard?
The graduation cap is called a mortarboard because it resembles the flat, square board used by bricklayers to hold mortar while laying bricks. The visual analogy is between the flat square board on a handle (the bricklayer's tool) and the flat square board on a close-fitting cap (the academic hat). The name is informal and descriptive rather than the official academic name for the cap, which is typically called an 'academic cap' or 'square academic cap' in formal academic dress documentation.
What does the tassel colour mean on a graduation cap?
Tassel colour can indicate the graduate's field of study according to an American Council on Education colour code, or it can reflect the university's institutional colours, or it can reflect degree level (bachelor's, master's, doctoral). The system is not standardised across universities -- the interpretation of tassel colour depends on the specific institution's conventions. Many universities use a single colour for all graduates or vary by faculty rather than field. If the tassel colour's meaning is important to you, checking your specific institution's academic dress documentation is the reliable approach.
Do you keep your graduation cap?
Whether graduates keep their academic cap depends on whether they own it or rented it as part of a graduation package. Many universities rent gown and cap sets for the ceremony, requiring return after the event. Others sell the complete academic regalia or allow purchase. If a graduate decorated their cap (a widely practiced custom in American graduation culture where students personalise the top of their mortarboard with artwork, messages, or significant objects for the ceremony), the decorated cap is typically theirs to keep regardless of the rental arrangement for the base item. If you want to keep your graduation cap for sentimental reasons, clarify the ownership terms before the ceremony.