Commencement: Announcements and Academic Regalia

Commencement Announcements

Order personalized graduation announcements, thank you cards, rings and other graduation related items from Herff Jones at www.herffjones.com/college/mills. The website should be updated for 2012 orders by mid-Febrary

If you do not want to order personalized announcements, but still wish to send a more formal announcement, the Mills College Bookstore now has nice quality blank announcements in stock. They come with an insert that provides the date and time of Commencement.

Finally, if you prefer to send an informal information sheet about Commencement activities, you can use the "Family & Friends Commencement Invitation" found under You and Your Guests on this website.

Academic Regalia

Important: Academic regalia are required for all students who participate in the Commencement ceremony. Students cannot walk without academic regalia.

Academic regalia should be ordered online before late March. Instructions for ordering will be listed here soon. 

For questions regarding regalia orders, please contact the Mills College Bookstore, bookstore@mills.edu or 510.430.2156.

A limited number of gowns, hoods, and caps are available from the Division of Student LifeRobe Bank for graduating undergraduate and graduate students who cannot afford to purchase regalia due to financial hardship. An email will be sent to all graduating students in the spring to submit requests for regalia from the Robe Bank for the May Commencement Ceremony. Contact the Division of Student Life, deanofstudents@mills.edu, for more information.

Students who purchase academic regalia are strongly encouraged to donate their regalia to the Robe Bank after the Commencement ceremony by placing it in the Robe Bank donation bins located near the ceremony site on the meadow. This will not only help future students who cannot afford regalia, but will also contribute to our sustainability efforts. Students who have borrowed regalia from the Robe Bank should also return that regalia to the bins on the meadow after the ceremony.

Academic Regalia and Cost

28.75 BA/BS Gown
21.50 Oxford Cap
26.25 Hood

Pre-Nursing Certificate
28.75 Gown
(nothing worn on head and no hood)

MA, MBA, MFA, MPP
31.50 MA Gown
6.75 Mortarboard
30.00 Hood 

Credential and Certificate
31.50 Gown 
6.75 Mortarboard
5.25 Tassel

*Doctoral Fine Quality Regalia is also available to special order from the Mills College Bookstore. Packages start at $563. Fine Quality Regalia orders must be ordered a minimum of six weeks prior to the date needed.

Note: Mills College degree candidates are hooded at Commencement, thus the tassel on the cap is not used. Graduates receiving only the certificate or credential (but not a degree) wear a tassel on the mortarboard because they are not hooded. Detachable robe collars are not used for any of the programs.