Archived video of the 2011 ceremony is available on youtube.

Photos and video from past ceremonies are available via links at the bottom of this page.

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HOODING:
HOODING-Hooding for Masters and Doctoral students will be decentralized for this year’s graduates.  A more personalized ceremony for master’s graduates is planned to take place at the college/ school or department convocation providing the opportunity for thesis and project chairs to hood the graduate.  Doctoral graduates will be hooded at commencement ceremonies on Saturday morning emphasizing the importance of their accomplishments before a larger audience.  Doctoral students will also be hooded by their respective dissertation chairs.

History of Hooding Ceremony and Academic Regalia

California State University, Fresno is one of only a few institutions in the country to recognize its graduates with a Hooding Ceremony. The colorful hood of each university is reserved for those who attain the highest academic degree beyond the bachelor's degree. It is a special part of academic regalia and denotes scholarly and professional achievements.

The pageantry of commencement has its roots in medieval times, dating to the early tradition of Europe's first universities. Origins of academic attire are obscured in history, but it is likely that the scholar's distinctive dress was based on modifications of ecclesiastical costumes of the times. In 1895, the United States set for its universities a uniform academic costume code, which is reflected in most of the regalia worn today. Meanwhile, European universities maintained their right to variety. The vivid diversity of regalia for European degree holders brings to the American commencement such visual pleasures as sable berets, cardinal robes and other distinctive garb.

The cap, the hood and the robe are the visual components of the academic costume. The mortarboard, as we see it now, comes from joining the elements of a square bonnet and a skull cap. As early as 1600, scholars at Oxford University began using lightweight boards to hold out the corners of the bonnet.

Gown designs represent the levels of academic degrees. The master's gown has sleeves with a slit to allow the arm to emerge at the elbow. Color is allowed to break through in the hood. The color of the outer binding of the master's and doctoral hoods represents which the degree was received. The colors of the inner lining of the hood denote the institution awarding the degree. The inner hood lining for California State University, Fresno graduates is red and blue. The tassel color for all of our master's degree students is black.