Doctoral hat
Doctoral hat
Wearing a doctoral hat
Wearing a doctoral hat is obligatory for doctors. The hat is used in the day and evening events of the conferment day. You can use own hat or borrow/rent one. Doctoral promovendi bring their doctoral hats to the rehearsal for the act of conferment (Friday 19 May). In the act of Conferment (Saturday 20 May) the Conferrer of Degrees places the hats on the heads of the doctors and gives them their swords. New doctors also wear the hat at the Dinner and Ball.
It is recommended that members of the public in possession of a doctoral degree wear their doctoral hats in the Act of Conferment. In the Act of Conferment, the hat is brought to the auditorium in the left hand, the lyre pointing forward. The hat is put on at the same time with the Conferrer of Degrees.
The Conferment of Degrees Ceremony at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ also includes a church service. All doctors take their hats off during the church service. Doctors participating in the non-denominational event keep their hats on.
The doctoral hat is a symbol of degree and status, and should be handled accordingly. For example, it is not allowed to place the hat upside down on a table. The best place for storing the hat is in a dedicated hat box.
Getting a doctoral hat
The hat must fit well on the head. To ensure this, doctoral hats are always tailor-made with conformateur, a measuring device patented in the 1850s. All doctoral promovendi may purchase the hat directly from a desired manufacturer. The manufacturers will also organize fitting events at campus before the next Conferment of Degrees Ceremony. We will publish information about these fittings on this website.
Borrowing a hat or sword
You may also borrow a sword or a hat for the Conferment of Degrees Ceremony. We will publish more information about borrowing sword or hat before the next Conferment of Degrees Ceremony.
Hat model and colour
The Finnish doctoral hat resembles a top hat. A golden emblem is attached to the velvet ribbon of the hat. Traditionally the hat is black, green, red, dark blue or purple, because different disciplines have different hat colours. The hat colour at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ is black, excluding the Faculty of Sport and Health Studies where it is dark blue.
The emblem of the hat is defined carefully for different disciplines and universities. Traditionally the emblem for the doctors of philosophy and psychology at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ is a lyre encircled by laurels. Usually hat manufacturers are aware of the emblems of different universities and disciplines.
Download the PDF-file below to see the pictures of doctoral hats at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ and the symbols (emblems) of hats.