The Student Room Group

BA gown

Hi. I'm just wondering whether you could answer some questions regarding the BA gowns (the ones for graduates):

1) are they height-dependent? i.e. do they vary in length accordingly to your height? Because I remember for undergraduates, the gowns were all of the same length.

2) Where is the cheapest place to get graduate gowns - do MCRs order in bulk (which reduces price)?

Thanks!
They are sized - too big and far too big if I remember correctly. Actually, I think only a couple of size 'bands' that are height dependent. Mine says 117cm, which I can confirm drowns someone who is 163cm tall.

And no, your MCR doesn't bulk buy, but it does buy off any leavers who wish to sell, so will probably have a few available as term starts. Email the current MCR President who will confirm they are still going to run the scheme this year.
Reply 2
You may not need to buy one. I haven't got one and haven't needed one yet. I think technically I was supposed to wear one to matric dinner but we just wore our undergrad ones and nobody noticed.
Reply 3
threeportdrift
They are sized - too big and far too big if I remember correctly. Actually, I think only a couple of size 'bands' that are height dependent. Mine says 117cm, which I can confirm drowns someone who is 163cm tall.

And no, your MCR doesn't bulk buy, but it does buy off any leavers who wish to sell, so will probably have a few available as term starts. Email the current MCR President who will confirm they are still going to run the scheme this year.

Oh right, thanks for the heads up R.

Helenia
You may not need to buy one. I haven't got one and haven't needed one yet. I think technically I was supposed to wear one to matric dinner but we just wore our undergrad ones and nobody noticed.

Yeah, I left my undergrad gown at home. But don't you need a BA gown eventually when you graduate with your medical degree? likewise i might need one for my postgrad science one :smile:
Reply 4
Comp_Genius
Yeah, I left my undergrad gown at home. But don't you need a BA gown eventually when you graduate with your medical degree? likewise i might need one for my postgrad science one :smile:
Won't you be an MA by then (depends on how long your course is)? I'm not sure but I thought that meant you'd have to wear an MA gown at graduation.
Reply 5
I think you graduate from clinicals before you get a MA - I think you get the MA in your 7th year or some number of terms after first term which I worked out once and figured it was after the end of Michaelmas in 7th year, but I could be wrong...
Reply 6
Comp_Genius

Yeah, I left my undergrad gown at home. But don't you need a BA gown eventually when you graduate with your medical degree? likewise i might need one for my postgrad science one :smile:

Yes, but I can hire/borrow one for that one day!

And yes, I will get my MBBChir (June 2009, fingers crossed!) before my MA (sometime early in 2010). So I guess I might need it again, but apart from that I've not found an occasion where it was necessary. Other colleges might have different rules though.
Reply 7
You'd have to graduate as BA before getting the MA anyway:

"A Bachelor of Arts may be admitted Master of Arts not less than six years from the end of his or her first term of residence if two years have elapsed since he or she was admitted Bachelor of Arts."

To graduate as MA you'd need the BA gown, although I'm sure that can be hired. I don't currently have a BA gown; will have to see if I need one. Seeing as I've already matriculated at the same college as undergrad, I'm not sure if there's much in the way of ceremony to start postgrad?
Reply 8
Supermerp
Won't you be an MA by then (depends on how long your course is)? I'm not sure but I thought that meant you'd have to wear an MA gown at graduation.

Unfortunately not: I'm doing a 3 year PhD, so my MA is a year after that.

psyche87
I think you graduate from clinicals before you get a MA - I think you get the MA in your 7th year or some number of terms after first term which I worked out once and figured it was after the end of Michaelmas in 7th year, but I could be wrong...

Yeah all the clinical medics got their medical degrees before the MA.

Helenia
Yes, but I can hire/borrow one for that one day!

And yes, I will get my MBBChir (June 2009, fingers crossed!) before my MA (sometime early in 2010). So I guess I might need it again, but apart from that I've not found an occasion where it was necessary. Other colleges might have different rules though.

Oh right. I see, so you get away with your undergrad gown then :-)

Mithent
You'd have to graduate as BA before getting the MA anyway:

"A Bachelor of Arts may be admitted Master of Arts not less than six years from the end of his or her first term of residence if two years have elapsed since he or she was admitted Bachelor of Arts."

To graduate as MA you'd need the BA gown, although I'm sure that can be hired. I don't currently have a BA gown; will have to see if I need one. Seeing as I've already matriculated at the same college as undergrad, I'm not sure if there's much in the way of ceremony to start postgrad?

Maybe matriculation photograph for postgrads? Are you doing a PhD? haha i get to matriculate again :smile:
Comp_Genius
haha i get to matriculate again :smile:


Have you checked? I did the same move as you and they said don't bother, already matriculated at the uni. Although that was postgrad>postgrad, not undergrad>postgrad.
Reply 10
threeportdrift
Have you checked? I did the same move as you and they said don't bother, already matriculated at the uni. Although that was postgrad>postgrad, not undergrad>postgrad.

Wait: I matriculated for the university. Did you change college half way through or something? Anyhow, I got a letter saying there's a matriculation photograph (which is what I meant, as the matriculation was just signing pieces of paper...)?

Did you have another photo for leaving students?
Yes, I made the same move you are making between my Masters and my PhD. The MCR has a photo every year. I'm not sure about the Matric photo college are talking about, I think it will be aimed at undergrads, not sure if there is a separate grad photo.
Reply 12
Comp_Genius

Oh right. I see, so you get away with your undergrad gown then :-)

Well, at Clare we don't have to wear gowns to hall, so the only times I need it at the moment are when I read in chapel, and nobody cares I'm in the wrong gown there. If you have to wear gowns more often it would probably be worth it.

As for matriculation, we didn't have to have the photo and sign stuff again, but we did get to go to dinner. :biggrin:
Reply 13
Heh, I've never bought a gown, and have only worn mine once. I'll probably have to wear a gown once more in the next 3 years. Life seems rather easy.
Reply 14
heh visesh. dont your college have matriculation dinner with gown again, grad dinners? or are you guys too good to wear gowns?
Reply 15
Comp_Genius
heh visesh. dont your college have matriculation dinner with gown again, grad dinners? or are you guys too good to wear gowns?

He's at King's. Gowns are counter-revolutionary. :p:
Reply 16
Helenia
He's at King's. Gowns are counter-revolutionary. :p:

yeah - they don't even have formals. their superhall was quite good for quality though.

is it me I have trouble understanding the word counter-revolutionary. Is that just an euphemism for 'kings is not good enough for gowns'? Anyhow, I sense that I won't be on the invitation list for going to kings formal in the future.
Reply 17
Comp_Genius
yeah - they don't even have formals. their superhall was quite good for quality though.

is it me I have trouble understanding the word counter-revolutionary. Is that just an euphemism for 'kings is not good enough for gowns'? Anyhow, I sense that I won't be on the invitation list for going to kings formal in the future.

If you're nice, you might get an invite to a grad formal:p:
Reply 18
visesh
If you're nice, you might get an invite to a grad formal:p:

Thanks, nevertheless, why the existence of a conditional protasis which I have italised and underlined concomitantly above? (in other words, since when have I not been nice?)

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