Grad Gown Rentals
STUDENTS AND FACULTY: THE ADVANCED RENTAL PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED. TO RENT YOUR GOWNS YOU WILL NEED TO DO SO ON THE DAY OF YOUR CONVOCATION. PLEASE READ BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
Students
You can rent a gown and hood on the day of your ceremony at the gown pick up area. The cost for day-of rental is $70.00 and we will accept Cash, Credit, or Debit. There is no need to provide us with your information in advance once the online rental website has closed. You just need to arrive 1.5 hours before your ceremony start time to rent on the day of your ceremony.
2020/2021 graduating class: The deadline to book your gown is October 28th.
2022 graduating class: The deadline to book your gown is November 4th.
Student Gown Pick-up Location
Gowns must be picked up 1.5 hours prior to your ceremony start time. Please ensure you have your gown order number with you when you arrive, and a piece of photo ID.
Vancouver – Pick up is located at 1866 Main Mall Block B, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Buchanan building).
Okanagan – Pick up is located in the Foyer of the Administration Building.
Faculty
Appropriate academic attire is required of all participants. Faculty regalia can be rented on-site at the Royal Bank Cinema in the Chan Centre. Payment can be made using cash, credit, debit or your Work tag account. Faculty must convene at the Robing Room at least 30 minutes before the ceremony, so please plan to arrive a minimum of 45-60 minutes prior to your ceremony start time to ensure you leave adequate time to pick up your regalia.
Questions? View our Faculty Gown Rental FAQs.
Faculty Gown Pick-up Location
Gowns should be picked up 45-60 minutes prior to your ceremony start time.
Vancouver – The Robing Room for faculty is the Royal Bank Cinema at the Chan Centre. Access via the Royal Bank Cinema entrance off of Crescent Road.
Okanagan – The Robing Room for faculty is the DVC Boardroom located in the Administration Building.
FAQs
Where do I return my gown after the ceremony?
Students:
Gowns must be returned to the gowns drop off location no later than 1 hour after your ceremony concludes.
Vancouver – Drop off is located at the regalia returns tent in front of the UBC Bookstore.
Okanagan – Drop off is located in the foyer outside the UBCO Bookstore.
Faculty:
Gowns must be returned to the Faculty Robing Room no later than 1 hour after your ceremony concludes.
Vancouver – The Robing Room for faculty is the Royal Bank Cinema at the Chan Centre. Access via the Royal Bank Cinema entrance off of Crescent Road.
Okanagan – The Robing Room for faculty is the DVC Boardroom located in the Administration Building.
I have a specific question about gown rentals, who can I contact?
Please send us an email at gown.rentals@ubc.ca.
Where do I pick up my gown?
Students: Gowns must be picked up 1.5 hours prior to your ceremony start time. Please ensure you have your gown order number with you when you arrive, and a piece of photo ID.
Vancouver – Pick up is located at 1866 Main Mall Block B, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Buchanan building).
Okanagan – Pick up is located in the Foyer of the Administration Building.
Faculty: Gowns should be picked up 45-60 minutes prior to your ceremony start time.
Vancouver – The Robing Room for faculty is the Royal Bank Cinema at the Chan Centre. Access via the Royal Bank Cinema entrance off of Crescent Road.
Okanagan – The Robing Room for faculty is the DVC Boardroom located in the Administration Building.
When are the Fall 2022 graduation ceremonies?
Convocation for 2020 and 2021 graduates is November 15-22, 2022. Convocation for 2022 graduates is November 23-25.
For a complete list of the day's schedule, visit:Â https://graduation.ubc.ca/schedule/
What is included in my graduation gown rental?
For students receiving a bachelors or masters degree, your rental includes a dry cleaned black gown, a hood representing your faculty and unique degree, and a mortarboard style hat. At the end of your ceremony, your gown and hood must be returned. You may keep the mortarboard as a souvenir.
For doctoral students, your rental includes a doctoral gown, a doctoral hood, and a beefeater cap. The gown, hood, and beefeater cap must all be returned.
What if I missed the gown rental deadline?
You can rent a gown and hood on the day of your ceremony, at the gown pick up area. We have enough regalia of all sizes and colours to allow anyone who missed the deadline to attend. The cost for day-of rental is $70.00, we will accept Cash, Credit, or Debit. There is no need to provide us with your information in advance once the online rental website has closed. You just need to arrive 1.5 hours before your ceremony start time to rent on the day of your ceremony.
I have already graduated and am interested in purchasing a gown for use in my academic career – who do I contact?
Gown purchases can be made through our gown supplier Gaspard:Â www.gaspard.ca.
How do I rent my gown?
Student gown rentals can be done online:Â
Vancouver – www.buildagrad.ca/UBC
Okanagan – www.buildagrad.ca/UBCO
If you have missed the online rental deadline, you can also rent a gown on-site on the day of your ceremony for an additional charge. We have enough regalia of all sizes and colours to allow anyone who misses the advance registration deadline to attend. The cost for day-of rental is $70.00 and we will accept Cash, Credit, or Debit. There is no need to provide us with your information in advance once the online rental website has closed. Please arrive at the gown pick-up area 1.5 hours before your ceremony start time to rent on the day of your ceremony.
Do I have to wear a gown to attend my ceremony?
Yes, all graduates must wear academic regalia (gown) to attend the congregation ceremonies. The mortarboard hats for bachelors and masters students are optional, but a gown and hood must be worn by all students wishing to attend.
Can I pick up my gown earlier than my schedule time?
Unfortunately, no. All gowns can only be picked up 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to the ceremony you are attending. Gowns are boxed by ceremony number and are not unpacked until right before each ceremony. We are not able to retrieve any gowns in advance.
Can I keep my gown for a longer period of time?
We cannot allow students to return gowns later than 1 hour after your ceremony is over. Gowns are packed up and shipped back to Winnipeg at the end of each day. Any unreturned gowns and hoods will be charged to students at their full replacement cost so please be sure to return the gown after you have finished taking pictures with your friends and family.
Can I cancel my gown order?
There are absolutely no refunds or cancellations after November 12, 2022, after this date gowns are picked, cleaned, packed and shipped and there is no way for us to stop this process.