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 University of Jyväskylä 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.
Offers
The university has requested offers from doctoral hat manufacturers, you can find them below. For matters related to ordering the hats, please contact the manufacturers directly.
E.R. Wahlman Oy
The price of our doctoral hats for spring 2026 is 786€. We manufacture doctoral hats using traditional craftsmanship in Finland. You can read more about our hats and manufacturing methods on our website https://www.wahlman.fi/tuotteet/tohtoreille/.
The hats are custom made, and we hope that those participating in the Conferment ceremony will place their orders as early as possible so that we can prepare for the spring production schedule.Harvest EB
Harvest EB
www.doctoralhats.harvesteb.com
HarvestEB-Katico doctoral caps are made from high-quality European materials according to the customer's personal head measurements, using skilled craftsmanship from start to finish. Our manufacturer has produced more than 5,000 doctoral hats, and we have been supplying doctoral hats for university graduation ceremonies and events in Finland for over 20 years. Our partner company, Meitsin Couture, takes head measurements for hat orders in Jyväskylä. They also offer repair and sewing services for graduation attire, as well as customized attire solutions.
If you order by October 30, 2025, you will receive a 5% discount on the price of the cap, after which the price will be €660, including the lyre, case, measurements, custom name tag, delivery, and VAT. Delivery time is 5-8 weeks, or approximately 4 weeks or less for urgent orders, as agreed.
Head measurements are taken in downtown Jyväskylä at Sepänkatu 16 A. Appointments can be made by calling 0401572612.
We also have partner stores for head measurements elsewhere in Finland; see our website for details.
We also rent doctoral hats and deliver swords with personal engravings, equipped with an appropriate lyre and 24-carat gold plating. For inquiries, please contact info@harvesteb.com.
Welcome!
Ab Melanders Hattfabrik Oy
We offer doctoral hats to doctoral candidates at the University of Jyväskylä on the following terms:
Hats are measured using a formatter
We continuously perform measurements throughout Finland
The price of a doctoral hat is €719.00 (€572.91 excluding VAT)
The price includes the cap, faculty lyre, storage box, measurement, and delivery.
Our delivery time is approximately five weeks.
Ab Melanders Hattfabrik Oy
Hämeentie 155 A 10
00560 Helsinki
Tel: 050 3091552
Email: info@melandershattfabrik.fi
Website: www.melandershattfabrik.com
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 University of Jyväskylä 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 University of Jyväskylä 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 University of Jyväskylä and the symbols (emblems) of hats.
