--- title: Get the Hang of UMD’s Commencement Cords date: 2026-05-13T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/get-the-hang-of-umds-commencement-cords" section: Articles --- # Get the Hang of UMD’s Commencement Cords *May 13, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > Learn What the Colorful Adornments (and Shiny Medals) Worn by Graduating Students Represent *Testudo Grad Cords r2 1920x1080 — Cords of every color will adorn seniors as Terps head to Commencement next week. (Illustration by Lauren Biagini; all photos are courtesy of the units that submitted them)* Amid the sea of red, black and gold during [Commencement](https://commencement.umd.edu/) next week, you might be surprised to see a pop of lavender. Or maybe a Terp wears a twist of blue and white that contrasts with the dark robes, or even a green (though not quite the neon shade of last year’s speaker, Kermit the Frog). Welcome to the wide world of commencement cords and medals. Awarded by a variety of organizations, departments, institutes and more, the colorful cords give graduates a chance to show off their accomplishments visually. Here’s a non-comprehensive guide based on submissions to Maryland Today. See how much you can remember as you catch grads out on McKeldin Mall and at Commencement ceremonies! ## Academic - **A. James Clark School of Engineering** — All graduates receive a medallion, and students who pass the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Fundamentals of Engineering exam earn another medal. - **College of Education Latin Honors** — The top 10% of graduates have received this yellow cord for more than 15 years. - **Disability Studies Minor** — New this spring, this blue cord will be given to students who complete the minor. - **Entomology Honors** — The medallion recognizes students who complete a research thesis on insects and earn the honors certification in entomology. From left, Yasmine Helbling ’25, Katherine Siniuk ’25 and Maya Hensley ’25 show off medals and insects. - **First-Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE)** — Students who complete the three-semester program, such as Klara Kotoulek ’26 (left) and Colin Savage ’26 of the FIRE Molecular Diagnostics stream model the cords, receive a red and black cord from the Office of Undergraduate Research. - **Human Development Honors Program** — This light blue cord debuted last year for undergraduates who complete 12 credits of honors program coursework and collaborate with a faculty or graduate student mentor on a thesis. From left, Sophia Moore ’25, Bella Rosner ’25 and Shaina Fein ’25 wear their cords at Commencement. - **Global Engineering Leadership Minor** — This new lavender cord will go to students who complete the minor. - **Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST) Honors Program** — Undergraduates studying business, engineering or science who complete the three-year program have been awarded a medal since 2012. From left, Sona Chudamani '24, Marne Malone '24, Abby Bond '24, Luke Muratore '24, Zoe Paidas '24 and Amanda Liu '24 show off their medals. - **Robotics and Autonomous Systems Minor** — Shown on humanoid robot MaRC, these orange and yellow cords are awarded by the Maryland Robotics Center. ## Honor Societies - **Kappa Delta Pi** — The premier international education honors society has awarded braided purple and green cords to students with at least a 3.0 GPA for more than 30 years. - **Lavender Leadership Honor Society** — The LGBTQ+ Equity Center in 2015 founded what The Washington Post called the first collegiate honor society of its kind. The lavender cord honors queer history and resistance. - **Mortar Board National College Honor Society** — Founded in 1934 by Adele H. Stamp, the first dean of women at UMD, this chapter of the national organization now includes all genders. The gold and white braided cord has been awarded for over 92 years to those who are members for at least a year. - **Omicron Delta Kappa** — UMD’s Sigma Circle, part of the national leadership honor society, recognizes students and faculty who have made meaningful contributions to campus life. The tri-color cord features white for scholarship, black for service and light blue for fellowship. Jahnavi Kirkire '25 poses with her cords at ODK Fountain on McKeldin Mall. ## Living-Learning and Honors Programs - **College Park Scholars** — Medallions have been given to Scholars graduates since 1998, honoring students who complete a two-year track in one of 13 themes, from civic engagement to global public health. - **Honors College** — Students who complete one of its programs receive these yellow and red cords. - **Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students Minor** — Students who complete the minor receive a black and silver braided cord. - **Design Cultures & Creativity** — Green and white braided cord. - **Gemstone Honors Program** — Since 2000, students who completed a four-year team research project and wrote and defended a thesis have received this medal. - **University Honors** — **University Honors**: Awarded to a select few who exhibit leadership across University Honors, campus and community. - **Interdisciplinary Business Honors** — This burgundy and white braided cord is new in 2026. - **Women in Engineering, Flexus and Virtus** — Awarded to students who have completed the Dr. Marilyn Berman Engineering Living-Learning Programs, Flexus and Virtus, since 2011, the red, black and yellow cord reflects both academic success and a commitment to community service and giving back. ## Student Employees - **Adele H. Stamp Student Union** — Terps who work at least four semesters at the Stamp receive red, black and yellow cords. - **Resident Life** — More than 500 ResLife student employees can receive this cord; red generally represents leadership, service and passion, while silver often symbolizes service learning. - **University Libraries** — Libraries student employees who have worked for more than two semesters can earn a red, black and yellow cord. - **University Recreation and Wellness** — RecWell employees who work across Eppley Recreation Center, the Bike Shop, Reckord Armory and more can receive this red, black and yellow cord. ## School Spirit - **Graduate Student Life** — Master’s and doctoral Terps can earn a lavender cord by participating in Graduate Student Life events, studying at McKeldin and reflecting at Memorial Chapel and more as part 25 items on the Grad Terps Traditions Card. - **Green Terp Bucket List Challenge** — New this year, the Office of Sustainability is awarding dark green cords, shown here on intern Michelle Wang '27, to students who complete 20 tasks representing individual action, community building, research and more to become more environmentally literate. - **Traditions Keeper** — Grab an “M Book,” snap a selfie with the Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog statue, and chow down on a hot dog at a football tailgate (plus 17 more activities) to get this medallion from the Alumni Association. ## Student Leadership - **CARE to Stop Violence** — The University Health Center awards these to students who complete a yearlong academic course as well as service requirements for one of the three CARE programs: advocacy, prevention education and outreach. Purple represents domestic violence awareness, and teal represents sexual violence awareness. - **Leadership and Community Service-Learning** — Students who take on leadership roles with Alternative Breaks, Maryland Mentor Corps, Maryland LEAD, Terps for Change and TerpsVote are awarded a braided teal and white cord from the Office of Leadership and Community Service-Learning, shown here on Darshini Babu Ganesh '25. - **University Student Judiciary** — Students receive this red, black and yellow cord for participating in one of USJ’s five branches: Student Honor Council, Resident Board, Central Board, Community Advocate or Appellate Board. - **Vice President for Student Affairs Student Advisory Council** — The white and gold graduation cord given to members since 2021 indicates self-sufficiency, completeness, new beginnings, success and wisdom. ## Additional Achievements - **Banneker/Key Scholarship** — Students who receive UMD’s most competitive merit scholarship receive this medal. - **C.D. Mote, Jr. Incentive Awards Program** — Red and white cords are given to the program’s scholars as they graduate. - **Computing Catalyst** — The Catalyst, which creates an inclusive computing environment, gives two cords: a purple and white one to Women in Tech participants, and a red, yellow and black one to undergraduate Catalyst staff or students in tech majors who participated in Catalyst’s major programs. - **OMSE Academic Excellence Society** — The Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education awards a golden cord to graduating seniors who have fulfilled all membership requirements while maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.5. - **OMSE National Tutoring Association** — This dark green cord is awarded to students who have completed at least 30 tutoring hours through the Service Learning Program, College Success Scholars or the OMSE core tutoring team. - **TerpsEXCEED** — TerpsEXCEED (EXperiencing College for Education and Employment Discovery), a two-year program for students with intellectual disabilities, gives cords to its participants and lead peer mentors. The rainbow-colored cord celebrates inclusion, and is shown here, from left, on Jamie Sprague ’25, Daniel Brodsky ’25, Carlo Brown ’25, Luke O'Neil ’25, Matthew Stewart ’25 and Micah Anthony ’25. - **Veteran Student Life** — This red, white and blue braided cord is awarded to graduating student veterans, like Will Jones '24. **Sidebar note:** The University of Maryland will celebrate its newest graduates at commencement exercises across campus May 19-22. Maryland Today is celebrating too with stories on the following: - Wednesday, May 13: Your guide to commencement cords and medals - Thursday, May 14: [Student marshals](https://today.umd.edu/86-graduates-honored-as-senior-marshals) - Friday, May 15: [Medalist and finalists](https://today.umd.edu/a-close-observer-of-humankind) - Monday, May 18: [The Orthodox nun earning a degree](https://today.umd.edu/at-umd-an-orthodox-nun-builds-on-her-calling) - Tuesday, May 19: [Terps’ advice to new grads](https://today.umd.edu/the-best-career-advice-terps-ever-got) - Wednesday, May 20: [Student speaker](https://today.umd.edu/student-commencement-speaker-builds-connections-with-and-without-a-hardhat) - Friday, May 22: [Main commencement ceremony coverage](https://today.umd.edu/astronaut-to-graduates-today-is-your-liftoff) For information about tickets, ceremony locations, parking and more, visit [commencement.umd.edu](http://commencement.umd.edu/). **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [Commencement 2026](https://today.umd.edu/topic/commencement-2026), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)