Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate Students

• Apply for Program Completion in Workday.
  • Degree requirements will be reviewed by the Graduation Office. The student will be notified of their status update by midterm.
• Review the undergraduate graduation checklist

Graduate Students

• Submit an application for graduation.
  • Also see the Graduate College website for graduation requirements and deadlines.
• Review the masters and doctoral graduation checklist

In order to graduate, you must submit an Application for Program Completion.

Bachelor and DVM degrees

A review of your Academic Progress Report will be completed by a graduation evaluator. You will receive an email once your graduation status has been updated.

Master and Doctoral degrees

Contact the Graduate College with questions concerning deadlines and approvals.

For undergraduate students, your graduation application will open two periods before the term you are planning to graduate in. For example, if you are planning to graduate in the Fall 2025, your application will open in the Spring 2025.

For graduate and professional students, your graduation application will open one period before the term you are planning to graduate in. For example, if you are planning to graduate in the Spring 2025, your application will open in the Fall 2024.

If you have already applied for program completion in Workday, you can go to the "Edit My Program Completion Application" task and update your expected completion date (ECD) to the correct semester. If you have been 'Denied' for program completion, you will need to reapply.

You may need to work with your advisor or the Graduation Office to confirm the correct ECD for the term you plan on graduating.

Early Degree Conferral is a request that you can complete in Workday, if you have completed all degree requirements before the end of an academic semester.

The four times that you can request Early Degree Conferral are:

• After Summer First Half (July)
• After Fall First Half (October)
• After Winter Session (January)
• After Spring First Half (March)

Questions?

• Contact the Graduation Office:
  • Address: 214 Enrollment Services Center, 2433 Union Drive, Ames, IA 50011
  • Phone: 515-294-1840
  • Email: graduation@iastate.edu

For any POS change that occurs after you submit an application, the graduation team will put your status into "Denied," until the POS change is made on your record. Once the change is updated, you will need to reapply for graduation. The graduation team will let you know when you are able to re-submit your application.

University undergraduate and graduate ceremonies

Instructions and information are posted on this website. You may also contact the Graduation Office: 

• Address: 214 Enrollment Services Center, 2433 Union Drive, Ames, IA 50011
• Phone: 515-294-1840
• Email: graduation@iastate.edu

College convocations

Please reach out to your college for additional details.

For those graduating in the current semester, please complete the RSVP form for commencement.

For additional information or assistance, please see the RSVP instructions.

Note: If you are trying to walk early or later than your planned graduation term, please email graduation@iastate.edu. Summer graduates who plan to participate in the Spring commencement ceremony do not need to email the Graduation Team. Summer graduates who have an active application on file will have access to the RSVP form.

No. Tickets are not required for the university commencement ceremony.

Graduating students requesting accommodations

Any student planning to participate in the commencement ceremony who will need special assistance (e.g., wheelchair seating, sign language interpreter, captioning services, service animals, etc.) prior to, or during, the ceremony should contact Gabby Leitner, leitnerg@iastate.edu, prior to the ceremony.

Guests requesting accommodations

Special seating accommodations for guests is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the top row of arena seating in Hilton Coliseum. If assistance is needed the day of the ceremony, please speak with an usher. If a wheelchair and/or scooter is needed, Hilton Coliseum does not have any to rent or loan, and guests will need to supply their own or work with outside vendors to secure a wheelchair and/or scooter. Handicap parking is available, and there are no passes or reservations for the handicap accessible parking, your vehicle would require a handicapped tag or plate to be allowed into the entrance. Guests needing a handicap accessible entrance and/or elevator should utilize Hilton Coliseum’s west entrance, located under the catwalk between Scheman and Hilton.

The doors to Hilton Coliseum will open to everyone two hours before the ceremony is scheduled to start.

The fall undergraduate ceremony (Bachelor’s degree) will last approximately 2 hours, while the fall graduate ceremony (Masters and Doctoral) will last approximately 1.5 hours. The spring undergraduate ceremonies (Bachelor’s degree) will last approximately 2.5 hours, while the spring graduate ceremony (Masters and Doctoral) will last approximately 2 hours. The spring Veterinary Medicine ceremony will last approximately 1.5 hours.

Discover Ames

• Discover Ames website
• Visitor's Guide

The doors for Hilton Coliseum will be open two hours prior to the start of the commencement ceremony.

Hilton highly recommends a clear bag for all Iowa State events. However, the clear-bag policy will not be enforced for the commencement ceremonies.

Yes, photos of degree candidates at the commencement ceremonies. 

Note: There will be flash photography taken. Please contact graduation@iastate.edu if you have concerns or accessibility requirements related to flash photography.

Caps and gowns may be obtained from the University Book Store in the Memorial Union. 

Website: https://www.isubookstore.com/graduation
Phone: 515-294-5684
Address: 2229 Lincoln Way, Ground Floor, Memorial Union, Ames, IA 50011

NO!

To officially graduate from Iowa State, you need to have completed all degree requirements and been approved by your graduation evaluator.  A review of your degree requirements is done by a graduation evaluator when you complete the Apply for Program Completion task in Workday.

Walking in the graduation ceremony is way to share your achievement with family and friends and is a celebration. Walking across the stage does NOT mean you have graduated. Degree requirements need to be completed before you receive your degree.

Undergraduate students and master's students are welcome to walk in the ceremony before their official degree conferral term.

Doctoral students may not walk in the ceremony before their official degree conferral term (unless you are a summer graduate) or your major professor has reached out Jennifer Suchan, jsuchan@iastate.edu, indicating your are far enough along in your program and requesting your attendance at the ceremony.

Questions?

Contact the Graduation Office

• Address: 214 Enrollment Services Center, 2433 Union Drive, Ames, IA 50011
• Phone: 515-294-1840
• Email: graduation@iastate.edu

First, please ensure you have an active application on file. The RSVP form is only available to those who have completed the Apply for Program Completion task in Workday.

If you have already completed the Apply for Program Completion task, you will need to wait 24 hours before accessing the form, as our RSVP form is on a delayed refresh.

If, after these actions have been taken, you still do not have access to the RSVP form, please contact graduation@iastate.edu.

After submitting your application for program completion, a to-do will appear in your inbox to complete the Diploma Delivery Selection Questionnaire. Please confirm that your home (primary) address is correct.

Diplomas will be mailed approximately 2 weeks after the commencement ceremony. Please allow 10-18 business days for shipping to domestic addresses and 4-6 weeks for international addresses. Diplomas are issued via Parchment.

Minors appear only on the Iowa State University transcript. Only your major(s) will show on your diploma.

No, you will receive your diploma even if you have an Accounts Receivable hold.

Graduates with a bachelor's degree will receive a diploma cover at the ceremony.

• Bachelor diplomas are not mailed with diploma covers. Please email graduation@iastate.edu if you did not attend the commencement ceremony and would like a cover mailed to you.

Graduates with a master's or doctoral degree will receive a diploma tube at the ceremony. Please be aware that the larger diplomas will not fit in the current Iowa State University diploma cover.

Please email graduation@iastate.edu with questions about ordering a replacement or if you are not attending the commencement ceremony. 

Undergraduate and Professional students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to graduate "with distinction" provided they have completed the following criteria for their degree. The student's distinction will be based on their cumulative grade point average after all degree requirements have been satisfied.

These students are recognized as follows:

• Summa Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or higher.
• Magna Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.70 to 3.89.
• Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to 3.69.

The recognition appears on the student's official transcript and diploma.

Candidates for a bachelor's degree may graduate "with distinction" provided they have completed 60 semester credits of coursework at Iowa State University at the time of graduation, including a minimum of 50 graded credits or Satisfactory-Fail course credits.

Candidates for the bachelor of liberal studies degree may graduate with distinction provided that they have (a) have completed 45 semester credits of coursework at the three Iowa Regent universities at the time of graduation and (b) have earned at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average at ISU. The graduation with distinction recognition will be based on their combined grade point average for coursework taken at the three Iowa Regent universities.

Candidates for the bachelor of science in nursing degree may graduate "with distinction" provided they have completed 32 semester credits of coursework at ISU at the time of graduation.

Note: Master's and Doctoral students are not awarded distinction cords.

Eligible undergraduate students will receive an email from the Graduation Office within the Office of the Registrar roughly one month before commencement once cords are available for pick up. Professional students will work with the Veterinary Medicine College roughly one month before commencement regarding when your cords are ready for pick up.

Distinction cords for the commencement ceremony are based on your previous semester GPA and meeting the "with distinction" criteria for your degree (see above), as current semester grades have not been posted. However, distinction listed on the transcript and diploma will be based on cumulative grade point average after final grades are posted.

Distinction cord emails are sent to students who have a current term application on file, at the time we send the email, and qualify to earn distinction. If you applied late or are walking early, you will need to contact graduation@iastate.edu regarding distinction cords.