With the school year winding down and many students completing their time here at Iowa State, graduation and application deadlines approach fast and can become stressful for some students.
Here is a checklist for a smooth transition into May graduation:
- Apply for program completion in Workday
- Transfer coursework
- Diploma mailing address
- Ceremony attendance
- Distinction cords
- Cap, gown and tassel
- Post-graduation: No tax on electronics
Apply for program completion in Workday
Log into the Workday Student account, go to the menu (three lines on the left-hand side), click Academics and Apply for Program Completion under the Graduation tab.
Apply for program completion for one or more programs of study; the expected completion date will be May 16.
According to the Office of the Registrar, your status on your academics overview page will indicate Pending Completion once you have applied. Once your application has been reviewed, your program completion status will be updated to “approved,” “denied” or “evaluation deferred.” A notification will also be sent to the graduate.
If the application is approved, it means the graduate has met all degree requirements using in-progress courses, and there is nothing else the student needs to do now.
If it says evaluation deferred, it means the student has unmet degree requirements (includes honors program, minor(s), endorsement(s), certificate(s), etc. requirements) and needs to reach out to their advisor to assist them with resolving the issues, or the student has unmet degree requirements that won’t be resolved until after grades post, transfer work evaluated or concurrent student who needs a transfer of courses form processed.
If the application is denied, it means the graduate has unmet degree requirements that will not keep them from graduating and will need to update their expected completion date.
“Regarding Workday, the fall 2024 semester was our first semester for graduation,” Abbie Suntken, the Registrar specialist, said.
Transfer coursework
Official transcripts from other schools’ transfer work must be submitted to the Iowa State admissions office.
- Official PDF (preferred method): [email protected]
- Official Paper Transcript: Mailed to: ISU Admissions Office, 100 Enrollment Services Center, Ames, IA 50011
Diploma mailing address
Once the program completion application in Workday has been submitted and accepted, a to-do list will appear in the student’s Iowa State email to complete.
A Diploma Delivery selection questionnaire will appear where the student can accept how they would like the diploma delivered: mailed to home address (primary address in Workday) or picked up in the Office of the Registrar.
If the graduate selected the mailing option, they can change or modify their primary address in Workday by clicking the “Change My Home Contact Information” option.
Ceremony attendance
Apply for the graduation ceremony on May 17 by completing the RSVP form for the commencement ceremony.
If the student is trying to walk early or later than the planned graduation term, please email [email protected].
Distinction cords
Undergraduate students who have graduated with a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher are eligible to graduate “with distinction” and are eligible to wear distinction cords at the graduation ceremony.
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.
For eligibility details, visit HERE.
Cap, gown and tassel
Every graduating student is emailed the Cyclone Graduation Style Guide every semester. This style guide can help determine what type of gown, cap, stole and tassel are needed or required for graduation.
All graduation stoles and bachelor’s and master’s gowns are U-Bill eligible.
“Students can walk into the ISU BookStore and get fitted for their cap and gown at the graduation section,” Ronit Nayak, the manager for marketing and sales at the Iowa State Bookstore, said. “Our trained team members are here to assist students with getting fitted, along with any other regalia/graduation-related questions they may have.”
Graduation gowns come in height sizes ranging from 4’10” to 7’00,” and graduation caps come in regular and extra-large sizes.
Students require a tassel with a cap and gown based on the student’s degree program.
“If shopping in-store, students can refer to the chart in the store which details which tassel they would need based on their degree,” Nayak said. “If shopping online, students can visit the graduation section on our website and navigate to tassels, choose the degree, which automatically chooses the color for them, and checkout.”
Post graduation, no tax on electronics
Iowa State alumni can purchase technology through the Iowa State Bookstore with educational pricing, saving extra with no sales tax and free shipping.
“We, at the ISU BookStore, take ‘Once a Cyclone always a Cyclone’ very seriously,” Nayak said. “Cyclones continue to save on technology even after graduating from Iowa State, all with a simple FREE ISU Bookstore Web Account. This ensures that our graduates benefit from student savings for the decades to come.”
