Iowa State University’s fall commencement will take place Dec. 19 and 20 for graduate and undergraduate students, respectively.
Students who have fulfilled program requirements for their major graduation can apply for fall graduation. To do this, students need to complete the following steps.
First, students need to apply for program completion in Workday. Students will indicate what name they want displayed during the commencement program and on their diplomas.
Undergraduate students have until the end of the business day on the last Friday of the fall semester, Dec. 19, to apply, while the deadline for graduate students was Sept. 12.
“The first step for fall graduates is to apply for program completion on Workday to indicate their name and confirm what programs of study they are applying for,” Assistant Registrar for Certifications and Eligibility Abbie Maubach said. “Once the application is completed, students have additional tasks to complete, but in total it takes about five to ten minutes.”
After students complete the initial application for their program completion, they then need to complete additional steps in Workday.
Students will report how they want their diplomas mailed, updating their mailing address, listing their hometown for the commencement ceremony and reporting post-graduation plans.
“Students need to state if they want their diploma mailed or if they want to pick it up at the Enrollment Services Center,” Maubach said.
If students decide to have their diplomas mailed, they will need to confirm their primary mailing address.
“Students can also list their hometown for the commencement program, but this is only available until mid-November,” Maubach said.
When the application is finished on Workday, students need to double-check their academic progress report and check for any missing requirements with their advisor
“After students finish their tasks on Workday, they should make sure there are no non-reports and incompletes. Students should also make sure all final transcripts are submitted to the Iowa State Admissions office via transcript,” Maubach said.
Lastly, students need to complete an RSVP form for commencement and convocation. Receptions are available as well, but only for current term graduates.
“Some important things to note are that students are permitted to walk across the stage even if they have not completed all their degree requirements, as graduates may walk early for several reasons,” Maubach said. “Similarly, students who miss commencement are welcome to walk across the stage at a later commencement.”
Students will need to get their cap and gown at the Iowa State University Bookstore for graduation. Students can purchase caps and gowns and other graduation attire in person or online.
For more information, students can visit the university’s bookstores’ official website.
Iowa State holds its commencement ceremonies at Hilton Coliseum. There will be no practice ceremony. The fall 2025 commencement will be held on two days. The graduate ceremony will be on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:00 p.m. The undergraduate ceremony will be on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1:30 p.m.
So far, there are over 1800 students who have applied for fall graduation, and Maubach reminds students to not forget to apply if they have completed their program requirements.
“It is important that students don’t forget to apply for program completion if they plan to graduate this semester and complete all the additional program completion steps (especially the diploma delivery selection), RSVP to the graduation events, check their academic progress report and continue to check their email,” Maubach said.
Additional information about graduation and commencement can be found on the Registrar’s website here.
