Students are invited to participate in an In-Person University College Commencement Ceremony at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and a University College Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony. 

Graduation and Commencement are two related, but separate processes at the University of Iowa.

• Graduation is applying for degree, satisfying all degree audit requirements, having your degree conferred, and receiving your diploma.
• Commencement is the optional celebration and ritual conferring of the degree through a ceremony with other graduates and guests.

BAS and BLS graduates are invited to participate in the in-person University College Commencement Ceremony.

• The Fall 2024 University College Commencement ceremony will take place Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. (Central Time) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Please mark your calendar to save this important date.
• University College and College of Liberal Arts students are recognized in this combined ceremony.
• Students who plan to attend the in-person ceremony must submit a Commencement RSVP by November 17, 2024.
  • Students must have an active degree application on file to RSVP; applying for a degree does not automatically RSVP for a commencement ceremony.
  • The RSVP process is an opt-in system. Only students who RSVP as "I plan to participate" by the deadline will have their names read aloud and displayed during the in-person commencement ceremony and livestream.
  • The RSVP portal is anticipated to open in early September. You will receive communication to your UI email account from the Registrar’s Office regarding RSVP open and close dates.
  • The RSVP portal is located in MyUI within the Degrees/Graduation tile by clicking on Commencement Attendance.
• Students who do not complete the RSVP by the deadline are still welcome to attend the in-person ceremony and will have their name read and “Congratulations Graduate” displayed on the jumbotron screen as they cross the stage.
• Attending commencement is optional. Degrees are not distributed at commencements. Not attending commencement does not impact your ability to receive your degree.
• Students attending the in-person ceremony should carefully review the Office of the Registrar/Commencement website at https://commencement.uiowa.edu.

Commencement Apparel: Graduates attending in-person commencement must wear a black gown and black mortar board cap with a white tassel. Ordering information and ordering deadlines are available at https://commencement.uiowa.edu/apparel. Regalia will not be available to purchase or rent at the ceremony.

Detailed information on participating in the fall in-person University College Commencement Ceremony will be sent to your University of Iowa email address at a later date. 

University College offers a Virtual Recognition of Graduates each May. This virtual ceremony streams at the end of the spring semester to honor both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 recipients of the BAS and BLS degree. The Virtual Recognition of Graduates can be viewed Saturday, May 17, 2025. Time: TBA. Livestream link to be posted in May.

• This prerecorded ceremony has a livestream debut, with a later on-demand view option.
• President Barbara Wilson, along with Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of the University College, will deliver messages to students.
• A faculty speaker and a University College student speaker will also be selected to deliver an address to graduates.
• Students are not required to be in attendance for the virtual ceremony. 
• Students who opt in to the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony will have their name and program of study announced and displayed on a personalized graduation slide during the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony. 
  • If you have submitted an in-person Commencement Attendance RSVP in MyUI, the student name you enter on the RSVP will be the same name and pronunciation used on your graduation slide for the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony.
  • If you are not participating in the in-person ceremony you will be prompted to provide your name and pronunciation on the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Participation Form.
• Students have the option to upload an individual photo which will be included in their personalized slide.
  • You will upload a photo using the Commencement Attendance RSVP in MyUI.  You do not have to participate in the in-person Commencement Ceremony to upload a photo. This optional photo will be used on a commemorative graduation slide for the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony.
  • Commemorative slides with optional photos are NOT displayed during the in-person Commencement Ceremony. They are only for personal use and for inclusion in the Virtual Recognition of Graduates Ceremony.
• To be recognized in the virtual ceremony you will need to submit your University College Virtual Recognition of Graduates Participation Form.
  • Later this semester after completing a Degree Application for Fall 2024 you will be sent a link to indicate your intention to be included in the University College Virtual Recognition of Graduates ceremony.
  • Additional information will be provided later in the semester.

We are seeking a Virtual Recognition of Graduates Speaker! University College graduates from the fall, spring and summer sessions have an opportunity to be selected as the student speaker for the Virtual Recognition of Graduates ceremony in May.  If you are interested in receiving this honor, please email uc-asc@uiowa.edu to indicate your interest.

Some students wish to participate in a ceremony during a session before all degree requirements have been met or after their degree has been conferred. 

To obtain information about early or late commencement participation: 
Graduation Checklist Page: Commencement, Early/Late Commencement Participation