Submit an Application for Graduation

Program Completion Status

  • Your status on your academics overview page will indicate Pending Completion once you have applied. Contact your advisor if you have questions regarding your academic progress report (APR). We encourage you to review your APR any issues with your advisor.
  • Once your application has been reviewed, your program completion status will be updated to Approved, Denied, or Evaluation Deferred. Also, a notification will be sent to you.
    • Approved = you have met all degree requirements using in-progress courses, and there is nothing else you need to do at this time.
      • Your status on your academics overview page will indicate Pending Completion
    • Evaluation Deferred = you have unmet degree requirements (includes honors program, minor(s), endorsement(s), certificate(s), etc. requirements), and you need to reach out to your advisor to assist you with resolving the issues OR you have 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 your status is evaluation deferred, and you have resolved the outstanding requirements, you can reach out to graduation@iastate.edu or your specific evaluator (see below). You do not need to reapply for program completion.
        • Agriculture and Life Sciences: Benjamin Hart; bjhart@iastate.edu
        • Business: Shayla Danielson; shaylad@iastate.edu 
        • Design, Health and Human Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine: Leah Pearson; laaljets@iastate.edu
        • Engineering: Gabby Leitner; leitnerg@iastate.edu
        • Liberal Arts and Sciences: Michelle Becker; mbecker@iastate.edu 
      • Your status on your academics overview page will indicate Pending Completion.
    • Denied = you have unmet degree requirements that will not allow you to graduate and you will need to update your expected completion date (ECD) OR you are trying to make a program of study change (includes Honors Program changes).
      • You must reapply for program completion.
      • Your status on your academics overview page will indicate In Progress.
  • Contact your graduation evaluator or the the Graduation Office by email at graduation@iastate.edu or phone 515-294-1840 if you have questions regarding your program completion status.

Outstanding Graduation Requirements

Academic Progress Report (APR) and Other Issues

  • Contact your advisor
  • Changes to degree audit/APR must be initiated by your advisor and submitted to department/main college office for approval.

Concurrent Student

  • If you are a concurrent student, please confirm that your courses are on the right academic record. If not, you will need to submit a Transfer of Courses form to reassign the courses. This can be done before the course starts, after the course begins, or after the course concludes.
  • If you are a concurrent student, who has coursework that will need to be applied to multiple records degree requirements (e.g. undergraduate and graduate) complete the following steps:
    • If it a past course, and graded, please confirm it shows correctly on your APR. If not, work with your academic advisor to submit a Transfer of Courses form to articulate the course(s).
    • If it is a current course(s), you will need to submit a Transfer of Courses form. The form will be processed at the end of the semester once grades are posted.
    • If the course(s) is needed for your undergraduate degree requirements, your program completion application status will be Evaluation Deferred, please notify us that you have submitted a Transfer of Courses form. 

Incompletes, non-reports, grade changes, and/or test out credit

  • These items can delay graduation and should be rectified as soon as possible.

Transfer Coursework

  • Official transcripts for all transfer work must be be submitted to the ISU Admissions Office
    • Official PDF (preferred method): etranscript@iastate.edu
    • Official Paper Transcript: Mailed to:  ISU Admissions Office, 100 Enrollment Services Center, Ames, IA 50011
  • If you are bringing in transfer work to complete your degree requirements, please email your graduation evaluator as soon as possible. 

Contact your graduation evaluator or the Graduation Office by email at graduation@iastate.edu or phone 515-294-1840 if you have questions regarding your program completion status status.

Diploma Mailing Address 

1. Once your program completion application is submitted, a To-Do will appear in your inbox to complete the Diploma Delivery Selection Questionnaire.

  • Select how you would like your diploma delivered:
    • Mailed to your Home (Primary) address
    • Pick up from the Office of the Registrar (214 Enrollment Services Center), once you receive notification from the Graduation Office that the diplomas are available for pick up.
  • Hit the Submit button

2. If you select the mailing option, a To-Do will appear in your inbox to review and/or modify your primary home mailing address (Your Home (Primary) mailing address is where your diploma will be mailed to).

  • Click the Change My Home Contact Information button
  • Review the address that is noted as Primary = Yes
    • If the address, is accurate, please hit the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
    • If the address needs to be modified, please click on the pencil icon on the Address card and make the updates. After doing so, please hit the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
  • Once you have reviewed and/or modified your Home (Primary) address within the Home Contact Information section of your student profile, hit the Submit button on this To-Do within your inbox. You must submit the To-Do so other graduation processes can trigger within your inbox.

Ceremony Attendance Information

For those graduating in the current semester, please complete the RSVP form for commencement: https://apps.admissions.iastate.edu/forms.php/graduation.

For additional information or assistance, please see the instructions: https://www.graduation.iastate.edu/event-rsvp-instructions

Note: If you are trying to walk early or later than your planned graduation term, please email graduation@iastate.edu.

With Distinction Cords

For eligibility details visit: http://catalog.iastate.edu/academics/#scholasticrecognitiontext and see the text under "Graduation with Distinction."

If you are eligible, and email will be sent to you when distinction cords are available for pick up.

ISU Transcripts

Diplomas

  • Fall 2024 graduates will receive the digital copy of their diploma(s) by end of day on January 3, 2025. Physical diplomas will arrive 10-18 business days after digital diplomas have been received. 

Financial Information

Financial Aid Exit Counseling Session

Loans Receivable Exit Counseling Session

  • An exit counseling session is mandatory if you have borrowed from the Disadvantaged Student Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Health Profession Student Loan or University Long Term Loan programs.
  • If you have questions, please contact Loans Receivables, 0880 Beardshear, or call 515-294-8747.

Accounts Receivable Office

  • Review your bill periodically, 1-2 months after graduation for any late charges.

ISU Email After Graduation

After you graduate or leave Iowa State, your account remains active for one semester before being suspended/expired. You will want to forward messages from your ISU account to a different e-mail account, or create an Alumni Association Account. 

Also, you will want to update or confirm your non-ISU email in Workday. To do so:

  • Log into Workday, and go to your profile
  • Click on the Personal tab
  • Choose Contact from the top header
  • Scroll to find Email Addresses section
  • Enter or confirm your non-ISU email

Questions?

Contact the Graduation Office, 214 Enrollment Services Center, phone 515-294-1840 or email graduation@iastate.edu.