Graduate Masters Commencement Ceremony

To be eligible to participate, you must be a Spring or Summer 2022 degree applicant who submitted an RSVP in MyUI prior to the deadline (Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 11:59 PM CT). Degree applicants from previous semesters will not be permitted to participate in this spring's in-person ceremony.

At this time, tickets are not required for spring Graduate College ceremonies.

Doors to the arena will open one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Graduates should arrive no later than 15 minutes after the doors open.

Public Safety officials will search any purses or bags brought into the building. Everyone will be asked to open their coat, jacket, or graduation gown for visual inspection.

No backpacks, large bags, packages, wrapped gifts, balloons, flowers, or outside food and beverage (with the exception of one factory sealed or empty reusable water bottle) are allowed at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during this event.

Carver-Hawkeye now has a clear bag policy. The following items are allowed inside Carver-Hawkeye. All permitted items and patrons are subject to search and will be tagged at entrance.

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC that do not exceed 12"x6"x12"
• Clutch bags that do not exceed 4.5"x6.5"
• Factory-sealed water bottles or empty, refillable bottles [Limit one (1), under one (1) gallon]
• Medically necessary items (including equipment for nursing parents and diaper bags)

See a full list of Carver-Hawkeye Arena commencement policies.

There are several parking lots near Carver-Hawkeye Arena that will be open to the public at no-cost for parking during the ceremony. All parking facilities on the University of Iowa campus have designated accessible parking spaces. All parking spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. A parking map can be found here.

Graduates should plan to arrive no later than 6:15 p.m. to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with their mortar board, tassel, gown, and hood. Graduates will enter through Carver-Hawkeye Arena's East Doors and proceed down the arena stairs to the floor. There, graduates will stop at the appropriate name card table to pick up and fill out their name card. This is used by both the name readers and Flash Photography during the ceremony. Please check the card for accuracy and make any necessary changes/corrections. Graduates should then make their way to the graduate seating area and sit down. Seating will not be assigned. Graduate College staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance throughout the ceremony.

At 7:00 p.m., the ceremony will be called to order by Associate Dean Campo. Graduates and guests will be invited to stand as the academic procession is led to their seats on stage by Associate Provost and Dean Amanda Thein and Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel.

Once the academic procession is seated on the stage, graduates and guests will view the Celebrating Iowa video.

There will be a brief welcome by Associate Provost and Dean Amanda Thein.

Alumna Dr. Hayley Harvey will provide remarks to graduates and guests.

Masters degrees will be conferred by Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel and Associate Provost and Dean Amanda Thein.

Graduates will be invited row by row to come forward and be recognized. Graduates will take their name card up with them, hand it to the person reading names at the podium, then proceed across the stage to be recognized by the Dean and the Provost.

As graduates approach the stage, they will first have a professional photo taken by Flash Photography.

Once all graduates have been recognized, fellow graduate, Michaeljulius Idani, will give brief remarks, followed by closing remarks from Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the academic procession will leave the stage. After the academic procession has cleared the floor, graduates are free to leave.

In order to provide an environment in which graduates and guests all have an enjoyable experience, the following rules of behavior will be enforced at all ceremonies:

• No alcoholic beverages of any kind
• Inappropriate dress and costumes worn under gowns will not be allowed
• Cell phones must be turned off or silenced in the graduate seating area
• No flowers, purses, gifts, balloons, or bags will be allowed in the student seating area
• Marshals and security staff will be looking for intoxicated persons. Inebriated students are not permitted to participate.

With everyone's cooperation, this occasion will become a proud and happy memory of your academic achievement at the University of Iowa.

Graduate student apparel can be rented or purchased online at herff.ly/iowa. The deadline for purchasing apparel is Thursday, March 10th, at 10:59 PM Central Time. The deadline for renting apparel is Monday, April 18th, at 10:59 PM Central Time. If you have questions, please contact Herff Jones at gradmidwest@gmail.com or (952) 447-4449. It is your responsibility to be sure rented apparel is returned to Herff Jones within two weeks of the ceremony. Apparel cannot be returned at the ceremony and must be shipped directly to Herff Jones using the prepaid shipping label included in your apparel box. 

Please return your apparel within one week of the ceremony. There is return information included in the regalia box, along with a prepaid return label. If you lost your prepaid label or did not receive one in your package, please use the link below to request a new label. Your confirmation number to request a new label begins with CPA and is found in your confirmation email. You may use any box to ship the regalia back, it does not have to be the box it was shipped to you in.

https://pipeline.flatworldgs.com/app.php?r=returnPortal