Spring 2021 Commencement Week is Here!

You are receiving this message because you have indicated a RSVP Yes response for the spring 2021 virtual commencement ceremonies.

Spring 2021 commencement is upon us! We are excited to celebrate with the spring 2021 graduating class virtually!

Virtual commencement ceremonies, spotlighting degree conferral and individual student recognition, will begin with the College of Pharmacy on May 13 at 10 a.m. and finish with the College of Dentistry on June 4 at 3 p.m. Most ceremonies will take place this weekend.

We are also pleased to partner with many other units on campus to highlight other celebratory events; see a full list of ceremonies and celebrations below.

Please note: the RSVP deadline has passed. We are unable to add students at this time.

• The RSVP for spring 2021 virtual commencement closed on April 22 at 11:59 p.m. 

All ceremonies will premiere at their scheduled time and date and will be livestreamed with captions enabled.

We recommend finding your college ceremony from the list above and bookmarking for future reference.

Every college will have their own virtual commencement ceremony tailored to their college. Ceremonies will include messages from a variety of individuals chosen specifically to honor and address graduates of that college. Degrees will be conferred and graduates who have successfully completed the RSVP process and responded ‘yes’ will be individually recognized during the virtual commencements. 

The video production team is still hard at work producing the virtual ceremonies, and as a result, no direct link is available. Links to ceremonies will be included on individual ceremony pages in the "Watch Live" section approximately one day before ceremonies begin. 

The livestream will premiere at the scheduled start time and will run live for the duration of the ceremony. If you join after the video has started, you will be joining the ceremony in progress. If you want to watch from the beginning, you will need to wait until the premiere has concluded. To watch after the conclusion of the premiere, an archived copy will replace the livestream and will be uploaded to the University of Iowa's YouTube channel. 

Commencement Program PDF

The Spring 2021 commemorative commencement program pdf is now available to view and/or download. 

Students will be able to pick up their commencement package at the Hawkeye Farewell on the Pentacrest. Packets will include a diploma cover, commemorative commencement program, and congratulatory materials. 

The University of Iowa Commencement Program is a list of degree candidates from each college, sorted by degree type. Publishing names of degree candidates in the program booklet is not a verification of completion of degree requirements. Students who submitted late degree applications may be excluded from the printed commencement program. 

Graduation Herky is Back!

Graduation Herky is one of the most popularly photographed icons on campus. Photos with Herky in front of the Old Capitol have become popular symbols of the transition from student to alumni at the University of Iowa.

After quarantining during the pandemic and surviving a scare from the derecho, we're excited to announce that Graduation Herky will be back on the Pentacrest for the spring 2021 session!

• Graduation Herky will be front and center of the Old Capitol walkway at the Clinton/Iowa entrance to the Pentacrest from April 28 to May 17.
• After May 17, Herky will move to the north entrance of the Pentacrest, facing north down T. Anne Cleary Walkway, to encourage future Hawkeyes during Admissions Recruitment and Orientation tours

We encourage you to snap a smile with Herky and then check out other fun things to do while on campus!

#UIowaGrad21

Once a Hawkeye, Always a Hawkeye! Share your stories at #UIowaGrad21