Commencement Ceremony

Caps, gowns, and tassels, along with graduation memorabilia, can be purchased through the Hawkeye Bookstore beginning in April. If you already have a black cap and gown, you can reuse them and just buy what you need.

Where to Buy Your Cap, Gown, and/or Tassel

• Stop by the Grad Fair April 2 and 3 where you can also visit with staff from Financial Aid, the Business Office, the Registrar's office, and Student Services.
• Visit the campus store in Brock Student Center.

2025 Pricing

• Cap, Gown, and Tassel Package: $40
• Tassel only: $9
• Cap only: $11

• Date: May 9, 2025
• Time: 7 PM
• Location: University of Northern Iowa McLeod Center, Cedar Falls

See full Commencement Ceremony event details

Honors Medallion

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher will graduate with honors and are eligible for an Honors Medallion to wear during the commencement ceremony.

Medallion eligibility is determined by the student's cumulative GPA as of the fall semester of the current academic year. The cumulative GPA includes all courses taken at Hawkeye, including those completed during high school.

Students who were not eligible for an honors medallion based on their fall cumulative GPA but believe they should qualify after their final semester can email the Commencement Committee after final grades have been posted and verified to inquire about eligibility for the medallion.

Medallions can be picked up at the Grad Fair in April. Afterward, they will be available in the Registrar’s Office or at the commencement ceremony.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Members

Members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society are eligible to wear honor regalia at the Commencement Ceremony.

For details about PTK membership or purchasing graduation regalia, visit Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Veteran Graduation Cords

Graduating veterans and military-connected students can request a complimentary red, white, and blue veteran graduation cord from Veterans Services to wear at the Commencement Ceremony. Contact the Veterans Services Coordinator to request your cord.

Cords can be picked up in advance from the Military and Veterans Services office or on the day of at the Commencement Ceremony.

Cap decorations are allowed, however, excessive decorations on caps are distracting and therefore inappropriate. Hawkeye reserves the right to require you to remove any alterations deemed inappropriate by authorized college officials before you are permitted to participate in the Commencement Ceremony.

Examples of inappropriate embellishment include, but are not limited to:

• Caps with vulgar language, inappropriate verbiage, or photos/graphic images.
• Caps with lights, balloons, and other items that could pose a safety hazard.
• Decorations that obstruct the view of people seated behind you.
• Designs with vertical structures or décor; elements used in the design must lay as flat to the cap as possible.

The Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed with Closed Captioning available.

See the Commencement Ceremony calendar event for the livestream and recording.

A professional photographer will be at the commencement ceremony to capture all the key moments from your special day. They'll be taking individual photos of each graduate as you cross the stage, plus some candid shots before and after the ceremony with your friends and family.

Sign up to get notified as soon as your photo proofs are ready! Just upload a selfie when you sign up, and the photographer’s facial recognition software will do the rest—matching you to any photos you’re in and sending you a notification as soon as they’re available.

Get notified when your photos are ready!

Arrival

Graduates may arrive for check-in up to 90 minutes before the ceremony begins and must complete check-in at least 30 minutes prior to the start time. The ceremony will begin promptly as scheduled.

Graduate Entrance

Graduates should enter through the ticket office entrance, located between the UNI Dome and McLeod Center on the west side. There is a Panther statue in front of the entrance. No guests will be able to enter through these doors at that time.

Name Card

At check-in you will receive a card with your name on it. This is the card you will hand the reader as you go on stage to receive your award. To help ensure your name is pronounced correctly, especially if it might be unfamiliar to the reader, please provide the phonetic spelling on the card. You can also visit with the reader after you check in.

Procession

After checking in, you will be directed to line up in the UNI-Dome ahead of the Commencement Ceremony.

Graduates will line up, process in, and be seated with their program/major and by their highest degree.

See the Commencement Ceremony calendar event for guest parking, arrival, and seating information.

The UNI Dome will not be locked or monitored during the Commencement Ceremony.

You are encouraged to secure personal items (purse, bags, etc.) in your vehicle, with friends or family, etc., before arriving to the Commencement Ceremony.

Neither UNI or Hawkeye will be responsible for any items left unattended.

Graduates will return to their seat after crossing the stage and will be dismissed to the upper level of the McLeod Center at the conclusion of the Commencement Ceremony.

Graduates are strongly encouraged to plan a meeting spot with their guests on the upper level or outside the McLeod Center following the ceremony. Guests are not permitted on the McLeod Center floor.