Congratulations on reaching this milestone in your academic career!
Here, you'll find important information about the ceremonies, apparel and announcements, and diplomas and diploma covers.
We'll continue to add information to this page, so check back regularly!
For all Indiana University and Purdue University students who are graduating from the School of Science.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Indiana Convention Center
Sagamore Ballroom
100 S. Capital Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(use Maryland Street entrance)
For Indiana University graduates.
May 15, 2025
For Purdue University Science graduates.
May 17, 2025 — Division VII
On this page, you'll find a lot of information about commencement. Use the links below to view a specific topic.
Students: Email Darryl Newsom at danewsom@iu.edu.
Staff and Faculty: Email Joseph Thompson at jlthomp@iu.edu.
Email commence@iu.edu.
Email commencement@purdue.edu.
Students who graduated with an Indiana University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree December 2024 and who will graduate with an Indiana University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree May 2025 and August 2025 are invited to participate in the IU Indianapolis Commencement ceremony.
Students who graduated with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree December 2024 will have participated in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette.
Students who will graduate with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree May 2025 are invited to participate in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette.
Students who will graduate with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree Summer 2025 are invited to participate in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette in August 2025.
The IU Indianapolis Commencement ceremony honors Indiana University graduates. Students are acknowledged as a whole and with their school. Students are not individually recognized, except for Ph.D. students, who will cross the main stage. However, all students will walk across a small platform (not the main stage) and receive their diploma cover.
All science majors, including Psychology and Statistics (which is listed under Division VI with a 2:30 p.m. ceremony), attend Division VII on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
The School of Science Recognition Celebration will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Indiana Convention Center Sagamore Ballrooms 1-6. This celebration is designed to individually recognize all Indiana University and Purdue University students who are graduating from the School of Science. All students walk across the stage as their names are announced. You are requested to check in at the registration table and assemble no later than 9:30 a.m.
All students are individually recognized as they cross the stage. Both IU and Purdue M.S. and Ph.D. students will be hooded at the School of Science celebration by the student’s academic department chairperson or faculty advisor/mentor.
At the check-in table, you will be handed a name card on which you can phonetically spell your name. You will hand your name card to the person at the podium as you cross the stage to be recognized; be certain to keep this card with you as you process to the stage.
Note: Regalia should be reserved for the main Commencement ceremonies. School-based recognition ceremonies are conducted in professional or business attire. Regalia for school-based ceremonies can be worn for this exception: Recognition ceremonies where master’s students are participating and actively being hooded as part of the tradition of the school’s recognition program. If these are combined with undergraduate students, the undergraduate students should not be in regalia.
Official commencement exercises are conducted through the IU Indianapolis ceremony for IU graduates and Purdue University West Lafayette ceremony for Purdue graduates. However, all are invited to the School of Science recognition celebration.
You are not required to attend either of the official university ceremonies or the School of Science recognition celebration. You can choose either to participate or not participate in any of the graduation ceremonies. The ‘main’ IU Indianapolis ceremony and the Purdue University West Lafayette ceremony are the official University ceremonies, and it is there that degrees are conferred, and diploma covers are presented. No diploma covers are presented at the School of Science celebration. However, should you choose not to attend the IU Indianapolis ceremony, diploma covers will also be available from the School of Science Dean’s office once diplomas are available for pick up, while supplies last.
We ask all students to RSVP to indicate whether they will attend the IU Indianapolis main ceremony, the Purdue University West Lafayette ceremony, or the School of Science celebration, or two ceremonies, or none. Please RSVP by April 11, 2025. Tickets are not required. RSVP is not required, but we do appreciate if you let us know whether you’re attending. We only ask for your RSVP just so we can anticipate attendance.
Note for Purdue graduates: RSVP is required if you wish to attend the Purdue University West Lafayette ceremony (Division VII). Contact commencement@purdue.edu for more information.
There is no limit on the number of guests you can bring to either ceremony. However, the School of Science celebration can become standing room only, so inform your guests to arrive early.
If you need an interpreter, special seating arrangements, or any other similar accommodation—for yourself or for a guest—please inform us of your requests as soon as possible.
For the IU Indianapolis ceremony — contact the Commencement team as soon as possible, but no later than May 1.
For the Purdue West Lafayette ceremony — please complete the request on the Purdue Commencement website. Provide your @iu.edu email rather than your Purdue email, as requested, and your IU 10-digit ID rather than your PUID.
For the School of Science celebration — contact Joseph Thompson at jlthomp@iu.edu by April 11, 2025.
IU Indianapolis announcement orders are placed through Herff Jones via the IU Indianapolis Commencement website.
Purdue West Lafayette announcement orders can be placed through several different vendors. Find more information on the Purdue Commencement website.
Note: When placing your order for announcements, you will be asked to select your school. Be certain to select the university corresponding to your degree, Indiana University or Purdue University.
For IU graduates, apparel must be ordered from Herff Jones. Final deadline to place an online order for apparel is April 7, 2025.
If you are unable to order your graduation apparel online or it is past the deadline to order online, contact the Commencement team.
For Purdue graduates, apparel must be ordered from Herff Jones. Final deadline to place an online order for apparel is April 28, 2025.
if you are unable to order your graduation apparel online or it is past the deadline to order online, contact the Commencement team at commencement@purdue.edu.
Prices will vary depending on whether you are graduating with a baccalaureate or graduate degree. Prices are provided during the online ordering process.
The tassel color for undergraduate and M.S. students is golden yellow.
The tassel color for Ph.D. students is royal blue.
Please make sure that you have the right tassel color when you receive your graduation apparel. If you do not have the correct color, contact the IU Indianapolis Commencement team by email at commence@iu.edu or the Purdue West Lafayette Commencement team at commencement@purdue.edu to exchange the tassel for the correct color.
Undergraduate double degree students, where one degree is in another school, may have two tassels of different color.
Students wear the tassel hanging from the right side of the cap unless the student already holds a degree. Thus, if an undergraduate student has already graduated with an Associate or Baccalaureate degree, the tassel will be worn on the left. All master and doctoral students wear the tassel on the left.
Each tassel has a small metal emblem attached at the top. This emblem will either be an IU with Trident or the Purdue seal.
M.S. graduate students
The School of Science Master of Science hood color is black with golden yellow.
Ph.D. graduate students (Purdue University)
The School of Science Doctor of Philosophy hood color is black with royal blue.
Ph.D. graduate students (Indiana University)
The IU hood color is crimson and cream.
If you do not have the correct color, contact the IU Indianapolis Commencement team by email at commence@iu.edu or the Purdue West Lafayette Commencement team at commencement@purdue.edu to exchange for the correct color.
The following are the cumulative GPA cut-offs for each level of distinction:
To be eligible for graduation with distinction, candidates must complete all the requirements of their degree programs. Additionally, the following conditions apply:
Students who are receiving a Bachelor’s degree may be awarded a distinction honor cord; master and doctoral students do not receive honor cords. Students who are receiving an honor from the School of Science will be contacted and will be notified when cords are available to be picked up from the School of Science Dean’s Office, LD 222.
For students who are graduating in May 2025 or August 2025, tentative graduation honors: distinction (IU and Purdue graduates), high distinction (IU graduates only), and highest distinction (IU and Purdue graduates), are based on your most recent degree grade point average calculation.
Official graduation honors for May 2025 or August 2025 will be awarded after final grades are posted and will be recorded on your diploma and transcript. Honors for December 2024 graduates have been determined and this information is posted on the student’s transcript and diploma.
If you are receiving a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and received honor cords, the cords should be worn pinned to the left shoulder of your gown. The loop will drape over the outside of the sleeve with two cords hanging in front and two behind the sleeve. Pins will be supplied with the cords.
Please iron the gown and hood before you wear them! Removing the gown directly from the package when you arrive at the ceremony means there will be wrinkles and will result in an unprofessional appearance.
After the ceremony, graduates must return apparel in the mailer provided by Herff Jones. Failure to return apparel may result in a fine.
All Associates and Bachelor students need to return their gown. They will keep their cap, tassel, and stole.
All Master and Doctorate students need to return their gown and hood. They will keep their cap/tam and tassel.
Remember to keep your cap and tassel and any recognition stole, distinction or honors cords, or medallion you may have earned.
Diplomas are not distributed at either ceremony. All diplomas will be mailed by the Registrar’s Office. Be certain to have your mailing address updated. Contact the Registrar’s Office (indyregr@iu.edu) to update your “home address.”
Diploma covers are presented at the IU ceremony at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. No diploma covers are presented at the Purdue West Lafayette ceremony or at the School of Science celebration. However, they will also be available from the School of Science Dean’s office once the diplomas are available for pick up, while supplies last.
Your degree name that is listed in Student Information System (SIS) is the name that will appear on your diploma. If a change is needed, you must follow the steps outlined in the "Degree name" section on the Update your personal information page.
Your degree name that is listed in Student Information System (SIS) is the name that will appear in commencement programs. If a change is needed, you must follow the steps outlined in the "Degree name" section on the Update your personal information page.