Commencement

Contact information

Commencement ceremonies

Apparel and announcements

Diplomas and diploma covers

Contact information

Questions about the IU ceremony or apparel and announcements

Email commence@iu.edu

Questions about the Purdue ceremony

Email commencement@purdue.edu

Commencement ceremonies

Graduating classes

Students who graduated with an Indiana University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree December 2025 and who will graduate with an Indiana University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree May 2026 and August 2026 are invited to participate in the IU Indianapolis Commencement ceremony.

Students who graduated with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree December 2025 will have participated in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette in December.

Students who will graduate with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree May 2026 are invited to participate in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette.

Students who will graduate with a Purdue University Baccalaureate or Graduate degree Summer 2026 are invited to participate in Commencement at Purdue University West Lafayette in August 2026.

Number of ceremonies

1. IU Indianapolis Commencement ceremony at the Michael A. Carroll Stadium

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.

2. Purdue West Lafayette Commencement ceremony

There are multiple ceremonies (different dates and times). Science majors will attend the ceremony based on their "Division."

Division III: College of Science (all majors except those from the Department of Computer Science) – Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7 p.m. (Eastern)

Division V: College of Science (Department of Computer Science only) – Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern)

Division VII: Ph.D. ceremony – Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern)

3. School of Science Recognition Celebration at the Indiana Convention Center

School recognition events are an important part of commencement festivities. This is a smaller, more intimate celebration.

Attendance requirement

You are not required to attend. 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. If you don't attend, diploma covers will be available from the School of Science Dean’s office once diplomas are available for pick up, while supplies last.

RSVP

We ask all students to RSVP by April 10, 2026. We appreciate your response. It helps us prepare!

Guests

There is no limit to the number of guests you can bring to the IU Indianapolis commencement ceremony.

Purdue University limits the number of guests to their ceremonies. Please refer to their website for additional information.

Accessibility and accommodations for graduates and guests

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.

Commencement apparel and announcements

Order commencement announcements

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.

Apparel requirements for IU and Purdue commencement

Note: Academic apparel is reserved for the formal IU and Purdue commencement ceremonies. In accordance with university policy, gowns should not be worn at the School of Science Recognition Celebration. However, you may wear your cap and tassel, along with any earned cords. Cap decoration is also encouraged for the Science Celebration.

Order commencement apparel

IU graduates

For IU graduates, apparel must be ordered from Herff Jones. Final deadline to place an online order for apparel is April 3, 2026.

If you are unable to order your graduation apparel online or it is past the deadline to order online, contact the Commencement team.

Purdue graduates

For Purdue graduates, apparel must be ordered from Herff Jones. 

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.

School of Science Purdue graduates can also wear their Purdue commencement apparel at the School of Science Recognition Celebration.

Apparel cost

Prices will vary depending on whether you are graduating with a baccalaureate or graduate degree. Prices are provided during the online ordering process.

Tassel

Undergraduate and M.S. students

The tassel color for undergraduate and M.S. students is golden yellow.

Ph.D. students

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.

How to wear the tassel

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.

Tassel emblem

Each tassel has a small metal emblem attached at the top. This emblem will either be an IU with Trident or the Purdue seal.

Hood (graduate students only)

Hood color for the School of Science

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.

Undergraduate “Graduation with Distinction” cords (honor cords)

To be eligible for graduation with distinction, candidates must complete all the requirements of their degree programs. Additionally, the following conditions apply:

  • A candidate for a baccalaureate degree with distinction must have a minimum of 65 credit hours of course work from Purdue University or Indiana University applicable to the graduation index (degree grade point average) on record.
  • The minimum graduation index for distinction (Purdue and IU degrees) shall be no less than the 90th percentile of the graduation indexes of all the graduates in the school for the spring semester, provided that the index is at least 3.30.
  • Of those who qualify for distinction under these rules for the Spring semester, the six-tenths of the baccalaureate graduates having the highest graduation indexes shall be designated as graduating with high distinction (IU degrees only).
  • Of those who qualify for distinction under these rules for the Spring semester, the three-tenths of the baccalaureate graduates having the highest graduation indexes shall be designated as graduating with highest distinction (Purdue and IU degrees).
  • The minimum graduation indexes determined for the Spring semester for graduation with distinction, high distinction, and highest distinction shall be applied for graduation with those respective levels of distinction for the subsequent Summer sessions and Fall semester.
Cord presentation

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 2026 or August 2026, 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 2026 or August 2026 will be awarded after final grades are posted and will be recorded on your diploma and transcript. Honors for December 2025 graduates have been determined and this information is posted on the student’s transcript and diploma.

How to wear

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.

Gown and hood preparation

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.

Return apparel

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.