Update, May 10, 2:30 p.m.: Guests planning to attend commencements on Saturday should note that there is ongoing construction in the area near Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Doors will open one hour before each ceremony. Traffic will be heavy due to the multiple Saturday ceremonies—expect delays.
Nearly 5,200 University of Iowa students will receive their degrees during spring 2013 commencement ceremonies. The events start with College of Pharmacy commencement on May 16 and conclude with the College of Dentistry ceremony June 7.
This year, the university will conduct two commencement ceremonies for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) graduates on Saturday, May 18.
Students majoring in African American studies; American studies; anthropology; art and art history; biochemistry; biology; chemistry; cinema and comparative literature; classics; communications sciences and disorders; communication studies; computer science; economics; education; English; gender, women’s, and sexuality studies; geography; geoscience; health and human physiology; and history will participate in a 9 a.m. ceremony at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Majors in interdepartmental studies; international studies, journalism and mass communication; liberal studies; linguistics; mathematics; microbiology; performing arts (dance, music, and theatre arts); philosophy; physics and astronomy; political science; psychology; religious studies; social work; sociology; statistics and actuarial science; applied studies; and world languages, literatures, and cultures (Asian languages and literature, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) will participate in a 1 p.m. ceremony at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
CLAS graduates with more than one major should attend the ceremony for their primary major. Find more information on the Office of the Registrar website.
Holding two ceremonies will accommodate more family members and guests. People unable to attend the CLAS ceremonies—as well as ceremonies for the College of Law, Graduate College, and Tippie College of Business—can watch live streams on the UITV website. See below for more information on web and broadcast viewing options.
The schedule for all spring commencement ceremonies follows:
Thursday, May 16
College of Pharmacy, 10 a.m. Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI President Sally Mason will confer approximately 111 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.
Friday, May 17
School of Management, Tippie College of Business, 10 a.m. Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 165 Master of Business Administration degrees.
College of Law, 1 p.m. Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge: UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler will confer about 179 Juris Doctor degrees and one Master of Laws degree.
College of Medicine, 6:30 p.m. Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler will confer approximately 128 M.D. degrees and 42 other degrees.
Graduate College, 7 p.m. Carver-Hawkeye Arena: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 739 master’s degrees, 172 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 6 Educational Specialist degrees, and 78 other doctorates.
Saturday, May 18
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Carver Hawkeye Arena (see information above regarding dual ceremonies): UI President Sally Mason will confer about 2,200 bachelor’s degrees, including 164 to students who are receiving undergraduate certification in teacher education from the UI College of Education.
College of Engineering, 10 a.m. Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI Vice President for Student Life Tom Rocklin will confer approximately 240 Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees.
College of Nursing, 10 a.m. Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge: UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler will confer approximately 84 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.
Tippie College of Business, 5 p.m. Carver-Hawkeye Arena: UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler will confer about 626 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees.
Friday, June 7
College of Dentistry, 3 p.m. Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: The college will confer about 71 Doctor of Dental Science degrees.
Get more information about commencement ceremonies from the Office of the Registrar.
Honorary degrees
The UI awards two honorary degrees this spring, recognizing John W. Colloton and Mary Louise Petersen, UI alumni who’ve made distinguished contributions to health care, higher education, and public service.
Both will receive their honorary degrees at the Graduate College commencement on May 17.
Colloton will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, recognizing his 44 years of service to the UI Hospitals and Clinics, leadership in medicine and public health, and ongoing commitment to the university and its work. In 1957, the Mason City, Iowa, native earned a master’s degree in hospital and health administration, a graduate program that's now part of the UI College of Public Health.
“John Colloton is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished graduates of the University of Iowa,” says Sue Curry, dean of the college. “He has a record of outstanding leadership at the highest levels of academic health care and he has had a profound impact on health policy and the organization of health services delivery in our state.”
Petersen will receive an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree in recognition of her service as a member of the Iowa Board of Regents, national advocacy for higher education, and longstanding support for the UI. Originally from Carroll, Iowa, she received a bachelor’s degree in science education in 1951.
"Mary Louise Petersen's legendary leadership and distinguished contributions to the University of Iowa, in the state of Iowa, and across America have made an indelible mark," says Nicholas Colangelo, interim dean of the College of Education. "Her significant influence and dedication to education, her lifelong commitment to volunteerism, and her devotion to improving our society provides a shining example for us all. We are tremendously proud of this citizen of Iowa and the College of Education.”
Streaming, broadcast, and social media
UITV will stream live video from CLAS, College of Law, Graduate College, and Tippie College of Business ceremonies on the UITV website. Mediacom cable subscribers also can watch those ceremonies live on UITV, channel 17 in the Iowa City area.
Videos of all spring commencement ceremonies will be available on the UITV website within 24 hours of each event. DVDs of spring commencements—and past ceremonies—also will be available for purchase.
University Communication and Marketing encourages social media users to use the hashtag #UIGrad13 with UI-graduation-related posts on Twitter and Instagram. After commencement, some of the best posts will be aggregated for publication via Iowa Now .
Related events
Other events also pay tribute to this year’s graduating students (most are by invitation—contact sponsors for more info):
- The Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, the Chief Diversity Office, and the LGBT Staff and Faculty Association host the Rainbow Graduation Celebration on May 14. Graduates should RSVP online (guests don’t need to RSVP).
- The Center for Diversity and Enrichment and the Office of Graduate Inclusion will host a graduation and recognition reception May 16. Graduates and friends should register online.
- The College of Education hosts a Teacher Education Convocation for invited guests May 17, recognizing students who completed teacher education certification along with their degrees.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact marcia-mcnamara@uiowa.edu in advance.