Navigating Graduation Requirements at Iowa State University: A Comprehensive Guide

Iowa State University (ISU) offers a wide array of academic programs and opportunities for students to achieve their educational goals. Understanding the graduation requirements is crucial for a successful academic journey. This guide provides a detailed overview of these requirements, covering various aspects from general academic standards to specific program-related criteria.

General Academic Requirements

To graduate from ISU, students must satisfy all academic requirements and meet specific conditions. A student may choose to graduate under the catalog in effect at the time of graduation or a catalog for the previous six years, provided it covers a period of the student's enrollment at an accredited college or university. The current catalog can be found at catalog.iastate.edu/. Previous catalogs may be found at catalog.iastate.edu/previouscatalogs/.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

A student admitted as a transfer student from another college or university is required to have a 2.25 cumulative grade point average at the time of entrance. A transfer student who has earned an associate's degree is required to have a 2.00 cumulative grade point average at the time of entrance. In unusual circumstances, the Academic Standards Committees of the respective colleges may review and give further consideration to the records of students who, except for grade-point average, have satisfactorily completed all graduation requirements. If the appropriate college Academic Standards Committee considers that the educational and professional needs of such a student have been satisfactorily met, or can be satisfactorily met by imposing further conditions, the committee may recommend to the dean of the college that the student be graduated or that a supplemental program be accepted in place of the fully unqualified grade point average.

Credit Requirements

To qualify for a bachelor's degree, a student must take a minimum of 32 credits in residence at Iowa State University. No more than 65 semester or 97 quarter credits earned at two-year colleges can be applied to a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University. Also required is that the last 32 credits must be completed at Iowa State University, although under special circumstances, with prior written approval of the student's major department, six of the last 32 credits may be transferred and applied toward a degree at Iowa State University.

Communication Proficiency

The faculty of Iowa State University believe that all educated people should be able to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and media, including electronic. To ensure that broad communication competence is addressed and developed at the beginning of a university career, all students will earn six credits in the two-course introductory sequence (ENGL 150 Critical Thinking and Communication and ENGL 250 Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition), normally taken in the first and second years. At a minimum, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 250; some majors/degree programs may set higher requirements for communication proficiency.

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Information Literacy

Independent study and investigation through the use of books, journals, and libraries enable students to grow intellectually and professionally in college and afterward. For undergraduate students, LIB 160 Information Literacy is a one-credit graduation requirement course that provides a foundation of information literacy and library research skills and concepts.

Diversity and International Perspectives

One of Iowa State University's goals is to prepare its students to meet the challenges of responsible citizenship and effective professional roles in a culturally diverse global community. The specific standards used to certify students' fulfillment of these requirements vary from major to major, but all require three credits of course work (or the equivalent in some alternative academic experience) for each of the requirements. Diversity and International Perspectives requirements can also be used to fulfill general education requirements of the student's college or requirements of the student's major.

The Diversity requirement focuses on the multicultural society of the United States, while the International Perspectives requirement focuses on the global community. A period of immersion in a foreign culture is often a particularly effective way of meeting these objectives, so Iowa State University encourages the use of study-abroad experiences as a means of fulfilling the International Perspectives requirement. International students, because they are "studying abroad" from their home country's perspective, are normally deemed to have met the International Perspectives requirement.

Academic Programs and Degrees

ISU is organized into eight colleges, including the Graduate College. Six colleges offer undergraduate degree programs, and the College of Veterinary Medicine offers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. To receive a degree, a student must meet the requirements of the curriculum in which the degree is to be awarded.

Multiple Curricula and Degrees

Students who would like to add a major or a degree to their program or drop an existing major or degree need to fill out a Multiple Curricula form. It will require the signature of the student’s primary advisor and the signature of the advisor of the new secondary major. If a student wishes to get a second degree, that can be indicated in the appropriate space on this same form. Please note that at least 30 credits must stand alone in the second degree.

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A student may receive two bachelor's degrees if the student meets the requirements of each curriculum and earns at least 30 credits beyond the requirements of the curriculum requiring the greater number of credits. A student fulfilling the requirements of two separate curricula in different colleges may, in certain cases, receive a degree from one of the colleges with double majors crossing college lines.

Multiple Majors

A multiple major is a program for a single bachelor’s degree in which all requirements for two or more majors have been met. The majors may be in different colleges or within the same college or department and may be the same or different degree type. Degree programs must be approved for each major by the appropriate department and college. One major should be designated as primary for purposes of record keeping, but the student's rights and responsibilities are the same in each major. Students should have an academic advisor in each major. Specific requirements and/or restrictions are available from the departments or programs offering the majors.

Students in the College of Engineering are able to earn a degree with a multiple major as long as the additional major is within another college, meets all requirements of the additional programs and contains a minimum of 15 additional credits beyond the requirements for a B.S. Students with a primary major in another college who wish to take an additional major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are not required to meet the Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education requirements. They must, however, meet all requirements for the major, including complementary courses. All students pursuing multiple majors within the Ivy College of Business are required to have a minimum of 15 credits of coursework in each major that is not used in other majors. Students are limited to three business majors/certificates/minors within the Ivy College of Business.

Change of Major

Students who would like to change their major need to fill out a File Transmittal form. It is initiated by the student’s current advisor, and the necessary steps are outlined on the form itself. If students have never been dismissed and reinstated, they may change their major by consulting first with their advisor. If the change involves majors in different colleges, they should obtain a Curriculum Change Form and their file from their advisor, present these materials to the student services office of their present college, then to the student services office of the college to which they are transferring, and finally to the office of their new major.

Minors and Certificates

Minors

Requirements for an undergraduate minor are specified by many departments and programs in the university; a record of completion of such requirements appears on a student's transcript. Lists of undergraduate minors offered by each college appear in the college description. This list may not be inclusive. All minors require at least 15 credits, 9 of which must stand alone in the minor (they cannot be used to meet any other requirement except the credit requirement for graduation). Also, 6 credits must be taken at ISU in courses numbered 300 or above. The catalog of the minor may be the same as or more recent than the catalog of the major.

Certificates

An undergraduate certificate provides a way to give formal recognition of focused study in a specialized area that is less comprehensive than required for an undergraduate major. Requirements for admission to most professional academic programs can be met by study at Iowa State University. These requirements may be met in the course of obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State or at a level below that of a degree, depending on the intended field of study. All undergraduate certificates require at least 20 credits, including at least 12 credits taken at Iowa State University. At least 9 of the credits taken at Iowa State University must be in courses numbered 300 or above. The undergraduate certificate must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement except to satisfy the total credit requirement for graduation and to meet credit requirements in courses numbered 300 or above. Courses taken for an undergraduate certificate may not be taken on a pass-not pass basis. A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 is required in courses taken at Iowa State University for an undergraduate certificate. A certificate may be added to a student's program by completing a Request for Undergraduate Certificate form.

Special Academic Opportunities

Honors Program

The Iowa State University Honors Program is designed for students who have demonstrated the ability and motivation to assume more than the usual responsibility for their undergraduate education. The program enables honors students to gain the maximum benefit from their undergraduate education. Students in the Honors Program determine their educational objectives and devise an individualized program of study to meet them. An honors program may include substitutions for required courses, a combination of courses from several departments to form a new major or minor, Honors courses or seminars, independent study and research, and other forms of innovation.

ISU students who have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 become eligible to apply for admission to the Honors Program during their second semester in residence and continue to be eligible as long as they have at least 48 semester credits remaining before graduation. Entering first-year students with outstanding high school records and academic ability may be eligible to participate in the First-Year Honors Program (FHP). The FHP, which introduces students to an honors education, consists of honors sections of English 250 and Library 160, an FHP seminar, and honors advisers. Students may also choose to participate in the Honors Mentor Program, which introduces students to scholarship and research. Participants are matched with faculty members conducting research in an areas of mutual interest.

Independent Study

Independent Study allows the student to explore a subject or topic when a specific course on that material is not offered by ISU. Examples are a research project, a laboratory experiment, or writing a review on a piece of literature. Students work under the supervision of a faculty member who has agreed to evaluate the students work and assign a grade. A student must have a written proposal, their instructor (supervisor), and appropriate departmental signatures to receive approval and register for their project. The student and the instructor will agree on the number of credits to be given upon completion and a grading scale (A-F or S/F). No more than 9 credits of 490 coursework from any Iowa State University curriculum may be applied toward graduation. Some departments may be more restrictive.

Off-Campus Courses and Credits

Extended and Continuing Education works with Iowa State faculty and departments to offer off-campus courses. Courses can be for non-degree seeking students as well as degree seeking students. Courses are offered on-site in the Des Moines area, throughout Iowa by the Iowa Communications Network, and throughout the United States and Canada via videotape and the internet. Courses offered may be found in the schedule of classes at classes.iastate.edu/ under advanced search (Course type --> Online --> Distance education). Iowa State University students may take courses at either of the other two Regent universities for Iowa State resident credit.

Iowa State University is a member of National Student Exchange. The NSE Consortium has 200 colleges and universities throughout North America providing academic and experiential exchange opportunities. Iowa State students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 are eligible to apply. Credits earned as an NSE participant will be recorded on the students Iowa State transcript. Studying abroad helps prepare students to meet the challenges of an increasingly interdependent global community. As a leading international university, Iowa State has a major commitment to study abroad, and the Study Abroad Center (SAC) is the central administrative office responsible for providing these opportunities. Programs led by our faculty offer Iowa State courses around the world.

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is an off-campus teaching and research facility situated on a 140-acre campus on West Okoboji Lake in Northwest Iowa. It is run cooperatively by Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa, and Drake University. Each summer Iowa State University students can take up to three undergraduate and/or graduate courses in archaeology, biology, ecology, environmental science, and/or geology for credit at Lakeside. All Lakeside courses are small, full-immersion, field-oriented courses that run for 1-4 weeks.

Graduation Application and Ceremony

Application Process

Students need to apply to graduate. Instructions can be found online. Students must submit an Application for Program Completion. A review of your degree requirements is done by a graduation evaluator when you complete the Apply for Program Completion task in Workday. For undergraduate students, your graduation application will open two periods before the term you are planning to graduate in. For example, if you are planning to graduate in the Summer 2026, your application will open in the Fall 2025. For graduate and professional students, your graduation application will open one period before the term you are planning to graduate in.

Commencement Ceremony

Candidates listed in the commencement ceremony programs reflect information received by the Office of the Registrar as of the date listed in each respective program. Walking in the graduation ceremony is a way to share your achievement with family and friends and is a celebration. Walking across the stage does NOT mean you have graduated.

The undergraduate ceremonies are expected to each last approximately 2.5 hours. To ensure the safety of all guests, graduates, faculty, and staff in attendance at the Spring Commencement Ceremonies, a Clear Bag Policy with be enforced.

Graduation with Distinction

Undergraduate and Professional students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to graduate "with distinction" provided they have completed the following criteria for their degree. The student's distinction will be based on their cumulative grade point average after all degree requirements have been satisfied.

These students are recognized as follows:

Summa Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or higher.
Magna Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.70 to 3.89.
Cum Laude: cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to 3.69.

The recognition appears on the student's official transcript and diploma. Candidates for a bachelor's degree may graduate "with distinction" provided they have completed 60 semester credits of coursework at Iowa State University at the time of graduation, including a minimum of 50 graded credits or Satisfactory-Fail course credits.

Diploma

After submitting your application for program completion, a to-do will appear in your inbox to complete the Diploma Delivery Selection Questionnaire. Please allow 10-18 business days for shipping to domestic addresses and 4-6 weeks for international addresses.

Additional Information

Incompletes

Incompletes may be assigned by an instructor when a student is earning a passing grade in the class but special circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent completion of the course. An Incomplete Mark Report form needs to be filled out by the instructor and the student. Once the student completes the requirements specified on the form the instructor submits a grade for them. On the next grade report the “I” will be replaced with the appropriate grade. This grade will apply to the cumulative grade point average, but not to the semester grade point average. Incompletes must be completed by the date set by the instructor or within one calendar year or the “I” mark will change to an F.

Transcripts

Official transcripts are issued for a fee by the Registrar’s Office. Transcripts held for pick up in 214 Enrollment Services Center must be claimed within 30 days. Transcripts may be withheld because of overdue accounts receivable. A 2T on the degree audit designates a transfer from a 2-year college, while a 4T designates a 4-year college.

Class Standing

Undergraduate class standing (i.e., year in school) is determined by the number of credits completed, and it is based on credit hours earned, not merely credit hours attempted. The grades F and NP and the marks I and W do not contribute toward credit hours earned and thus are not considered in determining class standing.

Non-Degree Students

A student, who is attending Iowa State and decides not to work toward an undergraduate degree, will be classified as a special (non-degree) student. Admission requirements and academic standards regulations are the same as regular students. Credits taken as a special (non-degree) student are applicable for undergraduate degree purposes if the student is admitted later as a regular undergraduate.

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