Commencement

COMMENCEMENT

DETAILS

• When: Friday, April 24, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Doors will open approximately 1.5 hours prior to the start of the ceremony.
• Where: Grand Ballroom, Iowa Events Center
• Where to park: Paid parking is available at the Iowa Events Center. Additional parking will be available on Mercy College’s campus.
  • If parking on Mercy College’s campus, graduates and guests are encouraged to park in the student parking lot at 701 Crocker Street.
    For graduates and guests with mobility impairments, we recommend using the east entrance of the Iowa Events Center for direct drop-off access. Kindly note, however, that there is no parking in this area. If you choose to enter from the west side, please be advised that there is a longer walkway leading to the elevator and event space. The event venue does not provide wheelchairs. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
• How to watch: The Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed on the Mercy College of Health Sciences Facebook page.
• Who: Only students in attendance will have their names read during the ceremony as the walk across the stage.
• If a student has completed multiple programs within the included Commencement terms, only the highest degree will be announced.

INFORMATION FOR

GRADUATES

CEREMONY DETAILS

• Doors for the event will open approximately 1.5 hours before the ceremony. Graduates are asked to arrive at the Grand Ballroom no later than an hour prior in order to get in order and line up for the procession. Please arrive in your cap and gown (tassels go on the right!) and do not bring purses, phones, coats, or other personal items.
• Graduates will process into the ceremony in descending degree order: bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs. Upon arrival at the Grand Ballroom,  graduates should arrange themselves by program, then alphabetically by last name. Signs for each program will be placed throughout the room to help you find your program and fellow graduates in order to line up in the proper order.
• Your name card will be given to you upon arrival to the event. Please do not lose your name card as it will be used to announce your name as you cross the stage.
• Student marshals will lead the student procession into the ceremony. Please remain standing until the mace is placed in the stand on the stage. At the conclusion of the ceremony, student marshals will escort graduates out by rows.
• The Iowa Events Center requests that you do not bring food or beverages from outside into the Ballroom. Food and drink are available for purchase at various locations and vending machines inside the facility. Please note, however, that the Iowa Events Center is a cash-less facility. If you or any of your guests wish to purchase snacks or drinks, you will need to have a credit or debit card or alternative means of payment.

CAPS & GOWNS

• Students who have filled out their graduation application can pick up their caps, gowns, and applicable honor cords from Missy Chapman, our Campus Receptionist, in the Sullivan Center lobby up until the day of the event.
• If picking up your cap and grown on the day of the event, they will be available at the event check-in table. Following commencement, all unclaimed regalia will be returned to the vendor.

HONORS*

Honors cords will be distributed with your cap and gown, based on the following:

Bachelor of Science: Summa Cum Laude, GPA 3.8 or above
Bachelor of Science: Magna Cum Laude, GPA 3.650-3.799
Bachelor of Science: Cum Laude, GPA 3.500-3.649

Associate of Science: Highest honors, GPA 3.8 or above
Associate of Science: High Honors, GPA 3.650-3.799
Associate of Science: Honors, GPA 3.500-3.649

Certificate: Certificate Highest Honors, GPA 3.8 or above
Certificate: Certificate High Honors, GPA 3.650-3.799
Certificate: Certificate Honors, GPA 3.500-3.649

*Commencement honors are determined based on the prior semester’s cumulative grade point average for pending graduates.

DIPLOMA

Students’ diplomas will be mailed to the address they provide on their graduation application approximately four weeks after the successful completion of all academic requirements for graduation and any other college obligations, including financial aid exit counseling and account payment including the graduation application fee.

Students who borrowed Stafford Loans are required to complete exit loan counseling prior to their diploma and transcripts being released. This must be completed at www.studentaid.gov.