Grace Period (Graduate Implementation)
To accommodate students who are currently close to completing their Creative Component, and who started with the old templates, there will be a 4-month grace period from September 2025-December 2025. During this grace period:
- The new format requirements will be treated as recommendations.
- Only the continuing format requirements will be treated as requirements.
- Starting in January 2026, the new format requirements will be treated as requirements.
The following section delineates the differences between recommendations and requirements.
Requirements
Graduate College Creative Component reviewers will check all Creative Component submitted to the Iowa State University Digital Repository after the student passes their Final Oral Examination. If the submitted file fails to meet one or more requirements, the reviewer will issue a request for revisions. Students must implement these revisions and resubmit within one week of the submission deadline for that semester. If the requirements are still not met, the reviewer will issue another request for revisions. The Creative Component will not be accepted until all requirements are met.
Recommendations
Students are strongly encouraged to implement these recommendations for Creative Components. Graduate College Creative Component reviewers will check all Creative Components submitted to the Iowa State University Digital Repository after the student passes their Final Oral Examination. If the submitted file fails to meet one or more recommendations, the reviewer will issue a single request to revise. If the Creative Component is resubmitted without the recommendations implemented but with the requirements satisfied, it will be accepted.
Creative Components cannot be revised after they are accepted.