Diploma is the official document issued by an institution certifying that a student has been awarded a degree or certificate.
How it works
After degree conferral the registrar’s office generates the diploma. The document is mailed to the address on file or released electronically. Replacement diplomas can be ordered if the original is lost. Name changes after conferral are governed by institutional policy and may require legal documentation. The diploma reflects the degree exactly as posted on the transcript.
Example: an online student is conferred a Bachelor of Science on May 15. Two weeks later a digital diploma is available in the student portal and a paper diploma is mailed. Both show the May 15 conferral date and the major. The student later requests an official transcript for a graduate-school application; the transcript, not the diploma, is sent.
How it differs
A transcript lists every course and grade and is the comprehensive official record. Commencement is the ceremony. A certificate of completion for non-credit training is not an academic diploma. Latin honors appear on both the diploma and the transcript when awarded.
Common errors
Treating the diploma as a substitute for an official transcript in all situations. Assuming the diploma is available on the day of commencement. Expecting a diploma to list every concentration or minor when policy places those only on the transcript.
References
- 1. Institutional diploma issuance policiesOfficial document after conferral
- 2. Electronic diploma practicesDigital credentials
Diploma is the official document issued by an institution certifying that a student has been awarded a degree or certificate.