Sizes

There are two diploma sizes. Students receiving a bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist degree or a certificate will receive an 8 ½ by 11-inch diploma. Students receiving a doctorate will receive a 13 by 17 inch diploma. All diplomas are printed as portrait style.

Name Changes

If you want a name change to be reflected on your diploma, you must update it in the student records system. Your name must be changed by the deadline provided in an email sent to your student account regarding commencement.

According to University policy, legal documentation is required verifying your new name as well as the name you were previously known as in the MU records system. The documentation must include your:

• date of birth
• photograph
• signature

If the documentation you submit does not contain all three criteria, you will have to submit additional documentation that does. The following are acceptable documents:

• current, government-issued ID card such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport
• current, valid Social Security Card with your new name
• federally recognized Indian tribe’s enrollment card or a US Bureau of Indian Affairs identification card containing the new name, photograph and signiture of the individual
• certified copy of a court order, a marriage certificate or a dissolution decree reflecting the new name in full

Students may abbreviate their middle name without documentation. However, proof is required if a student is adding, deleting or changing an initial to their middle name.

Complete the name change form and submit it along with the appropriate documentation.

Receiving My Diploma

Diplomas are automatically mailed via the United States Postal Service to students who have a permanent U.S. address on file, 6-8 weeks after commencement.

For students with an international address or who wish to receive their diploma differently:

• You can provide a prepaid label for an alternative carrier, such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS.
• You may request to pick up your diploma in person at the University Registrar’s office.
• You may request to have your diploma sent to a campus address.

To request any of the above alternative options, contact the Office of the University Registrar via our Cherwell contact form.

International shipping for your diploma can be purchased from eShip Global through the following steps:

1. Go to study.eshipglobal.com.
2. Click the Student sign up button under the “students” section and create your account, username and password.
3. Choose “Receive a Package from Universities”
4. Select the state of Missouri from the drop-down box.
5. Select “University of Missouri-Columbia” from the list of schools, and hit Continue.
6. Select “Records/Transcripts/Diploma” and hit Continue.
7. Complete the rest of the information (your mailing address and credit card information) to have your documents sent.

Please pay close attention to the information submitted, as errors in the credit card information or submitting incorrect or incomplete address information will result in a delay in the mailing of your documents. If you experience any difficulty in registering and processing the shipment, use the “Help” link in the site for step-by-step instructions. If you have additional questions about how to use this service, please email support@eshipglobal.com.

Duplicate Diploma

To order a duplicate diploma, follow this link to access the online ordering system: Order Duplicate Diploma

Please note:

• Diplomas will not be released for students with a hold on their account.
• The duplicate diploma will use the degree name listed in our records. If you had changed your name or would like to verify your name prior to order, contact us via our Cherwell form.
• Duplicate diplomas are mailed to U.S. addresses. For assistance with international shipping, contact us via our Cherwell form.
• Diploma orders take 6-8 weeks for delivery
• Duplicate diploma orders may only be submitted by the degree holder

NOTE: For students with an international address or who wish to receive their diploma differently:

• You can provide a prepaid label for an alternative carrier, such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS. International shipping can be arranged using Eship Global.
• You may request to pick up your diploma in person at the University Registrar’s office.
• You may request to have your diploma sent to a campus address.

To request any of the above alternative options, contact us via our Cherwell form.

Apostille

The apostille is a specific form of authentication that is prepared pursuant to an international treaty known as “The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirements of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.” The convention eliminates the need for authentication above the level of the Secretary of State and is only accepted by countries that have signed the treaty.

An apostille may be received on an official transcript or diploma by providing the required documents to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. For this to happen, the student will first need to have their document notarized. The Office of the University Registrar can provide notarization services for academic documents; however, this is the only aspect of this process that the University will be involved in.

Once the document/s has been notarized, the student must send it, along with the other required information listed below, to the Secretary of State’s Office in Jefferson City at “Commissions, Secretary of State’s Office, 600 West Main, Room 322, Jefferson City, MO 65101.”

The additional information needed is as follows:

• The notarized document to receive the apostille
• A written statement to the Office, explaining your request
• $10 payment for each document to receive the apostille
• A pre-paid shipping label for the completed item to be sent to the student

Please note: once the document has been notarized and sent to the Secretary of State’s Office, the Office of the University Registrar has no control of nor responsibility for the item. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their package to Jefferson City contains all the required items.

Learn more at the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.

Contact

If you have questions regarding updating your permanent mailing address or your diploma name, please contact us via our Cherwell form.