Diplomas

All Penn State graduates with no academic or financial holds on their student record will receive one diploma per degree earned. Diplomas are issued to graduates after the Office of the University Registrar completes the degree conferral process (awarding of a degree once it is determined a student has met all degree requirements for graduation). Beginning with the spring 2020 class and forward, graduates also have the opportunity to purchase a Certified Electronic Diploma (CeDiploma).

Academic Information that Appears on Diploma

All diplomas include the official University Seal, as well as the signatures of the current President of the Board of Trustees, University President, and Executive Vice President and Provost.

The student name is printed on a diploma as it appears in the diploma name field in the "Graduation Status" section of LionPATH.

Undergraduate Diplomas

All undergraduate diplomas include the following academic information:

• Degree Type
• Academic College
• Major
• Distinction (if applicable)
• Schreyer Honors College (if applicable)
• Date of Degree Conferral

Please note that a separate minor certificate or certificate is issued for undergraduate minors and certificates that are awarded.

Graduate Diplomas

All graduate diplomas include the following academic information:

• Degree Type
• Major
• Option(s) (if applicable)
• Date of Degree Conferral

Medical Diplomas

All medical diplomas include the following academic information:

• Degree Type
• College of Medicine
• Date of Degree Conferral

Law Diplomas

All law diplomas include the following academic information:

• Degree Type
• Law School
• Academic Honors (if applicable)
• Date of Degree Conferral

Diploma Size

The size of the current diplomas are:

• Associate, Bachelor, Master's, Doctoral - 8 1/2 in. x 11 in.
• Medical - 14 in. x 17 in.
• Law - 17 in. x 14 in.

The size of the current Undergraduate Minor certificate is 8 1/2 in. x 11 in.

The size of the current Certificates is 8 1/2 in. x 11 in.

If you believe you need a notarized copy of your diploma, please review the information on the Notary Services web page and follow the instructions provided there.

Diploma Distribution

Diplomas for Undergraduate, Master's degree, Doctoral degree, and Penn State Law students will be mailed approximately four weeks after the commencement ceremony to the students' permanent residence or LionPATH diploma mailing address.

Diplomas and minor certificates that could not be distributed at commencement ceremony or mailed to the student due to incomplete address information or holds are kept at the Registrar's office for five years following the graduation date. After five years the alumnus wanting a diploma must request a reissued diploma.

Reissued Diplomas

A diploma may be reissued if the alumnus sends a copy of the Reissued Diploma Form or a letter to the Registrar's office containing the following information:

1. Complete legal name
2. Social Security number
3. Date of graduation
4. Major and degree received
5. Address where the diploma is to be mailed
6. Signature
7. The fee is $40.00 for each undergraduate or graduate diploma. The fee is $50.00 for each medical diploma and each J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. diploma (for students graduating Fall 2006 and forward*). Pay by check (payable to Penn State), VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express (credit card number, expiration date, daytime phone number must be listed). Returned checks due to insufficient funds will result in a service charge of $25.00.
8. An alumnus desiring to have his/her name changed on a diploma must follow the name change/corrections procedure before the diploma can be produced. Please submit both the Name Change Form and the Reissued Diploma Form to: Office of the University Registrar, Academic Records Department, 112 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1271.

Requests that have no payment enclosed, or incomplete credit card information listed, will not be processed, and will be returned to the sender.

The requested degree/minor certificate will be mailed approximately two weeks after receipt of the request.

Reissued diplomas will bear the signature of the current Board of Trustees President, University President, and Executive Vice President and Provost of the University.

If you believe you need a notarized copy of your reissued diploma, please review the information on the Notary Services Web page and follow the instructions provided there.

*For students graduating with a J.D. or LL.M. degree prior to Fall 2006: Please contact the Registrar at Dickinson Law to request a reissued diploma.

Reissued Minor Certificate

A minor certificate may be reissued if the alumnus sends a copy of the Reissued Minor Certificate Form or a letter to the Registrar's office containing the following information:

1. Complete legal name
2. Social Security number
3. Date of graduation
4. Major and degree received
5. Minor received
6. Address where the minor certificate is to be sent
7. Signature
8. The fee is $25.00 for each minor certificate. Pay by check (payable to Penn State), VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express (credit card number, expiration date, daytime phone number must be listed). Returned checks due to insufficient funds will result in a service charge of $25.00.
9. An alumnus desiring to have his/her name changed on a minor certificate must follow the name change/corrections procedure before the minor certificate can be produced. Please submit both the Name Change Form and the Reissued Minor Certificate Form to: Office of the University Registrar, Academic Records Department, 112 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1271.

Requests that have no payment enclosed, or incomplete credit card information listed, will not be processed, and will be returned to the sender.

The requested degree/minor certificate will be mailed approximately two weeks after receipt of the request.

Reissued Certificate

A certificate may be reissued if the alumnus sends a copy of the Reissued Certificate Form or a letter to the Registrar's office containing the following information:

1. Complete legal name
2. Social Security number
3. Date of graduation
4. Major and degree received
5. Certificate received
6. Address where the certificate is to be sent
7. Signature
8. The fee is $25.00 for each minor certificate. Pay by check (payable to Penn State), VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express (credit card number, expiration date, daytime phone number must be listed). Returned checks due to insufficient funds will result in a service charge of $25.00.
9. An alumnus desiring to have his/her name changed on a certificate must follow the name change/corrections procedure before the minor certificate can be produced. Please submit both the Name Change Form and the Reissued Certificate Form to: Office of the University Registrar, Academic Records Department, 112 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1271.

Requests that have no payment enclosed, or incomplete credit card information listed, will not be processed, and will be returned to the sender.

The requested degree/minor certificate will be mailed approximately two weeks after receipt of the request.