Graduation verification

To request a replacement or duplicate of your diploma, please submit a Parchment order. Requests typically take up to seven business days to complete.

Duplicate diplomas are issued in the current format with the original name at the time of convocation. If you have requested a legal name change or your original diploma is damaged, please return the original to the address below for another parchment to be issued.

McMaster University
Office of the Registrar
Gilmour Hall 108
1280 Main St. West
Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8

In exceptional circumstances, you may require your degree to be awarded prior to your scheduled convocation ceremony. In such cases, you can request that your degree be conferred in advance of the official convocation date through a formal process. Each request will be reviewed in accordance with our Early Conferrals of Degrees policy.

Early conferral request steps:

This process is currently only for undergraduate students. Graduate students must reach out directly to the School of Graduate Studies.   

1. Review the Early Conferrals of Degrees policy to determine if you are eligible under the listed criteria.
2. Make sure you are not currently enrolled in courses and that all of your grades are posted on Mosaic.
3. Confirm that you are eligible to graduate with an Academic Advisor.
4. Gather all the required documentation outlining the reasons why you require your degree awarded in advance of your scheduled convocation.
5. Submit an Early Conferral Service Request in Mosaic and attach all supporting documentation.
6. Return to ‘My Service Requests’ to view the status of your request and complete any additional information required.   

When can I apply for an early conferral?

You can apply for an early conferral only in a term in which you are not enrolled. For example, if you finished your last courses required for your degree in December, you can apply for an early conferral as early as January.

If you finish your final courses in April, you can receive an early conferral only if you have an opportunity that outlines in writing that your diploma is required before your Spring convocation ceremony. Your final grades must be posted to Mosaic before you can be considered.

If you completed your classes in April and need documentation showing you have completed your degree requirements for employment, graduate school applications, etc., you will need to download an Approved to Graduate Letter from your Mosaic Student Centre when it becomes available in late May. This letter will only become available once your Faculty has finished its review of all students.

Please note that release of physical diplomas will only be considered for exceptional circumstances.

Application deadline

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

• Deadline for students attending a November convocation ceremony: October 18 
• Deadline for students attending a May convocation ceremony: April 30
• Deadline for students attending a June convocation ceremony: May 9

By accessing Mosaic, alumni can download or email a verification letter to a third party. The letter will indicate “with distinction” for students who graduate with Summa Cum Laude standing.

This is the fastest way to verify your degree awarded and educational information. 

If a standard letter does not suffice, please submit an order in Parchment. There is a $30 USD fee per order. Please check Parchment and your email for the status of your order. 

If you need to have a form completed by the Office of the Registrar, please upload/attach the form to your Parchment order. 

Please allow 10-15 days to process your request. 

If you would like your letter mailed to a third party via Canada Post, please add the mailing address to the special instructions text box or explain your request in a document and upload/attach it to your order in Parchment.

Please allow 10-15 days to process your request.

Foreign Governments and organizations sometimes require documents be authenticated before they will accept them. For information about how to have Canadian documents authenticated so that they will be accepted for use abroad, please visit the Global Affairs Canada website and/or the Government of Ontario website.

Please note that as of January 11, 2024, Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Apostille Convention), a multilateral treaty, the main purpose of which is to facilitate the circulation of public documents (e.g., birth certificates, corporate powers of attorney, diplomas etc.) issued by one country to be used in another country.

If you are travelling to a Hague signatory country, your authenticated documents will be issued apostilles which may not require further legalization at consulates or embassies. Please check with the relevant consulate, embassy, and end destination recipient for their document requirements.

The Approved to Graduate/Post-Graduate Work Permit letter is available if you have a graduation status of ‘Approved to Graduate’ in Mosaic. Official transcripts stating your degree awarded and conferral date will be available the day after convocation. Please only request a letter or transcript if necessary for reasons such as immigration, employment, admission etc.

Follow these steps to make sure your credential is available as soon as possible:

1. Before submitting a request, check your graduation status in Mosaic.
2. Once your Mosaic Student Centre is updated to ‘approved to graduate’ by your Faculty Office you can request a verification letter.
3. Download your letter or submit a Service Request to order your credential.
4. Visit our Transcript Request Page in Mosaic after convocation to order your official transcript stating your degree awarded.

Reviewing is completed by your Faculty. Thank you for your patience as the Faculty Office completes reviewing and your request is processed. Requests made too early will be cancelled. Please remember to follow the steps for timely processing.

• If you are a current student, please submit a Primary Name Change Service Form in MacHub to request a legal name change. Supporting documentation is required. 
• If you are an alumni and need to change your legal name, you will need to fill out the alumni name change form and submit a Mosaic Service Request under the alumni category. Learn about name change requests.

If you are requesting your diploma within 12 months from your scheduled convocation and you have not received your originally issued diploma, please submit a Mosaic Service Request using the Diploma Delivery  form to pick-up or have your diploma couriered. There is no charge for initial courier service. 

If it has been more than 12 months after your convocation date, you will need to place a diploma replacement order through Parchment. Additional fees apply.

The replacement or duplicate diploma fee is $37.50 USD.

Domestic courier fees are $22.50 USD and international fees vary based on destination and can range between $75 and $115 USD.

You can either pick up your diploma on campus in Gilmour Hall, 108, RO Student Services or have it couriered via FedEx. There is no fees for initial diploma requests within 12 months of your convocation.

Courier fees (based on current exchange rate):
Within Canada – $22.50 USD ($30 CDN)
International – $75.00 USD ($100 CDN)

Please note that the replacement fee and the courier fee are combined for one transaction on your credit card.

• Include the third party’s name and date of birth in the comments section
• Attach an authorization letter
• Attach the completed Diploma Delivery Service Request Form

Please submit an Undergraduate Alumni Verification request through Parchment and select “Proof of Extra Credits Toward My Degree Letter.”

All verification letters issued by the Office of the Registrar include a statement confirming that the language of instruction and assessment at McMaster University is English.