Office of the Registrar
Diploma Distribution
October and February
Advanced Terminal Degree Conferrals.
Both the physical hardcopy diploma and a diploma case will be shipped to the address supplied by the student in the mandatory Application to Graduate available in Banner web. Please note that diplomas typically start to be sent out within two business weeks of the conferral date and depending on location could take 3-4 weeks to reach their destination, so the address supplied should be one in which someone can physically accept the package once it arrives. The Office of the Registrar will send out a final confirmation of the shipping address provided as well as name to be printed on the diploma prior to the actual conferral. Once the deadline specified has passed no changes can be made.
A digital diploma (CeCredential) will be available for download within a week of degree conferral and the notation of degree awarded will be made on the transcript within 2 business days of the October and February conferrals.
May
Doctoral and Undergraduate Recipients
If indicated on the mandatory Application to Graduate that they are attending the Commencement ceremony in-person, Doctoral and Undergraduate recipients will receive a blank diploma cover at their respective Commencement ceremony. The diploma will be mailed to the shipping address provided on the Application after Commencement. If on the Application a student indicates they will not be attending Commencement, they will receive both the diploma and diploma cover in the mail. Please note that diplomas typically start to be sent out within two business weeks of the conferral date and depending on location could take 3-4 weeks to reach their destination, so the address supplied should be one in which someone can physically accept the package once it arrives. The Office of the Registrar will send out a final confirmation of the shipping address provided as well as name to be printed on the diploma prior to the actual conferral. Once the deadline specified has passed no changes can be made.
A digital diploma (CeCredential) will be available for download within a week of degree conferral and the notation of degree awarded will be made on the transcript within 2 business days of Commencement.
May
Master's Recipients
The attendance indicator on the Mandatory Application to Graduate is used solely for planning purposes. During the Master's ceremony all attendees names are announced as they cross the stage and are provided with a symbolic diploma case that is used for the professional photograph station on site and then the case will be immediately returned to the stage by commencement staff. All Official diplomas and their official diploma covers for Master's degrees will be mailed to the shipping address provided on the Application to Graduate. Please note that diplomas typically start to be sent out within two business weeks of the conferral date and depending on location could take 3-4 weeks to reach their destination, so the address supplied should be one in which someone can physically accept the package once it arrives. The Office of the Registrar will send out a final confirmation of the shipping address provided as well as name to be printed on the diploma prior to the actual conferral. Once the deadline specified has passed no changes can be made.
A digital diploma (CeCredential) will be available for download within a week of degree conferral and the notation of degree awarded will be made on the transcript within 2 business days of Commencement.
May
Doctor of Medicine Recipients
If indicated on the mandatory Application to Graduate that they are attending the Commencement ceremony in-person, recipients will receive both the diploma and the cover at the Medical School ceremony. For those recipients who indicate that they will not be attending on the Application they will receive both the diploma and diploma cover in the mail similar to the above protocols for all other non-MD degree candidates.
A digital diploma (CeCredential) will be available for download within a week of degree conferral and the notation of degree awarded will be made on the transcript within 2 business days of Commencement.
Commencement Program
The Commencement Program will continue to list all the names of actual degree recipients as well as any honors achieved. Advanced degrees awarded in prior October and February will be noted as 'previously awarded' in the program yet no covers will be accounted for this population in May as they have already shipped.
Common Questions
Yes! Undergraduate degree recipients who indicate they are indeed attending the May Commencement ceremony on the Application to Graduate will receive their empty diploma cover at the academic departmental ceremony that takes place Sunday afternoon as designated in their confirmation sent by the Office of the Registrar prior to final exams. May Graduate degree recipients who indicate ceremony attendance will receive an empty cover at their designated degree ceremony on Sunday morning. Those who indicated on the Application to Graduate that they will not be attending yet show up will not have an empty cover provided to them as both will be shipped post-commencement. Likewise, those who state they will attend the ceremony on the Application yet do not actually show up will not be shipped a cover post-commencement, just their physical diploma as tracking who shows up and who does not on the actual day of event is not possible. Event organizers will have prepared lists of recipients who stated in advance whether they are attending the ceremony or not and the requisite amount of covers will be supplied based on the total number of affirmative responses.
Undergraduate students are free to walk and attend their departmental ceremony, yet they should A) Confirm their planned attendance with the academic department administrator responsible for coordinating their ceremony to ensure they will allow it and B) Clearly understand that there will be no official recognition in the Commencement program nor will an empty diploma cover be provided for them.
The Office of the Registrar will send out a confirmation to all probable graduates who have completed the mandatory Application to Graduate approximately two weeks prior to degrees being awarded. This confirmation will include the Name as you would like it to appear on the diploma as well as pertinent shipping information you provided on your Application. At that time, instructions will be provided along with a deadline for you to provide any corrections to either. It is imperative that you pay close attention to this information as the deadline provided is indeed final and the university is not responsible for name misprints or undeliverable address information that you provided and did not correct during the confirmation process. Should a replacement need to be issued the student is, therefore, responsible and this incurs a $100 fee.
As stated earlier depending on locale, it could take up to 5-6 weeks from the degree being conferred for you to receive the diploma. If it has been longer than 6 weeks please reach out to Registrar@Brown.edu using your Brown.edu or alumni.Brown.edu email address as well as your Banner ID# and our staff will research it for you including any tracking information.
Additional Diploma Information
Brown University does not provide for duplicate printed copies of diplomas.
The Office of the Registrar can notarize a copy of your diploma at no additional charge. Those graduates requesting diplomas for employment/educational purposes overseas may need to investigate what authentication may be required by the country where the diploma will be presented.
English translations of the Undergraduate, Graduate and Medical Diplomas are available for download.
Brown University offers Certified Electronic Diplomas and Certificates (CeDiploma/CeCertificate) via CeCredential.