Correcting errors on degree certificate

Who deals with this

A degree certificate is issued by the university (or awarding body) that granted the award, not by any government office or court. There is no central government process for correcting a certificate, and no ombudsman that reissues them. You correct or replace it by applying directly to the awarding institution, usually through its student records, registry, academic services, or alumni/graduation team. Most universities have a dedicated web page for certificate corrections, replacements and name changes, and increasingly an online request portal.

The key distinction: error versus later change

Universities treat two situations differently, and it matters which one applies to you.

The first is a genuine error in what the university recorded. For example, a misspelt name, a wrong middle name, an incorrect date, wrong classification, or the wrong award title printed on the certificate, where the correct details were held at the time you studied. Institutions will normally correct this and reissue the certificate, and many will not charge you where the mistake was theirs. Cambridge, Sheffield, Staffordshire and Bradford all confirm they will amend records and issue replacements where there was an error in the recording of your name at the time of study.

The second is a change that happened after your award, such as changing your name by marriage, civil partnership, divorce or deed poll, or a change of gender. Universities generally will only issue a certificate in your name as it stood at the point of award, but many will reissue in a new name where you provide the right evidence, and some make a distinction between reissuing in your new name and simply providing a supporting document that links old and new names. Policies vary between institutions on this point.

Be clear in your request which of these you are dealing with, because it affects both what evidence you need and whether you are charged.

Evidence you will usually need

Expect to be asked for the following, though exact requirements differ by institution.

Proof of your identity, typically a passport or driving licence.

Proof of the correct details. For a name error, evidence of your correct name at the time of study, such as a birth certificate, passport or the original enrolment documents. For a post-award name change, evidence of the change such as a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, decree absolute, or an enrolled or unenrolled deed poll. For a corrected date or classification, any documentation showing the correct position, such as your results notification or transcript.

The original certificate, or the ability to return or destroy it. Most universities will only issue a corrected or replacement certificate once you either return the original or confirm in writing that you have destroyed it, because two valid-looking certificates must not be in circulation. Staffordshire, for example, asks graduates to destroy the originals once the reissue is confirmed.

Practical steps

1. Find the correct team. Search your university’s website for “replacement certificate”, “certificate name change” or “corrected certificate”, or contact the registry, academic services or graduation team. Alumni pages often carry this information.

2. Identify and gather your evidence based on whether this is an error correction or a post-award change, as set out above.

3. Submit the request through the university’s stated route, which may be an online portal, an email address, or a form. Explain plainly that the details on the issued certificate are wrong, state exactly what is wrong and what the correct details are, and attach your evidence.

4. Confirm the underlying record is corrected first. Some universities, including Cambridge, correct your central student record first and only let you order the replacement once that update is confirmed. Check the record shows the correct details before paying for or requesting the physical certificate.

5. Return or destroy the original certificate when instructed, and keep proof that you did so.

6. Check the reissued certificate carefully on arrival to confirm every detail is now correct.

Fees and timing

Where the mistake was the university’s own error, many institutions correct and reissue free of charge, so say clearly if the error was theirs. Where you are asking for a reissue because of a later name change or a lost certificate, a fee usually applies, often in the region of a few tens of pounds, and there may be additional postage costs for overseas delivery. Turnaround is commonly a few weeks, though record updates can be quicker, sometimes within about five working days. Check your specific university’s published fee and timescale.

If the wrong detail is more than a spelling

If the certificate shows the wrong classification, wrong award title, or wrong subject, treat this as potentially more serious than a cosmetic correction. Make sure the correct outcome is what your final ratified results and the examination board actually recorded. If the certificate simply mis-prints an outcome that your record shows correctly, this is a straightforward error correction. If you think the recorded outcome itself is wrong, that is a different matter and would involve the university’s academic appeals or results-query process, which is subject to strict internal deadlines, rather than the certificate reissue process.

If the university refuses or delays

If the institution declines to correct a genuine error or is unreasonably slow, use its internal complaints procedure and ask for a final decision, known as a Completion of Procedures letter. If you remain dissatisfied after exhausting the internal process, a student or graduate of a higher education provider in England or Wales can usually bring the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, which reviews unresolved complaints about universities. Separately, if your concern is that the university is holding inaccurate personal data about you, you have the right under data protection law to request rectification of inaccurate personal data, and you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if that is not dealt with properly.

What would change the answer

The precise process, evidence, fees and timescales depend on which university awarded your degree, and on whether the wrong detail is an error in the original recording or a change that occurred afterwards. Tell me the awarding institution and exactly what is wrong on the certificate, and I can be more specific about the route that applies.