Application for Degree and Diploma Names

Only official names on record may be displayed on a diploma. If you have changed your name, have a name with special characters, or need a different format for your diploma, please contact the Registrar's Office as soon as possible.

Official School Names on Diploma

The Rules for Displaying a Graduate's Name on the Diploma

A graduate's name as it appears on a diploma must be a legal name.

1. First names may be complete or initialed, but must match the Registrar's records. Omission of first name is acceptable.
2. Middle names may be complete or initialed, but must match the Registrar's records. Omission of middle name is acceptable.
3. Last names should match the Registrar's records exactly.
4. Suffixes such as Sr., Jr., III, etc., may be used if included in the Registrar's records and documented in the student folder on the student's original application, a transcript from another school, or a Certificate of Birth.
5. Hispanic maternal surnames may be included if documentation is provided to the Registrar's Office for the student folder. Proper documentation is a copy of a Certificate of Birth showing the maternal surname, or on the student's original application.
6. Hyphenated maiden-married last names may be used, provided the student's Registrar's records have documentation to verify the names. A name change request form accompanied by a Certificate of Marriage will be required if a name change in the Registrar's records has not been processed since the marriage. In all cases, verification will be based on information which is the Registrar's Office student's file and not on information provided verbally.
7. Special accent marks may be used, and should be indicated on the Application for Degree and Diploma Name Request form completed by the student.
8. Special punctuation should follow the instructions on the Application for Degree form, and will be put on the diploma exactly as the student puts it on the form, if possible.
9. Neither titles nor degrees previously earned will be included as part of a graduate's name on a diploma.

Official School Names on Diplomas

• Post-doc Masters candidates have the Graduate School name and date on their diplomas.
• MSN and PhD candidates from the School of Nursing have the Graduate School name and date on their diplomas.
• Post-doc Certificate candidates have the Dental School name and date on their diplomas, except for Endodontics and Periodontics which will have a summer date.
• Allied Health Masters candidates have the Graduate School name and date on their diplomas.
• Master of Therapy will be listed only in the Allied Health Commencement program.