Diploma Mailing Schedule

The degree certification process begins after the semester ends and takes approximately six weeks to complete. Diplomas are not given out at the Commencement Ceremony.

Graduates will receive a digital diploma via Parchment at their Memphis.edu email address once their degree is officially certified (takes approximately six weeks to complete). Your Memphis.edu email only stays active for a short time following your graduation, so be sure to download it upon receipt and save it to your personal email that you can retrieve anytime.

After the offical degree certification (awarding of your degree), process concludes, diplomas are then processed.
After the awarding of the degree, graduate names are sent to the diploma vendor. A digital diploma is released shortly after.
Approximately 10 to 15 days later the digital diploma is issued, Parchment will print and mail a physical copy to the address listed on the graduate's graduation application. Diplomas are not given out at the Commencement Ceremony.
Upon receipt of your communication from the diploma vendor, Parchment, you will be able to verify your address within 72 hours before it is shipped.

You must create a Parchment Account. This created account will allow you to access your digital and track your diplomas shipment once it has been fully processed. Your diploma will be sent via standard USPS mail in a flat, white mailing envelope. If your package arrives damaged please contact Parchment directly to request a reprint. You will find step-by-step instructions on how to do this included inside the mailer.
- Because diplomas do not fit in standard mailboxes, they are often held at your apartment management office or local post office if you live in a multi-unit building.
- Please allow time for delivery. However, if it has been more than three months since your degree was awarded and you still have not received it, please contact us at commencement@memphis.edu so we can help you locate it.
- Pick up is no longer an option for graduates at the University of Memphis.

Diplomas are not issued to any graduate with a financial hold obligation with the University of Memphis. Once a graduate clears their financial hold, the graduate must immediately send an email with the Unumber, Name and Diploma mailing address to commencement@memphis.edu. Upon verification of a cleared financial hold, the Commencement Office will process the diploma.

Diplomas are not processed for graduates who did not complete Steps 3 and 4 of the process. The graduate will need to contact the Commencement Office to verify information before the diploma can be processed.

Understanding Second Majors & Graduate and Undergraduate Certificates

Second majors do not take part in the ceremony. Second majors do not receive a second diploma. Refer to the information about Applying to Graduate that you were required to read before filing for graduation https://www.memphis.edu/commencement/apply/.
The University recognizes degrees. Although a student has a major area, we award degrees specifically. If your major falls within the same degree area or under the same degree name, this is considered a second major. If you or your Advisor do not clearly understand this process, contact your Graduation Analyst who are the experts in the area. Examples: If you obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Communication and Fine Arts in 2024 with a major of Journalism, and then, you return to put more work into a major in History in 2025, this is considered a second major.
- Although history is under the College of Arts & Sciences, both Journalism and History would earn a student a Bachelor of Arts degree (same degree type). This does not warrant a separate diploma.
The additional/second major would be on the transcript only. A second major allows a student to have two different majors while overlapping coursework generally requiring less coursework than a dual/double major.
Double Degrees do call for a second diploma: The other major must be under a completely different degree type and unlike second majors, dual/double degrees will require additional coursework —most times doubling the coursework of an individual who only obtains a second major since the coursework is typically in common for the second major. Majors are not listed on the diploma.

Diplomas: What do they look like? What is on them?

Diplomas will only reflect the degree name, any undergraduate honors distinctions, and undergraduate departmental honors. Majors, Minors and Concentrations are available on your transcripts and will not be placed on the diploma. Graduate Students do not have honors distinction.

Student’s name as listed on Step 3 and Step 4 of the application.
College or School Name
Degree Name
University Name
Date of Graduation
Undergraduate Academic honors, if earned
Undergraduate College honors, if earned
Undergraduate Departmental honors, if earned
No, we do not have digital copies. Contact Registrar.
For more information, revisit /commencement/apply/index.php.

DIPLOMA SIZES
Bachelor	14 across x 11 down
Masters	14 x 11
Doctoral	14 x 17
Juris Doctor (law)	14 x 17
Honorary	14 x 17
Joint BioMedical	14 x 17
Graduate Certificate	8.5 x 11

More Info

Congratulations on your degree from the University of Memphis!