2. Educational Certificates

Educational certificates I needed during the process of higher studies were Academic Transcript and the Degree Certificate. I was able to obtain both certificates when I was writing to supervisors since convocation was already held at that time. However, this may not be possible for undergraduates (who are trying to pursue some opportunity earliest possible) and fresh graduate (who cannot get their certificates because they are not yet ready by the university). Therefore, as I know if you cannot provide 2 main academic certificates, you can show your academic results sheets/letter mentioning the current GPA which can be obtained by the university after requesting regarding the necessity. This can be sufficient when contacting the potential supervisor. However, you need to get clarified by the faculty of graduate studies of the respective university about which documents are mandatory for your application. As in my experience, I have seen that many universities require academic transcripts and degree certificates when submitting the MSc/ PhD application.

Academic Transcript

“An academic transcript from a university can be referred to as an academic record, a diploma supplement, a statement of learning, a record of achievement or something else similar. It should list all the modules or subjects you studied in each year, the marks or grades you achieved for each module and the credit value and level of each module.  It should be stamped or signed by the registry of your previous institution and be on official letter-headed paper.” The academic transcript also includes your overall GPA, the class you achieved, placing on dean’s list, criteria of grading and dean’s list, abbreviation and name of the degree and also the normal duration of the degree program.

You can obtain the academic transcript as soon your final year/ semester examination results are finalized. But usually, you should request it as the official guidelines of your university. For many universities, MSc/ PhD application can be made by uploading the soft copy (scanned) of your academic transcript. However, in general, you may have to provide “Addressed Transcript” to your future university by your previous university. That means after getting a conditional offer for your postgraduate studies, most universities request the copy of your academic transcript to be sent in a sealed and endorsed envelope directly from the issuing institution.

Degree Certificate

“Degree certificate is the certificate which states that you have earned a university degree, such as a Bachelor's.” It includes the date of graduation, name of the degree program, university name, etc. It is also stamped or signed by the registry of your institution and be on official letter-headed paper.

You can obtain the degree certificate after your graduation. Time taken to acquire it is depending on the standard procedures followed by your university. In my experience, I was able to obtain my degree certificate after 2-3 weeks from the convocation ceremony. For many universities, MSc/ PhD application can be made by uploading the soft copy (scanned) of your degree certificate. However, in general, you may have to provide an authorized copy of your degree certificate to your future university by your previous university. That means after getting a conditional offer for your postgraduate studies, most universities request the copy of your degree certificate to be sent in a sealed and endorsed envelope directly from the issuing institution. If you do not have a degree, but a diploma, then you should provide the Diploma Certificate.

* Please noted that quoted statements are obtained from some online resources.