I’ve recently completed my course; when can I expect my degree certificate?
When & how will my certificate be posted?
Your certificate will be posted within 3 months from the date of your award. Your award date is usually the 1st of the month, following the Assessment Sub Board meeting.
During our busiest periods (November-January) and (July-August), your certificate may take longer to produce; we ask for your patience during this period, and recommend you explore our alternative methods of proving your degree, especially if you need to do so quickly.
Postage
- We send your degree certificate by post to the home address on your student record at the time of your award; e.g. if you were awarded on 1 March, we will use your home address on record from that date.
- We use Royal Mail for all certificates
- Royal Mail Standard 1st Class for UK addresses
- Royal Mail International Standard for addresses outside the UK
Important to know:
- Please make sure your address on your student record is up-to-date before or as soon as possible after you have been awarded. Please understand that keeping your address details accurate and up-to-date is your responsibility. If you need to do this please refer to How do I update my address on my student record?
- If you have an international address, please make sure your record shows both the English and local script characters.
- If a telephone number is required for delivery within your country, please ensure this is added to the address section of your record.
- We cannot provide tracking for posted certificates.
I’m a PhD graduate; what happens with my degree certificate?
You are required to email your final e-thesis and declaration directly to the library by email and copy in the Research Degrees team before your certificate can be released.
As with all students, your certificate will then be sent to your home address on record, so we advise making sure this is up-to-date; all the other information in this article also applies to you.
How long will it take to reach me?
Your certificate will be posted within 3 months from the date of your award.
We send your certificate through the Royal Mail 1st Class service when sent to a UK postal address. Please check Royal Mail for details on the details for this service.
If we’re posting to an international address, we use the International Standard service; the number of days for delivery varies slightly depending on whether this is going to Europe or Worldwide – for details please check Royal Mail International Standard.
Important to know: The arrival of your certificate could also be affected by local postal services in your country or region. This can mean post can take longer to arrive, and we unfortunately aren’t able to control that postal journey, and we’re unable to provide you with tracking information. We recommend referring to Royal International Incidence Updates which shows the latest information which may affect the arrival of your certificate if you live outside the UK.
You won't be contacted to confirm dispatch of your certificate, unless we have queries about your address details.
We post certificates monthly. The latest certificates which have been dispatched are for those students with an award date of 1 September 2024.
Please note that we are not able to advise on the exact date that your certificate entered the postal system.
Is there a way I can track my certificate once it’s been dispatched?
Unfortunately tracking information for certificates is not available.
For UK addresses: We send your certificate through the Royal Mail 1st Class service when sent to a UK postal address. Please check Royal Mail for details on the details for this service.
For overseas addresses: We use the Royal Mail International Standard service. You may find it helpful to check Royal Mail International incidence updates to check if there are any incidences which may cause delays on international post.
Important to know: How quickly your certificate will arrive will also depend on local postal services.
Am I allowed to arrange a private courier for my certificate?
Unfortunately, we’re not able to send your certificate using any other courier; we only use the Royal Mail postal service.
I’m still waiting for my certificate, is it delayed?
Important to know:
- Please make sure your address on your student record is up-to-date before or as soon as possible after you have been awarded. Please understand that keeping your address details accurate and up-to-date is your responsibility. If you need to do this please refer to How do I update my address on my student record?
- If you have an international address, please make sure your record shows both the English and local script characters.
- If a telephone number is required for delivery within your country, please ensure this is added to the address section of your record.
- We cannot provide tracking for posted certificates.
I’ve moved house since finishing university; I’m concerned about where my certificate has been posted
The Boards & Awards team produce and post certificates, and the team will always follow the address details provided on your student record, and they are unable to amend these details on your record for you.
If you change address after finishing university and before receiving your degree certificate, we strongly recommend updating your student record as soon as possible, while you retain access. Please refer to our article for guidance: How do I update my address on my student record?
If you’ve recently moved and you are concerned that your certificate may have been posted to an old address, please get in touch with us.
Important to know: If Royal Mail returns your undelivered certificate back to the Boards & Awards Office, you will be contacted to arrange redelivery once this has been received back.
Can I collect my certificate in person?
Unfortunately, due to the office remaining closed, collection is not possible at the moment.
I feel I’ve had to wait too long for my certificate; how can I give feedback about this?
Currently, certificates are being produced and posted once per month, and we are endeavouring to get your certificate to you as quickly as we can.
If you’re experiencing difficulties because you don’t have your certificate yet, and you can’t find the answer in this article, or you would simply like to feedback about this, you can log a case and let us know.
If you already have your degree certificate, and you would like to get an authenticated copy of it, there are details of how you can do this in our article I graduated a year ago or more, and need my degree certificate.
What alternatives can I use to prove my degree?
King’s offers a number of alternative documents to your degree certificate, which are just as official and valid. All of this are in electronic format – which is more accessible for you, and means you can get the documentation you need quickly.
If you’re looking to prove your degree award, module results and any other details, please use the following documents:
- Using your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)
- Your digital transcript
- Getting online verification through Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD)
- Postgraduate research (PGR) graduates: You can request a Confirmation of Award letter
For more detail about the various digital options available for you, please see our article I need to prove I have completed my studies.
I’m struggling to get employers or other third parties to accept or recognise my digital documents; what can I do?
Change can be fast-paced, and so not all organisations are familiar with the full range of documents and verification services available for King’s graduates.
At King’s we are moving towards more digital solutions for the needs of our students and graduates as much as possible, because this is more accessible, more reliable and meets your needs faster. Long-term, this is also more sustainable than producing a large number of more traditional, paper-based solutions for many students and alumni.
If you’re experiencing difficulties with third parties accepting official King’s documentation, please refer them to these articles to help explain what King’s provides:
You may also find it helpful to share the information in this article with any third parties who are not accepting or recognising your documents, or the HEDD verification service.
Does my course have a certificate and what does it contain?
What type of certificates are produced by King’s College London?
The following certificates below are produced by King’s College London, and include:
- All diploma certificates regardless of date.
- Any awards for those students who opted for a King’s College London award, when given a choice through Student Records.
- Degree-level awards (including intercalations) for students who began their courses in 2007/08 or later.
- MBBS and BDS awards for students who began in 2008/09 or later.
Important to know: If you’ve studied at King’s before the 2008/9 academic year, studied a federal degree programme, or you opted to receive an award from the University of London, instead of King’s, you’ll find guidance on how to request for a replacement certificate in our article I graduated a year ago or more, and need my degree certificate.
What information does my certificate contain?
It will contain the following details:
- Your full name
- Your overall award classification
- The date of your award
- The title of your degree/diploma
- Embossed seal
Can I get a document with more details included?
Yes. If you’re looking for a breakdown showing your modules results, you can use your transcript, or for even more detail, you can access your HEAR. Both these documents are digital.
To find out more:
Are there any courses for which King's does not produce a certificate?
Certificates are not produced for free-standing Nursing modules, or for Foundation programmes.
For information on how to obtain a Record of Agreed Results for a nursing module, containing details of your marks, please refer to our article I need a specialised transcript for my course.
Can I get a certificate for completing the Associateship of King's College London (AKC)
If you’ve taken the Associateship of King’s College (AKC), the Dean’s Office will produce your certificate upon completion of your studies.
If you’ve any queries about your certificate, get in touch with the Dean’s Office by email and they’ll be able to assist you further.
I have received my certificate but there is an issue
My name on the certificate is incorrect
If you have queries relating to the name that has appeared on your degree certificate, please submit a query and this will be sent to the appropriate team for further investigation.
For more information, please read our article I need to change my name on my student record
My certificate was damaged in transit, what can I do?
If you have concerns about the certificate you have received, please submit a query and this will be sent to the appropriate team for further investigation.