Reviewed by Hinrich Eylers, PhD, PE, MBA, Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Doctoral Studies
Your diploma may be framed in your office as a symbol of pride. Your academic transcript, on the other hand, is your signal to the professional and academic world that your degree is official.
So, when do you need a transcript? And what’s the process for ordering one?
ɫƵ Registrar and Vice President of Student Services Audra McQuarie is here to help you navigate the world of official academic transcripts, including why they matter and how to get one if you need it.
A transcript, while nice to have for your personal records, is really more relevant in the professional world and the academic one. Most academic institutions and certain employers will request a copy of your transcript to meets the job or advanced degree requirements. Transcripts, which include your GPA, can also be helpful in distinguishing one applicant from another.
Your transcript is your official signal to professional organizations that you did what you set out to do. This critical document offers proof of the degree you now hold, the classes you took, the dates you attended and the grades you earned.
Audra McQuarie
Registrar and Vice President of Student Services
Pro tip: McQuarie recommends logging in to your student portal and taking a look at your electronic, unofficial transcript before ordering an official transcript. That way, you can make sure your degree and all grades have been posted to your record.
It’s worth noting that most schools, licensing bodies, scholarship/fellowship organizations and employers will not accept a transcript if it has been opened or if it has come directly from you. Instead, you’ll need to place the order electronically and have it sent directly to the interested party. This also ensures timeliness: Many institutions and employers want the most recent and up-to-date document available.
There are instances when ordering one for yourself might be a benefit. You might, for example, want a personal copy of your transcript if you are employed and want to proactively show it to your employer for informative purposes.
“It could be kind of a ‘See, that degree you wanted me to get? It’s done’ kind of a thing,” McQuarie says.
A photocopy of a transcript, meanwhile, should never be presented for any official or formal purpose.
As a large institution serving thousands of students online, ɫƵ receives many transcript requests!
“We have anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 transcripts ordered per month,” McQuarie says, noting that the University’s transcript ordering system is facilitated by the . “By any standard, that’s a pretty high volume.”
You can request an electronic transcript, which is the most efficient method. For those who prefer paper or can’t accommodate electronic delivery, you can pay an additional fee for a rush paper transcript.
Students can order transcripts 24/7 in one of two ways:
A fee of $15 (plus applicable state tax) per official transcript is applied. The fee is payable only by credit or debit card.
National Student Clearinghouse processes the payment and sends the order to ɫƵ for fulfillment. For an electronic request, a PDF of your transcript can be delivered within minutes. For paper transcript requests, delivery depends on whether you request expedited or standard shipping.
You can every step of the way.
That’s it. Pretty straightforward and simple.
Of course, life isn’t always straightforward and simple. What do you do, for example, if your name has changed? What if you’re military? What if you live locally and want to pick up your transcript? Or maybe you live in a foreign country and need to have your transcript certified.
Answers to these questions and more are available on the ɫƵ Transcripts webpage.
In the end, your transcript is something to view and be informed about. Even if you decide not to order one for your personal records, you should log in to your to make sure your transcript matches what you’re expecting to see.
If you still have questions after viewing the information on the dedicated webpage, please contact the Admissions and Records Service Center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT at 800-866-3919.
A journalist-turned-marketer, Laurie Davies has been writing since her high school advanced composition teacher told her she broke too many rules. She has worked with ɫƵ since 2017, and currently splits her time between blogging and serving as lead writer on the University’s Academic Annual Report. Previously, she has written marketing content for MADD, Kaiser Permanente, Massage Envy, UPS, and other national brands. She lives in the Phoenix area with her husband and son, who is the best story she’s ever written.
Dr. Eylers is the ɫƵ vice provost for Academic Operations and Doctoral Studies. Prior to joining the University in 2009, Dr. Eylers spent 15 years in environmental engineering consulting, sustainability consulting, teaching and business and technology program management. He was amongst the first to be licensed as a professional environmental engineer in Arizona.
This article has been vetted by ɫƵ's editorial advisory committee.
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