Parchments and transcripts

When you graduate, you'll receive your award parchment confirming your degree and classification. You'll also receive a transcript listing the modules you passed during your studies, and the mark and credit level for each module.

Award parchment

Your award parchment is a coloured certificate showing your name, award title, classification and date of the award. Award classifications include first, upper second, lower second, third, merit and distinction.

Award parchments are on watermarked parchment paper with the University crest, and signed by the Vice-Chancellor and Academic Registrar.

Parchments are managed and produced by the Student Results Service.

Collecting your parchment at graduation

Most people collect their parchment at their graduation ceremony. Ceremonies tend to be held in summer.

Can't collect your parchment at graduation?

If your award parchment is issued by an exam board held in June or July and isn't available to collect at your graduation, we'll post it to the mailing address on your student record. We'll post it during July and August by Royal Mail standard delivery in the UK, or Royal Mail standard Airmail for overseas addresses.

Your mailing address is separate to your home or local address. Make sure your mailing address is up-to-date.

Standard UK delivery and standard Airmail are not recorded delivery or courier services, so we can't provide tracking data for deliveries.

Parchments for postgraduate students

If you're a postgraduate student completing your studies in September, the exam board for your course may meet between October and mid-December. Award documents issued from these exam boards are posted as soon as possible after the exam board meets. Your department can confirm when the exam board for your programme is due to meet.

The Chair of an exam board has the authority to make award decisions outside of exam board meetings.

Award decisions made at exam boards or by the board Chair outside of summer exam boards and postgraduate exam boards will be sent by post to the mailing address on your student record.

Requesting DHL courier delivery

If you don't want your parchment sent by standard mail or Airmail, you can pay for it to be delivered by DHL courier. Email parchmentcourier@port.ac.uk to request delivery by DHL courier. We'll send you some questions to answer and information about how to pay online before we send your parchment.

If you don't receive your parchment 

If you haven't received your parchment within two months of your exam board meeting, please contact parchments@port.ac.uk.

Students studying with a partner institution

We'll post your parchment and transcript to our partner institution to distribute to you, unless we've agreed something different with our partner beforehand. We send parchments by Royal Mail Recorded Delivery or Royal Mail International Recorded Delivery.

If you haven't received your parchment and transcript within 2 months of your exam board meeting, please contact the partner institution where you studied. If you have questions please email parchments@port.ac.uk.

Replacement parchments

If your original parchment is lost or damaged, we can replace it for a fee.

Replacements cost £35.00 for one parchment and £10.00 for each additional parchment of the same award ordered at the same time. This cost includes postage by Royal Mail Recorded delivery.

You can order a maximum of six parchments at once.

Complete the replacement parchment form below to request a new parchment. Once you submit the form we'll verify your award and send you an email with a validation code and payment information.

We approve parchment requests manually. If we receive a high volume of requests, there may be a delay in sending your validation code.

If you apply for a replacement parchment on behalf of someone else, you need written permission from the award holder.

Certified copies of original award parchments

You may need to provide a certified copy of your award parchment to companies like educational institutions or governments authorities. This is different to a replacement parchment.

To request a certified copy of your parchment, send a scanned copy of your original parchment to academicverifications@port.ac.uk with a postal address so we can deliver your copy.

Once we receive your parchment we'll check your award and stamp and certify the copy before returning it to you. This service is free of charge.

Apostille certificates

If you're an overseas student or a graduate wanting to live or work abroad you may need an Apostille certificate in addition to your parchment. Request an Apostille certificate by contacting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Transcripts

Your transcript lists the modules you passed during your studies, and the mark and credit level for each module.

Replacement transcript

If your original transcript is lost or damaged, your department can replace it for a fee.

Replacements cost £35.00 for one transcript and £10.00 for each additional transcript ordered at the same time. This cost includes postage by Royal Mail Recorded delivery.

You can order a maximum of six transcripts at once.

Complete the replacement transcript form on the online store to request a new transcript.

Proof of awards

You can get proof of your award as a letter or email for free. Your verification letter will include information such as your award data and study dates.

A letter of verification is different to a replacement parchment. You'll usually receive your letter via email. For details about your units you'll need a replacement transcript.

You need written permission from the award holder to apply for award verification on their behalf.