Candidates will be recognized by name and will receive their diploma cover as they walk across stage at their commencement ceremony. Actual diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after degrees are conferred. This allows time for grade processing, awarding of degrees, printing and packaging.

Degree Conferral Date

The Board of Regents of Eastern Kentucky University has degree conferral dates several times per year. These conferral dates represent confirmation that all degree and/or certificate requirements have been met. The formal conferral date is posted to the student’s academic transcript and is the date printed on the diploma and/or university certificate. Below are the EKU degree/certificate conferral dates:

Fall A (end of first 8 weeks) – October: Last Day of Fall A Term

Fall (end of full semester) – December: Last Day of Full Semester

Winter – January: Last Day of Term

Spring A (end of first 8 weeks) – March: Last Day of Spring A Term

Spring (end of full semester) – May: Last Day of Full Semester

Summer A (end of first 6 weeks) – July: Last Day of Summer A Term

Summer (end of full semester) – August: Last Day of Full Semester

Diplomas and University Certificates

All graduates of the university will receive a diploma for each degree earned. Only one diploma per degree, per student will be provided. The current size for all associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist diplomas is 8.5 x 11 inches. Doctoral diplomas are 11 x 14 inches. Diplomas and University Certificates are produced by a contracted vendor and are mailed to students after confirmation of degree completion. The graduation confirmation process takes several weeks to complete. Therefore, students should expect to receive their diploma 6-8 weeks after their degree conferral date. Note the dates above.

Receiving Your Original Diploma After Graduation

Diplomas will be mailed to those who completed degree requirements 4-6 weeks after their degree conferral date. Note the dates above.

Withholding Diplomas and Graduating Transcripts

Students who have outstanding obligations to the university at the time of diploma production will have their diploma and complimentary transcript held. Diplomas and official transcripts will be released only when all financial obligations to the university are resolved. Students must contact Big E Central to initiate the diploma and transcript being mailed. The diploma and transcript are not mailed automatically when the hold is released.

Diploma Address

Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on the graduation application. If the address changes before the diploma is mailed, the student must notify the Registrar’s office or contact their college graduation expert to provide a new diploma mailing address. Students may also utilize this form to update their diploma address. The diploma address is separate from the permanent address and changing one does not update the other. The Registrar’s office is not responsible for diplomas lost or not returned due to an insufficient address or if the student has moved and not left a forwarding address. If the diploma is not received by the student and does not return back to the Registrar’s office in good condition, the student is responsible for ordering a duplicate copy of the diploma. Please check the diploma address you submitted on your graduation application in myEKU and update your diploma address before leaving the university.

Diploma Name

Variations of a graduate’s official name may be printed on a diploma. Variations of a name must be requested when submitting a Graduation Application.

Acceptable variations are listed below:

• Middle names may be complete, initialed, or omitted, but must match the student record (e.g., John Quincy Adams, John Q. Adams, or John Adams).
• Suffixes such as Sr., Jr., III, etc., may be used.
• Maternal surnames may be included in place of or in addition to a legal middle name (e.g., Jane Marie Smith, Jane Doe Smith, Jane Marie Doe Smith).
• Hyphenated maiden-married last names may be used, provided the student’s record has documentation to verify the names. A Personal Information Change Form accompanied by a Certificate of Marriage will be required if a name change has not been processed since the marriage. In all cases, verification will be based on information that is in the student’s record and not provided verbally.
• Special accent marks may be requested and recognized linguistic marks will be placed on the diploma, if possible.

The following variations are not acceptable:

• No nicknames or names enclosed by parentheses or quotation marks will be included as the diploma name
• No prefix or suffix relating to a title or credential is allowed (e.g., Dr., DMD, Esq., Mrs., Mr., etc.).

Duplicate Diplomas

If you wish to order an additional copy of your diploma, you may do so for a $35 charge per associate, bachelor’s, master’s or specialist diploma ordered. Duplicates of doctoral diplomas can be ordered for a charge of $50. There is no charge for a diploma when it is first issued.  Duplicate diplomas bear the signatures of current university officials.

Diplomas may be ordered through the Registrar’s Office by completing the Request for Replacement or Duplicate Diploma Form. Please allow 3-6 weeks for processing and printing duplicate diplomas.

For students who have outstanding obligations to the university at the time of ordering their duplicate diploma, a duplicate diploma will not be printed and the student will be refunded for the charge.

Apostille (Diploma/Transcript Authentication)*

EKU graduates who plan to work or further their education abroad may need to authenticate their degree(s) and transcripts. This process is often referred to as an Apostille, which is the verification and legalization of a document for international use under the terms of the Hague Convention.**

To order an Apostille document, please include the following items in addition to the completed duplicate diploma or transcript request form:

• $5.00 check or money order – issued to the “Madison County Clerk”
• Completed Kentucky State Apostille Authentication Form
• $5.00 check or money order – issued to the “Kentucky Secretary of State”

An apostille request includes the following steps:

• Submission of a duplicate diploma and/or official transcript request
• Document is verified as authentic and notarized
• Authentication of the notary with the county clerk’s office
• Submission of these documents to the Kentucky Secretary of State
• The documents will then be mailed back to you, directly from the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office

Please allow additional time for processing and receipt of apostille diplomas and transcripts due to the additional requirements.

*It is imperative that you verify the specific documents and authentication required by the receiving country. More information regarding authentication of American academic credentials for use abroad is available at the U.S. Department of State website.

**For those countries that do not recognize the Hague Convention or that do not accept the apostille, the U.S. Department of State has an Office of Authentications which can provide a federal authentication. Please note: if federal authentication is required, you must be sure to request the documents be returned to you, in order for you to complete the process.