Diplomas
Students will receive an email when their diploma has been mailed. Diplomas are mailed to students approximately 6-8 weeks after each conferral date.
All diplomas are mailed to the diploma address you provide in Patriot Web when you apply to graduate. You must be in good financial standing with the University and have no holds on your account in order to receive your diploma. George Mason (non-Law) diplomas, both graduate and undergraduate, measure 10 inches by 14 inches in portrait format. Certificate diplomas are 8.5 inches by 11 inches in landscape format.
For graduates prior to Fall 2020:
For both bachelor’s and master’s programs, the name of your major will appear on your diploma. Academic disciplines for doctoral graduates, however, do not appear on the diploma. Concentrations will be listed on your diploma only if you graduate from one of the following degree programs: Bachelor of Individualized Study, Bachelor of Arts or Science in Integrative Studies, Bachelor of Applied Science, and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Minors are not listed on diplomas.
For graduates beginning in Fall 2020:
For both bachelor’s and master’s programs, the name of your major and concentration will appear on your diploma. Individualized concentrations are printed as “Individualized” except for graduates of Bachelor of Individualized Study, Bachelor of Arts or Science in Integrative Studies, Bachelor of Applied Science, and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Academic disciplines for doctoral graduates do not appear on the diploma. Concentrations are not listed on certificates and minors are not listed on diplomas.
Diploma Name
The diploma name defaults to a student’s legal name on file with the University. Beginning in Summer 2022, students who apply for graduation can request their chosen name as their diploma name by submitting this form. This form can also be used to add a special accent mark in the name printed on the diploma.
- The addition of a diploma name is only for inclusion on the diploma and does not modify any name in the system of record.
- If an update to the legal name recorded in the system of record is required, a Change of Personal Information request must be submitted.
- Graduates have until their degree conferral date to update their diploma name which is posted under the Graduation Timelines.
- Updates made after conferral require you to order a replacement diploma. Standard fees will apply.
International Students and Graduates Planning to Live or Work Abroad:
- Some countries require that the diploma and official transcripts match for various legal, immigration, and employment purposes.
- Choosing to print a name other than your legal name on your diploma may result in unforeseen complications.
- It is recommended that any student who plans to live, study, or work outside of the United States choose their legal name to be printed on their diploma.
- Additional changes will require you to order a replacement diploma. Standard fees will apply.
Degree Verifications:
- The University is required to report students’ legal name to the National Student Clearinghouse, which is the entity that provides degree verifications on behalf of George Mason. If you opt to have your chosen name printed on your diploma, be aware that degree verifications will still require the use of your legal name.
Diploma Address
You must verify that your diploma address is correct. Please go to the Update Diploma Mailing Address page for detailed instructions and contact Degree Compliance at degree@gmu.edu with any questions about the delivery of your diploma. If you have moved and your diploma has already been ordered, please set up a forwarding address with the post office.
Digital Diplomas
Beginning in Fall 2020, current graduates will receive a digital diploma along with their paper diploma. After the paper diploma has been ordered, students will be emailed a link for their digital diploma at their GMU email address. At this time, digital diplomas are not available for graduates prior to Fall 2020.
Diploma
Students have the opportunity to change their diploma mailing address in Patriot Web. Please update your address within 3 weeks of the conferral date to avoid mailing to an invalid address.
Please follow these steps in order to update your diploma mailing address in Patriot Web:
To insert a new diploma address:
- Login to Patriot Web.
- Click on “Personal Information.”
- Click on “Personal Profile.”
- Scroll down to locate the “Address” block. Click “Add New” in the upper right hand corner.
- Choose “Diploma” in the “Type of Address” drop-down menu.
- Enter your address information and click “Add.”
Note: If an old diploma address exits, you can edit it by clicking on the “Edit address” icon under the existing diploma address.
Minors will not appear on your Mason diploma but will appear on your official academic transcript.
The university offers alumni the opportunity to order a *replacement copy of their original George Mason diploma. The basic fee for an order mailed to an address in the U.S. is $127.50 per diploma. The cost for international destinations is $197.50. Diplomas will take 1-2 weeks to print after which they are mailed through FedEx Overnight Domestic or FedEx International Priority.
All replacement orders must be made through Patriot Web or through Parchment. To order through Patriot Web, follow these steps:
- Log in to Patriot Web (Please make sure that you allow pop-ups from this site).
- Click the ‘Student Services’ tab.
- Click ‘Student Records.’
- Click ‘Order Replacement Diploma.’
If you do not have access to your Patriot Web account, you can order your replacement diploma through Parchment. Click on the image below:
Diploma Name
Your diploma name MUST reflect your name of record during the last term of attendance at George Mason. If your legal name has changed since you graduated and you wish to have it appear on your replacement diploma, you will need to first have it updated in the Mason record. This process is explained on the Change of Name page.
Degree Verification
If you are requesting a copy of your diploma for the purpose of degree verification, we recommend that you first make sure that some other document will not serve the purpose. Companies and government agencies are usually looking for official proof of graduation. An actual diploma is needed only in rare cases involving foreign governments. A verification or transcript can be obtained for less cost and in less time.
Another option is to have a photocopy of your original diploma authenticated and notarized. For more information on that process, see the Certifications page.
*All replacement diplomas will have the word “Reissued” printed in small type at the bottom.
*Replacement diplomas will contain the signatures of the current University President, Rector of the Board of Visitors, University Registrar, and may (depending upon the year of graduation) contain the signature of the University Provost in lieu of the college or school’s Dean.
For graduates beginning in Fall 2020:
Your credential is a representation of all your hard work, and we know how important it is that this document arrives in pristine condition. If damage occurred in transit, our vendor will be happy to send a replacement. Just snap a quick picture of the damaged item and email it to diplomaprints@parchment.com. Please include the DID#. If you are unable to locate your DID# (Document ID), please include your first name, last name and institution name to aid in record location.
For graduates prior to Fall 2020:
Your credential is a representation of all your hard work, and we know how important it is that this document arrives in pristine condition. If damage occurred in transit, we will be happy to order a replacement. Please email degree@gmu.edu to request a Missing Diploma form and indicate that your diploma was damaged in the mail.