Diploma Delivery FAQs

Please contact our offices at registrar@rice.edu if you have graduated, but have not yet received your diploma and more than three (3) months have passed.

How do I change or correct my diploma name?

The diploma name can be edited in ESTHER until the diplomas are ordered. Instructions are available here.

Can I pick up my diploma in your office?

For a student to pick up a diploma from our office, the mailing address for the shipment of the diploma will need to be changed to the Office of the Registrar's address. A student can update the mailing address for the diploma via their ESTHER account. Please go to our Contact Us page for the mailing address.

What if I want someone else to pick up my diploma?

Diplomas can be picked up by someone else as long as written authorization is provided by the degree recipient.

When will you mail diplomas?

Students will receive an email to their Rice email address when the diploma has been mailed. Diplomas are mailed two or three times per year, depending on your graduation date and degree level.

December Degree Candidates

  • Undergraduate Degrees: Diplomas will be mailed approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the Commencement Ceremony held in May. The delay is due to the fact that Latin honors cannot be calculated until final cumulative GPAs are recorded for the entire graduating class.
  • Graduate Degrees: Diplomas will be mailed approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the Plenary Meeting of the Faculty held in late January.

May Degree Candidates: Diplomas will be mailed approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the Commencement Ceremony. Students will receive an email to their Rice email address when the diploma has been mailed.

August Degree Candidates: Diplomas will be mailed no later than the end of September.

Where will you mail diplomas?

All diplomas will be mailed via USPS to the address provided on the application for graduation. If no address was given, the diploma will be sent to the student's permanent address. If you have questions on what address we have on file for you or if you need to update the address you originally supplied, please contact the Office of the Registrar via email at registrar@rice.edu.

What if my mailing address is a PO Box?

There is not a problem delivering to a PO Box.

I live at a foreign address, when will my diploma arrive?

Please be advised that the Office of the Registrar cannot determine a delivery date to a foreign address once the diploma has been mailed from the US.

How do I open the diploma tube that my diploma was mailed in?

The mailing tubes are three piece telescopic tubes. There is a single piece in the center and then two equal ends that meet in the center at a seam. The label is placed over the seam to hold the tube together. In order to open the tube and prevent damage to the diploma, you will need to remove the label or gently slice through it to get to the seam and release the two sides. Opening in any other way risks damaging the diploma.

How do I download my certified electronic diploma (CeDiploma)?

For December 2013 graduates and later, you may download your CeDiploma in ESTHER by going to Student Services and Account Information and then navigating to Student Records and clicking the CeDiploma (Electronic Diploma) link. Additional information regarding the CeDiploma is available on the CeDiploma page.

Does my diploma name need to match my legal name?

No. The diploma name will display the name of the degree recipient’s choosing, whether it is their legal name, preferred name, nickname, etc. The diploma name is submitted by the student during the application for degree process. After the initial application for degree is submitted, a student can change their diploma name until diplomas are ordered via ESTHER by going to the Students tab, then clicking Students - General. Then, click on Graduation, then click Verify Diploma Information. After changing the diploma name, click SUBMIT. Please note: Rice diploma names are printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Names must use the English (or Latin/Roman) alphabet.

Is it possible to obtain two diplomas for the same degree with a different name on each diploma?

Yes. Rice will order one diploma per student (per degree). That diploma will display the name of the degree recipient’s choosing, as submitted via ESTHER during the application for degree process. At any time after degrees are awarded for the semester in which a student graduates, the degree recipient can then order a “replacement” diploma (or a second diploma) and choose a different name for that diploma, if desired. The form to order a replacement diploma is found here. The replacement diploma will display the name of the degree recipient’s choosing, as submitted via the Replacement Diploma Request form. Please note: Rice diploma names are printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Names must use the English (or Latin/Roman) alphabet.

I just graduated and need to provide confirmation of my graduation (required by an employer/business/school/government, etc.). How do I provide verification that I’ve received my Rice degree before receiving the physical diploma?

The Certified Electronic Diploma (CeDiploma) is available approximately two to three weeks after diplomas are ordered for degree recipients in a given semester. Alternatively, students can validate their academic credentials using the Validity Registry the day after degrees are awarded in a given semester. A Facsimile (or Miniature) Diploma is available as an official document, or a student can request a degree verification from the Office of the Registrar.

My diploma only lists the degree I received, but I also obtained a double major (or minor/major concentration/certificate, etc.). Can they be listed?

The diploma will only list the degree a student has completed (such as Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration, etc.), it will not list a student’s major associated with that degree (or a minor/major concentration/certificate that a student earned). In order to see all of the official academic credentials earned on your student record, please request a transcript.