Degree Certificates

for taught students

In line with LSE tradition, you do not need your degree certificate for graduation.

When you successfully complete your degree you will be issued with a Degree Certificate which is official, formal, confirmation of your award. Degree certificates are sometimes known as diplomas.

In line with the LSE tradition, degree certificates are not given out during the graduation ceremonies, instead students collect them separately. You do not need your certificate for the ceremony.

For details about how to obtain degree certificates for taught programmes expand the relevant section below. PhD students should contact the PhD Academy.

If your final classification will be confirmed in November 2024

Collection during graduation (recommended)

Degree certificates for most taught students will be available for collection during the graduation period.

Certificate collection will be available on campus throughout the ceremony days. More detailed timings and location information will be posted here nearer the time. 

You can collect your certificate at any point during the advertised times – you do not need to come on the same day as your ceremony.  Where possible, we suggest collecting your certificate after your ceremony to avoid it getting damaged.

When you collect your certificate, you will need to show us your LSE ID card. If you have lost your card please bring a national ID card, driving licence or passport instead.

Your must collect your certificate yourself; it cannot be collected by somebody else on your behalf. 

Delivery by Royal Mail / Courier

If your certificate is not collected it will be posted to you within eight working weeks of graduation. School closure periods are not included in the eight weeks. Your certificate will be sent to the permanent home address listed within Student LSE for You, using Royal Mail first class (for UK addresses) or DHL's secure courier service (for overseas addresses). Deliveries will need to be signed for on receipt.

You must ensure that your permanent home address is correct on Student LSE for You by one week after your results publication date at the latest. Please include a local telephone number, and ensure that your address is complete, including any postcodes. This is the address we will use for sending your certificate. If you have not updated your address, your certificate may be sent to an incorrect address and you will need to pay for any replacements and delivery where required.  

If you are unsure about your address at the time we will post, please enter an alternative address, e.g. of a friend or relative, where you can safely receive your certificate.

Most certificates safely reach their destination no matter where in the world they are being sent to. However, if you have not received your certificate within eight weeks of your ceremony please submit an enquiry before 28 February 2025.  We need to leave reasonable time for delivery, but we may not be able to investigate the whereabouts of your certificate if you contact us too late.

Collection from the Student Services Centre (in exceptional circumstances)

In exceptional circumstances, you can arrange for your certificate to be collected from the Student Services Centre after the graduation ceremonies. If you would like to do this, please submit an enquiry to the Student Services Centre. You should select 'Results and Awards, then Certificates, "click submit an enquiry" and in the subject field type "Collect certificate at SSC". We will then reply to let you know when your certificate is ready to collect. Please remember that you must collect your certificate yourself, it is not possible for somebody else to collect it on your behalf.

If your final classification was confirmed in March 2024 (After RDAP1)

This information is relevant if your results were released in March 2024. 

If you  successfully completed your degree after RDAP1, we will have contacted you in March 2024.

Once your certificate was ready, you were be given the opportunity to collect it in person (you cannot have someone else collect it for you).  If you were unable to collect it, we will have posted it to you in April 2024. 

Most certificates safely reach their destination no matter where in the world they are being sent to. However, if you have not received your certificate please submit an enquiry.

If your final classification was confirmed in 2023

This information is relevant if your results were released during 2023

Collection during graduation (recommended)

Degree certificates for taught students were made available for collection during graduation in July 2023 or December 2023.

Delivery by Royal Mail / Courier

If your certificate was not collected during graduation it was sent to the permanent home address listed in LSE for You using Royal Mail first class (for UK addresses) or DHL's secure courier service (for overseas addresses). 

The vast majority of certificates safely reach their destination no matter where in the world they are being sent to. However, if you have not received your certificate within eight weeks of your ceremony please submit an enquiry promptly.  If too much time has elapsed, it may not be possible to trace the original certificate, and we will advise you on the options available. 

Collection from the Student Services Centre (in exceptional circumstances)

If you arranged to collect your certificate from the SSC, please be aware that we cannot keep it indefinitely, so please collect it promptly or submit an enquiry if there is a specific date when you will be able to collect, so that we can make a note.  Uncollected certificates are destroyed after a period of time, and you will be charged if you need a replacement. 

 

Got a question?

For more general information, including details about replacement degree certificates please read our Degree Certificate FAQs

 

Exceptions 

Given LSE's rich history there are some exceptions to the degree certificate process for certain students:

  • PhD students - Research graduates should contact the PhD Academy to make arrangements to collect their certificates.

  • MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Finance - The University of London produce certificates for MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Finance so they cannot be collected from LSE.

  • Students who were awarded before 2008 - If you were awarded before 2008 you will have been issued with a degree certificate by the University of London. For queries regarding University of London degree certificates, please contact diploma.enquiries@london.ac.uk.