Your name will appear on your Paper Certificate as it appears on your UWM transcript. Please review your transcript and make any necessary name changes in Mellencamp 274 at least one month prior to the degree conferral date.
Receiving Your Paper Certificate
Paper Certificates are mailed to your PAWS U.S. Mailing Address approximately 8-10 weeks after your certificate has been awarded.
- Any changes to the mailing address should be done before the end of the term.
- If changes must be made after the end of the term, email gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu to find out if your Paper Certificate has already shipped.
- FREE for student.
- No tracking information provided.
Additional options for receiving your Paper Certificate:
- Shipped via eShipGlobal courier service to a U.S. or an international address (recommended for international shipping).
- Further action required; Before the end of the term, you must create an eShipGLobal account and place a shipping order.
- Cost depends on shipping location and must be paid by student.
- Tracking information provided.
- Mail internationally using USPS First-Class Mail International.
- Further action required; Before the end of the term, email gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu with your international address.
- FREE for student.
- No tracking information provided.
- Using First-Class Mail International, deliveries generally take about 7–21 days to arrive, although the USPS does not guarantee delivery dates or times. Mail may travel to its destination by ground, air or a combination of both.
- Pick-up your Paper Certificate.
- Further action required; Before the end of the term, email gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu to request pick-up when the Paper Certificate is available.
- The Graduate School will contact you when the Paper Certificate is available for pick-up.
- Request that someone else pick-up your Paper Certificate.
- Further action required ; An Authorization Letter For Paper Certificate Pickup must be completed online.
- The Graduate School will contact you and the authorized person when the Paper Certificate is available for pick-up.
- The authorized recipient of the Paper Certificate must present a photo ID at the time of Paper Certificate pick-up. A copy of the ID will be retained along with the letter.
Name on Your Paper Certificate
Your name will appear on your Paper Certificate as it appears on your UWM transcript. To request changes to your name:
- You may submit a Diploma Name Request to have a name printed on your Paper Certificate that is a slight variation of your legal name in PAWS (if you no longer have PAWS access, you will need to complete the PDF version of the request). No additional documentation will be required in these cases, but requests must be submitted prior to the commencement ceremony to allow time for review and processing. Paper Certificates are official documents, and this request is limited to minor changes or omissions such as:
- Full middle name to initial (ex. Andrew to A.).
- Removal of middle name or middle initial (ex. Katie Marie Smith to Katie Smith).
- Full first/given name to shorter version (ex. Elizabeth to Beth).
- Multiple first/given or last/family names to a single first and last name.
- If you want a significant change to your name, a different name, or a different spelling on your Paper Certificate, you will have to submit a Student Record Data Change Form along with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office at least 8 weeks before the commencement ceremony. Examples of situations that require documentation include:
- Middle initial to full name (ex. Jesse T. Jones to Jesse Tyler Jones).
- Legal name in PAWS to preferred name.
- First or last names completely different from PAWS.
Replacement Paper Certificates
Contact gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu to verify that your original Paper Certificate was mailed; a hold on your record may have prevented the mailing of your Paper Certificate.
To order a Replacement Paper Certificate, contact gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu.