Transcripts, Degree Certificates and Translations for a PhD Application
PhD programmes ask for certified transcripts, degree certificates and translations. Learn what counts as official, when you need a credential evaluation, and how to avoid delays.
What counts as an official document
PhD programmes ask for proof of your previous degrees. They usually want three items:
- Your degree certificate (the diploma itself).
- Your academic transcript (the list of courses and grades).
- A Diploma Supplement, if your university issues one.
An official document comes from your university's registrar or student records office. A copy you print yourself does not count as official.
Doctoral applicants normally submit documents for both the bachelor's and the master's degree. If you are still studying, ask your university for an interim transcript and a proof-of-enrolment letter.
Certified copies vs originals
Most universities do not want your original degree certificate in the post. They want a certified copy: a photocopy or scan that someone has checked against the original and stamped as a true copy.
Who can certify a copy varies by country. Common options are:
- The institution that issued the document.
- A notary public.
- Your home university's registrar or international office.
Some programmes accept a plain scan at the application stage and ask for a certified copy only after they make an offer. Check the specific instructions for your programme. A rule that applies to one university does not always apply to another.
Tip: Scan your documents in colour, at a readable resolution, before you need them. A clear scan saves time when a deadline is close.
Translations: when you need one and who can provide it
If your documents are not in the language the programme accepts, you need a translation. Check which languages your target programme accepts: Wageningen University & Research, for example, accepts Dutch, English, French or German.
A university-required translation is usually:
- A complete and literal translation of the original text, not a summary.
- Issued by the institution that awarded the degree, or by a professional translator or agency.
- In some countries, notarized: a notary confirms that the translation matches the original.
Keep the original-language document together with its translation. Most programmes want both, not the translation alone.
Diploma Supplement: a shortcut in Europe
If you studied at a university that follows the Bologna Process, ask for a Diploma Supplement. It is a standard document that explains your qualification, your grades and your education system, in a common European format.
Graduates from Bologna Process countries can request a Diploma Supplement from their university, free of charge, in a major European language. Some admissions offices accept it in place of a separate transcript, since it already lists your courses and results.
Ask your university's registrar for this document even if your programme does not explicitly ask for it. It helps a foreign admissions committee understand your grades.
Credential evaluation: when a university asks for one
Some countries run an official credential evaluation service. It compares a foreign diploma to a local one and tells the admissions office what your degree is worth in the local system.
In the Netherlands, for example, Nuffic evaluates foreign diplomas for higher education. The evaluation itself is not a right to study or work. Universities and employers still decide who they admit or hire.
A Nuffic credential evaluation can take ten weeks or more to arrive, so apply for it as soon as you know you need one. If your target country runs an ENIC-NARIC centre, that centre's evaluation is usually the one admissions offices trust most.
Table: who handles which document
| Document | Issued by | Usually needs a translation? |
|---|---|---|
| Degree certificate | Your university's registrar | Yes, if not in an accepted language |
| Academic transcript | Your university's student records office | Yes, if not in an accepted language |
| Diploma Supplement | Your university's registrar (Bologna Process countries) | Usually issued in English already |
| Credential evaluation | A national evaluation body (for example Nuffic) | No, the report itself is already in the local language |
Common mistakes
- Sending a translation without the original-language document attached.
- Assuming a scan you made yourself counts as a certified copy.
- Waiting until the deadline to request a transcript. Registrar offices can take weeks, especially outside term time.
- Forgetting that a name change, for example after marriage, needs its own supporting document. A signed note from you is not enough; use an official certificate.
- Ordering a credential evaluation too late for a programme that requires one before the deadline.
Checklist before you apply
- List every degree the programme asks about: usually the bachelor's and the master's degree.
- Request an official transcript and degree certificate for each one.
- Ask for a Diploma Supplement if your university issues one.
- Check the accepted languages for your target programme.
- Arrange a complete, literal translation for any document not in an accepted language.
- Find out if a notarized translation is required, not just any translation.
- Check whether your target country needs a separate credential evaluation, and apply for it early.
- Scan everything in colour and keep both the original-language file and the translation.
Once your documents are ready, the rest of the application is easier to finish. See our guides on the motivation letter, the academic CV and reference letters for the other parts of a strong application.
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