Accepting Your Offer of Admission

In addition to the complete course list and grades/marks received in your classes we must also receive documentation stating that you were “awarded” the intended degree. A transcript of completed coursework does not mean that the degree was conferred or awarded.

For example, your documentation should include a statement like “has completed all requirements and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Economics.”

Universities in the United States list the degree conferral and date on the final official transcripts. There can be a delay between the graduation ceremony date and the official degree conferral date. Do not send your transcripts until the degree conferral date will be listed on the document.

Transcript documents uploaded in the application are considered personal, non-official documents. Official documents must come directly from the institution to the Harris Admissions office to be considered official. This is required to ensure the documents have not been edited or modified by the applicant.

No, documents emailed by students are not accepted. Official documents must come directly from the institution to the Harris Admissions office to be considered official. This is required to ensure the documents have not been edited or modified by the applicant.

If the office of student records/registrar’s office can securely share the information these documents can be emailed. The communication must contain verifiable information about the sender, the institution, and your details as a student. We cannot accept scanned copies that are not from an official source.

Documents sent by advisors or faculty members are not accepted.

No, incoming students must submit both the official transcripts/marks sheets AND diploma/degree certification. Sending only the diploma/degree verification will not meet the requirement.

Incoming students can bring official transcripts and diploma/degree verification documents to campus. However, they must meet the following standards:

• Documents must come sealed in a university branded/stamped envelope. Opened envelopes and non-branded/stamped envelopes will not be accepted.

• We cannot accept personal, opened copies of transcript and diploma/degree verification documents. If you bring documents to campus that do not meet the required standards, it is your responsibility to figure out how to provide updated documents that meet the standards prior to the start of classes. The admissions office will not make exceptions to this rule. Students who elect the option to bring their sealed documents to campus must confirm it via the transcript status form no later than July 31. Email is not sufficient.

If you have the option to use a third-party delivery service, we recommend doing this instead of bringing your documents to campus.

If the university cannot meet the sealed and branded standards, we require a statement from a university official in the records/registrar’s office or an official policy stated on an official university website. Faculty members and academic advisors cannot provide this information.

Incoming students enrolled in a program that will not be completed prior to July 31, must note that in the transcript status form, by the July 31 deadline. 

Incoming students who have completed associate or bachelor’s degrees who are completing a master’s or post-bachelor’s program should submit the official transcript and diploma/degree verification documents (and if applicable official English language translations) for their already completed degrees by the July 31 deadline. The in-progress program can be submitted once it is complete.

Incoming students whose current programs will not be finished by the start of classes must request a deferral to a future enrollment term. Students cannot start classes without meeting the requirement of having completed a bachelor’s degree.

If the program you are currently enrolled in will have all coursework completed prior to the start of classes, but the processing time for degree verification will take place into the start of the autumn quarter, you should communicate that via the official transcript form and provide a provisional degree certification to prior to the start of classes.

Incoming students who were awarded a degree by both institutions must submit official documents from both universities. 

Incoming students who were awarded a degree by one of the universities but not both should submit the official documents from the university granting the degree. 

If you provided information in the application that you received a degree from each institution, but later note that only one institution granted the degree, you may be reviewed for presenting false information in the application process and your admission is subject to being revoked.

Yes, please visit the University of Chicago registrar’s office for more information on how to request this document. The Harris School of Public Policy is unable to internally access this information.

• Gradintelligence—Institutions in the United Kingdom
• Parchment—Institutions in the United States
• National Student Clear House (select UChicago Graduate Enrollment)—Institutions in the United States
• MyCreds.ca—Institutions in Canada
• My eQuals—Institutions in Australia 
• Truecopy partnered with Parchment—Institutions in India 
• WES—must include transcript documents, evaluations without transcripts will not be accepted.
• Educational Perspectives—must include transcript documents, evaluations without transcripts will not be accepted.
• ECE—must include transcript documents, evaluations without transcripts will not be accepted.
• University housed systems—check with your institution’s records or registrar’s office to see if they have an existing service, they use to securely send official transcripts/degree verification documents.

Harris Public Policy
Attn: Admissions
1307 E 60th St.
Chicago, IL 60637

Physical documents must be in a university branded, sealed envelope; loose documents will not be accepted.

Incoming students will receive an email confirmation once all required documents from all required institutions have been received, verified, and added to your record. It can take up to four weeks for documents to be processed after receipt.