If you’re coming to the end of your degree, you're likely thinking about your next steps. We know that getting proof on paper of your achievements is a priority as you move forward. That's why we're sharing everything you need to know about essential documents and letters after completing your studies, plus what to expect with your King’s IT account.
Your certificate
Your degree certificate is more than just a souvenir! It's an essential document used to prove your result and award.
A hard copy of your certificate will be mailed to you within three months of your award date to the home address listed on your student record. If you’ve moved recently or your home address has changed and this is not listed in your student record, you’ll need to update this as soon as possible before you are awarded so that the correct address is listed for posting of your certificate. You can find information on this via our article How do I update my address on my student record?
Your certificate will be issued in the name you are registered under at the point of award, so it is important you also have this up to date. You are encouraged to check your name is correctly listed, including any special characters, as certificates cannot be issued in new names after you are already awarded. Information on how to request a change or correction in name can be found in our article I need to change my name on my student record.
If you've done a postgraduate research programme, you’ll also need to submit your final e-thesis and declaration form by email before your certificate can be released, following the steps on the Research Degrees website under stages 9 and 10.
Check out our article I’ve graduated recently and need my degree certificate for more information about the delivery timeline.
Digital Certificates
From summer 2025, King's is proud to partner with Gradintelligence for the offering of digital award certificates for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students. This is anticipated to be available for eligible students with an award date of 1 July 2025 onwards.
For new awards, digital credentials are expected to be viewable around 4 weeks from the date you receive a results email confirming your award. You will receive a notification email from Gradintelligence when your digital certificate is available to view.
Gradintelligence hosts a number of other documents from your time at King's. You can find information on how to access your account in our article How can I access my Gradintelligence account?
Your transcript and Higher Education Achievement Report
For undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, once you’ve received your results, you can access your final transcript and your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). Your transcript provides a breakdown of your module marks for each year alongside your final award, and your HEAR showcases the full scope of your learning and achievements.
Best of all? Both documents are available digitally within days of your final award being ratified through your Gradintelligence account, so you can use them to prove your degree and results before your certificate arrives.
For detailed information on your transcript, HEAR, and how to access your Gradintelligence account, check out our articles:
Whilst postgraduate research students don’t get a transcript or HEAR, you can request a Confirmation of Completion of Study letter from Student Records to prove your results while you wait for your certificate to arrive. Our article I need to prove I have completed my studies outlines the process of obtaining a letter.
Proving you've finished your degree before receiving your results
You may find that you need to prove completion of your course before you receive your results when applying for graduate jobs or further study. Don’t worry! You can request a ‘Pre-Award Letter’ from Student Services, which won’t include your results or degree classification, but can be used to prove you’ve finished your course and are awaiting your results and final award. To find out more, our article I need to prove I’ve finished my course and am awaiting results explains the process.
Managing your student IT account
It’s important to remember that after completing your studies at King’s, you'll lose access to your King’s IT accounts and email, including your saved documents. Be sure to save any important documents or emails and update your contact details on personal accounts. Once your student account is closed, you won't be able to access it anymore.
For more information on this process, please refer to our article How long after I graduate will my student IT account be closed?