GSAS Dissertation Deposit

Dear doctoral student: 
This form is intended for you to provide information to GSAS that enables us to order your diploma, send you your official certification letter, and provide you with information about Convocation and Commencement ceremonies. 

You are also able to either pay your deposit fee by credit card or let us know that you plan to use an alternate means to pay the fee. 

Completion of this form is a mandatory part of your dissertation deposit.
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Please provide the mailing address to which we should send official GSAS correspondence regarding the deposit of your dissertation and graduation.








Personal information

How Your Name Will Appear on Your Diploma
Before continuing, please consult SSOL (http://ssol.columbia.edu) to find out how your name currently appears in the University's student information system. Once you're in SSOL, click on "Addresses," then in the first drop­down menu choose "Show my name and personal data" and click "Update view." The name you see there is the name that will be printed on your diploma. 

Names on diplomas are only printed in CAPITAL LETTERS using the Roman/Latin alphabet. 

GSAS can make limited changes to your name for your diploma. We can: 
  • add or remove middle names or initials; 
  • add diacritical (accent) marks or special characters for almost any language using the Roman/Latin alphabet; 
  • add or remove a suffix (such as Jr. or III); 
  • add a maternal surname after your surname, as is common in Spanish names; 
  • add or remove a hyphen in a compound surname (without changing the surnames themselves). 
If you would like to make any changes to your name, within the five guidelines listed above, then please type your full name, as it should appear on the diploma, in the field below, using CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY. The order should be first name, middle name/initial, surname, suffix. If you are unable to type diacritical (accent) marks, please contact the GSAS Dissertation Office directly.

Fill in this field ONLY if changes are required to your name according to the information above! If your name as it appears in SSOL is correct, do not complete this field. Use CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY.
If you wish to make a change to your name outside of the five guidelines listed above, such as to your given name or surname, you cannot do so using this form. Changes to first names or surnames require a Name Change Affidavit through the Registrar’s office. 

Students on the Morningside or Lamont campuses should click here for information on name changes. 

Students on the Health Sciences campus should click here for information on name changes. 

Students at Teachers College should contact the Office of Doctoral Studies for more information on name changes.

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Certification Letters
All doctoral students, upon completing the academic requirements for the doctoral degree, receive an official letter from the Dean of the Graduate School. Students may also request a certification letter, which states that you have completed your requirements for the doctoral degree and includes the date on which your degree will be conferred. In most cases, this letter can be used as official evidence of completion for an employer or anyone else who requires such proof. Please note that your transcript will not state that you have completed your degree until after the degree is conferred (i.e. in October, February or May); this is why we offer to supply certification letters.

In most cases, the letters will be sent out within a week of completing the deposit. We will also send an unofficial PDF copy of this letter to your Columbia email address. 

If you require any letters sent directly to a third party, please send an email to dissertations@columbia.edu. 

Would you like to receive a certification letter?

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Receiving Your Diploma
Your diploma will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service within one month after your degree conferral (i.e. October, February or May). 

Diplomas are sent to the address listed in the "Diploma Address" section of SSOL. Please log in to http://ssol.columbia.edu and make sure that you have entered the preferred mailing address for your diploma in the "Diploma Address" section of the "Addresses" page. You may enter the name and address of a friend or family member. If you prefer to pick up your diploma at the Office of the Registrar in 210 Kent Hall, enter “HOLD FOR PICK UP” in the "Diploma Address" section. 

If you have a hold on your record from the Libraries, from Student Financial Services, or from any other office at the University, you will not be able to receive your diploma, or your official University transcript. It is your responsibility to make sure that there are no holds on your record. Holds can be reviewed within SSOL. 

Any other questions specifically about the delivery or printing of diplomas may be addressed to the Office of the Registrar at diplomas@columbia.edu. 

Contact Information