eDocuments Help and Frequently Asked Questions
Registering on the eDocuments service for the first time
If you are new to the eDocuments service you will need to register an account on the appropriate site before you can access documents or make and complete connections. Students and alumni should register on the student site and third parties on the third party site.
On your first visit you will need to register to confirm your identity and set a password to protect the account. This will be a new account; the site does not use any account details you may have used elsewhere, including in the online store. If you have registered with a previous version of the site your account details will not have changed and you do not need to register again. You may need to change your password, however. Please see the FAQs tab.
The status of the service can be checked here at any time: eDocuments. Planned maintenance will be posted as far ahead of time as possible to minimise disruption.
For students and alumni:
You will need to provide responses during the registration process which will be checked against data the University holds about you. This will normally be your student number, date of birth, first name and last name as they were when you studied. Your student number is not the same as your SSO, library card number, or alumni number. If you do not know it please contact documents@admin.ox.ac.uk for assistance. Please note: clicking on the month & year at the top of the calendar changes the view to year and then decade; you should not need to click too many times to locate your year of birth. Provided the information you provide matches the University records exactly, you will be automatically registered so you can access the system. If the information does not match or your data has not yet been transferred to the new service, a member of the Degree Conferrals team will review your responses before responding. The eDocuments Student User Guide can be found in this link. Please do not register with your university email address, as these expire. A personal email address should be used.
For third parties:
Please use a non-personal and/or shared email address where possible - e.g. verifications@, admissions@, hr@ - to ensure continued access to shared documents for your organisation.
If you have any questions about the system, please email edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk. We hope you will find this service helpful, and easy to use. The eDocuments Third Party User Guide can be found in this link: https://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/Third Party User Guide.pdf If you believe you may be exempt from payment please email us for advice.
Verification queries
We are being asked to pay for this connection but believe we should not need to. What should we do?
If you believe you are exempt from payment please email edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk for assistance. Do not ask the student/alumnus to do this for you, as we may need to change details on your account or obtain further information from you first. If you are the student/alumnus, please direct third parties to this page to explain why they must email us themselves. We cannot action requests made by you.
There is a significant difference between the date of completion of studies, the date of award, and the date of graduation. Why is this?
The date of completion of studies and the date of award should be the same date or close together. Where there is any gap between them, this reflects a short delay between the end of the course and the final results being declared. It merely is a reflection of internal practice and is not a discrepancy. The date of award and the date of graduation are not linked, except that conferral (graduation) cannot generally occur before the date of award. (There are some cases where it does; please email verifications@admin.ox.ac.uk for further information if you encounter one of these exceptions.)
The date of graduation does not mean “the end of studies”. Graduation in the UK is not compulsory, and the ceremony date may be some years after the award date. This can be because the student left the UK shortly after completion of studies, started a job and did not wish to travel back for a ceremony, started another course of study (in Oxford or elsewhere), or simply did not feel strongly about obtaining their degree certificate.
The graduation date is the same for two degrees this student earned, is this correct?
Yes. Graduation in the UK is not compulsory. When a student decides to have their degrees conferred, they may opt to have multiple degrees awarded in the same ceremony. This will therefore be some time after the first degree was awarded. It is not unusual for it to be decades later.
This student stated that they are enrolled on an undergraduate course but you have said they are enrolled on a Master’s degree. Is this right?
Yes. There are a number of 4 year undergraduate Master’s degrees on offer, such as the MMath, MEng, MChem. Students have the option to leave at the end of the third year with a BA, or to continue into the fourth year for a Master’s level qualification. They will not hold a BA and a Master’s degree if they do this: they will only hold the Master’s degree, such as MMath. If they choose to leave at the end of the third year, they will not be able to rejoin the course to complete their fourth year. They will hold only the BA. They will later be eligible for the Oxford MA if they choose this route, but those who completed the fourth year will not.
Why do they refer to it as a BA but you refer to it as a Master’s degree?
Undergraduates tend to refer to this as a BA to show clearly that they are not enrolled on a one year Master’s degree. This does not indicate a discrepancy. We will still confirm the full title of the course they are actually enrolled on, so you will be notified if it is the four year version.
The student stated that they were enrolled on a Master’s level course but you have indicated a Bachelor of Civil Law degree. Why the discrepancy?
This is not a discrepancy. Despite the title, this is a postgraduate course, and enrolled students all hold an undergraduate Law degree as a condition of admission.
The student stated that they have a degree in Law but you have listed Jurisprudence/Magister Juris. What are these?
Jurisprudence is the name for Law at University of Oxford. A BA in Jurisprudence is an undergraduate law degree. The MJur or Magister Juris is a postgraduate law degree, and enrolled students all hold an undergraduate Law degree as a condition of admission.
The student stated that they have a degree in Classics but you have listed Literae Humaniores. What is that?
This is the name for Classics at the University of Oxford.
This student achieved a fourth class or second class degree. Those aren’t real, are they?
Yes, they are. The University of Oxford degree classifications used to be: First, Second, Third, Fourth (and rarely, Pass). These changed in the late 1980s and are now First, Second Class First Division, Second Class Second Division, Third. Oxford BA degrees are not written with “(Hons)”.
This student achieved a BA in Physics. Shouldn’t that be a BS or BSc?
At the University of Oxford, it is traditional for undergraduate degrees to be a BA, regardless of subject. The BSc is not now awarded, and when it was, it was not an undergraduate degree but part of a postgraduate course of study. It is very rare, and should always be double-checked by emailing us at verifications@admin.ox.ac.uk
What is the Oxford MA?
In Oxford, the status of Master of Arts is a mark of seniority within the University which may be conferred 21 terms after matriculation. The Oxford MA allows students to reach a new status within the University and is not an upgrade of their BA or an additional qualification. It is awarded without further study and therefore has no subject or class. You can view an MA letter if the student has chosen to share it with you, but we will not verify an MA separately.
Frequently asked questions:
Questions about the new service
Why do I have to pay for the eDocuments service?
In previous years the only way you could access additional copies of your degree documents was to request hard copies from the Degree Conferral Office (DCO). You would have paid £45 for a certificate and £12 for a transcript, with shipping costs of £15-£20 for courier delivery. The maximum service turnaround time was 21 days.
As we were unable to provide this service during the pandemic, an interim electronic system was introduced. As a provisional service with only degree confirmation letters available, no fees were charged. The full launch of the eDocument service means a return to a fee-paying model purely to cover running costs.
The one-off fee of £15 gives you access to an improved and quicker service, and is less than the average £21 cost that students and alumni were paying previously. We believe the fee is a fair and reasonable charge and it means everyone is paying the same amount.
On completion of your studies you can access your degree results via student self-service for up to 23 months after you have leave to supplicate. You will also receive a free paper degree certificate after your degree is conferred.
The one-off eDocuments fee delivers the benefits of:
- Unlimited access to your electronic degree certificates, transcripts, letters, and diploma supplements (as appropriate) at any time to suit you
- The ability to allow others, such as such as employers, other universities and government agencies, to verify your degree status securely online
- Improved data protection with control of document sharing in your hands
- Significantly reduced time delays - no waiting for documents to be printed and posted, and no risk of posted documents getting lost in the postal/courier systems
- On-course transcript availability is more efficient as you can order through eVision and they will be available quickly (usually the same day)
- A reduced environmental impact with fewer printed documents being produced
If I signed up before August 2022, do I still have to pay after the relaunch?
Yes, when you access the service as a student or alumnus now, you will login using your existing username and password (if you are not required to change it) and will then be asked to pay the registration fee. After this, you will also have access to your degree certificates and electronic transcripts, although please note that transcripts are generally only available if you started your degree in Michaelmas term 2007 or later. If you had access as a third party to view student documents, you will need to contact us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk if you believe you should be exempt from the connection fee.
Is it really just one fee?
There is a one-off registration fee for students and alumni (currently £15) that gives you unlimited access to your electronic documents. The only additional fees would be if you need a paper document, at which point you would need to pay for the re-print and postage. There are separate fee payments for verification companies and other third parties.
I attended Oxford via an associated institution, such as Westminster College or Oxford Institute of Legal Practice, can I use this service?
At this time, no, but we can issue you with a similar document if we can trace your record. Please email documents@admin.ox.ac.uk for further advice.
If I started my degree before Michaelmas 2007 and therefore pre-date transcripts, what does this service do for me?
You will be able to use this service to view your electronic degree certificate and degree confirmation letter, and will be able to allow third parties to verify your degree status.
I was a student a very long time ago and don’t remember many details of my award, what should I do?
If you are unable to register on the site please email us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk with your full name (including any changes of name), date of birth, and college. We should then be able to find your record and advise you further.
Can I order one of these for my boss/partner?
No. Like other secure documents, these can only be issued to the person whose name appears in the degree information. We will not issue these to third party email addresses. Do not register accounts on behalf of other people.
Can I order one of these for my late grandparent’s degree?
No. Like other secure documents, these can only be issued to the person whose name appears in the degree information. We cannot issue electronic documents for the deceased. If you wish to confirm information about their education you can make an enquiry to verifications@admin.ox.ac.uk Please note that it may take some time to provide a response.
Registration
I received email instructions before the relaunch but did not register then and I cannot log in to the new site. Why not?
The portal does not use any existing account information from other services at the University of Oxford. Please make sure you have registered and created a new password for the service. The reset-password link will not work if you have not registered. Please make sure you have confirmed your email address after registering – it is advised that you check your spam filter in case the email with the confirmation link has gone astray. If you cannot find this please email us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk with your order number.
If you use more than one email address regularly please make sure you are checking the one you used for the order.
I need to change my password even though I was registered before. How do I do this?
Your previously-registered password may not match the requirements of the relaunched service. If so, you will need to find a Request to Reset Password message in your registered email account, click the link in that email, and follow instructions. If you use Gmail or Hotmail, for instance, you may need to check your Spam folder to find these emails. If you no longer have access to the email address you used to register, or are unable to access these emails, you will need to email us for further instructions.
If you do need to reset the password the full procedure is as follows:
- Attempt to log in with your current details. You will be notified that your password has to be reset, and asked to check your registered email account.
- Locate the Request to Reset Password email, and click Link To Reset Weak Password.
- This will trigger a second Request to Reset Password email and you should locate it and click the reset link provided.
- Reset your password, making sure to meet the requirements (see next question).
- Receive a confirmation email to acknowledge that your password has changed. You do not need to respond to this email.
What are the password requirements? It doesn't tell me.
Your password must be at least 16 characters long.
I am getting a 'User account approval needed' message when I try to log in, what should I do?
This usually means there is a minor discrepancy between the details on your record and the details you entered at registration, such as a changed name, or use of an incorrect student number. If your name can be written in multiple ways e.g. Sarah-Jane or Sarah Jane, please check which version we used in the email confirmation that you received. If you now use a different name, for example if you have married and wish to use your new surname but your record is in your previous surname, registering with the new one is possible but may take a little longer because your account will need manual approval. It may also mean that you have no documents on the new service and must wait for the data to be transferred before it will automatically recognise your details.
Please contact us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk if you cannot access your account after one working day.
I am getting a 'User account approval needed' message when I try to log in. Should I just make another account?
No, please don't. You can contact us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk to have your account unlocked.
I am getting an 'Email confirmation needed' message when I try to log in. What should I do?
You will need to look in your email inbox - and possibly Spam folder - for the confirmation email the service has sent you. This has a link you must click to confirm your email address. Until this is done you will not be able to log in.
I can’t easily select my birth date when registering, what should I do?
The date cannot be entered as text. If you are experiencing issues selecting the correct date, please click on the top of the calendar until the view changes. This will take you back by years and then decades.
If you still cannot set it correctly, please save it as the correct day and month in the current year and email us at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk Please include your full name and date of birth in this email.
I was a student a very long time ago and did not have a student number, how can I register?
You will have been assigned a number as our records moved into databases over time. Please email documents@admin.ox.ac.uk for further advice. You can register with N/A while you wait for a response, but please do not enter your alumni number, SSO, library card number, or other number if you do not know your student number. This does not help us as much as you might expect; writing "N/A" does.
How secure will the electronic documents be?
The electronic documents available from the eDocuments Service replace paper documents and are as secure as paper documents. They are intended to be viewed online. When you download them for offline use, the watermark will remain. There is a QR code which allows for it to be validated if there is cause to query its authenticity. Any saved files will be encrypted and you may not be able to upload them in their existing form. Please email us for advice if you cannot use the Connection feature instead.
Will my documents appear automatically?
No. If you have not left a contact email address on record, we cannot issue your documents or notify you about the service. Please make sure you have a registered correspondence address on file with the university - if you can still access your student self-service record, you can add it there, or you can contact us to have it added. This will act as a request to issue other documents as well. We are rolling documents out in phases, prioritising recent finalists, so if your documents are not available immediately they will be processed and issued in due course.
Ordering a transcript
You no longer need to place an order for a transcript. If you are currently enrolled you can request your transcript through the My Exams section on your student self-service account. If you have completed your award your transcript will be issued automatically.
I accidentally ordered a transcript I don't need from my student account. What should I do?
You do not need to cancel this request. The data has been sent to the eDocuments service but if you do not wish to register now you do not have to do so.
How can I print my transcript?
You can print from the document viewer when you are logged into your account. Click on the 'hamburger' menu (three horizontal lines) on the right hand side of the browser, and you will see Print File. This may use your existing printer settings, depending on browser used, so please make sure you can print from your browser.
Ordering a degree confirmation letter
You no longer need to place an order for a degree confirmation letter. Now that the eDocuments service has relaunched you will be able to view it after registering and paying the one-off access fee; if you do not see it please contact us as some accounts may need to be manually updated. If you were previously issued with a letter through the service it will still be on your account after relaunch. It may not display correctly at the present time, and you can contact us to have the document refreshed if it does not, using the Report function on the service.
I attended Oxford via an associated institution, such as Westminster College or Oxford Institute of Legal Practice: can I have a DCL?
At this time, no, but we can issue you with a similar document if we can trace your record. Please email documents@admin.ox.ac.uk for further advice.
Multiple awards
I will finish another degree in the near future, how will I get that document?
We will issue most finalists with a letter shortly after the end of their course. If you need this urgently, please email edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk with full details.
I have multiple awards from before 2007, and not all are showing up - why?
There was an initial problem affecting a number of students who had multiple degrees before 2007 but this has now been fixed (November 2022). Please contact us to have your account refreshed if you are still missing any awards.
About the degree confirmation letter
I need to provide proof of my degree for a visa application or to obtain my sponsorship funding, will this suffice?
The letters have been designed with requirements such as this in mind. They include information about the language of instruction and the full-time/part-time status of your studies, as well as the specific award information such as title and dates.
Will my letter show my thesis title?
If your research degree required a thesis submission, the title will appear on your letter. Very rarely, this field will appear but be blank on research degree letters, where recording the thesis title is not a formal requirement. We cannot remove it, but please contact us if this causes you any concern.
If your thesis title does not display correctly, for example if it includes chemical or mathematical notation that does not display as intended, please contact us immediately at edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk with the correct information.
Can a third party verify this letter by sending it to you?
They can, but they may be charged a fee for doing this through our Verifications service. The letter contains a QR code that they can scan to verify it online.
Can you just email me the letter?
No. You should log in to the online portal and download your letter.
Can you just email the letter to someone else for me?
No. You can use the Connection feature to share the document with a third party, however we cannot do this for you. When you use the Connection feature, the email the third party receives comes from our email address, which satisfies requirements that email contact comes directly from the University. We cannot initiate this for you, you must actively use that feature. You can also download the letter and email it directly to a third party.
Viewing, Printing and Sharing Documents
How do I navigate between individual documents?
The Document Viewer has a drop-down arrow on the left-hand side of the title bar, and this will allow you to change focus between documents. The documents are: certificate, degree confirmation letter, diploma supplement letter, transcript (or letter for research students who do not have a transcript. This letter displays as Transcript on the Connection screen to indicate its equivalent status). They may not display in this order.
How do I print or save my document?
The Settings (cog) menu on the Document Viewer will allow you to Print and Save the file. Please note that you will only be able to print from the Document Viewer when logged in. You will not be able to print from a saved file, or upload it to any portal that will re-save it as part of the process e.g. application software, as the encryption that keeps the file safe will block it from being re-saved. To share it with other institutions please use the Connection feature.
When I click View I get an error message, why is this?
You must pay for access before you can view your documents. If you have paid for the eDocuments service (you can check this on your Orders page which should show that you have paid for Document Access) and get this error on a document, particularly a Master of Arts award, please email edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk with details of your account and when you paid. Please note if you are having your Oxford MA conferred then it may appear in your account before the date of your ceremony - you will not be able to view it until up to a week after the ceremony, however.
My documents have not updated after my degree ceremony, why is that?
Your degree confirmation letter and transcript letter (for research degrees) will update to show that your degree has been conferred a week after your ceremony has taken place, even if your certificate is available before that date. This delay is for administrative purposes and cannot be changed at this time.
I have received Leave to Supplicate today but do not have any documents yet, why is that?
Your degree confirmation letter and transcript letter (for research degrees) will appear up to 24 hours after your Leave to Supplicate letter is issued. This delay is for administrative purposes and cannot be changed at this time.
Sharing with WES and LSAC
To share documents with WES:
Please make a connection with submit@wes.org ONLY - do not use any other email address - using your WES ID in the Name field, and share the required documents by ticking the boxes on the next screen. This is a new email address (June 2023) and replaces any previous instructions from WES or the eDocuments service.
To share documents with LSAC:
Please make a connection with Oxford-eDocs@lsac.org ONLY - do not use any other email address - using your LSAC ID in the Name field, and share the required documents by ticking the boxes on the next screen. This is a new email address (January 2023) and replaces any previous instructions from LSAC or the eDocuments service.
Verification queries
We are being asked to pay for this connection but believe we should not need to. What should we do?
If you believe you are exempt from payment please email edocuments.support@admin.ox.ac.uk for assistance. Do not ask the student/alumnus to do this for you, as we may need to change details on your account or obtain further information from you first. If you are the student/alumnus, please direct third parties to this page to explain why they must email us themselves. We cannot action requests made by you.
There is a significant difference between the date of completion of studies, the date of award, and the date of graduation. Why is this?
The date of completion of studies and the date of award should be the same date or close together. Where there is any gap between them, this reflects a short delay between the end of the course and the final results being declared. It merely is a reflection of internal practice and is not a discrepancy. The date of award and the date of graduation are not linked, except that conferral (graduation) cannot generally occur before the date of award. (There are some cases where it does; please email verifications@admin.ox.ac.uk for further information if you encounter one of these exceptions.)
The date of graduation does not mean “the end of studies”. Graduation in the UK is not compulsory, and the ceremony date may be some years after the award date. This can be because the student left the UK shortly after completion of studies, started a job and did not wish to travel back for a ceremony, started another course of study (in Oxford or elsewhere), or simply did not feel strongly about obtaining their degree certificate.
The graduation date is the same for two degrees this student earned, is this correct?
Yes. Graduation in the UK is not compulsory. When a student decides to have their degrees conferred, they may opt to have multiple degrees awarded in the same ceremony. This will therefore be some time after the first degree was awarded. It is not unusual for it to be decades later.
This student stated that they are enrolled on an undergraduate course but you have said they are enrolled on a Master’s degree. Is this right?
Yes. There are a number of 4 year undergraduate Master’s degrees on offer, such as the MMath, MEng, MChem. Students have the option to leave at the end of the third year with a BA, or to continue into the fourth year for a Master’s level qualification. They will not hold a BA and a Master’s degree if they do this: they will only hold the Master’s degree, such as MMath. If they choose to leave at the end of the third year, they will not be able to rejoin the course to complete their fourth year. They will hold only the BA. They will later be eligible for the Oxford MA if they choose this route, but those who completed the fourth year will not.
Why do they refer to it as a BA but you refer to it as a Master’s degree?
Undergraduates tend to refer to this as a BA to show clearly that they are not enrolled on a one year Master’s degree. This does not indicate a discrepancy. We will still confirm the full title of the course they are actually enrolled on, so you will be notified if it is the four year version.
The student stated that they were enrolled on a Master’s level course but you have indicated a Bachelor of Civil Law degree. Why the discrepancy?
This is not a discrepancy. Despite the title, this is a postgraduate course, and enrolled students all hold an undergraduate Law degree as a condition of admission.
The student stated that they have a degree in Law but you have listed Jurisprudence/Magister Juris. What are these?
Jurisprudence is the name for Law at University of Oxford. A BA in Jurisprudence is an undergraduate law degree. The MJur or Magister Juris is a postgraduate law degree, and enrolled students all hold an undergraduate Law degree as a condition of admission.
The student stated that they have a degree in Classics but you have listed Literae Humaniores. What is that?
This is the name for Classics at the University of Oxford.
This student achieved a fourth class or second class degree. Those aren’t real, are they?
Yes, they are. The University of Oxford degree classifications used to be: First, Second, Third, Fourth (and rarely, Pass). These changed in the late 1980s and are now First, Second Class First Division, Second Class Second Division, Third. Oxford BA degrees are not written with “(Hons)”.
This student achieved a BA in Physics. Shouldn’t that be a BS or BSc?
At the University of Oxford, it is traditional for undergraduate degrees to be a BA, regardless of subject. The BSc is not now awarded, and when it was, it was not an undergraduate degree but part of a postgraduate course of study. It is very rare, and should always be double-checked by emailing us at verifications@admin.ox.ac.uk
What is the Oxford MA?
In Oxford, the status of Master of Arts is a mark of seniority within the University which may be conferred 21 terms after matriculation. The Oxford MA allows students to reach a new status within the University and is not an upgrade of their BA or an additional qualification. It is awarded without further study and therefore has no subject or class. You can view an MA letter if the student has chosen to share it with you, but we will not verify an MA separately.
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