International Transcripts, Degree Certificates & Translations
Documents submitted in support of applications become the property of the University and may not be returned to the applicant or student. Students who submit irreplaceable material may request the return of that material. Such requests must be submitted with the original material. The office to which the material is submitted will return the material as soon as possible, and not later than six months after the student's graduation or last registration.
If your university can issue multiple copies of transcripts:
Send two official copies of your transcripts from all colleges and universities attended directly to the UBC program to which you are applying.
All transcripts must arrive at UBC in envelopes which have been sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution.
If the official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then two official copies of the degree certificate are required.
If your university issues only one original copy of transcripts/degree certificate:
Make photocopies of your original academic records and send them to your home university. Ask your home university to:
- verify that the photocopies are consistent with their records
- attest that the copies are true photocopies and stamp them with an official university stamp
- put the attested, stamped photocopies in sealed envelopes endorsed by the Registrar
- mail the sealed, endorsed envelopes directly to the UBC program to which you are applying
Translation of Transcripts
If you have graduated from institutions where the transcripts are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to the above you must:
- arrange to have two sets of all official transcripts issued in their original language
- obtain a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service
- send both the original transcripts and the literal English translation to the UBC program to which you are applying, in sealed envelopes endorsed by your university
If your home university does not provide English translations of transcripts, you must:
- make a photocopy of your copy of your transcripts. Do not open a sealed, endorsed envelope containing transcripts intended for submission to your program.
- take the copy to a certified English translator and ask them to provide a complete, word-by-word, literal English translation
- tell the translator to put both the original language photocopy and the English translation into a sealed envelope, and endorse the envelope by signing across the seal
- send the sealed, endorsed envelopes from the translator to the graduate program to which you are applying
- send your original transcripts in the original language to the graduate program to which you are applying
Note: Academic records must be translated in their entirety, including any information that appears on the reverse side of any document.
UBC does not accept the following:
- photocopies that have not been stamped, attested and endorsed by the Registrar at your home university
- documents in envelopes that have been opened
- documents that do not arrive in sealed envelopes endorsed by the issuing institution or certified translator
- documents that arrive without the official seal of the university
- photocopies notarized by a notary public
- photocopies endorsed by a lawyer, professor, judge etc.
- unofficial translations
- non-literal translations
Do not send academic records that are not in sealed and endorsed envelopes. It will only delay the processing of your application.
