Awarding degrees & producing certificates
As a student comes to the end of their course, the Board of Studies in their Faculty, the School of Management or the Doctoral College will meet to consider the approval of their award.
Once the Boards of Studies have taken place, the awards they have approved are conferred in accordance with our Charter and Statutes.
Following the Board of Studies, we're able to verify that your award has been approved.
If you're not sure at which Board of Studies meeting your award will be considered, contact your Department or, if you're a Doctoral student, the Doctoral College.
How you'll get your certificate
Once your award has been conferred, we will contact you to arrange sending out your certificate or to invite you to a graduation ceremony if you are eligible to attend.
Receiving your certificate at your graduation ceremony
Typically, degree certificates will be provided on the day to all graduates attending a graduation ceremony as long as they do not have any outstanding tuition fee debt (see the section 'Tuition fee debt' below).
Receiving your certificate by post
If you are eligible to attend a future ceremony, receiving your certificate by post does not affect your eligibility to attend.
If your award is approved by a Board of Studies in November and you have an urgent need for your certificate to be posted to you, please email us at certificates@bath.ac.uk.
If your award is approved at the end of June or early July, your certificate will not be available before the summer graduation ceremonies. If you are attending a graduation ceremony, you will collect your certificate at the ceremony. If you are not eligible or do not attend, we will contact you at the end of July to confirm details for posting your certificate.
If your award is approved by a Board of Studies in any other month, we will contact you following conferment to ask if you would like your certificate posted and where you would like it sent.
We'll arrange for your certificate to be posted to the address of your choice.
If your address is within the UK, your certificate will be sent using first-class Royal Mail.
If your address is overseas, your certificate will be sent using DHL.
We currently confer awards and print certificates once a month, except in December due to the University closure for Christmas. The 2025/6 dates that certificates will be sent to print are:
- 22 August 2025
- 26 September 2025
- 24 October 2025
- 21 November 2025
- 23 January 2026
- 20 February 2026
- 27 March 2026
- 24 April 2026
- 22 May 2026
- 26 June 2026
- 24 July 2026
Certificates are not printed outside of these dates.
Outside of these times we can provide a verification letter by contacting verification@bath.ac.uk.
We do not provide digital certificates.
Tuition fee debt
Your certificate will be withheld from you if you have any outstanding tuition fee debts at the point that an award is conferred, but it won't prevent you from attending your graduation ceremony.
If you are in this situation you should speak to our Credit Control team as soon as possible to settle your outstanding fees.
Proof of your award
If you need to show an external organisation (an employer, or government organisation, for example) that your award has been approved by a Board of Studies before you’ve received your certificate, you can request an “award verification letter” from Academic Registry. You can do this by emailing verification@bath.ac.uk, once your final award is confirmed on SAMIS or when you know the Board of Studies has approved your award.
If you need a copy of your certificate
If you’d like to get a duplicate certificate or an endorsed/certified copy of your certificate (for example, if it’s been damaged or lost in the post) follow the instructions in our guide Get a copy of your certificate.