This document provides answers to common questions regarding official transcripts.
For a step-by-step guide to ordering your official transcript, see Student Center - Ordering Your Official Transcript.
UW–Madison transcripts are free of charge.
The unofficial transcript does not contain official university signatures or seals and includes some details that will not appear on an official transcript. Some examples include: grade changes and breadth information. These and more will only appear on an unofficial transcript and are intended to provide advisory information for you, your advisors, and your academic dean's office.
An official transcript is a legal document verified by the university. Official transcripts are printed on security paper with the UW–Madison seal. A PDF version will be encrypted and have special access codes to protect your privacy.
Yes. Select your transcript to be delivered and enter the recipient's information/choose the relevant one from an existing list.
Yes. Official transcript orders placed through the MyUW Student Center are considered sent directly from UW–Madison, either by mail or electronically. Mailed transcripts will arrive in sealed envelopes.
Yes. The first step in the order process is to choose between a PDF and a hard copy. Select PDF to order an electronic version of your official transcript.
Yes. The PDF is encrypted and only the recipients will receive instructions for downloading and opening the file.
You can, but you shouldn't. The printed document will display watermarks and will be considered unofficial. You are welcome to order another copy to be mailed to you or pick up a printed copy from the Office of the Registrar.
Hard Copy: Most online transcript orders take one to three days to process, not including postal/express delivery time. Please expect a longer process time if you have sent the Office of the Registrar a paper/PDF order form or if you attended UW–Madison prior to 1979.
PDF Copy: Most PDF copies are delivered via email within an hour (often sooner) of placing the online order. Your recipient will receive two emails; one with a link for downloading the transcript and the other with an access code.
Pick-up Copy: The Office of the Registrar will email you when your pick-up order is ready. We typically send out notices each morning, but if you need to pick up your transcript the same day you placed the order, please give us a call and we'll confirm if it's ready.
Yes. After choosing a recipient, select the "Yes" radio button under the "Attachment Options for this Recipient" section at the bottom of the page. You will be asked to upload the attachment after the order has been submitted.
In the recipient(s) tab, choose the "Select an Application Service" radio button. Find the right application service and click "next." Review the recipient's information and any special instructions. You might be asked to provide further information specific to your application.
Attachments: Some application services will automatically generate an attachment containing your Application Service ID. Otherwise, you will be given the option to add an attachment.
Important Note: Official transcript orders placed through the MyUW Student Center are considered sent directly from UW–Madison even though our transcript vendor finalizes the processing. If your application service is asking for an attachment to be sent directly from UW–Madison, placing the order as instructed above will meet that requirement.
We advise you to either upload an unofficial transcript or take screenshots of the official transcript and upload the images to the application system instead.
Yes. After choosing the in-person pickup service, you will be asked to provide the name of the person picking up the order. Only that person will be able to pick up your transcript.
You can order as many transcripts as you like, but they must be ordered one at a time.
Yes. After you have successfully added a recipient, select the "Add Recipient" button. Please note you cannot add additional recipients to orders that will contain an attachment.
Yes. After you have successfully added a recipient, select the "Add Recipient" button. You can choose a different delivery method for each recipient.
It depends. Not all holds will prevent you from ordering transcripts. If the hold you have is preventing you from ordering your transcript, the transcript ordering system will not allow you to start the order.
The order will be canceled if you don't authorize it or if your recipient doesn't open the PDF file within 30 days of placing the order. Pick-up orders will be canceled after 14 days. If you still want an official transcript, you would need to place another order.
Yes, but the transcript will only be released after the request is authorized by you. In case a third party has requested your transcript, you will be notified by email and asked to authorize the order. Transcripts will never be sent to anyone without you authorizing the request.
Student records and transcripts for the following units/institutions aren’t maintained by the UW–Madison Office of the Registrar. Please see the additional resources below:
| Keywords | add, change, course (courses, class), course search and enroll, dars (DARS), degree (degrees, degree planner), drop, gpa (GPA), hold, honors, indicators, name, permission, plan (plans, planner), record (records), requisite (prerequisite), schedule (scheduler), sis (SIS), swap, textbook (textbooks), transcript, transfer, wait (waitlist, wait list), withdraw (withdrawal) Suggest keywords | Doc ID | 95220 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Danielle C. | Group | Office of the Registrar |
| Created | 2019-10-23 16:01:52 | Updated | 2024-06-24 08:56:22 |
| Sites | DoIT Help Desk, Office of the Registrar | ||
| Feedback | 1 0 Comment Suggest a new document | ||
Contact the Office of the Registrar
Phone: 608-262-3811
Email: registrar@em.wisc.edu
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In-Person (M-Th): 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
By appointment (F): Please call 608-262-3811 to schedule an appointment.
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Madison, WI 53715