Acceptable name changes include:
- An unused first name may be abbreviated to initials: e.g. J. Mary Smith.
- Middle names may be abbreviated to initials or omitted from the parchment.
- Adopted name or nicknames may be added to a parchment within brackets: e.g. Mei Mei (Jane) Wong, Jane (Brown) Smith, Matthew (Mat) Smith.
If you are attending UBC under a married name, your birth name can be printed on your diploma upon presentation of appropriate ID. Your birth name can be added to your records for future reference if necessary.
If you have a legal name change and would like to update this on your diploma, you can update your legal name by contacting Enrolment Services at 250 807 9100. After making the name change, email the Okanagan graduation staff to ensure your graduation application has been updated.
When to make a name change request
To have your diploma updated with a name change, your request must be submitted prior to the Senate meeting for your conferral period. Requests after your degree has been conferred will require a replacement diploma request.
How to submit a name change request
If you make a name change request in person this will only update your student record. Email your campus’s graduation department to make sure your diploma is updated.
- Provide appropriate government-issued ID, such as:
- Valid driver’s licence
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Government issued marriage certificate
- Take a digital picture or PDF scan of your official photo ID
- Include your name and student number
- Email the Okanagan graduate staff
