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Certified Diploma and Degree Translation
Academic credentials, translated without overstating them.
Certified translation of diplomas, degrees and academic certificates for university admissions, credential evaluation, professional licensing and immigration — with a signed Certificate of Accuracy and no invented equivalences.
The central difficulty
Translating a qualification is not the same as equating it
The hardest part of academic translation is resisting the urge to be helpful. A Spanish Licenciatura, a German Diplom-Ingenieur and a French Maîtrise all sit somewhere near an American bachelor or master degree — but none of them maps cleanly, and deciding which is which is not the translator’s job.
That decision belongs to a credential evaluator, an admissions office or a licensing board. A translation that quietly converts Licenciatura into “Bachelor of Arts” has made a judgement it had no standing to make, and an evaluator who notices will trust the rest of the document less.
So we translate faithfully and, where it helps the reader, keep the original term alongside. The same discipline applies to grades: a 1.3 and a 4.0 are not interchangeable, and converting between grading systems is interpretation, not translation.
What you receive
What a proper academic translation includes
- 1
Degree titles translated, not converted
Faithful rendering, with the original term retained where it helps an evaluator assess equivalence for themselves.
- 2
Grades reproduced as awarded
Including any grading scale printed on the document, so the reader can interpret the marks correctly.
- 3
Institution names handled carefully
University names are usually retained in the original with a translation alongside, since the institution is a proper noun and a searchable entity.
- 4
Seals, signatures and honours
Including Latin honours, accreditation marks and registrar signatures, described where they cannot be translated.
- 5
Layout preserved
So the translation can be read beside the original — particularly important for transcripts, where a misaligned table is unusable.
- 6
A signed Certificate of Accuracy
Naming the translator and confirming the translation is complete and accurate.
Where it is needed
What people use these translations for
University admissions
Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral applications from international candidates.
Credential evaluation
WES, ECE and other evaluators generally require a certified translation before assessing.
Professional licensing
Medical, engineering, legal, teaching and accountancy boards.
Employment verification
Where an employer or background-check provider requires evidence of qualifications.
Skilled worker petitions and points-based assessments.
Further study abroad
Exchange programmes, research placements and scholarship applications.
Timing
How long it takes
| Type of project | Typical delivery |
|---|---|
| Single diploma or degree certificate One page, clear scan | 1–2 business days |
| Diploma with full transcript Multi-page academic record with course listings | 2–3 business days |
| Full credential set Several qualifications, syllabus descriptions, licensing evidence | Depends on volume and complexity |
Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time. Quotation requests are usually reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time.
Practical advice
Before you send your documents
- Send the transcript with the diploma. Evaluators almost always want both, and translating them together keeps course titles consistent.
- Include the grading scale. Often printed on the reverse of a transcript, and essential for interpreting the marks.
- Photograph seals flat and without flash. Embossed seals disappear at an angle or under direct light.
- Tell us the receiving organization. A credential evaluator, a licensing board and an admissions office have different expectations.
- Say if a name has changed. Where a diploma predates a marriage or a legal name change, mention it so the record can be reconciled.
Related services
Where to go next
Questions
Diploma Translation, answered
Universities generally require a certified translation alongside the original, and many also require a credential evaluation from a recognised agency. The translation and the evaluation are different things: we translate the document faithfully; an evaluator judges what the qualification is equivalent to. Most evaluators require a certified translation before they will begin.
This is the central judgement in academic translation, and translating too freely does real harm. A Licenciatura, a Diplom-Ingenieur and a Maîtrise are not simply Bachelor or Master degrees, and rendering them that way asserts an equivalence that is not the translator's to decide. We translate the title faithfully and, where useful, retain the original term alongside so an evaluator can make their own assessment.
Yes, and they are usually needed together. A diploma states that a degree was awarded; a transcript shows what was studied and how it was graded. Credential evaluators almost always want both, and translating them as a set keeps course titles and grading terminology consistent.
Grades are reproduced as they appear, not converted. A 1.3 in the German system and a 4.0 in the American one are not interchangeable, and converting them silently would misrepresent the record. Where a transcript includes an explanatory scale, we translate that too so the reader can interpret it correctly.
A single diploma is typically delivered within 1–2 business days. A diploma with a full transcript is usually 2–3 business days, since transcripts are longer and course titles need care.
Usually not. Universities and credential evaluators generally require certification with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. Some licensing boards ask for notarization — tell us the receiving organization and we will advise.
Usually yes. Older diplomas often use ornate script, Latin phrasing and embossed seals that photograph poorly. Try a flat, well-lit photograph without flash. Where something is genuinely illegible we flag it rather than invent a reading.
The translation is the same, but licensing boards are often stricter about completeness and may require the transcript, syllabus descriptions or proof of clinical hours as well. Tell us the board and the profession so we can prepare the full set correctly.
Translate your diploma
Upload your diploma and transcript together and a Project Coordinator will review them and prepare an accurate quotation. Most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
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