Commencement and Diplomas
Whether you are picking up your commencement attire, looking for details about the commencement ceremony, or have questions about receiving your physical or digital diploma, the Office of Academic Records is here to help.
Learn more:
UNMC Digital Diplomas
In May 2020, UNMC teamed up with our vendor Parchment to provide a digital version of your diploma which will make it easy to share your accomplishments with family, friends, and most importantly potential employers.
Note: Digital diplomas are only available for alumni who graduated in May 2020 or later.
Advantages of a digital diploma
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Easily share your digital diploma with employers with a secure and verified link
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View your digital diploma online at any time
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Download your digital diploma and save as a PDF
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Serve as an Alternative to the Apostille
Many countries recognize digital diplomas. As a signatory of the Groningen Declaration, Parchment Award diplomas are supporting the needs of international credentials.
Accessing Your Digital Diploma
Upon completion of degree, graduates will receive an email to electronically claim their diploma. Graduates can get their digital diploma by checking their UNMC email for a message from Parchment and University of Nebraska Medical Center, then follow these 3 simple steps:
- Click on the link in the email.
- Create a password.
- Share their digital diploma on Facebook, LinkedIn, via a verified link, or download a secure PDF for later.
Important: After claiming your digital diploma from your UNMC email account, you must update your email address in Parchment to ensure you have permanent access to your digital diploma after your UNMC email access has been removed.
Your UNMC student email will remain active for six months after the end of the semester. IT will notify you when your account is deactivated. You will be given approximately a two-week notice to resolve any issues/concerns/notifications regarding your UNMC email account. The Help Desk number is 402-559-7700.
Graduates can login to their Parchment account at any time to share their diploma again and again. Questions about the Digital Diploma, once you have received it? Email congratulations@parchment.com.
Updating Your Email Address
To update your email address, you need to add your new email address to your account first and then delete the old one.
- Click Profile > Account Settings.
- Click Add another email address to this account.
- Enter the secondary email address and click Add Email.
- Go to the email account of the email address you just added, and open the email that you should have received from us (check your junk/spam folder if you didn't get it).
- Copy the verification code from the email and enter it into the web page that you were just on.
- Click Make Primary. This turns the email address that you just added into the primary email address on this account.
- Click Delete next to your old email address.
- Click Continue when you get the 'Are you sure you want to delete this email?' message.
Duplicate Diplomas
UNMC does not retain copies of diplomas. To order a duplicate diploma:
- Complete the Duplicate Diploma Request Form
- Your signature must be notarized
- The cost is $30 per diploma
- Orders are placed on the last day of each month and take approximately 3-4 weeks for printing
- Diplomas are mailed to you via REGISTERED RETURN RECEIPT and will require a signature for delivery
- If shipping outside the US, contact Barbara Breazeale for further information
If you have further questions, please contact Barbara Breazeale at 402-559-1946 or via email.
Diploma FAQs
All degrees are expected to be posted by the end of the month after Commencement, contingent upon completion of all UNMC and degree requirements.
As long as there are no HOLDS on your records, diploma will be distributed immediately after the ceremony. If you will not be participating in the ceremony, your diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the graduation application approximately 3-4 weeks after the end of the semester.
Your digital diploma will be emailed to your UNMC email address approximately 3-4 weeks after the end of the semester. All degree requirements must be completed and campus holds must be released in order to receive your digital diploma.
No. Diplomas are mailed certified via USPS, so a signature is necessary for delivery.
If you need to update your diploma mailing address, send an email to bbreazea@unmc.edu with your name, NUID, and new diploma mailing address.
December 2024 Commencement
| Campus | Time | Date | Location |
| Omaha | 7 p.m. | Friday, December 20 | Baxter Arena |
Attire Pickup
Omaha students can pick up their attire on the second floor of Williams Science Hall on either of the two dates listed below. Students on other UNMC campuses will receive an email regarding attire pickup closer to graduation.
- Dates/times to be announced soon
Commencement FAQs
Omaha participants can pick up their attire on Wednesday, May 1 from 1-6:30 pm and Thursday, May 2, from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm. Pickup is in Williams Science Hall, 2nd floor.
For spring commencement, Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney and Scottsbluff participants will receive information from their location coordinators.
Commencement ceremonies last approximately two hours.
Students are not required to participate in the ceremony if they don’t feel comfortable. The ceremony will be live-streamed so you are able to watch and see your fellow graduates walk across the stage.
UNMC has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation both locally and nationally. If at any point between now and the scheduled ceremony COVID-19 trends present an increased risk for safety, we will modify our planning and update our graduates and campus community.
We remain committed to the health and safety of the campus and community as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Per Dr. Meza and the Chancellor’s office, masks are not required but recommended.
We strongly discourage gathering outside of the arena pre- and post-ceremony. During the processional, graduates will be directed to exit the arena after receiving their diploma. Guests should meet graduates outside and leave immediately.
There will be no COVID-related restrictions on the number of guests allowed per graduate and tickets will not be issued.
The in-person ceremony will be live-streamed for any guests to view remotely. Access to the live-stream will be made available to graduating students a few days prior to the ceremony.
All HOLD information can be found in MyRecords. You must clear the HOLD with the appropriate department/person/college.
All degrees are expected to be posted by the end of the month after Commencement, contingent upon completion of all UNMC and degree requirements.
- A professional photographer will take photos of each student. You can view and order proofs online.
- All questions regarding photos should be addressed directly to Lifetouch's customer support. The Customer Chat can be accessed online at the chat box in the bottom right corner.
All graduating students will need to mail their photo id (no clip or additional card) to:
Photo ID Card Office
984290 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha NE 68198-4290
Students in Omaha will also have the option to turn in their UNMC badge during attire pick up.
Students can contact the Academic Records office at academicrecords@unmc.edu.
