Congratulations to the 10,000+ Badgers who will graduate this year with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from UW–Madison! If you’re one of the accomplished UW grads earning your degree this spring, it’s time to make sure your name shows up correctly on your graduation documents.
When you applied to graduate, you chose to display either your legal name or your “name in use” on your diploma and in the commencement program (if you’re participating in the ceremony). Here’s how to quickly double-check that your name is spelled correctly, regardless of which option you selected:
- Log into MyUW and select the “Name in Use (Preferred Name)“ tile.
- This takes you to your personal information in the UW–Madison Profile app.
- Check the spelling of your name in use and your primary/legal name in the Personal Information section.
If you spot an issue with your name in use, simply select the “Edit Name in Use” button to easily make a change. You can update your first and middle names however you want. For your last name, you can only change the capitalization, spacing, apostrophes and hyphens.
If you find an issue with your primary/legal name, follow the Registrar’s instructions for updating your legal name in your student record.
Important name-related deadlines:
- March 29: Deadline to ensure your name appears correctly in the Commencement program if you applied to participate in the spring 2024 ceremony.
- May 12: Deadline to have your name updated for your diploma for students graduating at the end of the spring 2024 term.
Keep in mind that it can take some time for a change to show up in your student record—up to 48 hours for your name in use and between 3 to 5 days for legal name changes. Don’t miss these deadlines to ensure you’re recognized with your proper name as you celebrate your outstanding achievement of graduating from UW–Madison!
Contact the DoIT Help Desk if you run into trouble editing your name in use in the Profile application. Contact the Registrar’s office at 608-262-3811 or registrar@em.wisc.edu if you have questions about applying to graduate, deadlines, your diploma or changing your legal name in your student record.