HARVARD UNIVERSITY · HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
Harvard Kennedy School Diploma and Transcript Apostilles
Harvard Kennedy School graduates often need their degree recognized by governments and international organizations. The HKS Registrar notarizes verification letters and diploma copies, but only mails them to you. We take it from there, with the apostille, translation and worldwide delivery.
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ACADEMIC APOSTILLE
1–2 business days
Once your notarized document is ready
- Coordination with the HKS Registrar
- The right notarization for your recipient
- Certified translation if required
- Worldwide shipping with tracking
Harvard Kennedy School’s process, explained
Notarized letters
You can request notarized degree verification letters or certificates of enrollment by emailing the Registrar from your HKS alumni email account.
Diplomas by appointment
For a notarized copy of your diploma, you schedule an appointment and bring the original in person, or courier it to the Registrar marked for diploma notarization.
No copies on file
HKS does not keep copies of original diplomas, so it needs your original to make the notarized copy.
Mailed only to you
HKS mails diplomas and notarized copies only to you, not to third parties. Once they reach you, send them to us.
Verification and transcripts
Standard degree verification runs through the National Student Clearinghouse, and transcripts through Parchment, but neither is an apostille-ready notarized document on its own.
FROM INSIDE HARVARD
Founded by a former Harvard leader
Our founder spent nearly two decades on Harvard’s administrative leadership team as Director of Administration and Operations and Assistant Director of Finance, overseeing academic units and international centers. That work meant supporting international students, visiting scholars and faculty working abroad, and managing the documentation, compliance and deadlines their programs depended on. She knows how each of Harvard’s decentralized offices handles its records, so your HKS documents are requested, notarized and authenticated correctly the first time.
How HKS documents work
Harvard is decentralized: each school keeps its own records, runs its own registrar’s office and sets its own rules for diplomas, transcripts and notarization. The HKS Office of the Registrar is at 124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 210N, next to the main campus in Cambridge. Its mailing address is 79 JFK Street, Box 93.
Our founder spent nearly 20 years in academic and research administration at Harvard and MIT, so we know how these offices work and what they need from you.
How your Harvard Kennedy School record gets notarized
Massachusetts will apostille an academic record notarized with any of its four notarial acts: acknowledgment, jurat (affidavit), signature witnessing or copy certification. Which one you need is usually set by whoever receives your documents, so we confirm their requirements before we start.
School official acknowledgment
A Harvard Kennedy School official signs your diploma, transcript or verification letter before the notary, and the notarial certificate names the official, their title and the school. Ministries of education and universities abroad often require this.
School official affidavit
The Harvard Kennedy School Registrar signs a separate sworn statement confirming your graduation and that the attached records match the school's files, and the notary notarizes it. Spain's Ministry of Education, for example, accepts only this or an acknowledgment. See our Spain guide.
Certified copy, only if your recipient accepts it
As the owner of your diploma, you present the original and we notarize a certified copy, then get the apostille in 1–2 business days. Many recipients won't accept a copy certification, so please confirm with yours first.
Prepared right the first time
We coordinate with the Harvard Kennedy School Registrar, prepare the notarial certificate with the details your recipient requires, and file with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. For the school-certified routes, you don't need to come to Boston.
How we make it faster
Because HKS will only mail notarized documents to you, the fastest route is to have them sent to you and forward them to us, or bring them to us if you’re in Boston. We file in person with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, usually in 1–2 business days, and can add embassy legalization for countries outside the Hague Convention.
HKS graduates we help most
Government and diplomatic careers
MPP and MPA graduates joining ministries, foreign services and parliaments.
International organizations
Degree proof for the UN, World Bank, IMF and regional development banks.
Mid-career Mason Fellows
Fellows returning to public service at home who need their degree recognized.
Executive Education participants
Proof of completion for programs abroad, where HKS verification by email may be enough.
Which documents will you need?
| Document | When it’s asked for |
|---|---|
| Diploma | Employers, visa offices and degree recognition. Often the first thing asked for. |
| Transcript | Licensing bodies, universities and credential evaluators that want the full record. |
| Degree verification letter | Some recipients accept a signed Registrar letter in place of the diploma, and it can be notarized and apostilled. |
| Certificate of enrollment | Visas and programs that need proof of current or past enrollment. |
The receiving office decides. Send us its instructions and we’ll tell you exactly what to order.
Mistakes HKS graduates avoid
Asking HKS to send documents to us
HKS mails notarized documents only to you. Plan for that extra step.
Using a Clearinghouse verification
An online degree verification isn’t a notarized document. Ask for a notarized letter.
Mailing your diploma without arranging it
Email the Registrar first and courier it the way HKS asks.
Forgetting legalization
Many government recipients are in non-Hague countries and need embassy legalization after the state step.
What to have ready
- Your degree, graduation year and name as it appears on the record
- Which documents you need
- The destination country and who will receive the documents
- Their written instructions, if they gave you any
- Whether you need a certified translation
- Your deadline and where the finished documents should go
Other Harvard schools
Each Harvard school handles records its own way. See the page for your school, or our Harvard overview.
- Harvard College and FAS
- Harvard Griffin GSAS
- Harvard Law School
- Harvard Medical School
- Harvard Business School
- Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Harvard Chan School of Public Health
- Harvard Extension School
Official sources
- HKS: Requests for information and documentation
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: apostilles and certifications
Registrar processes, fees and timelines can change. Check with the HKS Registrar for its current process. We are not affiliated with Harvard University.
Frequently asked questions
Does Harvard Kennedy School notarize diplomas?
The Registrar makes a notarized copy of your diploma, by appointment in person or when you courier the original. HKS doesn’t keep copies of original diplomas.
Can HKS mail my notarized documents to you?
No. HKS mails diplomas and notarized copies only to you. Forward them to us when they arrive and we handle the apostille.
Is a Clearinghouse degree verification enough for an apostille?
No. An apostille needs a notarized paper document, such as a notarized degree verification letter or diploma copy from the Registrar.
Can you handle legalization for non-Hague countries?
Yes. We add U.S. Department of State authentication and embassy legalization in the same order.
Can my digital or electronic diploma be apostilled?
Usually not as it is. A certified electronic diploma is a secure file that the recipient verifies online, and some recipients accept it directly, so ask them first. For an apostille, Massachusetts needs a notarized paper document: usually a notarized copy of your diploma, a notarized transcript or a notarized degree verification letter. Tell us what your recipient asked for and we’ll confirm the right route.
What does it cost?
Every request is a little different, so we give a personalized quote that covers the apostille, return shipping and anything else your destination needs.
Need your HKS documents apostilled?
Tell us the documents, the country and your deadline. We’ll confirm what your recipient needs.