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A diploma is a specific output with a production process. It deserves a separate check even if an everyday campus display already looks right.
Before graduation: the extra request matters
The Graduation FAQ describes updating the preferred name in CIS and then notifying the Graduation Division in writing at graduation@utah.edu that you want that name on the diploma. The published deadline is the last day of classes in the expected graduation semester. For inclusion in spring convocation programs, it gives March 1.
The same FAQ says the diploma last name must match the primary name and that later changes after graduation follow the official-name process. It also describes special middle-name and accented-character cases. Check the exact case with Graduation rather than treating every name component alike.
After graduation: stop using the earlier shortcut
The distinction is temporal, not just technical. A request before an output is produced and a correction after graduation are not interchangeable. If you have already graduated, start with the current official instructions for your situation and ask which documentation is required. An old screenshot of a pre-graduation preference is not a substitute for that answer.
The older personal-information PDF warns that requests using former personal information can cause complications. When an existing document and a current record differ, ask how the university wants the discrepancy identified. Do not invent a new submission channel or send identity evidence to several offices “just in case.”
Keep a small, private verification note
- The output: diploma, convocation program or both
- The stage: before or after graduation
- The specific component at issue: first, middle, last or accented character
- The official office’s confirmation and any open step
This note is a planning recommendation, not a required university form. Keep names and documents in your own appropriate records. The publication’s comparison tool cannot verify a graduation deadline or approve a name.
Evidence & limits
Public sources checked October 15, 2026. This is independent editorial explanation, not legal advice or a test of an authenticated university account.
- Graduation: Frequently Asked Questions — Diploma-name request requirements, timing and post-graduation distinction; cached public text reviewed, direct fetch intermittent.
- Change of Personal Information form (PDF) — Older PDF, printed revision 10/06/22; historical evidence and former-identifier warning only. Current eForm route takes precedence.