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Completion Letters

Once you complete your degree you are eligible for a Completion Letter. This can be issued before the official graduation ceremony. A Completion Letter confirms you have completed your program of studies.

1. What do I need to check BEFORE I apply for a Completion Letter?

Undergraduate Students

All undergraduate students must notify the University in advance that they are expecting to complete the requirements of their program of study and take out their award (degree/diploma/certificate), by completing the “I Expect to Complete – Undergraduate” form (if you have not already done so), that can be accessed via www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This is necessary in order for your record to be included in the assessment process.  This process is not automatic. There may be delays in your qualifying and subsequently graduating if you do not notify the University in advance. Please allow three (3) working days for this form to be processed.  Then check eStudent by clicking on the 'My Results and Graduation' button on the top of your screen, and then clicking on the 'I Expect To Complete My Program' link on the Menu on the left hand side of the page.  If the information is incorrect, please contact the Academic Program Section apsinfo@mq.edu.au.

Postgraduate Students

All postgraduate students who commenced in a new curriculum program (2011 onwards for Faculty of Business and Economics programs; 2012 onwards for all other programs) must notify the University in advance that they are expecting to complete the requirements of their program of study (i.e. their degree), by completing the "I Expect to Complete – Postgraduate" form (if you have not already done so), that can be accessed via www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This is necessary in order for your record to be included in the assessment process. This process is not automatic. There may be delays in your qualifying and subsequently graduating if you do not notify the University in advance. Please allow three (3) working days for this form to be processed. Then check eStudent by clicking on the 'My Results and Graduation' button on the top of your screen, and then clicking on the 'I Expect To Complete My Program' link on the Menu on the left hand side of the page. If the information is incorrect, please contact the Academic Program Section apsinfo@mq.edu.au.

For all students, following the release of official Examination results you should check your qualification and graduation details via eStudent under ‘My Results and Graduation - Check for Graduation’. If you have not qualified for an award but believe you should have (or if the information is incorrect), please contact apsinfo@mq.edu.au immediately.

2. When can I apply for a Completion Letter?

We recommend that you submit the online Completion Letter application 1-2 weeks prior to the official result release date for your degree. We only accept applications from students who are expected to finish in the current semester or who have already finished their degree. If you are unsure check with the front desk staff when the appropriate time to hand the application in is. Please be aware that some result release dates are different, so it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of your degree's result release date.

3. How can I apply for a Completion Letter?

To request a Completion Letter, complete the online form

4. What information is included on my Completion Letter?

The following information will be included in your Completion Letter:

  • The date you have qualified for your degree. This information can only be given after the Academic Senate has confirmed that you have met your course requirements. This information will be listed in the letter of qualification sent to you by the Registrar and the Academic Program Section.
  • Attendance. It will be stated on the letter that Macquarie University does not keep attendance records.
  • English. It will be stated on the letter that all classes were conducted in English.
  • Date of Graduation Ceremony (if applicable, only the month and year will be specified).

5. How can I use the Completion Letter?

A Completion Letter confirms you have completed the required program of your studies. It is a letter that can be used in the interim before you get your official graduate degree certificate. Students use Completion Letters for a variety of reasons such as:

  • To show potential employers they have qualified for their degree.
  • To apply for degrees at other universities.
  • Immigration purposes.

6. What is the processing time for the Completion Letter?

The processing time for Completion Letters is 5-10 working days AFTER the relevant result release date for your degree. If you submit your application form at any other time during the year (apart from around the result release date) the processing time is generally 5-10 days after we receive your completed online form.

Please be aware that exam result release dates are different for different degrees  (i.e. Master of Accounting and a few others degrees have different result release dates) so the letter will only be processed 5-10 working days after the relevant result release date for your degree. If you are doing summer school or your results are released after the official result date then it will be your responsibility to inform us when the qualification is put on your transcript. It will then take the 5-10 working days to process after we receive your completed online form.

7. Is there any way to get my Completion Letter application processed faster?

Unfortunately due to the large number of Completion Letters that need to be processed during the result release period, there are no priority processing services available.

8. How many copies of my Completion Letter can I get?

Only one original copy is given. If you need additional copies, you can make up to 2 photocopies which can be officially certified at Macquarie International. Please talk to the Macquarie International front desk staff for more information.

9. How will my Completion Letter be sent to me?

When you fill in the online application form you have the choice of either collecting the letter in person or we can post it to the postal address you nominate. The address you nominate can be either an Australian postal address or an overseas postal address. It is your responsibility to provide us with the correct details. If we are posting the letter out to you please allow a couple of extra days for it to be mailed on top of the 5-10 working day processing time.

We do not email Completion Letters to students. We may consider it in exceptional circumstances, which is at the discretion of Macquarie staff.

10. Can I get someone else to pick up my Completion Letter?

It is possible to get other people to pick up your Completion Letter for you if you cannot do it yourself and you do not want it mailed to a postal address. If you choose to do this then you will need to email Macquarie International with an authorisation letter.

Authorisation letters to give someone else permission to pick up your letter needs to be sent from your Macquarie student email account to iss@mq.edu.au stating your full name and student ID and the full name and student ID (if applicable) of the person collecting the letter on your behalf. Only email authorizations from a student’s Macquarie email account will be accepted. Paper authorisation letters will not be accepted.

Please ensure that you tell the person collecting the letter for you that you have sent an authorisation email so we can check our system for it. We will not be giving letters to a person collecting your letter on your behalf without the authorisation email.

11. How do I know when my Completion Letter is ready?

During the busy periods you are welcome to check if your Completion Letter is ready at least 7 working days after you have handed in the completed application. To check the status of your letter you can either call Macquarie International on 9850-6452 or 9850 6937. Alternatively you can stop by the office (Building C8A Level 2) or send an email to iss@mq.edu.au. To save yourself some time please either call or email first to make sure your letter is ready, as we can experience long queues during these busy times.

12. Do I need to bring anything with me to pick up my Completion Letter?

Please remember to bring your student card when you come to pick up you Completion Letter. As the Completion Letter is considered an official document, we will need to see some form of identification before we can hand it to you i.e. student card, passport, license. If someone is collecting the letter on your behalf make sure that they bring appropriate identification as well so we know that they are authorised to collect your letter.