Below are the answers to frequently asked questions about alumni services, benefits, communications, events and opportunities to support which we hope you will find useful.
If you have an alumni-related question not covered below, please contact alumni@rhul.ac.uk.
If you have a question about anything not related to alumni/graduates, please refer to the A-Z of other key services within the University to find the most suitable point of contact.
Certificates, transcripts and references
How do I get a copy of my degree certificate, transcript or a letter confirming my award?
Once you’ve finished your course and received your final results, you can order proof of your results from the Royal Holloway Online Store.
We offer a variety of documents to verify your attendance and achievements, including:
- Proof of Study Letter
- Validated Transcript of Results
- Diploma Supplement (available to students who were awarded after 2006)
- Validated Copy of your Degree Certificate
- Royal Holloway Replacement Certificate (available for limited courses only)
- E-Documents (PDF versions) are also available for some of the documents listed above
Full details about what information is included on each of these documents, and who is eligible to receive them, is available on the Royal Holloway Online Store. Certain documents may not be available to students who studied with us prior to our electronic archives being introduced.
Replacement degree certificates
Students awarded a degree by the University of London (e.g. Bachelor, Master and MPhil/PhD programmes) must order a replacement certificate from the Diploma Production Office directly (tel: 0207 862 8303).
A Royal Holloway Replacement Certificate is only available to students whose degree was awarded by Royal Holloway. Programmes for which Royal Holloway can issue a Replacement Certificate include:
- Certificate of Higher Education
- University Foundation Programme
- Graduate Diploma
- Postgraduate Diploma
If you require a replacement Royal Holloway certificate, this can be ordered from the Royal Holloway Online Store.
For further information, please visit Order proof of my award and results. If you have any questions please contact the Student Services Centre at studentservices@royalholloway.ac.uk or +44 (0)1784 27 6641.
How do I obtain a reference?
The process for obtaining a reference depends on what kind of reference you require.
A non-personal reference will provide confirmation of your study details, including the dates that you studied at the University, what you studied, and any awards given. These references are requested directly by employers and, with your consent, the Student Services Centre can provide them with this confirmation. This is provided through the Higher Education Degree Datacheck (Hedd) online verification service. Click here to find out more.
A personal reference is written by an academic, and will cover a more personal overview, attesting to your personality and character. An academic letter of recommendation is associated with moving to another Higher Education Institution or moving on to further degrees. This letter will focus on specific skills and your academic merit. Find out more about requesting a personal reference or an academic letter of recommendation.
If you have any questions please contact the Student Services Centre at studentservices@royalholloway.ac.uk or +44 (0)1784 27 6641.
I am an employer/agency/university/embassy/council, how do I verify someone’s degree?
All reference requests and education verification requests from external third parties are managed through Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) and its online verification service. Find out more at Qualification check.
If you have any questions please contact the Student Services Centre at studentservices@royalholloway.ac.uk or +44 (0)1784 27 6641.
Membership and updating your details
Who is an alumnus/alumna of the University?
You are an alumnus/alumna of the University if you studied at Royal Holloway College, Bedford College or Royal Holloway and Bedford New College / Royal Holloway, University of London for 100 days or more.
You are also considered an alumnus/alumna if you are a former employee of the University, Honorary Graduate or Honorary Fellow.
If you don’t currently receive alumni communications but would like to, please update your details.
I studied/worked at Bedford College, how do I become a member of the Bedford Society?
All Bedford College alumni and former staff are automatically members of the Bedford Society. If you don’t currently receive Bedford Society communications but would like to, please update your details.
How do I update my contact details and communication preferences?
Please complete the online form to update your details and communication preferences.
Events and staying in touch
I would like to reconnect with a classmate, can you help?
Yes, if we have up-to-date contact details of the graduate, we can send them a message on your behalf, along with your contact details. Contact alumni@rhul.ac.uk with the name, subject of study and graduation year of the person you are trying to reconnect with and we will try to help.
You can also join our digital alumni platform Royal Holloway Connect to access our alumni directory.
I would like to organise a reunion on campus, can you help me?
Yes, we can let you know whether there are any existing events you can join with your group, or provide guidance about organising your own reunion. We can also help to promote the gathering to former classmates, if needed. Please contact alumni@rhul.ac.uk for further details.
Benefits and services
Alumni email
Royal Holloway discontinued the alumni email service on 21 June 2023. This change was vital in order to improve our cyber security position and enhance the safety and security of our university and our wider community. As a result, alumni accounts are no longer accessible, and data associated with these accounts has been removed.
Royal Holloway announced in 2022 our intention to close the alumni email service and contacted all affected users between January and June 2023.
Unfortunately, the IT team will not be able to help you access your account.
To stay in touch with Royal Holloway and to make sure you don't miss out on news and events please update your details with us.
Giving
I would like to make a donation to the University, how can I do that?
Thank you! You can find out more about how to make a donation, and the areas you can support, here.
If you would like to speak to a member of the team about donating, please contact philanthropy@rhul.ac.uk.
I would like to volunteer my time to support the University, what opportunities are there?
Thank you! There are a few ways you can volunteer to support the University and our students:
- Submit an alumni profile - whatever you have gone on to do since graduating, your advice and achievements will guide and inspire our current and prospective students, helping them to achieve great things.
- Become a mentor - give practical and tangible support to our recent graduates by becoming an alumni mentor through our online platform.
- Give a careers talk - whether you’ve just started out or you’re an established figure in your sector, students are keen to learn from your experiences.
- Host a placement - hosting a short-term summer placement can make a tangible difference to a student’s career prospects whilst also benefiting your company.
