And thanks to COVID-19, many people are working from home and working in their offices at the same time. Some may have plans to return to the office full-time eventually, some may not.
But what do you do if you now see clients at home and you want to add an air of professionalism with your credentials on your wall? How do you get a duplicate diploma if you want to have it behind you when you create YouTube videos or have professional photos taken?
Never fear, there are plenty of options for you to get your diploma.
Read on for more information.
Why Should You Have Your Diploma in Both Your Home Office and Physical Office?
It depends on the type of work you do. If no one will ever come into your office, or you don't record anything in your office, there's no real reason to have it there. You may as well keep it in your regular office.
But what if you're a massage therapist who sees clients from their home? Or what if you're an accountant who sees clients from their home or conducts regular Zoom meetings?
In those cases, having a physical diploma can mean a lot, and it can be difficult to get duplicate diplomas of your official degree.
Let's talk about some of the ways you can go about it.
Requesting a Replacement Professional Diploma
Replacement diplomas are not cheap if you order them directly from your university, especially if it was a professional course. And if you need the diploma quickly, this can be even more expensive.
But if you need an official university degree, your first course of action will be to contact the university directly. They will be able to give you a replacement diploma upon filling out a form and writing them a pretty big check.
American University's law school, for example, will charge your $50 for a no-rush replacement diploma if you live in the United States. Need it in a hurry? Double it. Live abroad and need it in a hurry? That's $150.
That's a steep fee, especially if you only want a duplicate for your office that people will only see on Zoom, or for a few minutes when they come into your practice.
How Do You Request a Replacement Undergraduate Diploma?
Replacement undergraduate diplomas are often a little bit cheaper, but they're still not free. Depending on where you went to school, they can range from a reasonable $25 to a heftier $100.
If you need a replacement university diploma, you'll typically contact the office of the registrar, fill out a form, cut them a check and the diploma is yours.
Replacing a High School Diploma
Most people would not display their high school diplomas in their offices unless they went somewhere extremely prestigious. Even then, it's not something you typically display, as people assume if you're a registered lawyer or CFA, you already have a high school diploma. But for some people, where they went to high school is still a point of pride, so you may wish to display it.
However, if you're so inclined to display your replacement diploma, you should contact your old high school. They will likely point you to someone who can give you a replacement diploma, and it's usually fairly cheap and straightforward. You can then hang it on your wall in no time, and show off where you went to high school.
Replacing a Diploma from a School That No Longer Exists
Yikes!
This is a tough one, but sometimes this still happens. You may need to find a way to replace your diploma, even if your school has shut its doors for good. So, what do you do?
There are a few options. If you went to a public school and its still connected to a university system, such as a state system, you may be able to contact them. If it is a high school, you'll likely still be able to contact the school district, and they may have the records available.
If it was a private school, particularly one associated with a church or diocese that's still running, you might be able to contact them and get you in touch with the person presiding over the records. In this case, it means jumping through a few more hoops, but it isn't impossible.
What If I Don't Want to Jump Through All of These Hoops?
It's understandable that you may not want to pay upwards of $100 to replace a diploma, especially if its just one in the background of Zoom calls or YouTube videos.
Another way you can replace your diploma is to order a duplicate from a site that creates fake diplomas as props, or for people like yourself. Essentially, your diploma is a prop in your home office, so you can treat it like one and purchase a duplicate for far less than the real thing.
As long as you don't pass the diploma off as real if you need to supply your diploma for something, you're good to go.
Purchasing a Duplicate Diploma
Purchasing a duplicate diploma is easier than you think. In just a couple of days, you can have a realistic looking diploma for your home office, or for your work office. All you have to do is click here for a free sample request to see what we have to offer.