Transcripts document your grades, degree(s), and courses you completed at Penn State, and much more information about your time as a Penn State student. They are often necessary when you apply for jobs or for admittance to professional organizations or graduate school, but they can also help you understand your own progress as you continue to meet your academic goals. There are two different kinds of transcripts: official and unofficial.
Official Transcripts
Potential employers, graduate schools, and professional associations most typically request that you authorize the release of an official transcript — the University's certified statement of your academic record. Official transcripts are available in paper and electronic formats. Official paper transcripts are printed on security-sensitive paper, and official electronic transcripts are PDF files secured by digital certificates.
Your official transcript contains:
- the University seal
- signature of the University Registrar
- courses you completed
- grades you earned and semesters in which they were received
- notations of distinctions you earned
- your major(s), minor(s), and option(s)
- the degree(s) you received from Penn State
Unofficial Transcripts
Unofficial transcripts, also known as academic advising transcripts, are only available to currently enrolled students. These transcripts are not certified by the University Registrar and are never mailed to any third party regardless of permission from the student.
You can view your unofficial transcript in the Academic Records section in LionPATH. Visit the LionPATH Support page for tutorials on this and other actions.