The academic transcript is the document you need before the diploma, and it often says more than the diploma. A third-year student trying to transfer to the University of Vienna cannot submit a diploma, because they do not have one yet; an Erasmus candidate is asked by the partner university for a Transcript of Records; and WES asks even a graduate for the transcript instead of the supplement, sent directly by the university. In all three cases the same paper appears under different names: academic transcript, grade sheet, extract from the study record, transcript of records. In our bureau in Tbilisi it is translated by the dozen every week, and below are the details that set this document apart from the rest.
An academic transcript and a diploma supplement are not the same thing
The diploma supplement is issued once, on graduation, and shows the final, "cleaned-up" picture: every course once, with its final grade. The academic transcript is an extract from the study record: semester by semester it lists every course, including failed and retaken ones, academic leave, the subjects registered for the current semester, the total of credits earned and, at most universities, the GPA. It is precisely this "raw" completeness that transfer and recognition procedures need: the receiving side sees which credit was earned in which semester and what happened over the course of study. Nothing is "cleaned up" in the translation: a failed course with an F grade is carried over just like one passed with distinction, otherwise the document no longer corresponds to the original and the notary cannot certify it.
Where it is needed, and in what form
- Transfer to a foreign university. The transcript with every completed semester, together with the syllabi, so that the receiving department can recognise the credits. The school certificate and a student status certificate are often added.
- Erasmus+ and exchange programmes. The partner university asks for an English Transcript of Records; international relations offices often issue a bilingual version themselves, which we check or complete.
- WES, IQAS, ICES (the USA and Canada). Under the WES ICAP rules the transcript must be sent by the university in a sealed envelope or electronically; our translation is uploaded by the applicant. WES requires a literal translation, with the columns in the same order, without interpretation.
- Applying for a master's in the final year. Foreign universities' application deadlines are often in February-March, while the diploma is issued in July; a transcript with seven semesters and the expected graduation date replaces the diploma, together with the motivation letter and recommendations.
- Unfinished studies. Those who did not complete university use exactly this transcript when continuing their studies abroad or to confirm partial education in a CV.
- Employment and licensing. Medical and engineering regulators (for example ECFMG for doctors) ask for the hourly workload, which is only in the detailed transcript.
The critical fields of the translation
Course titles and codes
A typical transcript lists 40-60 courses, often with abbreviated or coded titles ("Inf. Tech. II", MATH-101). We translate them with the full title as it appears in the university's English-language catalogue, and the code stays unchanged. For the main Tbilisi universities (TSU, Ilia State, GTU, the Medical University, Kutaisi International) we have a subject glossary, so your transcript, supplement and syllabi will use identical terms, even if ordered years apart.
Credits, hours, GPA
ECTS credits and contact hours are carried over numerically; if the transcript uses the old hourly system (before 2005), it stays as it is and a translator's note states that conversion into credits is the competence of the university or the recognition centre. The GPA, if the university calculated it, is carried over unchanged with the scale stated (4.0 or 100); if it did not, we do not calculate it. "Adjusting" grades to a foreign system in the translation is not permitted: for WES it is equivalent to altering the document.
Statuses and notes
"Reinstated", "transferred by mobility", "academic leave", "credit recognised from another university", "retaken": these entries are often below the table, in small print, and they are exactly what explains why a student has 45 credits in one semester or is missing a year. Every one of them is translated; leaving them out raises questions on the receiving side.
Bilingual transcripts and when they need a translation
Some Tbilisi universities issue the transcript bilingually, Georgian-English, or even in English only. For an English-speaking university such a transcript with a seal and signature is often enough and needs no translation; we only check it if the applicant wants an editor's eye, because errors in the universities' English versions are not rare. For Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Poland the translation is made from the Georgian original, not from the English: the notary certifies the translation of a Georgian document. And if an apostille is involved, even an English-language transcript needs a translation, because the apostille stamp is in Georgian.
Apostille and certification
The apostille on an academic transcript issued by a university is placed by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, after verifying its authenticity with the issuing university. For transfer and exchange an apostille is rarely required; for master's admission, qualification recognition and licensing it is often mandatory, and then it must be placed before translation. On notarization the translation is attached to the original transcript or to its notarized copy; since a transcript is reissued, many students choose binding to the original. For transcripts issued electronically, with a QR code, the notary certifies the printed version, with the code described. If the transcript is of courses studied at a foreign university and you need the credits recognised at a Georgian university, we work in the opposite direction; for a full qualification see diploma recognition. The general principles are on the category page.
How to obtain the transcript so that the translation works the first time
When requesting the transcript from the university, confirm three things: that it contains every semester and not only the last one; that the grading scale is stated alongside the credits (many universities add this on request); and that the transcript carries a signature and a "wet" seal, if the receiving side asks for a paper version. If the transcript is for WES, ask the university registrar for a separate sealed copy or electronic dispatch; we translate from the second copy. These three minutes at the university often save two weeks of correspondence with the receiving side.
Turnaround
A 1-2 page transcript is ready with notarization within one working day, a full 4-8 page transcript within two days. If you translate the transcript semester by semester, in updated versions (Erasmus students often do), we translate only the new semester. Send the scan through the website form; you receive the finished translation at the office, by courier or as a PDF for uploading to the university portal.
Frequently asked questions
How does an academic transcript differ from a diploma supplement?
The supplement is issued only on graduation and summarises the final results. The academic transcript is issued at any moment, shows every course by semester, including retaken and current ones, and it is exactly what transfer, exchange and WES procedures need.
The university gave me an English transcript. Do I still need a translation?
For English-speaking universities usually not, if the transcript carries a seal and signature. For German, Italian, French or another language we translate from the Georgian original, and if there is an apostille, the Georgian text of the apostille is translated too.
Is the GPA converted to the 4.0 system in the translation?
No. The GPA and grades are carried over as they are in the transcript, with a description of the scale. If the university itself calculates the GPA on a 4.0 scale, that figure also stays unchanged; the foreign side makes its own recalculation.
How soon will it be ready?
A 1-2 page transcript with notarization within one working day, a full 4-8 page transcript within two days. The apostille at the Quality Center takes extra days.