Foreign Transcript Evaluation
Posted by admin in Foreign Credential Evaluation on November 10, 2009
A course-by-course, foreign transcript evaluation from a credential evaluation agency is required for college or university admission in the United States for course work completed at an institution in a country other than the United States. Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who provide foreign credential evaluation services.
A foreign transcript evaluation lists the courses the applicant has taken, the level of education, the number of years completed and the specialization in addition to the grades, the semester credit hours and the GPA equivalence in the United States. Course by course education evaluations are primarily used for continuation of education, including high school admission and college or university admission. An accurate and fair evaluation report can play a vital role in deciding your future.
Typically, a foreign transcript evaluation report states the following:
- Dates of attendance and institution location
- Profile of the institution and programs (entrance criteria, status of the institution in this country, typical and real length of study)
- U.S. equivalent of each level of study and credential earned
- List of courses/ subjects studied, major/ minor or area of concentration
- US semester credit hours for each course studied based on instruction hours (lectures, laboratory, independent supervised course projects)
- U.S. letter grades A, B, C, D, F for each course evaluated
- Overall U.S. Grade Point Average (G.P.A.)
High School Diploma Evaluation
Posted by admin in Foreign Credential Evaluation on November 8, 2009
A high school diploma evaluation from a foreign credential evaluation service is required for admission to a college or university in the United States. The following are some of the High School Diplomas and Certificates from foreign countries that can be evaluated as the equivalent of graduation from a high school in the United States. The list is not exhaustive and there could be other qualifications in these countries that are also equivalent to US high school graduation.
Afghanistan: Baccaluria
Albania: Maturity Certificate (Deftese Pjekurie)
Algeria: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement Secondaire
Andorra: Titulo de Bachillerato (Title of Bachelor)
Angola: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Argentina: Bachillerato or Bachillerato Especializado
Armenia: Attestat o srednem obriazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Australia: ‘12th Year’ Certificate
Austria: Reifeprüfungs/Matura from Gymnasium or Realgymnasium
Azerbaijan: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Bahamas: Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education/ GCE “O” Levels
Bahrain: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Bangladesh: Higher Secondary School Certificate
Belarus: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Belgium: Certificat de l’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur plus the Diplôme d’Aptitude d’Accéder à l’Enseignement Supérieur
Benin: Baccalauréat
Bhutan: Indian School Certificate
Bolivia: Bachiller en Humanidades
Botswana: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Secondary School Leaving Diploma (Matura)
Brazil: Certificado de Conclusao de Ensino Medio (Certificado de Conclusao de 2 Grau before 1997)
Brunei: Brunei/Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie (Diploma of Completed Education)
Burkina Faso: Baccalauréat
Burma (Myanmar): Basic Education High School Examination/ Matriculation
Burundi: Diplôme des Humanités Complètes
Cambodia: Certificate of Completion/ Baccalauréat
Cameroon: GCE “O” Levels / Baccalauréat
Cape Verde: Curso Complementar do Ensino Secundario
Carribean Countries: Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate (CxC)/ GCE “O” Levels
Central African Republic: Baccalauréat
Chad: Baccalauréat
Chile: Licencia de Educacion Media (Intermediate Education Certificate)
China, People’s Republic of: Senior Middle School Diploma
Columbia: Bachiller
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Diplome d’Etat d’Etudes Secondaires du Cycle Long
Congo: Baccalauréat
Costa Rica: Diploma de Conclusion de Estudios de Educación Diversificada
Croatia: Svjedocanstvo o Polozenom Zavrsenom Ispitu
Cuba: Bachillerato
Cyprus: Apolytirion of Lykeion / Devlet Lise Diplomasi / Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Czech Republic: Vysvedceni o Maturitni Zkouska (Maturita)
Denmark: Studentereksamen
Djibouti: Baccalauréat
Dominican Republic: Bachillerato en Cincias y Letras
Ecuador: Bachillerato
Egypt: General Secondary School Certificate (Thanaweya A’ama before 1995)
Estonia: Gümnaasiumi Lõputunnistus
Ethiopia: Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate
Fiji: New Zealand School Certificate or Fiji School Leaving Certificate
Finland: Lukion Paastotodistus
France: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement du Second Degré / Brevet de Technicien
Gabon: Baccalauréat
Gambia: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Ghana: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Guinea: Baccalauréat
Georgia: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Germany: Abitur / Reifezeugnis / Fachhochschulreife/ Realschulabschluss
Ghana: Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE); or WASC/GCE-O levels and WAHSC/GCE-A levels
Greece: Apolytirion
Guatemala: Bachillerato
Honduras: Bachillerato
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Certificate of Education / GCE “O” Levels
Hungary: Érettségi/Matura
Iceland: Studentsprof
India: All-Indian Senior School Certificate; Higher Secondary School/Intermediate/Pre-University Certificates awarded upon completion of 12 years of study
Indonesia: Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) Leaving Certificate
Iran: Certificate of Completion of Secondary Education
Iraq: Sixth-Form Baccalauréat
Ireland: Leaving Certificate
Israel: Bagrut/ Mechina
Italy: Diploma di Superamento Dell’Esame di Stato (Diploma di Maturita before 1997)
Ivory Coast: Baccalauréat
Japan: Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Jordan: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Kazakstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kyrgyzstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kenya: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
Korea: Academic High School Leaving Certificate
Laos: Baccalauréat
Latvia: Atestats par visparejo videjo izgitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education after 12 years of education)
Lebanon: Baccalauréat (2nd Part)
Lesotho: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Liberia: Senior High School Certificate
Libya: General Secondary School Certificate
Liechtenstein: Matura
Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas after completing secondary school
Luxembourg: Diplôme de Fin d’Etudes Secondaires
Macedonia: Svidetelstov za polozen zavrsen (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Madagascar: Baccalauréat
Malaysia: SPM/STPM or COSC/COHSC or UEC
Mali: Baccalauréat
Malawi: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Malta: Matriculation/ Secondary Education Certificate
Marshall Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Mauritania: Baccalauréat
Mauritius: Higher School Certificate
Mexico: Bachillerato en Ciencias/Humanidades
Middle East: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Moldova: Diploma de Absolvire a Invatamintuni Mediu General (Diploma of Completion of General Secondary Education)
Monaco: Baccalauréat
Mongolia: School Leaving Certificate
Montenegro: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Morocco: Baccalauréat
Mozambique: Certificado de Habilitacoes Literarias
Namibia: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Nauru: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Nepal: Proficiency Certificate
Netherlands: HAVO / VWO
New Independent States & The Baltic Republics: Certificate of Upper Secondary Education
New Zealand: Sixth Form Certificate
Nicaragua: Bachillerato
Niger: Baccalauréat
Nigeria: Senior School Certificate / West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Northern Ireland: General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Norway: Vitnemål Fra den Videregående Skole
Oman : Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Thanawiya amma)
Pakistan : Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary Certificate awarded upon completion of 12 years of primary-secondary study
Panama: Bachillerato
Papua New Guinea: Higher School Certificate
Paraguay: Bachillerato
Peru: Bachiller
Philippines: Complete 12 years of education or two years of study at a recognized institution of higher learning
Poland: Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci / Matura
Portugal: Certificado de Fin de Estudos Secundarias
Qatar: Certificate of General Secondary Education
Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat
Russian Federation: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Rwanda: Certificat des Humanités
San Marino: Diploma di Maturità
Saudi Arabia: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
Scotland: Scottish Certificate of Education Higher Grade
Senegal: Baccalauréat
Serbia: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Seychelles: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sierra Leone: West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Singapore: Singapore-Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Slovak Republic: Maturitnej Skuske / Maturita
Slovenia: Spri evalo o zaklju nem izpitu (Certificate of Final Examinations)
Solomon Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Secondary School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Solomon Islands School Certificate
Somalia: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
South Africa: Senior Certificate
South Korea: Senior High School Diploma
Spain: Bachillerato Unificado y Polivalente (BUP)
Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan GCE “O” Levels
Sudan: Sudan Higher Secondary School Certificate
Suriname: HAVO or VWO
Swaziland: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sweden: Avgangsbetyg (Gymnasium)
Switzerland: Maturitatzeugnis/Certificat de Maturite/Baccalaureat/Attestato di Maturita
Syria: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Taiwan: Graduation Certificate
Tajikistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Tanzania: Certificate of Secondary Education
Thailand: Mathayom Suska
Togo: Baccalauréat
Tonga: Tongan School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Completion Form Six
Tunisia: Baccalauréat
Turkey: Devlet Lise Diplomasi /Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Turkmenistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Uganda: Uganda Certificate of Education
Ukraine: Atestat o protnom ovshchem srednem obrazovani (Certificate of Completed Secondary Education)
United Arab Emirates: Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
United Kingdom: GCSE plus GCE “A” levels; SCE plus CSYS
Uruguay: Bachillarato Diversificado de Ensenanza Secundaria
Uzbekistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Vatican: Diploma de Maturita
Venezuela: Bachillerato
Vietnam: Bang Tot Nghiep Trung Hoc Pho Thong (Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate)
Yemen: General Secondary Education Certificate (Al Thanawiya)
Zimbabwe: ZIMSEC A’ + O’ levels (COSC/COHSC before November 2002)
Credential Evaluation for the H-1B Visa
Posted by admin in Foreign Credential Evaluation on October 25, 2009
The H-1B Visa is one of the most sought after temporary non-immigrant visas as it allows foreign workers in “specialty occupations” to enter the U.S. and work in a variety of fields, including Architecture, Engineering, Modeling, Medicine, and Health. The H-1B Visa offers a wide range of employment possibilities and is a first step toward permanent immigration. This visa is issued in three-year increments, for a maximum of six years. You can stay in the U.S. for up to six years, after which you are required to leave the U.S. for at least one year before being eligible again.
Applicants must have the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree in their specialty or a license in fields that require licensing, such as teaching or pharmacy. The visa is not self-petitioned, which means you will need an employer to sponsor you. The greatest advantage of bearing this visa is that while you have it, you can apply and wait for a Green Card for permanent residency.
A 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited or recognized university or college is generally considered as equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree. If you have less than 4 years of university study, you can combine the years of your degree/diploma with the years of study completed on a post-baccalaureate diploma, master’s degree or other studies. You can also combine progressive work experience in the field with university study – or use work experience only. Three years of progressive work experience in the field is equivalent to one year of US university study for H-1B purposes.
A credential evaluation showing an equivalency to a US bachelor’s degree is required for the H-1B visa unless your education was completed in the US. Credential evaluation reports required by the USCIS for the H-1B visa need to only show the equivalency statement of the diplomas/degrees along with brief information on the institution where the studies were completed. Semester credit hours and grades are not required to be shown in the evaluation.
Though none of this should be particularly controversial, if you disagree with any of these points or have some additional thoughts to share, please leave them in the comments. Written by Joseph Carter for Evaluation World
Accreditation in the United States
Posted by admin in Education in USA on October 23, 2009
To be accredited, a school must meet the standards of its accrediting agency. Join a degree program only if your school is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting organizations coordinated by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA):
New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
NEASC serves some 1,899 public and independent schools, colleges and universities in the six states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont and 138 American/International schools around the globe.
North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA)
A non-governmental, voluntary organization that accredits more than 9,000 public and private schools in 19 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Navajo Nation, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming) and the Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools worldwide.
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
An organization that accredits schools in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Accredits institutions in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Accredits institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Foreign Credential Evaluation Service
Posted by admin in Foreign Credential Evaluation on October 20, 2009
Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who are providing foreign credential evaluation services. There is no governmental body in the United States that approves agencies that offer this service. If you have a degree or diploma from a foreign country it is necessary to have your educational background formally assessed for employment, further education or immigration purposes. A Foreign Credential Evaluation Service like Evaluation World provides this service.
Most foreign credential evaluation agencies offer different types of evaluations. Most employers only require a document evaluation, which simply states the US equivalent of your credential, unless you need to show that you have course work in a certain field or need a certain minimum GPA, you will need a course-by-course evaluation. If you’re using the evaluation for immigration purposes, the type of evaluation you would need would depend on the type of immigration visa you’re applying for. For example, H1B visas require only a document evaluation in most cases. If the degree program is less than four years in duration, then an education and work experience evaluation would be the right option. For education purposes, a course-by-course evaluation (transcript evaluation) is generally preferred, listing each subject completed, credits, grades and the Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
There currently is no single, comprehensive source of all foreign credential evaluation service providers and your best option would be to search for one on the World Wide Web. Choosing a foreign educational credential evaluation service is similar to choosing other professional service providers. You can follow the general guidelines below that tell you what to look for in an agency offering foreign credential evaluation services.
- What kind of evaluations do they offer? Document evaluations, course by course evaluations and education plus professional work experience evaluations.
- What are their fees?
- How are the evaluation reports provided to the client? Written report, electronic copy or other format.
- What is the turnaround time for these? what about during rush periods and emergency requirements?
- Are they or their evaluators members of any association? Membership may include but not be limited to any of the following: AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators), AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.), ATA (American Translation Association), EAIE (European Association of International Education), NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services), NAFSA (NAFSA: Association of International Educators), and AEA (American Evaluation Association).
- Do they have client relationship executives who are well-trained and can answer all customer queries on the phone?
- How flexible and easy are they to deal with?
- What policy do they have to handle disputes?
- How long have they been in this business?
- What resources are available to them?
- How long do they keep records?
Although very few people are aware of Foreign Credential Evaluation services, it is soon becoming a very important service, as more and more people are wanting to come and settle down in the United States of America. An evaluation report can play a vital role in deciding their future.
Want to attend a University in the USA?
Posted by admin in Education in USA on September 25, 2009
The United States offers a wide range of options to the international student and opens a new world of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. US universities are renowned for their facilities, faculty and resources. Course choices are very flexible and one can easily move from one college to another.
University admission requires completion of 12 years of primary and secondary education culminating in a high school diploma. Admissions criteria involve the students’ GPA, class ranking, and scores at the Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I) and the American College Test (ACT). International students need to submit a high school equivalency report from a foreign credential evaluation agency.
Students who have completed high school can pursue post-secondary education at a college or university leading to a bachelor’s degree in a field of concentration known as a major. There are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelors degree) in a specific course of study. International students can transfer to a US college or university by submitting a course-by-course evaluation report that shows the equivalence of the courses completed in their country in terms of U.S. courses, semester credit hours and grades.
After obtaining an initial undergraduate degree a student can proceed to the second stage of university education which consists of the Master’s degree, as well as other postgraduate Diploma or Certificate courses. Master’s programs are designed for two years of full-time study, which includes the completion of a research thesis. Many graduate and law schools do not require experience after earning a bachelor’s degree to enter their programs; however, business school candidates are usually required to gain a few years of professional work experience before applying.
Students who want to advance their education beyond the master’s level in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree, also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the student’s educational background. The Ph.D. degree is awarded after writing a dissertation on an original piece of significant research and successfully defending the work before a panel of faculty members who specialize in the discipline. The doctoral degree is designed to train research scholars and, in many cases, future college and university faculty members.
Certain courses like law, dentistry, pharmacy and medicine are are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelor’s degree depending on the program. These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses that must be taken before enrollment. Some of these programs have formal apprenticeship procedures like residency and internship which must be completed after graduation.
Welcome to the Degree Net Education Blog
Posted by admin in Education in USA on September 20, 2009
Get information about education in the United States of America. Online and Campus Colleges, Credential Evaluation Services, Accreditation, Student Loans and Resources.