Academic degrees look different in each country. Qualifications that may be valid in one country may not necessarily be accepted in another. Universities in the US want to make sure that their international students hold undergraduate degrees that match with American standards. That’s why when you apply for master’s programs, universities in the US will ask to submit credential evaluations of your undergraduate degree! 

Credential Evaluations are reports that compare academic and professional degrees earned in one country to those earned in another country. So, what information does a credential evaluation report mention? 

• It mentions the authenticity of your undergraduate degree.
• It mentions how equivalent your undergraduate degree is, compared to the American standards.
• It mentions all courses you took during your undergraduate degree, their credit equivalent as per the American system as well as your grade for that course.
• It calculates your GPA on the scale of 4.

There will also be some additional information on your report which will vary depending on the type of evaluation you choose. You should look at the universities’ website to see what type of evaluation they want!

Procedure to get your evaluations

To get your credential evaluation done, firstly you have to pick a certified evaluating agency that does credential evaluations. World Education Services (WES) is the most popular one but you can pick any certified organization of your choice. Sometimes university websites will also mention their preferred evaluating agencies in which case it would be best to choose those ones.  

When you sign up with the agency, you have to mention how many reports you want to order as well as provide addresses of the universities where you want your reports to go. Once this is done, you’ll then have to request your undergraduate institution to send your transcripts, a copy of your degree and other required academic documents directly to the evaluating agency. The agency will then assess your degree, generate a credential evaluation report and directly send it to the universities you’re applying to! Universities want these reports coming directly from the evaluating agency and not from the student. 

If you did your undergraduate degree in the US, then you don’t need to get a credential evaluation done. It’s only meant for degrees obtained outside of the US. Some American universities also accept degrees obtained in Canada and don’t require a credential evaluation for them. But, it’s always best to verify that information with the university in that instance! 

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