My Russian friend has a university degree from Russia. But the US does not accept this. How can I help?

Question

How can I help her get some kind of credit or certification for her skills. Who would I contact for this help? (Yes, she is now an American citizen). But nobody will give her any credit for her college education, because it was in Russia. Anyway to help? Any suggestions (please don't say, go back home to Russia, that's not helping). Thanks.

Answer 1

World Education Services is the largest credential evaluation service in the US. It evaluates all formal academic credentials. Your friend needs to contact them (www.wes.org) with a copy of her diploma and its translation to have the evaluation done.

If your friend wants to work in the field of her studies most likely she still will have to take some classes but depending on her major she will have some hours credited from her foreign diploma.

She cannot expect to get the full credit as you can understand but it will give her a good start.

Answer 2

The U.S. institution requires aliens with educational degree to have their diploma and/or transcript of records be evaluated by an evaluation company here in U.S. The purpose of the evaluation is to check and verify the document and if the degree is equivalent to the U.S. educational system. Since the documents are in Russian language, you may need to have it first translated into English, there are several translation company here in U.S. Please make sure that the degree and the documents are legally acquired since both the trnaslation and evaluation company will verify the source (school or institution where the degree and diploma orignated). Any misinformation may cause a derogatory record on your friends records.

Take note that both translation and evaluation services will cost some money but will definitely help your friend in her quest for a better job.

Here are some evaluation institution whom you may inquire with:
American Education Research Corp - www.aerc-eval.com
World Education Services - www.wes.org

and some translation services companies:
Translation Services USA - www.translation-services-usa.com
American Translators Association - www.ata-divisions.org/TCD

I hope that helps and good luck to you and your friend.

Answer 3

It depends on profession and what job she applies for.

In most professions US recognizes Russian degrees (sometimes you might need to certify the diploma using apostille, as was described by another answerer). If it's an engineering degree, it should not be a problem at all, I know it from personal experience (my wife and many of our friends used their Russian diplomas).

There are certain professions (e.g., lawyers, accountants, medical professionals, maybe schoolteachers), where the process is more complicated and you need a local re-certification, which includes an exam (CPA, bar exam) and/or practical work here.

Answer 4

I have been fighting for my Soviet Diploma to be recognized since June and I don't see the end. I applied a Ph.d. WES sent me back to Moscow, I did it, now I'm back with the official translation of my Diploma from my UNI, Transcript by semester and scour in russian and english and Apostile on it from the Justice Ministry - now WES wants an Apostile on the Original Diploma and on the original Transcript. (if I would be able to have it, I suppose, they will not understand it in Russian, that means another official translation, and another Apostil from Moscow. By the way, the Russian Consulate doesn't care about the Apostile - you have to organize it with an official translation by one moscow's translator (the uni-translation for the apostil doesn't OK) and verification of it by a moscow's notar.
I was an exchange student in that time - I'm not Russian and it seems to me, I've lost in translation….
In addition: it's the same UNI, wich gave a diploma for the actual secretary-general of UNESCO and many UNO diplomats, high officials and the foreign minister of Russia. I was an international journalist 30 years. May be there is the secret of my Kafka-experiance in the US…
Back to USSR?

Answer 5

The first step would be to decide what she wants to do: find a job or continue her education here in US. Depending on what her education is in, US employers and school officials will have different demands to her former education level. I am right now applying for both a Michigan Teaching Certificate and MA program in Michigan State University. And while the University requires only the transcripts from the former university (including a translation, which some of them, including MSU, allow you to do yourself), the Michigan Department of Education requires instead an evaluation of the transcripts done by one of the three agency's, whose web-sites I listed in resources. Try to find out what her plans are and ask the local employers/schools what their requirements are.

Answer 6

There is an international certification called "apostille", that was made in The Hague, Belgium. Russian Federation is part of the list of countries included in that agreement. She does not need to go back to Russia, that is what consulates and embassies are for :)

http://www.hcch.net/

Answer 7

Yes for the Frat Parties Vega

Answer 8

go to www.ed.gov and see foreign students there is a ton of info on getting foreign ed credentialing. also contact several colleges to see what the info is as well for that person degree. she can retest and take the clep test to clep or test out of us schools. go to a union hall to get help on recognzinng skills.

i know some people my ex fil who recieved ed in another country that was partially recognzed and he went back to school and finaly got his us master degree.

Answer 9

822

Answer 10

www.naces.org
this is a list of agencies that translate foreign degrees into American standards. I got this from usajobs.gov. Good luck