How Can I Find Out If An Overseas Degree Will Allow Me To Teach In America (Before I Obtain The Degree)?

Question

I want to go to school in Australia for teaching, and I want to be able to teach in America when I return. It seems like all the states I've checked say that when you have an overseas degree you have to send it to some agency to evaluate whether that will allow you to teach in that particular state. But I keep thinking that there has to be a way to learn this information BEFORE you spend all the money on a degree. I can't imagine most people who go overseas choose their school without knowing whether they can use it back home. PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer 1

Not only will it have to be evaluated AFTER you get it, but it will have to be evaluated independently by every state that you want to teach in. There is no guarantee that if CA accepts the credits that AZ will do so.

It is basically not a good plan to get a foreign degree if you want to teach in the USA. Why don't you attend a US college and then do a year or two of foreign exchange study at an Australian university? That will eliminate the problem that could harass you for the rest of your life. .

Answer 2

What is it you want help with? You've been given the correct answer.

All out-of-country degrees have to be evaluated to be accepted in US schools for both students and instructors.

There is a way to learn this information before you spend the money on a degree. Ask.

I can't imagine anyone spending money on travel, housing, and education in a different country without asking every question possible to learn whether they can use it back home.

Answer 3

Each state has its own certification process which includes a test. Every state that I've looked into has their requirements on their website. There is no national system at this point though the states must meet minimum government requirements. I would recommend figuring out which state you want to teach in and then go to that state's website for what you need to study, etc. You can also contact the education department of that state. You might also want to check with the National Education Association for suggestions - http://www.nea.org/index.html.

Good luck.

Answer 4

The website below is in charge of teacher certification questions. The accreditation page should have what you need. It's easiest to get a degree from a U.S. university to teach in the U.S. Good luck!