Degree equivalency?

Question

Please advise on a method by which I can ascertain that my undergraduate academic preparation is equivalent to a 4 year undergraduate degree from a U.S. university.

I have a British 3 year Bachelor degree in addition to 3 UK 'A' levels and 13 UK 'O' levels.

Answer 1

The A and O levels don't matter if you have a degree. A and O levels are the equivalent of high school, British Bachelor degree is technically equivalent the a US Bachelor's degree

(A US one usually involves more study and longer essays, but let them remain in ignorance and you'll get a better job.)

It's equivalent because both bachelor's will get you into a masters in either country (or in Canada or in a few other countries with a similar system).

For the US system, you may need to do GMAT or LSAT or something else to continue in education (those are just tests, filling in ovals) if you want to do graduate school. Check with the graduate school (it also depends on the subject you want to do, some have their own test).

here's what I heard for grades equivalent:

1st - 4.0 (A - outstanding)
2:1 - 3.0 (B - above average)
2:2 - 2.0 (C- average)
3 - 1 (D - pass)

others say that a 2:2 is 3.0 and a 2:1 is 3.5! But I think that's excessive British patriotism.

If you had a 1st from Oxford (or somewhere else internationally known), you'll have no trouble. If you got a third from Open University, or someplace like Royal Halloway or Midlands Polytechnic, you might have a struggle.

Answer 2

I don't think there are a lot of A levels engineers or doctors bagging chips, but there is a process to go through.

Most Brits coming to the USA would be coming for a specific job, not just hopping a plane and scooting over to see if they could pick something up. So, the company or school you are coming to join will evaluate your credentials. American universities have 100,000s of international students, so they are used to evaluating foreign credentials. An easy way to get this done might be to apply to a USA university for a Masters level program and come to the USA as a student. Then the school will do the credentials check, help with your VISA and you can get oriented for a year while you work out the details of how to get work permits.

Answer 3

Well.... people that come to the USA from other countries usually have their professional degrees evaluated by the academic service that does that sort of thing. People who were engineers, doctors, and psychiatrists in their own country tend to be shocked when they come here and end up working bagging potato chips in the local factories.