UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Has anyone been through this? It feels as bad as getting my Green card... bureaucracy gone wild.

I'm hoping to get US teacher licensure but first I have to get my UK qualifications verified.

Can anyone give me any feedback on the agencies?

Also, I have an Oxford history degree but I've been told that this won't be judged as equivalent to a US degree because it's three years not four. Is that true? I've also got a law conversion (CPE) and I passed Bar Finals. I've no idea how many credits that adds up to...

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Which state? Each state has its own requirements.


I've never had to use one, but I'm sure others will post soon.


Yes, very likely true. I'll note that most (if not all) states will not hire a teacher who does not have a Bachelor's degree... and many will not consider tenure until you have a Master's degree.

Ian

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Most reputable credential evaluators belong to http://www.naces.org

However, some states may only accept evaluations from one or two credential evaluators. Others may accept any NACES member.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

I had to go through this for Texas teacher certification. The school district that I wanted to work for told me to use WES http://www.wes.org/

I have since used that same report for PA and North Carolina, so it was money well spent :)

As for the three year degree thing, mine worked out to the same as a US four year, although yours might be different. However, the Masters did not transfer too few hours as so is useless :(

Hope this helps

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Thanks for that. Did you have a teaching degree? You said you used the same report again - do WES keep your records on file indefinitely? Or did you send the report direct? I'm surprised the Masters didn't convert well . Is there any reason for that?

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

There is no problem having US verification generally. If your degree is legitimate, obtained from the UK institution, you send it to whichever reputable accreditation body you want (unless your employer asks you to send it to a particular agency), you pay your fees and that is it. As to teacher cert you need to apply to a state whichever you wish to teach in. One of my students (doesn't even have a teacher cert for primary/secondary school but only PhD) applied to Florida, paid her dues and got it. But I think it needs to be done regionally.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Yes WES keeps your records on file, and I think that it is about $50 to get the copy sent on to other institutions after you have had it appraised . In the US a lot of places that request your records want it either sent direct from the institution, or in a sealed envelope from the institution via you. They will not accept an open copy.

On the Masters the courses transferred OK. However, it was a couple of hours short of a general US one. I think that the biggest difference is that a US Masters takes 2 years whereas a UK is for 1 year. Once in the US they will only accept up to 6 credits from other institutions. So I am a couple hours short with no way to make it up :(

Hope this helps.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Yes they have also PhD by having still classes and we have PhD by research. However, I had no problems to transfer it, I can't remember how many points I got but is acceptable. But to send it to all the institutions...Every time you have to pay and normal BSc and PhD transcripts I was quoted $170 each time. That is how capitalism works there I guess.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

My wife went through this sort of thing when requalifying as a pharmacist. The qualifying agency (NABP) considered A levels to be equivalent of the first year at degree level and so considered A levels + 3 year degree in the UK to be the equivalent of a 4 year degree here.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Wow, I never even thought about including A levels...

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

You don't seem to have cottoned on to the fact that there's no such thing as a US teacher license. Fifty states and a few odds and ends mean that many sets of rules, regulations and practices.

Here in AZ, your degree would probably make it (they strongly recommend you use a local company for the evaluation....and there's no point in fighting them!) but you would need to take and pass a standardized test, and if you have no teaching experience you'd need to take a course with the requisite hours -- readily available through the local community colleges. But if you're moving to North Dakota, all that info is moot for your case.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

Infact, I know that in my state, Ohio, there are very specific regulations. It is one of the toughest states to get licensure. My question was about verifying UK qualifications and their equivalence to US qualifications not about specific state requirements.

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

So do Ohio have a list of mandatory or recommended evaluators?

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

With respect, the basic flaw in your premise is that you've assumed that all US qualifications are equal... they aren't.

Ian

Re: UK qualifications/credential verification
 

You're also assuming that all evaluation companies will evaluate a given UK qualification as the same US equivalence. That too is incorrect. I'm pretty sure that if I sent my qualifications to four different companies I'd get at least two, possibly three different evaluations, and I'd be pissed about at least one of them!

As others have suggested multiple times now, find the list of approved evaluation companies in Ohio, and use one of them. You're unlikely to get anything by vague answers here, because we just don't know how your qualifications will be evaluated.