International Credential Evaluation
Shoreline Community College students who have completed university-level credits at an institution outside the U.S. may be able to apply some of those credits towards a Shoreline degree or certificate.
A request for an evaluation of international coursework should be made during your first quarter of study at Shoreline. Evaluations will generally not be done until you have enrolled at Shoreline and have met with an advisor to determine your academic plans and course of study.
You should not request an evaluation if you do not plan to complete a Shoreline Community College degree or certificate. The evaluation done by our staff is for the purpose of application to a Shoreline degree or certificate only!
- Credits will not be accepted from a school or institution that is not recognized by the local Ministry of Education (or equivalent). Credits are only accepted if they are considered "university-level" within the original educational system. Only original evaluation documents will be accepted.
- Coursework in English Literature is generally transferable but English or ESL is not transferable unless it was completed in a country where English is considered the native language (U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada).
- Comparative religion classes are generally transferable, but instruction in a particular religious doctrine or political ideology is not.
- Students intending to complete a professional or technical degree or certificate at Shoreline should be aware that very few (if any) transfer credits will apply toward that degree or certificate. While the credits may be generally transferable and acceptable to the College, they usually will not meet the very specific course requirements of a technical program.
- Credits will be calculated to conform to the structure of the U.S. quarter system. The definition of a "quarter" or "semester" credit in another country is not necessarily the same as the U.S. definition.
What should I do?
First, have your academic records translated into English by a professional translation service in your home country or in the United States.
Next, have a “course-by-course” evaluation done by an international credential evaluation service. It tells us whether or not the institution is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education or other accrediting body in your country; and, whether each class was considered “university-level”. The evaluation will indicate the value of the credits earned according to the U.S. quarter system.
See the list of international credential evaluation services below. The translation process generally takes 1 to 2 weeks and the course-by-course evaluation, application, and transfer of credits may take up to 8 weeks.
Finally, once the course-by-course evaluation has been completed, fill out page three of the Credential Evaluation Request and bring it with an official copy of your credentials to the Enrollment Services Office (Building 5000, Room 5200). The courses included in the evaluation will then be applied toward the degree requirements for your particular course of study. Once completed, a copy will be sent to you.
Translation Services
Foundation for International Services, Inc.
505 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 101
Edmonds, WA 98020
www.fis-web.com
Phone: (425) 248-2255
Fax: (425) 248-2262
SpanTran
Email: status@spantran.com
SpanTran Translation Request form
University Language Services
15 Maiden Lane, Suite 300
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (800) 419-4601
www.universitylanguage.com/services/certified-translation
International Credential Evaluation Services
Steps:
- Review the online application process and requirements on the SpanTran website
- Fill out the application and upload the required documents
- SpanTran does the evaluation, creates the report, and sends the report directly to the institution or selected recipients.
It will take them approximately 10 business days (after receiving your documents).
The $150 cost includes:
- Evaluation of official documents
- Description of degrees and documents earned
- U.S. credit and grade equivalent for each course
- U.S. grade point average (GPA) on 4.0 scale
Additional shipping fees may apply. Expedited evaluation and translations are available at additional cost.
Steps:
- Figure out which type of report you need and review the required documents at ece.org
- Follow the steps to apply on the website, submit the required documents, and submit payment
- ECE does the evaluation, creates the report, and sends it back to the student. When applying, the student can select the option of where a copy of the report should be sent. Please ask them to send it back to you, the student, so you can email an electronic copy to us.
- Once you receive the report, email it to us at iehsc@shoreline.edu with your name and SID number in the email.
It will take them approximately 5 business days (after receiving your documents).
$195 for “Course-by-Course” includes:
- U.S. equivalence for each high school credential
- Unit and grade equivalents
- Grade average for each high school credential
Additional shipping fees may apply.
Please Note: FIS is a more expensive option; however, they do typically accept scanned or electronic documents if you are unable to get official physical copies from your high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steps:
- Create an account on the FIS website
- Select 'Course-by-Course evaluation' and submit all required documents
- Submit payment depending on how quickly you need your evaluation
- FIS does the evaluation, creates the report, and sends it to the student or the location indicated on the evaluation request.
It will take them approximately one month to process your request.
$245 for “Course-by-Course” includes:
- Coursework completed
- Equivalent U.S. credit hours per subject
- Equivalent U.S. grade per subject
Additional shipping fees may apply.
Evaluations will also be accepted from any evaluation service that is a member of NACES (the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services).
The above information is subject to change. Please check each company’s website for the most updated information.