Determining if transfer credit should be granted for courses taken internationally is both an art and a science. The art shows what is unique about the course or program, while the science determines how they are similar or comparable to U.S. courses.
The questions that need to be addressed when determining international transfer credit range from what level of credit should be granted (high school, university, post-graduate), to how much credit should be awarded (how many semester hours or credits), to how grades are transferred.
Two main methods for determining level of comparability are year counting (four years of university in the U.S. while some countries have three or five years for the typical university degree) and benchmarks (meaning that a first university degree is roughly comparable to a bachelor’s degree). Most evaluators use a hybrid of these two systems.
When completing an evaluation, it is important to understand the other country’s education system. Many countries have national accreditation boards. There are also frequently national guidelines to help understand grading systems, entry requirements, and degree requirements. In the absence of these guidelines, a determination must be made about how to acquire the necessary information to determine comparability. If course descriptions or syllabi aren’t available in English, schools or evaluators need to determine if students should be permitted to self-report courses.
A few situations related to international transfer may at first be overlooked, including ESL courses and study abroad. Typically, ESL courses aren’t awarded international transfer credit. Generally, when students study abroad through programs organized or run by their school, they don’t need to be considered for international transfer credit. However, if they study abroad outside of their institution’s established programs, they need to work with their school to determine if international transfer credit should be awarded.
For more on international transfer credit, pick up a copy of The Transfer Handbook: Promoting Student Success.