When comparing education between two systems, it can be easy for things to get lost in translation. The same word or phrase might describe two different credentials or educational experiences, which can vary significantly.To be more certain of what results to expect, be it for a client, a prospective student, a candidate for employment, a licensure applicant or for yourself, this article will explain the meaning of credential-related terms in the United States, from levels of education to the credential or qualification titles themselves, found on educational evaluations done by IEE for the purpose of obtaining a US equivalency.
Understanding Qualification Frameworks
Often, countries and regions formally divide education into several levels with specific qualifications at each level. These are called qualification frameworks, which describe levels, learning outcomes, competencies, and eligibility for higher levels of education. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and South Africa have national frameworks defining educational credentials. Meanwhile, many European nations participate in the European Qualifications Framework, an educational structure across the continent ensuring easy comparability between credentials from all nations involved. Credential evaluation agencies like IEE use these frameworks to guide their policy, decisions and equivalency recommendations.
As for the United States, while education is largely decentralized, it is typically divided into elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels.
United States Elementary and Middle School Education
Many countries have anywhere between 6 and 10 years of elementary and lower secondary education. In the United States, students across the nation typically take 5 years of elementary school, followed by 3 years of middle school. Elementary school is often called primary school in countries like the United Kingdom or Foundation and Intermediate Phase in South Africa. Middle school, meanwhile, has also been called junior high or lower secondary school. Upon completion of Grade 8, students in the United States receive a diploma and move on to high school.
High School Education in the US
High school is compulsory for all in the United States. It lasts 4 years, which are divided into Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. Requirements regarding credits, coursework and examinations are regulated by the state governments. The completed credential name is usually High School Diploma. This is the common secondary-level exit qualification in the United States, and it is often a requirement for basic employment in many sectors. The United States has secondary-level vocational training programs as well, in which students are educated in a trade and often move directly into employment or apprenticeships upon completion.
To provide more specialized academic knowledge or expertise, as well as possibility of career advancement, individuals often move on to higher education, which is also a prerequisite for many jobs.
Post-Secondary Education Levels
Like many other countries, the United States has 3 common levels of post-secondary, or higher, education.
Undergraduate Education
The first level is called undergraduate; some countries in Europe call this first cycle. This level of education begins after the completion of secondary education. These are taken at universities, colleges and other types of higher educational institutions, or “HEIs” for short.
In the United States, complete undergraduate education takes 4 years (specifically 120 credits usually taken over 4 years) before a qualification is awarded. This qualification is called a Bachelor’s Degree. Titles used often include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration.
Many countries in the Spanish-speaking world have a secondary-level qualification called a Bachiller or Bachillerato; although this has the same linguistic root, this is secondary-level in those countries, not university level. Additionally, many countries have undergraduate credentials with names similar to those in the United States—from the Brazilian Bacharel to the Russian-style Bakalavr, as well as English-language ‘Bachelor’ degrees found across East Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Anglophone Africa. In some cases, these credentials have qualities that allow credential evaluators to simply equate them to the US bachelor’s degree; this includes criteria like duration, instructional hours and access after graduation, among others. For more information about the evaluation of bachelor’s degrees that don’t perfectly match the US bachelor’s degree duration, please see our White Paper about benchmark and year-count methodology.
As another undergraduate option, individuals in the United States can receive an Associate’s Degree after 2 years; however, this is often taken at a community college or junior college, and it also allows students to begin their Bachelor’s Degree in Year 3 when they’re ready. The completed credential title can be Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science and others.
Another term that appears across the world is a variation of the Licentiate. This term can be seen in many French-speaking systems (Lisans) as well as countries from Turkey (Lisans Diploması) to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking lands (Licenciatura or Licenciada). In some cases, this is the first cycle, or undergraduate, degree in the country, like the US bachelor’s degree. In other cases, it can indicate that an individual has both the necessary educational training and the right to practice a certain profession associated with the subject of education; after all, it sounds very similar to the English word “license.” However, a license in the United States is not an academic degree, but rather a permit from the government that allows the individual to work in a regulated field, such as dentistry, law, real estate or accounting. Professions requiring a license vary by state, and professional licensure is often pursued via the state or local authority after the completion of education; rather than coming automatically as a result of earning a degree, the individual often must take examinations and go through an application process managed by the regulator. Credential evaluators like IEE can produce reports for the purpose of obtaining such a license from state boards, including in nursing and teaching.
Graduate Education
Once the bachelor’s degree is received, an individual can continue to the next level of education, which is called ‘graduate level’ in the United States; this is also referred to as second cycle. This term ‘graduate’ is often used in other countries, but the level and scope are not the same as in the United States. For example, Australia has Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas after their 3-year bachelor’s degrees, while Ontario, Canada has College Graduate Certificates and College Graduate Diplomas that mirror American undergraduate credentials.
In the United States, the most common ‘graduate level’ credential is the Master’s Degree, and it usually involves research, a thesis, and advanced, specialized coursework in a particular subject. Some examples of master’s degree titles include Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration and Master of Education, among others. While these credential names may be used in other countries as well, the name of the credential alone cannot guarantee equivalency, as there are numerous other factors considered when recommending equivalencies, such as duration, entry requirements and more. Terms frequently cannot be used interchangeably, even among countries that use the same languages.
Another graduate-level credential is called a “Graduate Certificate”; this is a shorter program, usually lasting between 1 semester and 1 full year. A 4-year bachelor’s degree is required in order to participate. Many countries have a similarly functioning credential, such as the British or Pakistani Postgraduate Diploma, the Brazilian Pós-graduaçãõ credentials or the Spanish Título Propio Máster diplomas. These programs generally do not equate to a complete Master’s Degree in the United States.
Doctoral Education
Completion of the master’s degree grants access to the third level of education in the United States: doctoral. After research, a dissertation, and a defense, the individual receives a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or another doctoral degree, allowing them to become experts and contributors in their field.
First professional degrees
A last credential-related term that may appear on a report is “First professional degree.” Unlike most countries, the United States requires a 4-year undergraduate degree (bachelor’s degree) before professional education in law, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and other fields takes place. As they come after the bachelor’s degree (plus an application process and an examination like the MCAT in medicine or LSAT in law), these credentials are graduate-level. Once education in these professional fields is complete, individuals can seek licensure and practice as attorneys, physicians, and so on. However, in most countries, the process begins immediately in first cycle, undergraduate education; in law, this credential is often called Bachelor of Laws, while medical credentials are often called Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in English. Since high school is the admission requirement for this program, and students are prepared to become licensed professionals in these fields, “first professional degree” is often used as an equivalency in credential evaluations.
Conclusion on Credential Terms
The goal of credential evaluation is to define accomplishments of individuals from across the world into terms that entities in the United States use. IEE considers various aspects of an individual’s achievements before declaring an equivalency. With all that being said, the literal words used in one country may not mean the same thing in the United States. Therefore, we hope this article has given you a better understanding of how educational terms are utilized on credential reports, education settings and in broader society in the United States.
