Procedure for International Credit Evaluation
Students who attended schools outside of the United States and wish to attend University of the Pacific must go through a four step process:
- Transcript Evaluation
- Translating Transcripts
- Submitting Official Transcripts
- Submitting Translated Course Descriptions
Transcript Evaluation
International students who attended schools outside of the United States must submit an evaluation of academic records, and this evaluation must be based on official transcripts. The University of the Pacific currently accepts evaluations from the following agencies:
- World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
- Foundation for International Services, Inc. (FIS)
Note: We will only allow evaluations done on photocopied transcripts on a case-by-case basis. - International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- Transcript Research
- Joseph Silny & Associates
Please request a course-by-course evaluation including a grade point average (GPA). Official copies of the evaluation should be sent directly to University of the Pacific's Office of Admission. Your transcripts must be translated into English before an evaluation can be processed. The educational documentation you will need to submit to these agencies may vary based on the country of study, as well as the highest level of education you have completed outside of the United States. We recommend that you visit the website of your preferred agency to obtain information about what types of documentation are required for submission in order to obtain an evaluation report. Credit will not be allowed in transfer from any school, foreign or domestic, for coursework in English taught as a second language or intended to develop fluency. Learn more about transferring coursework to Pacific here.
If you are applying to a graduate program, the final evaluation transcript must show an awarded degree equivalent to a bachelor's degree or higher.
Translating Official Transcripts
Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation. Many schools will be able to accommodate your request to have your transcripts issued in English. If your school is unable to issue official transcripts in English:
- You may take your transcripts and diploma/proof of degree to the appropriate verifying institution (i.e. Educational Ministry) to have them translated and notarized. The institution can then send those documents directly to the evaluation service in a sealed, preferably signed envelope. If the institution will only release the verification to you, please request that they put it in a sealed envelope so that you can forward that envelope directly to the evaluation provider; DO NOT open the envelope as that will void the verification. The documents must be received in their original sealed envelope to be considered official.
- You may submit your transcripts to a translation service. The translation service can then send those documents directly to the evaluation provider in a sealed, preferably signed envelope. If they send the translation to you, it must be forwarded to the evaluation service in its original sealed state. Again, DO NOT open the envelope as that will void the translation; the documents must be sealed to be considered official. You should also request that an official copy (in your native language) accompany the translation so they can compare the original to the translation.
Submitting Official Transcripts
Submit all official transcripts from all the schools you have previously attended (secondary, post-secondary, college, university, etc.) showing the work you have completed to date. If you are currently in any courses that you have not completed you may submit an official transcript containing these courses listed as In Progress. Once you have completed these courses, you must submit another transcript with these courses completed and graded. These documents are acceptable for admissions evaluating purposes. To be considered "official" your transcripts must remain sealed by the issuing university. If your university does not seal their transcripts as a standard procedure, please request that they place your transcripts in a sealed university envelope and stamp the outside flap with their school seal. Forward these documents directly to the application system; please do not open the envelope as this will void the transcripts.
Submitting Translated Course Descriptions
Students who attended universities outside of the United States must also submit course descriptions of their completed university work. The course descriptions must come from either the school's website or official catalog, and if not in English, they must include translations into English. Please send the course descriptions to Office of Admission.