Mesa State's Policy on Accepting
Educational Documents from International Schools

Terminology: "Secondary or high school" is the educational level achieved before attending a college or university. "Post secondary school" is any school or training received after completion of secondary school. "Transcript" refers to a course list, grade list, mark book or other document detailing classes and grades. "Degree" may refer to a certificate, diploma or other verification of completion of a program. "Transfer credit" refers to acceptance of a course from the international school to satisfy a requirement in a Mesa State degree program.

What documents must I submit?

• Whenever possible, official documents should be sent directly to Mesa State College from the prior institution. When this is not possible but the applicant has an original copy of his/her own, it can be witnessed, copied and identified by designated personnel.
• Photocopies presented by the applicant are not acceptable.
• Only original documents or authenticated copies are usable for admission and transfer credit decisions.

Must the documents be in English?

Many countries issue education documents in English. The English language version must be submitted from these countries. Documents submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official, verified translation.

• A verified translation is done by a company or organization or person that offers professional translation services.
• Translations done by the applicant, friend or relative, etc. are not acceptable.
• It is not the responsibility of Mesa State College to translate documents.

Who do I talk to about submitting documents?

Both secondary school and post-secondary school transcripts and other required educational documents are reviewed for admission by the International Student Office, even when the applicant is a legal immigrant or a citizen. Authentication of documents and assessment of the institution and its grading system are done prior to the admission decision.

Can I talk to someone about receiving transfer credit?

Post-secondary school transcripts, degrees and related documents are reviewed for possible transfer credit in the Transfer Services Center. This is called in-house evaluation.

• Due to the research time required in preparation, preliminary evaluations are not done for non-applicant prospective students having international documents. Non-applicant students can receive general advice about transfer policies and program requirements.
• For certain professional degrees and licenses, see the policy given below.

How is the decision on transfer credit made?

In-house evaluation of post-secondary schooling consists of the following:

• Determination of school recognition (by government organization or other acceptable oversight organization) within that country; level and type of school; credit unit system and grades/marks system; degree or other award; program contents and requirements.
• Students requesting acceptance of specific courses should be prepared to provide official information on course contents.
• A report on all of the above items and recommendation of any transfer credit is then sent to the Registrar.

Can I have an educational evaluation done by a professional evaluation service instead?

Mesa State will accept an evaluation done by a professional service. The evaluation conclusions provided by these services are recommendations and will be considered but Mesa State will still make the final determination.

• Only original professional evaluations addressed to Mesa State College are accepted.
• These services are offered by a number of companies. Many have membership in an accrediting organization and have sliding fee structures.
• Mesa State does not endorse any one company but can provide a list of suggested evaluation organizations. If an evaluation service is selected that is not on this list, the applicant should check with Mesa State to be sure that their selection is an acceptable licensed service.

Does the Mesa State evaluation cover professional degrees or licenses from other countries?

No, Mesa State reserves the right to require that professional evaluations be done for select programs. An evaluation from a professional evaluation service is strongly advised for any applicant to Mesa State degree programs leading to professional licensure, such as Nursing and Teaching. This is especially recommended for applicants who hold teaching or medical licensure or titles from another country.