Evaluating International Academic Credentials

This presentation will provide a case study of how World Education Services (WES) has facilitated the academic and professional mobility of individuals trained outside of the United States and Canada into academic and professional settings in these two countries. WES, an international not for profit organization, is North Americas largest international credential evaluation service, and annually evaluates the credentials of more than 55,000 people. It is the only such service operating in both the US and Canada. WES credential evaluation reports are used regularly by thousands of colleges, universities, employers, and licensing boards. The presentation will provide an introduction to WES, an explanation of credential evaluation, and its uses, and an overview of how WES has worked with others to assist them in reviewing international academic credentials. For example, WES works with academic institutions to support their overseas recruitment and admissions processes, and with professional licensing bodies and employers to assist them in understanding and recognizing the education earned abroad of their applicants. The presentation will examine the process of credential evaluation, as well as the challenges and opportunities in the relationships WES has with institutions (e.g. changing government policies related to immigration and foreign students, skilled labour shortages, validation of documents, diploma mills, partnerships with other organizations, and electronic data transfer).