Request Information
Ready to find out what MSU Denver can do for you? We’ve got you covered.
Have Questions? We have answers.
Contact Us
Did you take college/university courses outside the US?
Courses and degrees that you completed outside of the U.S. might help you earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at MSU Denver. Depending on what courses are needed for the degree you want to receive from MSU Denver, you may be able to receive credit for your previous academic accomplishments so that you do not have to re-take those same courses.
To get started, you may need a credential evaluation report to show the American equivalent of your studies. This process helps the university recognize your academic background and ensures your hard‑earned education is accurately reflected here. The information below explains the types of evaluation reports available and how to obtain one through accredited NACES‑member agencies.
Credential Evaluation Report
A Credential Evaluation Report is a comparison of your international transcripts (either a foreign diploma or degree, or college courses you have completed) to an equivalent degree in the United States. Credential Evaluation Reports can be used to market your skills for employment or to continue your education in the United States. For example, at MSU Denver a Credential Evaluation Report can be used to get credit for courses completed at your international college or university so that you don’t have to take those courses again at MSU Denver.
There are two types of evaluation reports. A course-by-course and Document-by-Document
Course by Course
A course-by-course report identifies and describes each course taken at an international educational institution with an equivalent U.S. semester credit and an equivalent U.S. grade. (See sample report from WES)
Document-by-Document
A document-by-document report simply highlights the U.S. equivalency of an international credential but does not go into detail. This is typically useful to apply for employment. For example, if you apply for a position that requires a Bachelor’s degree, a document-by-document report can be used to suffice such requirement. See sample report from WES.
Obtaining a Credential Evaluation Report
There are several agencies that evaluate academic credentials from foreign universities. However, MSU Denver only accepts evaluation reports issued by agencies that are active members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
To view the official list of accredited members, visit:
👉 www.naces.org
Other Questions
Many employers in the U.S. will accept your degree and/or work experience from your home country! When you are looking for employment on job sites such as Indeed.com or the City & County of Denver’s Job Center, look at the position descriptions to see what qualifications are needed. If the advertised position requires a degree from a U.S. institution, then it will list this requirement. Often, your experience and education from outside the U.S. will be valuable to employers in the U.S., and speaking multiple languages and being familiar with cultures and life in a different country can be a very valuable skills.
It is not possible to transfer an entire degree – to earn a degree from a U.S. institution, you have to graduate from that specific university. At MSU Denver, you can transfer up to 90 credits towards a Bachelor’s degree, which usually requires 120 credits (sometimes more) to complete.
Usually, international transcripts only fulfill elective credits, and we recommend that students with degrees or college courses from abroad work with their academic advisors and department faculty to explore options to potentially receive credits for specific courses.
To have your degree or college courses recognized by MSU Denver, a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts must be completed by a professional transcript evaluation service. (More information about international transcripts and U.S. Credential Evaluation Reports below.) The service agency must be a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and we suggest that you choose a service that can send us a copy of your verified transcript(s) together with the evaluation report, such as WES ICAP or ECE. If you do not wish to transfer your international credentials for completion of an undergraduate degree at MSU Denver, or do not intend to apply to a master program at this time, we do not require a Credential Evaluation Report.
If the evaluation service does not send us your verified academic documents, then the college or university must directly send us your official academic records. Official transcripts must be sent directly to MSU Denver by the issuing institution: [email protected]
For some exceptions (especially for individuals who were educated in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, or Venezuela), please see below.
International transcripts are records of the classes or degrees you have completed at a university outside of the U.S. A transcript is usually provided by the university or school that you attended in your home country. “Official transcripts” must come directly from the school; “unofficial transcripts” are school records that you provide yourself. Depending on what you want to do with those records, a U.S. university or employer may ask for official (as well as translated and evaluated) transcripts, also called a U.S. Credential Evaluation Report.
If you were educated in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela, and the university where you completed coursework or earned your degree has closed or cannot be contacted anymore, then you may be able to use the WES Gateway Program to have your transcripts evaluated, but you will need access to unofficial transcripts – in other words, you will need to possess at least one piece of credible evidence of your degree or coursework by your previous academic institution.