Founded in 1981, International Education Evaluations, Inc. (IEE) provides quality evaluation and assessment services for foreign academic and vocational credentials. IEE evaluations are based on the judgment of highly trained and experienced international credential analysts who have access to an extensive library of both physical and electronic resources. We are members of NACES, NAFSA, AACRAO, and TAICEP. Our evaluations reflect the current policies and standards within the international and comparative education industry as of the date of this evaluation.
Non-binding Nature of Evaluations
IEE evaluations and assessments are advisory in nature and are in no way binding on any institution, agency, or organization, each of which has the authority to make its own decision regarding the educational credentials, grades, and credits described in IEE’s evaluation reports.
Evaluation Approach
The evaluation methodologies used at IEE include both year-counting and benchmarking. Implementation of these is dependent upon the report’s purpose and the receiving organization. IEE will prioritize years of full-time study as foundational to the equivalency determination for immigration and licensure purposes, as well as for reports created for specific colleges and universities which have opted out of benchmarked equivalencies. For most education and employment reports, however, IEE will prioritize academic and professional access, curriculum rigor, and contact hours as central to the equivalency determination.
- Year-Counting:
- This conventional approach to credentials evaluation prioritizes years of full-time study as foundational to the comparison of international qualifications and accepts that an academic year (or term) of full-time study in one country is proportionate to an academic year (or term) of full-time study in another. While it is an oversimplification to reduce the entire evaluation strategy to simply counting the number of years that a program requires, this method certainly gives more weight to calendric measurements of learning.
- Benchmarking:
- This contextual approach to evaluation prioritizes academic and professional access in the comparison of international qualifications and prefers contact hour measurements of learning duration. More importantly, this evaluation strategy accepts that outcomes and achievements in one country are commensurate with outcomes and achievements in another. At the undergraduate level, it gives weight to how specialized and well-prepared students are for further studies or to enter the workforce with advanced skills. Postsecondary credit conversions for benchmarking evaluations rely heavily on the instructional/learning hours of students enrolled in international programs in comparison to the average number of instructional/study hours required by programs offered at the same level in the United States.
Types of Evaluations
- Immigration Report
- States the academic, professional, or vocational education equivalency of the foreign credential. Postsecondary credentials are evaluated using a year-counting approach.
- Military Report
- States the academic, professional, or vocational education equivalency of the foreign credential. Postsecondary credentials are evaluated using a year-counting approach.
- Education Document Report
- States the academic, professional, or vocational education equivalency of the foreign credential. A standard benchmarking approach is used by default, but receiving higher education institutions may opt-out and request year-counting evaluations exclusively.
- Education Document + GPA Report
- States the academic, professional, or vocational education equivalency of the foreign credential and shows an equivalent cumulative grade point average for each credential or level of study. A standard benchmarking approach is used by default, but receiving higher education institutions may opt-out and request year-counting evaluations exclusively.
- Education Course Report
- States the equivalency of the foreign credential, as well as the equivalent credits, grades, and GPA from the foreign transcript. A standard benchmarking approach is used by default, but receiving higher education institutions may opt-out and request year-counting evaluations exclusively.
- Divisional Education Report
- States the equivalency of the foreign credential, as well as the equivalent credits, grades, and GPA from the foreign transcript. Specifies upper-division coursework from lower-division coursework in bachelor degree programs. Postsecondary credentials are evaluated using a year-counting approach.
- Licensure Report
- States the equivalency of the foreign credential, as well as the equivalent credits, grades, and GPA from the foreign transcript. Coursework is organized into subject categories helpful for licensing boards and agencies. The report may include additional information regarding professional access. IEE offers a general licensure report, as well as specialized licensure reports for accounting, teaching, and nursing. Postsecondary credentials are evaluated using a year-counting approach.
Credits
On IEE’s Course Reports, high school credits are reported in Carnegie Units, with 6–8 units generally representing one year of full-time study. Postsecondary units are reported in semester credits, with 30 to 36 credits (semester hours) representing the equivalent of one year of full-time study. Receiving organizations may interpret and apply the credits shown in our reports according to their own institutional policies.
Grades
Foreign grades are converted to the US four-point letter scale (A, B, C, D, F). In some cases, plus (+) and minus (−) grades are used in the converted scale. The number of grade points assigned to each grade is as follows:
| Letter | Grade Points | Letter | Grade Points | Letter | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.00 | A | 4.00 | A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 | B | 3.00 | B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 | C | 2.00 | C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 | D | 1.00 | D- | 0.67 |
| F | 0 |
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The total number of grade points are calculated by multiplying the point value of each course by the credit value of that same course. The GPA is then calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the number of credits attempted. Grades of Pass, AU (Audit), TR (Transfer), W (Withdrawn), EX (Exempted), IP (In Progress), and IC (Incomplete) are not included in a GPA calculation.
Example
- 3 credits with a grade of A (4.0) = 3 x 4 = 12 grade points
- 6 credits with a grade of B (3.0) = 6 x 3 = 18 grade points
- 2 credits with a grade of C (2.0) = 2 x 2 = 4 grade points
- 3 credits with a grade of D (1.0) = 3 x 1 = 3 grade points
- Total number of grade points = 12 + 18 + 4 + 3 = 37
- Total credits attempted = 3 + 6 + 2 + 3 = 14
- Divide the total number of grade points earned by the number of credits attempted: 37 / 14 = 2.64
Extra Copies
You may order an extra copy of your report at www.myiee.org. If your evaluation is older than 1 year a revision fee may apply. If your evaluation is older than 5 years, you must reapply for evaluation.
Documentation Requirements
Please refer to our Documentation Requirements. These vary by country and report type. IEE reserves the right to request additional academic records, official/original academic records, or verification of document authenticity, should it be deemed necessary. IEE reserves the right to refuse service if appropriate documentation is not provided.
MYIEE Institution Portal
If you are an institution of higher education, a licensing agency, an employer, or another organization receiving multiple evaluations, please consider setting up an account at no cost for your institution to receive electronic delivery of future reports from IEE at access.myiee.org.