If you are wondering whether Oscar Mayer has suddenly taken an interest in postsecondary education, don’t be alarmed. The Bologna Process has nothing to do with sandwiches, and everything to do with universities degree programs in foreign countries. Although this concept is primarily associated with European countries, many other nations have expressed interest or accord.

The Bologna Process is an attempt to standardize Bachelor Degree Programs and Master Degree Programs among European nations. If this becomes reality, this could open the door for other leading countries, including the United States, to follow suit. Evaluation of foreign degrees would become a very simple process, because everyone would have the same amount of education to get their degrees.

Currently, many European students attend high school for 13 years, instead of 12 years as American students do. They, however, are eligible to receive a Bachelor Degree after attending a postsecondary institution for only three years. Degrees from certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, are recognized by the USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) as equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor Degree.

Other countries, however, have 3-year university degree programs that are not always recognized by the U.S. as equal. Countries in this category include India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Even though students who attend universities in these countries do not automatically have the equivalency of a U.S. Bachelor Degree, they may be awarded the U.S. equivalency of their degree in some cases.

Foreign degree programs are complex and often confusing. Finding a foreign credential evaluation agency that can give a good professional evaluation of your degree can be difficult. Do your research, and choose an agency that offers free pre-evaluations, and be sure to shop around for the lowest price. Make sure the agency is experienced, as well. Hint: If they have never heard of the Bologna Process, move on quickly to the next agency!

Have you ever wondered how higher education in the United States stacked up against foreign education credentials? Did it ever cross your mind that someone who graduated from a foreign university might have had more classes and course work than you did in earning the same degree? You may be surprised to learn how your college degree program measures up with regard to international equivalencies.

Some college degree programs in countries such as Pakistan have historically allowed students to complete a Bachelor Degree program in only two years. As the educational system in this country evolves to keep pace with the international community, however, the number of years required to get a Bachelor’s Degree has increased. Understanding how this has changed can be very important to properly evaluating educational credentials.

Many countries, including some European countries, India, and now Pakistan, offer 3-Year Degrees. Many of these programs offer the same number of contact hours as programs in the United States. Some, in fact, offer more course work and hours than American universities do.

Other countries, such as those that were once part of the U.S.S.R., typically provide students with double or more than double the amount of courses and contact hours required for graduation from an accredited degree program in the U.S. Some students who attended college in the Ukraine, the Russian Federation, or Uzbekistan, may earn over 300 credits for a Bachelor Degree.

Overall, though, how do educational programs compare worldwide? The universities in most countries typically recognize the Bachelor and Master’s Degrees offered by other countries. Some European countries have agreed to become part of an organization called the Bologna Process, which is designed to standardize higher education. The United States has not yet committed to this perspective, but developing a standardized system of offering college degrees would certainly help to universalize higher education.

What do you think?

Strangely it depends on where you got that degree and what you are using it for. 

In the US you can take four or more years to complete a degree.  You can also take four or few years  to complete a degree.  I completed my bachelor’s degree in 3.5 years and if I  wanted I could have easily completed it in 3 years.  There are many US online and campus based programs that are designed to complete a bachelor’s degree in 3 years.  It has been reported that it can be completed by testing out in as little as 4 months see www.degree.com/new

However if you are coming in from another country there is  a good deal of  controversy with many universities, educators and  evaluators saying  a bachelor’s degree is or is not eqivalent to a bachelor’s degree.  Certainly the UNESCO guidelines  - which are legally binding - state that.  However this is no guarantee that your non-US bachelor’s degree, even one that represents far more study hours than a US bachelor’s degree will be considered equivalent.  While we as American’s seem to think we are the “gold standard” for world education looking at transcripts knows that many foreign degree holders have worked much harder than  their  conterparts in the US.  For an interesting look at the Indian three year degree see http://degree.com/articles/3-year-indian-degree.html

I have a great deal of difficulty watching intelligent people who worked very hard for their bachelor’s  degree in other countries be told that their degree does not equal a bachelor’s  degree in the US because it did  not take them four years to complete - even though we have many students completing many us programs in less than four years.  To me this is terrible discrimination.