3 Yr UK Degree - acceptance in US

I've decided to bite the bullet and submit a Grad School Application for my Distance MBA.

I have a an undergrad BA Degree which I received while still living in UK. As UK Degrees are only 3yr, will this be considered as a "complete" degree by my US college?

I had my qualifications evaluated by a professional company here in the US, and they said I completed education in the UK equivalent to "undergrad course work" in Business Admin and Public Admin and Management offered by a Reg Accredited University in the US. It mentions my degree is a three year program. There is also a "course by course" page, which gives credits/semester hours equivalents of my Degree and other qualifications (HNC and Undergrad Certificate and Diploma) which total 117 credits.

 

It's the US semester hours that matter, not the number of years. You have 117. A typical US bachelors degree is 120. I don't think most masters programs would worry too much about the missing three hours.

 

As I understand UK students complete 13 years of pre-college education, being the courses taken during the 13th year (6th form) roughly equivalent to the freshman courses in the US.

Is my understanding correct?

 

From what I can gather -

In Scotland we have 7 years "primary education", starting at age 4. We then have 4 mandatory years of "secondary" or "high school" education followed by 2 optional high scool years to study at higher level before entering college. It is normally the Higher level qualifications in the last year or two that provide entry to University (for an undergraduate degree), whereas the qualifications gained in the first 4 years of high school are sufficient to get a place at a community/local college for the equavalent to an Associates Degree course here.

 

I should also add - most UK Degrees are much more specific to the major than here in the US. The foundation courses which US students have to sit which may have no relevance to the major (e.g. a nutrition degree which requires a class in American government) don't happen in the UK. I assume our degree is a year shorter because we do the foundation/general stuff in high school before getting to college.

 

UK degrees are also probably more difficult to study for and obtain, unlike US degrees.

We also probably have better standards and regulatory enforcement than the US.

 

Hi:

UK A and O levels are normally considered equivalent to the 1st year of college in the US. This may also explain the 3 year university degree scheme.

Joi

 

Many UK degrees (example - B.Eng) are actually 4 years, with the third year spent in an industry placement, or I guess 'internship' would be the correct US phrase...

All the best,

Dave C.

 

Mapping the World of Education

This question can easily be solved by viewing the U.S. Department of Education and The National Science Foundations Publication known as Mapping the World of Education .

This publication clearly indicates that, "Code 60 includes some 3-year first degrees, such as certain British and Commonwealth bachelor's degrees," ...

Code 60 :
4-Year Postsecondary Programs and Awards. Postsecondary programs and awards which are designed to represent 4 years of study beyond 12-year secondary awards as operationally defined in CIDS; and which are not second (graduate-level) programs and awards.

United States Eduation catagorizes the following as code 60:

Bachelor of Arts / Science (BA, BS) / [Arts & Sciences, Teacher Education, Special Education, Fine Arts, Music, Performing Arts, Business Administration <various specializations>, Communications, Journalism, Library Science, Engineering Technology, Engineering, Nursing, Allied Health Fields, Pre-Professional <various programs for law, theology, and medical fields>, other fields]


REFERENCE

Hunt,S.E. (June 1996). Mapping The World of Education: The Comparative Database System (Vol. 1, pp.31-32), (Vol. 2, pp.365-372). Retrieved from The U.S. Department of Education & The National Science Foundation on Oct 23rd, 2005, Website: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/mapping/

 

Lisbon Convention

UK Degrees and Diplomas are acknowledged under the Lisbon Recognition Convention. The United States is a signature member of the Lisbon Convention. The Lisbon Convention started as a means of recognition for qualifications concerning higher education in the European Region.

http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/165.htm

What this signature status means is unclear to me. Maybe someone else here can help us on that.