Shoreline Community College students who have completed university-level credits at an institution outside the United States may be able to apply some of those credits towards a Shoreline degree or certificate.

Credential Request form

A request for an evaluation of international coursework should be made during your first quarter of study at Shoreline, as the process can take a considerable amount of time. Evaluations will generally not be done until you have enrolled at Shoreline and have met with an advisor to determine your academic plans and course of study.

Please be aware that you should not request an evaluation if you do not plan to complete a Shoreline Community College degree or certificate. The evaluation done by our staff is for the purpose of application to a Shoreline degree or certificate only, and will not be of any use to you unless you intend to complete a program of study here.

The following are some basic guidelines regarding the transfer of international coursework to Shoreline Community College:

• Credits will not be accepted from a school or institution that is not recognized by the local Ministry of Education (or equivalent). Credits will also not be accepted unless they are considered "university-level" within the original educational system.

• Coursework in English or ESL is not transferable unless it was completed in a country where English is considered the native language (U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada). The exception is English literature, which is generally transferable.

• Instruction in a particular religious doctrine or political ideology is not transferable in most cases (i.e. “The Teachings of Dr. Sun-Yat Sen” from a Taiwanese institution, “Christian Studies 1” from a Christian college or university). Comparative religion classes generally are transferable.

• Students intending to complete a professional/technical degree or certificate at Shoreline should be aware that very few (if any) transfer credits will apply toward that degree or certificate. [While the credits may be generally transferable and acceptable to the College, they usually will not meet the very specific course requirements of a technical program.]

• Credits will be calculated to conform to the structure of the U.S. quarter system. The definition of a "quarter" or "semester" credit in another country is not necessarily the same as the U.S. definition.

• Generally, for "standard" academic courses (i.e. "Introduction to Psychology"), it is not necessary to provide individual course descriptions or syllabi. However, in some instances, course descriptions may be requested by the evaluator in order to determine the transferability and applicability to a Shoreline degree or certificate.

• Only original evaluation documents will be accepted.

The process for having your international credentials evaluated is as follows:

1. First, have your academic records translated into English. If your records have already been translated and notarized by a translation service in your country of origin or in the United States, that translation is acceptable. Otherwise, the attached list of professional translating services should assist you with this process. We cannot accept translations that have been done by you; the translator must be a trained and certified professional. The cost of translation is estimated to be $40.00 minimum for 200 words or less; more than 200 words will cost an additional $25 – 35.00 per 100 words.
   
   
2. Next, you will need to have a “course-by-course” evaluation done by an international credential evaluation service. This evaluation provides Shoreline with two important pieces of information: first, it tells us whether or not the institution is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education or other accrediting body in your country; and second, it tells us whether each class was considered “college-level”. The evaluation also will indicate the value of the credits earned according to the U.S. quarter system. Again, there is a list attached of international credential evaluation services. Evaluations generally cost between $125-200.00 per degree being evaluated.
   
3. You should expect the process of having your records translated and evaluated to take 8-10 weeks in total. Translation generally takes 1-2 weeks, depending on the document. The course-by-course evaluation may take up to 8 weeks.
   
4. Once the course-by-course evaluation has been completed, please bring an official copy with the attached “Request For International Transfer Credit” form to Shoreline Community College’s International Programs. The courses included in the evaluation will then be placed into the degree requirements for your particular course of study. Once this process has been completed, a copy will be sent to you. If more information is needed during Shoreline’s evaluation process, you will be contacted. Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for this final step in transferring your credits to Shoreline Community College.

Please address any questions or evaluation requests to:

Lisa Hirayama
International Programs
Shoreline Community College
(206) 546-4508 (email:lhirayam@shoreline.edu)

Resources

Translation Services

American Cultural Exchange
200 W. Mercer Street, Suite 504
Seattle, WA 98119
Tel: (206) 281-8200/fax: (206) 281-0252
Web site: http://www.cultural.org

Foundation For International Services
14926 35 th Avenue West, Suite 210
Lynnwood , WA 98087 USA
Phone (425) 248-2255 Fax (425) 248-2262 
Website: www.fis-web.com
Email: info@fis-web.com

Washington Academy of Languages
98 Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: (206)682-4463/fax: (206)224-7927
Web site: http://www.wal.org

International Credential Evaluation Services

Foundation For International Services
14926 35 th Avenue West, Suite 210
Lynnwood , WA 98087 USA
Phone (425) 248-2255 Fax (425) 248-2262 
Website: www.fis-web.com
Email: info@fis-web.com

AACRAO – Office of International Education Services
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 520
Washington DC 20036-1135
Tel: (202) 296-3359
Fax: (202) 872-8857
Email: oies@aacrao.org
Website: www.aacrao.org

(Evaluations will also be accepted from any evaluation service that is a member of NACES (the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services).