Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition
The United States is a federal republic with a decentralized system of education. Degree, diploma, and credit recognition are not performed or regulated by the federal government. Recognition is not usually done by state or local governments, either, except in the case of professional licensure. Instead, the federal government and other levels of government rely on, and recognize, the evaluations of foreign academic, professional, and vocational credentials performed by the delegated competent authorities at the institutional level and in the private sector.
Credential Evaluation Services
Not all U.S. institutions, employers, and licensing authorities perform evaluations of non-U.S. diplomas, credits, or qualifications. In many cases this work is delegated to private credential evaluation services and the resulting evaluations are recognized as valid.
If you are told that you need to have your academic or professional qualifications evaluated by someone other than the institution, employer, or licensing authority to which you are applying, there are several possible sources of information.
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Office of International Education Services (AACRAO-OIES) is the national professional association for university registrars and admissions staffs. It provides credential evaluation services to institutions and individuals.
Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) is a California-based organization of credential evaluating services and consultants.