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"Degrees & Programs"

Foreign Education

We offer a variety of services specifically designed to assist our community of students who’ve previously attended educational institutions outside the United States.

You may qualify for these services if you meet one or more of the following requirements:

  • You attended or completed high school or post secondary education outside of the United States.
  • You've completed or taken courses at the diploma, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or certificate level from an approved educational institution outside of the United States.
  • You’ve earned post-secondary level credits from an educational institution outside of the United States through a U.S. based college-level Study Abroad Program.
  • You’re in the United States on a valid Visa that does not prohibit educational studies. Talk with an Enrollment Representative to find out acceptable Visa types.

We’re proud to be the largest private university with a Graduation Team. This team is in place to assist students with credits or educational experience from institutions outside the U.S in the areas of enrollment, finance, and academics. In addition to our personalized support, we also offer the following specialized services to our students with foreign credentials:

  • Assistance with previous academic experience earned outside of the U.S. and university transcript evaluations.
  • Facilitation of translations for non-English transcripts. Transcripts in Spanish & French are translated free of charge.
  • Offering an online English proficiency exam through Berlitz™ with no pre-registration required and immediate results upon completion.
  • Offering potential opportunities for students who demonstrate fluency in a foreign language to earn university credit through completion of national testing programs such as Berlitz and CLEP.

Each degree program has specific requirements that you must meet in order to gain admission. For students who’ve attended educational institutions outside of the United States and are in the United States on a Visa, there may be additional admission eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet. Please contact an Enrollment Representative to learn more about this requirement.

Applicants who reside in the United States must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Be a legal resident of the United States.
  • Have been granted permanent residency.
  • Have a valid Visa that does not prohibit educational studies.
  • Have been granted temporary protected status along with an approved Notice of Action issued by Citizen Immigration Services and verified through CIS Form G-845.
  • Have been granted asylum along with the approved Notice of Action issued by Citizen Immigration Services.
  • Employees who are sponsored on work visas by participating companies may be eligible for admission.
  • Spouses who accompany employees on sponsored visas may attend classes at the university if they meet the admissions requirements.
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English Language Proficiency Exam

For students who need an English language proficiency exam, we’ve partnered with Berlitz™ Online to provide online testing.

The test is administered directly by University of Phoenix through a user-friendly website and can be taken online at any time. It’s comprised of listening comprehension and reading comprehension questions. The Berlitz exam provides instant results, which will automatically be transmitted to the University.

We also provide students with technical support for any computer difficulties encountered while taking the test. Once you purchase admission to the test, you’ll have up to three months to prepare and take the English Proficiency Test.

The test is based on the Common European Framework, a proficiency scale developed by a group of universities and academic experts under the European Union (EU) authorization. The requirements for passing the test are similar to the TOEFL requirements. Register here for the English proficiency test, and feel free to contact your Enrollment Representative with any questions.

The English Proficiency admission requirement may also be fulfilled by passing one of the following examinations within two years prior to enrolling in University of Phoenix courses: TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, or the Pearson Test of English Academic exam.

Evaluation & Translation Services

We offer internal and external evaluation and translation resources designed to help you sort through your credentials and determine which ones can be potentially used towards a University of Phoenix program. Trained professionals provide personalized services to address your evaluation and translation needs.

Foreign Transcript Evaluation

We provide complimentary in-house credential evaluation services for many countries outside of the United States. We are also proud to offer transcript translation services for Spanish and French language-based transcripts. For transcripts which we are not able to evaluate in-house, we have partnered with several outside evaluation firms that offer our students discounted rates for evaluation services. We diligently work with our students to ensure that all their evaluation and translation needs are professionally handled. For a complete listing of our partnering evaluation firms, please contact your Enrollment Representative.

FAQs – Students with Educational Background from Abroad

University of Phoenix accepts transfer coursework or credits from recognized post-secondary institutions from all over the world, in accordance with our transfer policies. Undergraduate students also have the possible option of earning college credit through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). With PLA, students can earn credits for professional trainings or certifications which may apply toward your general education or elective undergraduate degree requirements.

No, you do not. Our Enrollment Representatives will help to facilitate the evaluation process either through the Office of Admissions and Evaluation at the university, or through one of the professional and reputable evaluation companies we have partnered with.

If your transcripts were evaluated by an approved University of Phoenix evaluation firm and the evaluation was completed within one year of your application, it can be considered for admissions purposes. Please note that in most cases you will still be required to submit an official copy of your academic credentials for verification purposes.

If you don’t have appropriate previous academic experience in an English language environment you may be required to take an English proficiency exam for admissions. We’ve simplified this process by partnering with Berlitz™ to create and support an English language proficiency exam that can be taken completely online with results available immediately upon completion.

Applicants that have completed high school outside the U.S., in a country where English is not the official language, can meet the English Proficiency admission requirement by passing one of the following examinations within two years prior to enrolling in University of Phoenix courses:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
    • Achieved a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based test (cBT),
    • Achieved a minimum score of 79 on the internet-based test (iBT),
  • Test of English as an International Communication (TOEIC)
    • Achieved a minimum score of 750
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
    • Achieved a minimum passing score of 6.5
  • Berlitz Online English Proficiency Exam
    • Achieved a minimum score of 69
  • Pearson Test of English Academic Exam
    • Achieved a minimum score of 59

An exception to English Proficiency requirements may be granted in the following cases:

  • The applicant has successfully completed the equivalent of thirty (30) transferable, academic semester credits at a recognized college or university in a country in which English is the official language.
  • The applicant has successfully completed the equivalent of thirty (30) transferable, academic semester credits at a recognized institution where English is the sole medium of instruction.
  • The applicant has successfully completed thirty (30) transferable, academic semester credits at an institutionally accredited college or university in the United States.

Yes, through national testing programs such as Berlitz™ and CLEP, you may be eligible to take a language based examination for credit towards undergraduate degree requirements. These tests are available in a multitude of languages and depending on your test scores, may allow you to earn additional college credits that can be applied towards an associate or bachelor level degree program. Contact your Enrollment Representative for additional information regarding this process.

No. Eligible Non-U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent resident card holders pay the same price for tuition as students who are U.S. citizens.

University of Phoenix is known throughout the world for providing high quality, workforce relevant higher education to working adults. University of Phoenix, with its over 30 year history and proven commitment to student excellence, has grown to be the largest private university in the United States.

That depends on the employer. In today’s changing educational environment, many more universities, even traditional ground universities are offering more and more classes online. In fact, many employers are helping their staff to attain degrees online or on-campus.

University of Phoenix has forged alliances with hundreds of companies worldwide that pay for their employees to take courses with the University online and on-campus. Students may consult their Human Resources department to see if your employer offers this type of benefit to employees.

Talk to representatives of the field you would like to go into for an idea of what types of education are accepted in your country or wherever you anticipate working.

When you choose to attend the University of Phoenix, you’re committing to a high quality educational experience whether you choose to attend classes online or at one of our campus locations across the United States.

While the content and curriculum are the same, online learning offers students a unique convenience and flexibility that is not found in traditional campus based learning environments. Students who choose to attend courses online use the same curriculum and have the same course work requirements as their counterparts at ground campuses.

Start a conversation about your future with an enrollment representative today

Start a conversation about your future with an enrollment representative today

Call (844) 937-8679 Start chatting now
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