Download Admissions wRAP Up

Volume 4, Issue 1
NAFSA: ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS
February 2007
ADMISSIONS WRAP UP
A NEWSLETTER FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS AND RECRUITING
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Rap
3
Saudi Educational
System
5
Saudi Perspective on
Studying in America
20
The Saudi Scholarship
Program
22
The View from Out
Here
264
Letter to the Editor
28
Credentials
Evaluation: Saudi
Arabia
31
Featured credentials
evaluation in this
issue:
Saudi
Arabia
This publication has been developed by
NAFSA members for use by their colleagues.
No
part
of
this
newsletter
may
be
reproduced without written permission from
NAFSA:
Association
of
International
Admissions Coordinator Update
By Marybeth Gruenewald
Happy New Year to all of you. Recently, your RAP Team members met in
Washington D.C. for NAFSA Winter Leadership Meetings. During the course
of the weekend, we examined our completed tasks for 2006 and created a
new work plan for 2007. A number of our RAP team members rotated off
the team at the of December 2006. Our new team members as of
January2007 are:
• Admissions and Credential Evaluation Network Manager: Wade Bird
from Seattle University ([email protected])
•
Overseas Educational Advising Network Manager: Mardi Klein from
Emerson College ([email protected])
•
English Language Training & Administration Coordinator: Kelly Franklin
of Maryville College ([email protected])
•
English Language Training & Administration Network Manager: William
Fish
of
the
Washington
International
Education
Council
([email protected])
•
Sponsored Program Administration Coordinator: Christopher Bramwell
of AMIDEAST ([email protected])
•
Information Management Coordinator:
University ([email protected])
•
Marketing and Recruitment Network Manager: Cheryl Darrup-Boychuck
of usjournal.com ([email protected])
John
Eriksen
of
Bryant
I urge you to visit the Recruitment, Admissions, & Preparation Knowledge
Community at http://www.nafsa.org/knowledge_community_network.sec/
recruitment_admissions. Sign up for the networks that interest you and
take advantage of the resources available. Please email your RAP Team
members if you have ideas for publications, training programs, or RAP hot
issues of major importance to you.
Educators.
The opinions expressed in Admissions wRap
Your RAP representative to the Annual Conference Committee for 2008 (to
be held in Washington D.C.) is Nancy Katz, our current Admissions wRAPdo not necessarily reflect those of NAFSA:
UP Credential Section Editor. She will have a busy year ahead filled with
Association of International Educators.
Admissions wRap Up and NAFSA neither
RAP conference subcommittee meetings, deadlines, and session &
endorse nor are responsible for the
workshop proposals to review. This is her last wRAP-UP newsletter as an
accuracy
of content and/or opinions
editor. After this issue, our Credentials Section will have two new
expressed.
Page Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
Up solely reflect those of the authors and
(Admissions Coordinator - continued from page 1)
volunteers: the Credential Editor will be Peggy
Bell Hendrickson of the University of North Texas,
and her partner as Document Specialist will be
Emily Tse of International Education Research
Foundation, Inc. (IERF). We extend our thanks to
Nancy for all of her hard work during these last
few years. Nancy, you have helped the wRAP-Up
newsletter become one of the top downloads on
the NAFSA website. We welcome Peggy and Emily
to the newsletter team!
A Fair Alliance
Many of you attend the NAFSA annual national
conference and are able to meet our
EducationUSA Advisors at the Embassy/Country
Fair. This fair is a great opportunity to pick up
resources from the overseas advisor, including
lists of recognized higher educational institutions,
educational ladders, overviews of educational
credentials, etc., which we can take back to our
offices and immediately use to help us in our
admissions and credential evaluation decisions.
The overseas advisors come from near and far,
and this travel can be a huge expense for them.
They work in offices with small budgets and large
demands. The NAFSA national RAP team has
created a partnership opportunity for United
States
institutions,
credential
evaluation
organizations, campus recruiters, and other
interested groups. A Fair Alliance will partner an
Page 2 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
overseas educational advisor with a U.S.
counterpart.
In advance of the upcoming
conference in Minneapolis, we are asking for
volunteers from the United States to partner
with an overseas advisor. About one month
before the conference, the overseas advisor will
email their Embassy/Country Fair handouts to
their U.S. partner. The advisor will limit their
Country Fair handouts to a few pages, and the
U.S. partner will have copies made of the
handout. Each advisor and his or her U.S.
partner can decide on the number of copies to
be made as well as where to meet to make the
exchange before the Fair. It will be easy for the
U.S. partners to have the photocopying done,
and then send the handouts to their conference
hotel. Most importantly, it will cut down on the
photocopying expenses that Overseas Advisors
have in advance of the conference.
If you want to volunteer, please send a brief
email
to
RAP’s
Admissions
Coordinator,
Marybeth Gruenewald ([email protected]) with
the words A FAIR ALLIANCE in the email subject
line.
Marybeth Gruenewald is the Admissions Coordinator for
the Recruitment, Admission and Preparation Knowledge
Community
Editor’s
Rap
By Steven Shaw, University at Buffalo
The other day, I received a call from a colleague
asking if I knew of some magic formula to
predict where the next wave of international
students would be coming from or if there was
at least some way to identify where to invest
scarce recruitment dollars. As you can probably
guess, we came to the obvious conclusion that
there is not a “magic formula” and that maybe
the most we can hope for is to figure out which
resources and tools might best help us with the
latter question.
This
concern
about
understanding
our
international student markets and our market
shares is not an idle one. With increased global
competition and greater student choice, few
schools can sit back and say, “Well, if it shrinks
there, we’ll probably see the numbers made up
from somewhere else.”
If we take that
approach, we risk losing students. Institutions
need to plan ahead, understand global markets
and wisely invest recruitment dollars.
This
requires that we understand our primary
markets, secondary markets, and “diversity” or
“fringe” markets.
You don’t have to look very far back in our
history to observe the phenomenal growth of
international student enrollments in the US and
how quickly the order of the “sending countries”
can change. What was once a primary market
can quickly become a fringe market.
I’m sure you can probably name the top five
countries of origin (“sending countries”) of
international students to the US for 2005-06
(India, China, Korea, Japan and Canada, in case
you’ve forgotten). But what about from 1994?
Or 1982? Or 1973? Give it a try – no cheating,
but you can check at the end of this article for
the answers. (Source: Institute of International
Education’s “Open Doors” annual reports)
Okay – so you looked. Me, too (and truth be
told, I feel good if I can remember the order
from a couple of years ago let alone a couple of
decades ago).
As we engage in this little memory exercise, I’d
like us to consider the following. What factors
contributed to those countries being “top
Page 3 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
senders” in those years? Were they external or
internal factors? Did we have any control over
the matter or did we just take what we could
get? Are these kinds of data useful in helping
us understand future-oriented trends or do they
just provide us with an ex post facto view?
Let’s take the case of Iran. For many years,
Iran was one of the top sending countries of
students to the US. In 1979-80, it was #1 with
51,310 students studying in the US; by 1984-85
the number was down to 16,640 (#6); ten
years after being at the zenith, Iran had 7,440
students in the US and today (2005-06) it’s
down to 2,420 (#42).
Why was it the #1
sending country for a number of years? And
why did it drop off of our map so suddenly and
precipitously?
While it’s dangerous to say that any one factor
is the cause for an outcome, in the case of Iran
it can be argued that both the rise and decline
of the number of Iranian students coming to
study in the US was closely linked to the
political and diplomatic relationship between
Iran and the US. Prior to 1979, the US and Iran
were close allies. In 1979, the Iran Hostage
Crisis occurred (in which Americans were taken
hostage and held for 444 days before being
released) and diplomatic relations were severed.
So in 1979 – 1980, in the case of Iran, it
probably was not rocket science for any US
school to predict that the number of Iranians
coming to the US for study would drop
precipitously.
Let’s take a look at China. Could we have
predicted back in the early 1980s (when
Chinese enrollment at schools in the US was
less than 5,000) that China would be the #1
sending country by the early 1990s and hit a
high enrollment of nearly 65,000 in 2002-03 (a
growth of more than 13-fold)? Could we have
looked at the political situation and diplomatic
relationships with the US? Perhaps, but it would
have proved a bit tricky. We had a warming of
relations in the early 1980s followed by a
cooling after the events at Tiananmen Square
and followed again by a gradual warming.
Maybe the 1991 bid for hosting the 2000
Olympics in which China came in second (with
only two votes shy of first-place Sydney) was an
early indicator of a new openness and potential
for growth in student mobility.
Or maybe
China’s interest in joining the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the
(Continued on page 4)
(Editor’s Rap - continued from page 3)
World Trade Organization (WTO) first expressed
in the mid-1980s would have been a strong
indicator. Or could China’s 1978 decision to
reform its national economic policy have been a
key indicator?
You can see that the art of predicting is tricky at
best and maybe really undoable for the average
international admissions officer.
Maybe we
cannot predict how student mobility trends to
the US will change. Or, it may be that we
observe the too late to say we predicted it. But
I think we do have access to a basket of
resources and tools that, if we are mindful and
aware, will help us see what’s going on around
us and maybe, just maybe, be more informed
about what’s coming our way.
At the very least, it will be useful to be aware
of:
• Political situations and diplomatic
relationships
• Economic trends and what those might
mean for import service sectors
• “Gatekeeper” trends (for example, the
numbers of test takers for TOEFL, GRE,
and GMAT; the number of student visas
issues and denied)
• Changes in the educational systems of
other countries (for example, the rapid
expansion of access in China, the slow
and uneven expansion of access in India,
Koreans’ general dissatisfaction with
education in Korea, the impact of the
Bologna Accord on European education)
• “Soft diplomacy” efforts by the US and
other countries
• Perceptions of others about the US
I doubt that we’ll ever reach the point where
any one of these indicators will serve as THE
predictor of international student markets; it will
more likely be some complex combination and
interaction of these and other factors.
Will
Saudi Arabia be the next “hot” market because
of its scholarship programs or will the regional
political situation drive down enrollments? Will
it be one of the Commonwealth of Independent
States, such as, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan with
their new oil and gas money? Maybe Vietnam?
An African or Latin American country? Check
back in ten years when we play the “Can you
name the top five sending countries?” game
Page 4 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
again. In the meantime, keep your eyes and
ears open, keep up with current events around
the world, and network with your peers and
colleagues, both in the US and abroad.
Answers: Top Five Sending Countries to
the US
1994: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Korea
1982: Iran, Taiwan, Nigeria, Canada, Japan
1973: India, Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan, Iran
Source: IIE Open Doors reports
Steven Shaw is the editor of
Admissions wRAP Up. In his free time,
he is the Director of International
Admissions at the University at Buffalo
(New York)
The Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia’s
Educational
System
By Peggy Bell Hendrickson, University of North
Texas
Background Information
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia comprises almost
80% of the Arabian Peninsula, or approximately
one-fourth the size of the United States.
Located in the southwest corner of Asia, Saudi
Arabia is at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and
Europe. Desert covers more than half of the
2.25 million square kilometers of the country
which is divided into 13 provinces.
Saudi
Arabia’s western coast features a coastal plain
with a mountain range running parallel to the
Red Sea. The mountains in the west are rich in
minerals and limestone while the eastern region
enjoys rich reservoirs of oil.
Image taken from: http://www.the-saudi.net/saudi-arabia/
images/map.JPG
Religion and economic development strongly
influence the education system of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. Like many nations, the first
schools were established primarily as a way of
educating a religious populous, but colleges
teaching math and languages began as early as
the mid-1800s.
Formal education began in
earnest in 1925 with the establishment of the
General Education Management Center.
In
1932, the Kingdom created a free, public
system of education from kindergarten to
university studies; it was followed by a private
school system a decade later and extensive
Page 5 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
public schooling in the mid-1950s. Increases in
government funding dramatically affected higher
education in the 1980s; university enrollment
increased 95% during that time.
Female students are admitted to education with
the same standards as males, and they follow
the same school curriculum. However, their
participation in all aspects of education is
completely separate from male students, and
they were not always given the same
opportunities for education. Formal education
for girls and women began as a result of appeals
from middle-class men to the government so
they could marry educated Saudi women.
Women were first admitted to universities in
1961, and the first government school for girls
was built shortly thereafter. In 1970, more than
three times as many male students were
enrolled in education in Saudi Arabia; as of
2000, the numbers were almost equal between
the sexes.
Until 2003, the General Presidency for Girl’s
Education supervised primary and secondary
education for girls, and the Ministry of Education
oversaw the education of boys; now they are
combined. The number of female graduates
from Saudi universities has grown at an average
rate of 2.5 times that of male graduates in
recent years since drop-out rates are much
higher for boys and men than for girls and
women.
To promote girl’s education and
training, two female assistant deputies have
been appointed at the General Establishment of
Technical Education and Vocational Training,
billions in Saudi Riyals have been earmarked for
female technical colleges and training institutes,
and the Ministry of Labor is creating 200,000
jobs for women.
The 1970s saw rapid industrialization with the
discovery of oil in the Kingdom, and the Ministry
of Higher Education was created in 1975 to
address the increased need for a skilled and
educated labor force. During the late 1970s and
1980s, tens of thousands of Saudi Arabian
students studied in the USA, many on
government scholarships.
In 2004, foreign
investors were allowed into the private
education market, and the Ministry of Education
began its 10 year reform plan to correspond
with the 25 year reform of higher education
scheduled to start in 2007.
The 2006
population of Saudi Arabia approximates 24.5
million, and it is expected to double by 2050.
(Continued on page 6)
(Saudi Arabia - continued from page 5)
The government also estimates that between 7
and 9 million guest workers reside in Saudi
Arabia, holding positions in oil, financial,
managerial, engineering, and scientific sectors.
A major goal of the government is to increase
“Saudization”, or the development of the
workforce in the Kingdom by replacing foreign
guest workers with Saudi nationals of both
sexes. Some of the expected changes to all
levels of the education system articulate with
this need to fill Saudi jobs with Saudi graduates
at the secondary and tertiary levels, but that will
involve minimizing the differences between skills
taught in schools and skills needed in the
workforce. Saudi Arabia has identified a major
disconnect between higher education academic
programs and the needs of the labor market
with a flood of liberal arts graduates and a
dearth in scientific and engineering fields. In the
next five years, it is estimated that the General
Establishment of Technical Education and
Vocational Training and the private sector will
train 500,000 Saudis for the job market.
The Saudi education system has faced many
challenges over the last several decades,
primarily as a result of the ever-increasing
numbers of students and rising technological
needs for educating and training them for the
workforce.
Demographic data about Saudi
Arabia highlights the emergency faced by the
education structure: 60 percent of Saudi
Arabia’s population is under the age of 18, the
median age of a Saudi national is 21, and almost
one third of the students who graduate from
secondary school are unable to enter any level
of higher education.
Clearly, the country’s
education system has reached critical mass.
Education is free at all levels but is not
compulsory at this time for any of its 4.7 million
primary and secondary students as well as
almost one million students in higher education.
The public education system provides students
with free education, books, and health services.
University students also receive financial
assistance and free housing. In addition, female
students
are
often
provided
with
free
transportation.
The priority given to education for all is reflected
in the rapidly increasing budgetary allocations
for the education sector. According to Arab
News, more than a quarter of the Kingdom’s
$23.3 billion 2006 education budget has been
dedicated to increasing scholarships and creating
Page 6 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
new schools at all levels; higher education has
been listed as one of the Kingdom’s top
priorities. In just the last few years, three new
public universities have been approved and still
others have been created through mergers, and
other higher education institutions in the
technical sector have also been created or
approved. The budget increases will also go
towards increasing the capacity of current
schools, increasing the number of primary or
secondary schools by almost 50%, building
dozens more technical colleges, and opening a
hundred vocational training centers. In addition,
the Ministry of Higher Education has announced
that, for the first time, foreign universities may
open campuses in the Kingdom. As of February
2006, 44 international universities had applied
for licenses to operate in Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Higher Education and the Saudi
Arabian
Cultural
Mission
began
a
new
scholarship program in 2005 to provide
scholarships for 15,000-17,000 students to
study abroad during the last half of the decade.
Most students are going abroad to the US and
Canada, but they are also looking increasingly
towards the East. In addition, other scholarship
programs have been made available through
schools and private companies for students to
study in Saudi Arabia. Most of these scholarship
programs include tuition, room and board,
transportation, and stipends for spouses and
children. The high expense involved in sending
students abroad is one of many reasons the
Kingdom needs to expand its own educational
offerings.
These recent changes allude to the overtaxed
nature of the Saudi education system. In June
2005, 230,000 graduates completed secondary
education, but only 155,000 of them were able
to enter tertiary education programs of any
level. That means that 75,000 Saudi high school
graduates were unable to further their
education, which would lead to better jobs and
increasing the stability and economy of Saudi
Arabia.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has
recognized that its education infrastructure and
capacity are limited which explains the
scholarship programs for studying abroad as well
as the aggressive building campaign for local
schools and the enthusiasm for private and
foreign institutions
(Continued on page 7)
(Saudi Arabia - continued from page 6)
Education Bodies
Education is overseen by a network of ministries
and government offices that work together to
create an educated citizenry.
The Higher
Commission for Education Policy and the Higher
Education Council merged in 2004 to form the
Supreme
Education
Council
to
increase
education standards and consistency.
The
Supreme Education Council administers and
reviews the higher education system, regardless
of the immediate supervising body.
The following supervising bodies administer
education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education oversees the education
of male and female students from pre-school
until they graduate secondary school.
In
addition, the MOE also governs the curriculum
and development of teacher training and
women’s colleges at the tertiary level.
Ministry of Higher Education
The Ministry of Higher Education is responsible
for the public and private universities and
colleges throughout the Kingdom.
General Establishment of Technical Education
and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT)
GOTEVOT
supervises
the
technical
and
vocational programs in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia at both the secondary and tertiary levels.
Previously run by the Ministry of Labor and
Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education,
respectively, training centers and technical
institutes were transferred to GOTEVOT.
GOTEVOT supervises three training levels:
vocational
training,
secondary
technical
education, and higher technical education. In
addition to public secondary and tertiary
technical schools, almost 500 private institutions
at both levels fall under the purview of
GOTEVOT, all of which must have their
curriculum approved by GOTEVOT. In 2005, the
Kingdom and Britain signed an agreement that
provides international accreditation to vocational
training through GOTEVOT and the British
Council. As a result, GOTEVOT graduates can
receive UK certificates and diplomas through
Edexcel International and City and Guilds in
addition to GOTEVOT certificates.
Ministry of Civil Service
The Ministry of Civil Service oversees the
Institute of Public Administration, funded by the
Page 7 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
Saudi government to maintain the
administration system of the country.
public
Ministry of Health and the Saudi Commission for
Health Specialties
The Ministry of Health supervises and approves
21 public institutes and 25 intermediate health
colleges and as well as the King Fahd Medical
City Faculty of Medicine. The Saudi Commission
for Health Specialties supervises an additional
71 private health institutes. In 2003, the Saudi
Commission for Health Specialties took over the
supervision of private health training from
GOTEVOT.
Ministry of Defense and Aviation
The Ministry of Defense and Aviation administers
education through military secondary schools,
academies, institutes and training centers, and
military medical colleges and universities. In
particular, the Ministry of Defense and Aviation
manages the Military Medical College of Health
Sciences, King Fahd Health University, and other
military academies and schools.
Ministry of Interior
The Ministry of Interior oversees the education
offered through Naif Arab University for Security
Services and King Fahd Security College.
Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
To create a skilled labor force of Saudi nationals
in Jubail and Yanbu, the Royal Commission built
schools that provide a religious and technical
education environment for children as well as for
adults.
Specifically, the Royal Commission
created the Industrial Colleges in Al-Jubail and
Yanbu.
Private Institutions
Private institutions exist at all levels and receive
governmental
funding
and
administrative
support;
their
numbers
have
increased
dramatically in the last decade as the Kingdom
seeks to expand educational opportunities for its
citizens. Regulations for education allow private
establishments and welfare organizations to
create private institutions that are on par with
state institutions at all levels of education from
primary education to universities.
The state
supervises private institutions in the same way it
supervises public schools: at the primary and
secondary
level,
private
institutions
are
supervised by the Ministry of Education while
technical and vocational schools are supervised
by GOTEVOT. Private universities and colleges
(Continued on page 8)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 7)
are supervised by the Ministry
Education unless otherwise noted.
of
Higher
The Ministry of Education's General Directorate
of Private Education is responsible for the
supervision, follow-up, and planning of the
Private Education Departments at the level of
primary and secondary education. For primary
education, one of the Ministry's goals is
evaluating the private sector to maintain equity
and balance between the private and state
schools. Higher education institutions in the
private sector are monitored by the appropriate
supervising body. To ensure consistency during
this rapid expansion of higher education, in
2005, the Kingdom established the National
Council
for
Academic
Assessment
and
Accreditation for accrediting post-secondary
schools.
The commission is responsible for
accrediting new programs and new institutions
of higher education as well as periodic
evaluation of the academic performance of
existing higher education institutions.
This
includes revision of academic programs,
publishing accreditation information, creating
and maintaining degree level standards, and
establishing benchmarks for quality during those
periodic evaluations.
After institutions have
been granted full accreditation by the committee
they will be expected to complete an evaluation
once every five years and an external peer
review conducted by the Commission.
Primary and Secondary Education Structure
Primary and secondary education in Saudi Arabia
follows a 6+3+3 pattern seen in many parts of
the world.
Through new initiatives and
additional financial support, the Kingdom is
attempting to increase its enrollment in
preschool programs, but the numbers of
enrollments are limited.
Public awareness
programs are being implemented to encourage
families to prepare their children for the school
environment by sending them to pre-school, but
currently few take advantage of this opportunity.
While education is currently not compulsory in
Saudi Arabia, support from the government has
tremendously increased enrollments in primary
and secondary education in the last 20 years.
Currently, Saudi Arabia operates almost 4,000
public secondary schools and almost 1,000 more
private secondary schools to hold its nearly
300,000 secondary school students. Licenses
for opening private primary and secondary
institutions are granted only to Saudi citizens,
Page 8 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
and these primary and secondary private schools
have no responsibility to grant completion
certificates at any stage of education. However,
state supervision of private schools ensures a
level equal to that of governmental schools. In
2001, the National Center of Assessment in
Higher Education (NCAHE) began developing
standardizing testing for entrance to higher
education institutions. Working in conjunction
with ETS, the center administers aptitude tests
for
colleges,
universities,
and
training
departments,
and
an
English
Language
proficiency test is being developed.
Primary Education (Six years; Ages 6-12)
Primary education in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia begins at age six and runs for six years.
This level of education creates a base in
language, history, math, Islamic studies, and
geography for both boys and girls, but girls also
study home economics while boys study physical
education. Schools are not co-educational.
Leaving Certificate: Shahadat Al Maddaaris Al
‘ibtidaa’iyyah (Elementary School Certificate)
Intermediate Education (Three Years; Ages 1215)
Intermediate schooling lasts three years, from
ages 12 to 15. Intermediate studies continue
the same curriculum that students began during
their primary education. Boys and girls continue
to follow separate paths regarding physical and
home economic education.
Leaving Certificate: Shahadt Al-Kafa’at AlMutawassita (Intermediate Education Certificate)
Secondary Education (Three Years; Ages 15-18)
General
Secondary
Education.
General
secondary school studies begin following the
curriculum
of
primary
and
intermediate
education. First-year secondary students begin
with a continuation of the previous studies.
Those who score 60 percent in their first-year
coursework choose between literary and
scientific streams of education. Those who fall
below the 60 percent mark are automatically
placed into the literary stream. Graduates are
eligible for higher education based on the results
of the General Secondary Education Certificate
(GSEC) and the new placement tests created by
the National Centre for Assessment in Higher
Education (NCAHE), if required by the
institution.
(Continued on page 9)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 8)
Leaving Certificate: Shahadat Al-Marhalat AlThanawiyyat (General Secondary Education
Certificate, GSEC) awarded after passing the
Tawjihi (General Secondary Examination).
Religious Secondary Education. This curriculum
closely follows the general curriculum with more
emphasis on religious studies. Just like general
secondary education, students are split into
separate tracks based on first year grades.
Graduates are eligible for university studies in
humanities and social sciences.
Leaving Certificate: Shahadat Al Thanawiyyah
Al-’aama lil Ma’aahid Al-Ilmiyya (Religious
Institute Secondary Education Certificate)
Technical Secondary Education. Technical and
vocational education comes under the purview of
the General Organization for Technical Education
and Vocational Training.
This stream of
secondary
education
falls
under
three
categories: vocational/technical, commercial,
and agricultural. All types of study incorporate
lessons in Arabic, English, mathematics, science,
and religious studies.
Vocational/technical
students focus on technical fields such as
electricity,
metal
mechanics,
architectural
drawing, and media production.
Commercial
studies
include
bookkeeping,
finance,
economics,
management,
and
secretarial
instruction.
Agriculture scholarship includes
animal husbandry, applied math and sciences,
farm management, and horticulture. Graduates
are eligible for non-university higher education
and university higher education based on
university entrance examinations.
Leaving Certificates: Technical – Diplom Al
Madaaris
Al-Thanawiyyat
Al-Mihaniyyat
(Secondary
Vocational
School
Diploma);
Commercial – Diplom Al-Madaaris Al Tijaariyyah
(Secondary
Commercial
School
Diploma);
Agriculture – Diplom Al-Madaaris Az-Ziraa’iyyah
(Secondary Agricultural School Diploma)
Higher Education Structure
Higher education includes institutes, universities,
and colleges, both public and private.
Most
higher education is available to men and women
though education is still kept separate for the
two sexes. Higher education comprises half a
dozen
forms
of
non-university
tertiary
institutions in addition to several levels at
university.
Non-University Higher Education
Non-university higher education includes several
categories, the most common of which are
teacher education and technical colleges.
Teacher education comprises the bulk of nonuniversity tertiary education, but technical
colleges have seen a major increase in recent
years.
Teacher Education
Teacher education in Saudi Arabia is handled
differently based on the level of education being
taught and the gender of students and teachers;
teacher education can take place in teacher
training institutes, junior colleges, colleges of
education, and universities. Teacher education
reinforces the separation of men and women by
varying the educational requirements for
teaching.
In order to teach at the primary school level,
teachers complete a two-year junior college
training
program
and
earn
a
diploma.
Depending on their grades, the diploma program
may be considered for transfer credits towards a
Bachelor degree at a university.
Teacher
training institutes are being abolished in favor of
these junior colleges to encourage teachers to
continue their education at a later time to earn a
university degree.
Men teaching at the secondary school level must
complete a Bachelor of Education or a nonEducation Bachelor plus a one-year Higher
Diploma in Education. Higher Diploma programs
focus either on preparing new graduates to
teach at the secondary level or on training
current teachers for administrative management
positions in secondary schools.
After women have completed a junior college
training program and earned the diploma, they
are eligible to teach in female intermediate
schools. Colleges of Education provide four-year
degrees in education, and those graduates can
teach in secondary schools.
Postgraduate
training is provided in some colleges.
Higher education teachers are taught in
university education programs, such as King
Abdul Aziz University’s Center for Teacher
Training and Learning Development.
Technical Colleges
Colleges of Technology offer one- to three-year
diploma and certificate programs.
Recently,
(Continued on page 10)
Page 9 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 9)
some have begun offering Applied Bachelors
degrees. GOTEVOT has established Colleges of
Technology in almost all major cities and their
numbers will continue to grow.
In 2004,
enrollment in these colleges was over 25,000
with expectations to more than double by 2010.
Girls in the Kingdom will have the opportunity to
receive vocational and technical education for
the first time; the government is building more
than a dozen female higher institutes and
colleges in the next five years.
The basic aim of the Colleges of Technology is
training assistant engineers through diploma
programs. In addition, the Bachelors program in
Engineering at the Riyadh College of Technology
provides a major boon to the technical education
system of Saudi Arabia.
Leaving Certificate: Ash-Shahadat Al-Jami’iyya
Al-Mutawassita (Technical College Certificate);
may be considered for undergraduate transfer
credits.
Community Colleges
Community Colleges are generally linked to
public universities, and they offer programs up
to the level of diplomas or Associate’s degrees.
Sometimes, they offer vocational programs
supervised by GOTEVOT, and the diplomas will
specify that the programs are vocational rather
than higher education.
Higher Technical Institutes
Higher Technical Institutes offer one- to twoyear diploma programs in technical and
financial/commercial areas of study. Graduates
from Higher Technical Institutes will earn a
Higher Technical Institute Diploma or a Diploma
of the Higher Institute for Financial and
Commercial Sciences.
Leaving Certificate: Shahadat Al-Ma’had Al-Fanni
Al’aali (Certificate of the Higher Technical
Institute); may be considered for undergraduate
admission with transfer credits to institutions in
the US and elsewhere that are willing to accept
transfer credits from vocational-type institutes.
Institute of Public Administration
The IPA is a government institution responsible
for training civil servants and maintaining the
public administration system of the country. It
offers two- and three-year diploma programs in
areas such as banking, hospital administration,
data processing, and personnel studies.
Page 10 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
Leaving Certificate: Shahadat Itmaam Dawrat
Ma’had Al-‘idaarah Al-‘aammah (Institute of
Public Administration Certificate of Completion of
the Course in specific field); may be considered
for undergraduate admission with transfer
credits to institutions in the US and elsewhere
that are willing to accept transfer credits from
vocational-type institutes.
Military
Military colleges and academies offer diploma
programs and three-year Bachelor’s degrees in
military or naval science.
Some Saudi
universities will accept transfer credits from
military institutions and others will not.
Leaving Certificate: Baccaloreus Al-‘uluum Al‘askariiyah (Bachelor of Military Science),
Baccaloreus Al-‘uluum Al-Bahriyya (Bachelor of
Naval
Science),
Baccaloreus
Al-Tayaraan
(Bachelor of Air Force and Aviation Technology);
may be considered for undergraduate admission
with transfer credits to institutions in the US and
elsewhere that are willing to accept transfer
credits from vocational-type institutes.
University Higher Education (Public and Private)
University higher education follows a more
straightforward
structure
than
the
nonuniversity education structure. The university
system includes public and private universities,
teacher’s colleges, women’s colleges and now a
women’s university, and a handful of other
institutions of higher education.
Public higher
education institutions are currently unable to
absorb all applicants, despite the steady
increase in the number of universities and
colleges. The private sector offers educational
opportunities in private colleges, universities,
and institutes under the supervision of the
relevant education bodies.
Almost a dozen
private higher education institutions have
already opened and begun offering classes in the
Kingdom, and another 50 private institutions
have received licenses and are expected to open
by the end of the decade. The Ministry of Higher
Education is extending more opportunities to the
private sector to create additional institutions
and has posted the rules, regulations, and
quality control measures for granting licenses to
private institutions on their Website http://
www.moe.gov.sa/. Regulations for establishing
private institutions can be found in the National
Commission for Academic Accreditation and
Assessment’s Handbook for Quality Assurance
and Accreditation.
(Continued on page 11)
requirements.
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 10)
University Level First Stage.
University or
higher education begins with a four- or five-year
bachelor degree. Bachelor degrees with hospital
training or internships generally last five years
as do engineering and medicine degrees.
Leaving
Degree)
Certificate:
Baccaloreus
(Bachelor’s
University Level Second Stage. Following the
bachelor degree, the second stage of the
university system awards a master’s degree
upon completion of two years of postbaccalaureate coursework and a thesis. Postgraduate diplomas are also becoming more
common, as are professional institutes offering
master’s degrees in specialized fields of study.
Leaving Certificate:
(Master’s Degree)
Darajat
al
Majisteer
University Level Third Stage.
The university
higher education program concludes with a PhD
generally conferred after a dissertation and
three years of coursework beyond the Master’s
degree.
Leaving
Certificate:
(Doctorate/PhD)
Grading Scales
Standard Secondary
90 – 100
75-89
60-74
50-59
0-49
Arajat
Al
Doctoorah
School Grading Scale:
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Pass
Fail
Standard University Grading Scales:
5
90-100
A
4.5
B+
4
80-89
B
3.5
C+
3
70-79
C
2
60-69
D
2.5
D+
1
0-59
F
Current Education Reforms
The aims of Saudi Arabia’s educational reforms
are “the enhancement of Islamic values, the
promotion of moderation and the strengthening
of the concepts of flexibility and respect for the
opinions of others.” The reforms also tend to
emphasize the need for scientific and technical
training
to
better
meet
labor
market
Page 11 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
10 Year Reform of Education in Primary,
Intermediate and Secondary Education
The Ministry of Education began a ten-year
reform of the primary and secondary education
systems in 2004. The Ministry faces several
challenges, including increased numbers of
students, the information age, and cultural
exchange between the Kingdom and the rest of
the world. Goals of this reform focus on specific
categories: increasing learning among students,
improving the quality of education, and
enhancing the system. To increase learning, the
Ministry plans to begin preparing children for
education prior to age six, ensuring all age
groups are involved in public education, raising
education levels for students with special needs,
and eliminating adult illiteracy. Improving the
quality of education includes improving the
overall quality of the system, using Islamic
values when developing school curriculum, and
increasing the quality of teachers. The Ministry
will augment the system by modernizing the
school plan, integrating institutions with the
social and economic development needs of the
country, developing an infrastructure conducive
to increasing technologies and communications
relevant to learning, and establishing a system
of accountability.
25 Year Reform in Higher Education
In the next few years, the Ministry of Higher
Education will begin a similar reform that will
span two and a half decades. The Ministry of
Higher Education has charged the Research
Institute at King Fahd University of Petroleum
and Minerals with developing and presenting a
detailed study for the preparation of a futureoriented plan to develop a first-class higher
education system. This project has four main
goals and many objectives.
The four goals
include: studying the major issues and problems
associated with higher education in Saudi
Arabia; preparing a long-term strategic plan;
outlining standards, needs, and outcomes; and
preparing a detailed implementation plan for the
first five-year phase and continuous strategic
planning and operations.
The objectives focus on conducting studies on
various disciplines of higher education such as
admissions and infrastructure while also
examining the different higher education sectors
like female education, teacher education, and
private education that are becoming more
(Continued on page 12)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 11)
important than ever in Saudi Arabia.
Other
objectives include improving the overall learning
environment, soliciting different opinions via
workshops
and
meetings,
internet
documentation of the plan, and developing a
framework for strategic planning and training.
The last few objectives of the research stage of
reform will focus on developing short- and longterm action plans for the reform, creating
methodologies for effectively implementing the
planning and implementation processes, and
training universities to create tools and detailed
plans to successfully implement the short- and
long-term goals of the higher education reform.
Tertiary Colleges and Universities and
Accrediting Bodies
Good sources of information on higher education
in Saudi Arabia:
“The Development of Education” prepared by the
MOE, the MOHE, and GOTEVOT: http://
w ww . ib e .u n e s c o . o rg / in t e r n a ti o n a l / IC E4 7 /
English/Natreps/reports/sarabia_en.pdf.
This
document focuses on universities but includes a
little bit more.
The
Ministry
of
Higher
Education
GIS
(Geographic Information System) Website:
http://gis.mohe.gov.sa/EN/. This site can be
searched by field of education or parent
organization (accrediting body) and lists
hundreds of institutes of higher education.
Degree-Granting Public Universities (Supervised
by the Ministry of Higher Education)
1. Al Qura University (renamed in 1981;
est. 1849 as College of Islamic
Jurisprudence in Mecca; also called Um Al
Qura University)
2. Al Jouf University (est. 2006)
3. Al Qasim University (est. 2004; formerly
branches of King Saud University and
Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic
University in Al Qasim; also spelled Al
Qasseem University and Qassim
University)
4. Hail University (est. 2006)
5. Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic
University (est. 1974)
6. Islamic University of Medinah (est. 1961;
also spelled Madinah and Al-Madinah)
7. Jazan Univeristy (est. 2006; also spelled
Jizan University)
8. King Abdul Aziz University (est. 1967 as a
private university; became public in
Page 12 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
1971)
9. King Fahd University of/for Petroleum and
Minerals (renamed in 1986; est. 1963 as
College of Petroleum and Minerals)
10. King Faisal University (est. 1975)
11. King Khaled University (est. 1998;
formerly branches of King Saud
University and Imam Mohammed Bin
Saud Islamic University in Abha; also
spelled King Khalid University)
12. King Saud University (renamed in 1975;
est. 1957 as Riyadh University)
13. Taibah University (est. 2004; formerly
branches of Imam Mohammed Bin Saud
Islamic University and King Abdul Aziz
University in Taibah; also spelled Tiba
University and Taiba University)
14. Taif University (est. 2004; formerly a
branch of Um Al-Qura University in Ta’if;
also known as Al Taif University)
15. Women’s University in Riyadh (est. 2005)
Teacher’s Colleges (Granting Four-Year Degrees,
Supervised by the Ministry of Education)
1. Abha Teachers College
2. Al Ahsa Teachers College
3. Al Baha Teachers College
4. Al Rass Teachers College
5. Al-Jouf Teachers College
6. Arar Teachers College
7. Dammam Teachers College
8. Hail/Hayel Teachers College
9. Jazan/Jizan Teachers College
10. Jeddah Teachers College
11. Makkah/Mecca Teachers College
12. Medina/Madinah Teachers College
13. Riyadh Teachers College
14. Tabuk Teachers College
15. Taif Teachers College
16. Teachers College of Al-Qunfadah/
Qunfodah
17. Teachers College of Bishah
Women’s Colleges (Two- to Four-Year Programs,
Supervised by the Ministry of Education)
1. Art College – Dammam
2. Art College – Riyadh
3. Branch of Education College for Teachers
– Dalam
4. Branch of Education College for Teachers
– Khamis Mushayt
5. College of Academy – Hail
6. College of Community – Abha
7. College of Community – Abu Arish
8. College of Community – Arar
9. College of Community – Durumah
(Continued on page 13)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 12)
10. College of Community – Hail
11. College of Community – Hasa
12. College of Community – Hinakiyat
13. College of Community – Jouf
14. College of Community – Mandaq
15. College of Community – Najran
16. College of Community – Qatif
17. College of Community – Rabiq
18. College of Community – Raniyah
19. College of Community – Tabarjal
20. College of Community – Uqlat Al Sukur
21. College of Geography – Hail
22. College of House Economics – Makkah
23. College of House Economy – Hail
24. College of House Economy – Hasa
25. College of Science – Dammam
26. College Social Science/Social Work –
Riyadh
27. Education College – Abha
28. Education College – Al Ras
29. Education College – Arar
30. Education College – Bishah
31. Education College – Buraidah
32. Education College – Damman
33. Education College – Dawadmi
34. Education College – Dhahran Al Janub
35. Education College – Jeddah
36. Education College – Jubail
37. Education College – Majmah
38. Education College – Medinah
39. Education College – Makkah/Mecca
40. Education College – Riyadh
41. Education College – Sarat Ubaydah
42. Education College – Shaqrah
43. Education College – Tabouk
44. Education College – Uneyzah
45. Education College – Wadi Ad Dawaser
46. Education College Art Sections – Abha
47. Education College Art Sections – Baha
48. Education College Art Sections –
Buraydah
49. Education College Art Sections – Hafar al
Batin
50. Education College Art Sections – Hail
51. Education College Art Sections – Jeddah
52. Education College Art Sections – Jizan
53. Education College Art Sections – Jouf
54. Education College Art Sections – Kharj
55. Education College Art Sections – Madinah
56. Education College Art Sections – Makkah
57. Education College Art Sections – Riyadh
58. Education College Art Sections – Tabuk
59. Education College Art Sections – Taif
60. Education College Branch – Jouf
61. Education College for House Economy
and Art – Buraidah
Page 13 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
62. Education College
and Art – Jeddah
63. Education College
and Art – Riyadh
64. Education College
65. Education College
Gunfudah
66. Education College
Garin
67. Education College
Biljurashi
68. Education College
Bukariyah
69. Education College
Buraydah
70. Education College
71. Education College
Beni Temim
72. Education College
Hureymilah
73. Education College
74. Education College
Khurmah
75. Education College
76. Education College
77. Education College
78. Education College
Asir
79. Education College
80. Education College
Muzahmiyah
81. Education College
82. Education College
83. Education College
84. Education College
Quwayiyah
85. Education College
86. Education College
87. Education College
88. Education College
89. Education College
90. Education College
91. Education College
92. Education College
Abha
93. Education College
Baha
94. Education College
Buraydah
95. Education College
Hafar Al Batin
96. Education College
97. Education College
Jeddah
98. Education College
Jizan
for House Economy
for House Economy
for Teachers – Afif
for Teachers – Al
for Teachers – Bel
for Teachers –
for Teachers –
for Teachers –
for Teachers – Dubah
for Teachers – Hawdat
for Teachers –
for Teachers – Jeddah
for Teachers –
for
for
for
for
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
–
–
–
–
Lith
Madinah
Makkah
Muhayil
for Teachers – Mukwah
for Teachers –
for
for
for
for
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
– Najran
– Namas
– Quraiyat
–
for Teachers – Rafha
for Teachers – Riyadh
for Teachers – Sajir
for Teachers – Samtah
for Teachers – Ula
for Teachers – Yanbu
for Teachers – Zulfi
Science Sections –
Science Sections –
Science Sections –
Science Sections –
Science Sections – Hail
Science Sections –
Science Sections –
(Continued on page 14)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 13)
99. Education College Science Sections – Jouf
100.Education College Science Sections –
Kharj
101.Education College Science Sections –
Madinah
102.Education College Science Sections –
Makkah
103.Education College Science Sections –
Riyadh
104.Education College Science Sections –
Tabuk
105.Education College Science Sections –
Taif
Source: Ministry of Higher Education: http://
gis.mohe.gov.sa/EN/
Colleges and Universities Supervised by the
Ministry of Defense and Aviation
1. King Abdul Aziz Military Academy
2. King Fahd Health University
3. King Fahd Naval College
4. King Faisal Air (Force) Academy
5. King Khalid Military Academy
6. Military College of Health Sciences
(several branches)
7. Military Vocational Training Institute (in
conjunction with GOTEVOT)
Public Colleges and Universities Supervised
Separately from the Ministry of Education and
the Ministry of Higher Education
1. Al Jubail Industrial College – est. 1978;
two-year technical college supervised by
the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu
2. Institute for Public Administration –
Ministry of Civil Service
3. King Fahd Medical City Faculty of
Medicine – Ministry of Health
4. King Fahd Security College (King Fahd
Security Academy) – Ministry of Interior
5. Naif Arab University for Security Sciences
(est. 1972 as Naif Academy of Security
Services and Naif Arab Academy for
Security Sciences; renamed in 2004; also
known as Prince Naif Arab University for
Security Sciences) – Ministry of Interior
6. Yanbu Industrial College – est. 1989;
two-year technical college supervised by
the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu
Private Colleges Offering One to Three-Year
Diplomas Supervised by GOTEVOT
1. Al Andalus Institute for Technology and
Training, Jeddah
2. Al Baha Private College for Science (also
known as Al Baha Al Ahliyya College of
Science), Baha
3. Al Alamiah Institute for Computer
Technology (formerly known as Sakhr
Training Center), Dammam
4. Al Khaleej Institute for Applied Sciences
(also known as New Horizons Computer
Learning Centers), Riyadh
5. Institute of Industrial Management and
Information Technology, Dhahran
Note: The establishment of private tertiary
schools is still in its infancy within the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and is expanding rapidly with
new private colleges and universities being
approved almost monthly. At present, GOTEVOT
and the various ministries do not publish a
complete list of their private colleges and
universities and instead focus on the schools
they directly manage rather than the schools
they supervise in conjunction with a private
company. The few schools listed here are the
only ones this author has been acquainted with
and do not represent the complete picture of
private, non-technical colleges in Saudi Arabia.
Private Colleges/Universities Supervised by the
Ministry of Higher Education
1. Al Faisal University (approved 2006)
2. Al Yamamah College (est. 2004)
3. Arab Open University (est. 2003; first
distance learning program approved
2006)
4. College of Business Administration (est.
2000)
5. Dar Al-Hekma College (est. 1999)
6. Effat College (est. 1999)
7. Ibn Sina Medical College (est. 2004)
8. Prince Mohammed (Bin Fahd) University
(approved 2006; aka PMU)
9. Prince Sultan University (est. 1999)
10. Riyadh College of Dentistry and
Pharmacy (est. 2004)
11. Prince Sultan College for Tourism and
Business (also know as Prince Sultan
College for Administration or Hotel
Sciences) (est. 1999)
12. Prince Sultan Private College for Girls
(est. 2000)
Note: The establishment of private tertiary
(Continued on page 15)
Page 14 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 14)
schools is still in its infancy within the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and is expanding rapidly with
new private colleges and universities being
approved almost monthly. At present, GOTEVOT
and the various ministries do not publish a
complete list of their private colleges and
universities and instead focus on the schools
they directly manage rather than the schools
they supervise in conjunction with a private
company. The few schools listed here are the
only ones this author has been acquainted with
and do not represent the complete picture of
private colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia.
Colleges and Institutes Supervised by the
Ministry of Health
1. College of Health Science – Abha (male)
2. College of Health Science – Abha
(female)
3. College of Health Science – Al Ras
4. College of Health Science – Hail
5. College of Health Science – Hasa
6. College of Health Science – Dammam
7. College of Health Science – Jeddah
(male)
8. College of Health Science – Jeddah
(female)
9. College of Health Science – Jizan
10. College of Health Science – Jouf
11. College of Health Science – Makkah
(female)
12. College of Health Science – Riyadh
(male)
13. College of Health Science - Riyadh
(female)
14. College of Health Science – Tabuk
15. College of Health Science – Uneyzah
(female)
16. Health Institute - Arar (female)
17. Health Institute - Bishah (female)
18. Health Institute – Bukariyah
19. Health Institute – Buraidah
20. Health Institute – Dawadmi
21. Health Institute - Hafar Al Batin (female)
22. Health Institute - Hail (female)
23. Health Institute - Hasa (female)
24. Health Institute - Jizan (female)
25. Health Institute - Jouf (female)
26. Health Institute - Kharj (female)
27. Health Institute – Madinah
28. Health Institute - Madinah (female)
29. Health Institute - Majmah
30. Health Institute - Makkah
31. Health Institute - Najran (female)
32. Health Institute - Qatif (female)
33. Health Institute - Tabuk (female)
Page 15 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
34. Health Institute - Taif (male)
35. Health Institute - Taif (female)
36. Health Institute - Wadi Ad Dawaser
37. Secondary Health Institute - Madinah
Academies and Training Institutes Offering One
to Three-Year Diploma Programs Supervised by
the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
1. Al-Madain Center for Health Training,
Riyadh
2. Al-Riyan Academy for Health Sciences,
Medina
3. Arab Institute for Health Sciences, Hafr
Al-Batin
4. Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh
5. Asir Center for Health Training, Asir
6. Bakari Academy for Health Eligibility,
Medina
7. Center for Health Promotion Training,
Riyadh
8. East Institute of Health, Riyadh
9. Future Gate Institute for Medical
Education, Riyadh
10. Health Education Institute, Althea Noi
11. Health Training Center
12. Institute for Advanced Health Training,
Jeddah
13. Institute for Advanced Health Training,
Mecca
14. Institute for Emergency Medicine, Riyadh
15. Institute for Health Training, Asir
16. Institute for Health Training, Jeddah
17. Institute for Health Training, Mecca
18. Institute for Health Training, Medina
19. Institute for Health Training, Riyadh
20. Institute of Health Sciences, Hassa
21. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Allers
22. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Arar
23. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Asir
24. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Dammam
25. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Ha’il
26. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Hassa
27. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Jeddah
28. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Mecca
29. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Medina
30. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Najran
(Continued on page 16)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 15)
31. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Riyadh
32. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Tabouk
33. International Academy of Health
Sciences, Taif
34. International Academy of Sciences,
Baridah
35. International Academy of Sciences,
Dammam
36. International Academy of Sciences, El
Sakaka
37. International Academy of Sciences, Hafr
al Batin
38. International Academy of Sciences, Hassa
39. International Academy of Sciences,
Jeddah
40. International Academy of Sciences,
Mecca
41. International Academy of Sciences,
Riyadh
42. International Center for Health Training,
Riyadh
43. King Faisal Hospital and Research Center,
Jeddah
44. King Faisal Hospital and Research Center,
Riyadh
45. Mandalom Functional Health, Riyadh
46. Mandaldrasat Medical Training, Medina
47. National Academy of Health Disciplines,
Tabouk
48. National Institute of Health Training,
Riyadh
49. Prince Sultan Heart Center, Riyadh
50. Saudi Center for Health Training, Riyadh
51. Saudi German Institute, Asir
52. Saudi German Institute, Medina
53. Saudi German Institute for Science,
Jeddah
54. Saudi German Institute for Science,
Mecca
55. Saudi German Institute for Science,
Riyadh
56. Saudi German Institute of Health
Sciences, Jeddah
57. Saudi German Institute of Health
Sciences, Mecca
58. Saudi Institute for Health Services,
Jeddah
59. Saudi Institute for Health Services, Mecca
60. Saudi Institute for Services, Jeddah
61. Saudi Institute for Services, Mecca
62. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Brida
63. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Jeddah
Page 16 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
64. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Mecca
65. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Medinah
66. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Riyadh
67. Specialized Academy for Medical Training,
Taif
68. Specialized Health Institute, Riyadh
69. Technical Institute for Health Training,
Dammam
70. Technical Institute for Health Training,
Jeddah
71. Technical Institute for Health Training,
Medinah
72. Technical Institute for Health Training,
Riyadh
73. Technical Institute of Health, Hafr AlBatin
74. Women’s Institute for Medical Training,
Taif
Source: http://eng.scfhs.org/
Community Colleges Offering Intermediate, PreBachelor diplomas Supervised by the Ministry of
Higher Education
1. Community College of Al-Kharj (part of
Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic
University)
2. Community College of Baha (part of Um
Al-Qura University)
3. Community College of Dammam (part of
King Fahd University for Petroleum and
Minerals)
4. Community College of Ha’el (part of King
Fahd University for Petroleum and
Minerals)
5. Community College of Hafr Al-Batin (part
of King Fahd University for Petroleum and
Minerals)
6. Community College of Jazan (part of King
Khaled University)
7. Community College of Jeddah (part of
King Abdul-Aziz University)
8. Community College of Najran (part of
King Khaled University)
9. Community College of Riyadh (part of
King Saud University)
10. Community College of Tabook (part of
King Abud-Aziz University)
Colleges of Technology offering two and three
year diplomas supervised by GOTEVT
1. College of Hotel and Tourism, Medina
(newly approved)
(Continued on page 17)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 16)
2.
3.
4.
5.
Technical Agricultural College, Buraidah
Technical College, Abha
Technical College, Alahsa
Technical College, Alahsa (girls) (newly
approved)
6. Technical College, Arar
7. Technical College, Baha
8. Technical College, Bisha
9. Technical College, Buraidah
10. Technical College, Dammam
11. Technical College, Dawadmi
12. Technical College, Hafr Albaten
13. Technical College, Hail
14. Technical College, Jazan
15. Technical College, Jeddah
16. Technical College, Jouf
17. Technical College, Kafji
18. Technical College, Khamis Mushait
19. Technical College, Kharj
20. Technical College, Kunfutha
21. Technical College, Kwaia’ya
22. Technical College, Madina
23. Technical College, Majma’a
24. Technical College, Mecca
25. Technical College, Najran
26. Technical College, Onaizah (newly
approved)
27. Technical College, Qatif (newly approved)
28. Technical College, Qurait
29. Technical College, Rass
30. Technical College, Riyadh
31. Technical College, Riyadh (girls) (newly
approved)
32. Technical College, Tabuk
33. Technical College, Tabuk (girls) (newly
approved)
34. Technical College, Taif
35. Technical College, Wadi Aldwaser
36. Technical College, Yanbu
37. Technical College, Zulfi
38. Telecommunication College, Riyadh
39. Telecommunications & Electronics
College, Jeddah
40. Trainers’ College, Riyadh
Source:
http://www.gotevot.edu.sa/gotevot/
dept_info.asp?type=C#blank.htm
Translated by Ahmad Al-Masri, Cultural Affairs
Specialist, US Embassy-Riyadh
Sources
My many, many thanks to the wonderful Karen
Fellabaum, Education Advisor at the American
Embassy in Riyadh, without whom this article
would not have been possible.
AAFAQ - A Future Plan for University
Education
in
the
Kingdom
http://
aafaq.kfupm.edu.sa/default_en.asp
“Admission and Academic Placement of
Students from Select Arab Countries: A
Workshop Report”, NAFSA and AACRAO joint
publication, 1975
Ain-Al-Yaqeen Weekly Arab Political
Magazine, “Equal Opportunities and the Right to
Choose”http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/
issues/19971215/feat8en.htm
Al Gosaibi, Khalid. “Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia Ministry of Economy and Planning:
Development of Human Resources.” http://
www.planning.gov.sa/PLANNING/Drive_A/
ch11e.htm
AME Info Inc. “Saudi Arabia Looks
Eastward
for
Higher
Education”.
http://
www.ameinfo.com/81824.html
ArabNews.com
Baki,
Roula.
“Gender-Segregated
Education in Saudi Arabia: Its Impact on Social
Norms and the Saudi Labor Market.” Education
Policy Analysis Archives, Vol 12, No. 28, June
2004. http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v12n28/
Batarfi,. “Saudi-American University in
the Offering, Says Envoy”. Arab News, March
12,
2005.
http://www.arabnews.com/?
page=1&section=0&article=60306&d=12&m=3&
y=2005
“Development of Education in Saudi
Arabia,” Education Advising Office, US Embassy,
Riyadh. 2006
“Development
of
Education,
The”
prepared by the Ministry of Education in
Cooperation with the Ministry of Higher
Education and the General Establishment of
Technical Education and Vocational Training,
September 2004. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/
international/ICE47/English/Natreps/reports/
sarabia_en.pdf
“Education Briefing on Saudi Arabia,”
Education Advising Office, US Embassy, Riyadh.
2006.
(Continued on page 18)
Page 17 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 17)
“Executive Summary of the Ministry of
Education Ten-Year Plan, The”, 2004. http://
www.moe.gov.sa/openshare/EnglishCon/
Introducti/vision.htm_cvt.htm
United States.”
AACRAO, 1987.
World
Education
Series,
”Overview of Saudi Arabia” brochure,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
GOTEVOT
Curriculum
Request
of
Proposal. http://cdd.gotevot.edu.sa/en/ROFP%
20English.pdf
Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
Website: http://www.rcyanbu.gov.sa/Education/
education.html
GOTEVOT
Technical
Education
and
Vocational Training in Saudi Arabia and Its
Linkage
to
the
Labor
Market
http://
www.gotevot.edu.sa/english/555.pdf
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, “Ministry
of Education Creates Top Jobs for Women”.
http://www.saudiembassy.net/2006News/News/
RefDetail.asp?cIndex=6245
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Human
Development Report 2003.
United Nations
Development Program. http://www.undp.org.sa/
Reports/NHDR-SA.rtf
Royal
Embassy
of
Saudi
Arabia:
Education.
http://www.saudiembassy.net/
Country/Education/Edu.asp
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Information on
Current Issues 2003, Royal Embassy of Saudi
Arabia Market Commentary: Saudi Arabia.
http://www.lindentours.com/univ_officials/tours/
commentary/saudi_comment.shtml
Ministry of Education Website http://
www.moe.gov.sa/openshare/englishcon/
Executive Rules for the Establishment of
Private Institutions. Ministry of Higher Education
Website: http://www.mohe.gov.sa/privateedu/
prvOrg.asp
and
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/
privateedu/urules.asp
Ministry of Higher Education Strategic
GIS Website: http://gis.mohe.gov.sa/EN/
Ministry of Higher Education Website:
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/
Mosa, Ali. “Pressures in Saudi Arabia,”
International Higher Education, Summer 2000.
h t t p : / / w w w . b c . e d u / b c _ o r g / av p / s o e/ c i h e /
newsletter/News20/text13.htm
National
Commission
for
Academic
Accreditation and Assessment, “Saudi Arabia
Handbook
for
Quality
Assurance
and
Accreditation”.
http://www.ncaaa.org.sa/?
c=publications
Oliver, E. Eugene, “Saudi Arabia: A Study
of the Educational System of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and Gui de to the Academic
Placement of Students from the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in Educational Institutions of the
Page 18 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
“Saudi Arabia Handbook for Quality
Assurance
and
Accreditation”.
National
Commission for Academic Accreditation &
Assessment
h t t p :/ / w w w . n ca a a . o r g . s a/ ?
c=publications
Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
Website: http://eng.scfhs.org/ and http://
www.scfhs.info/English/Rules/
Accre_directory_En.pdf
and
http://
www.scfhs.info/English/Rules/
Health_Institute_Rules.pdf (in Arabic)
“Saudi Education and Human Resources”
http://www.the-saudi.net/saudi-arabia/
education.htm
Saudi-US Relations Information Service.
Saudi-US-Relations.org
Sawahel, Wagdy. “Saudi Arabia’s Plan for
Science Education Takes Shape.” SciDev:
Science and Development Network, August 7,
2006.
http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/
i
n
d
e
x
.
c
f
m
?
fuseaction=dossierReadItem&type=1&itemid=30
29&language=1&dossier=13&CFID=2008716&C
FTOKEN=33191227
Schmid, Kurt. “Background Information
Concerning the Educational System and Labour
Market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Institute for Research on Qualifications and
Training, 3 Quarter 2005. http://www.ibw.at/
i b w _ m i t t e i l u n g e n / a r t /
schm_199_05_wp.pdf#search=%22gotevot%
(Continued on page 19)
(Saudi Arabia — continued from page 18)
20private%20schools%22
Schryer,
Sonya.
“Saudi
Arabian
Americans,”
Every Culture.com.
http://
www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/SaudiArabian-Americans.html
Sedgwick, Robert. “Education in Saudi
Arabia,” World Education News & Reviews. Nov/
Dec 2001. http://www.wes.org/ewenr/01nov/
practical.htm
Thomas, Alfred. “Saudi Arabia: A Study
of the Educational System of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and Guide to the Academic
Placement of Students from the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in United States Educational
Institutions.” World Education Series, AACRAO,
1968.
UNESCO
Education
for
All
2000
Assessment:
Country
Reports.
http://
www2.unesco.org/wef/countryreports/
saudi_arabia/rapport_1.html
Page 19 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
UNESCO
International
Bureau
of
Education World Data on Education: Saudi
Arabia. August 2003. http://nt5.scbbs.com/cgib i n / o m _ i s a p i . d l l ? c l i e n t I D =
461051&depth=3&infobase=iwde.nfo&record=
{7D9591F5}&softpage=PL_frame
United States Library of Congress.
“Saudi
Arabia
–
Education.”
http://
countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/31.htm
World Education News & Reviews. http://
www.wes.org/ewenr/
World Education Services – Canada:
World Education Profiles.
May 2004. http://
www.wes.org/ca/wedb/saudiarabia/safacts.htm
World Higher Education Database, “Saudi
Arabia.” International Association of Universities,
from Ministry of Higher Education, Riyadh, 2006.
“We thought it would
be like the American
movies!”
A Saudi Perspective
on Studying in
America
After they had applied and were accepted, they
waited anxiously for their I-20s. They knew that
the visa application process would be difficult
and wanted to begin their studies as early as
possible. Many students found that they had to
postpone their plans because of delays in
receiving their I-20s and in the visa application
process.
By Elizabeth White, University at Buffalo
When the Saudi Arabian government in 2005
announced a scholarship program that would
send thousands of Saudi students to U.S.
universities, many Saudi students jumped at the
chance to receive an American degree sponsored
by their government.
Twelve students who chose to take advantage of
this opportunity are currently studying at the
University at Buffalo, The State University of New
York; half are enrolled in UB’s English Language
Institute and half are enrolled in degree
programs. Four of the students, Abdullah
Balkhyoor,
Fahad
Bindayil,
and
brothers
Mohammed and Mashhour Alhalaifi, first heard
about the Saudi Scholarship Program when a fullpage advertisement ran in the major Saudi
newspapers. They had to navigate a lengthy
application process in order to be considered. A
standardized test similar to the American SAT
was required. The scores on this exam, as well
as grades from high school, were the main
academic criteria; students also had to have
graduated from high school within the last three
years.
Some students, such as Abdullah, sent their
scholarship applications to the Saudi Cultural
Mission in Washington, D.C. The Mission then
facilitated the university application process on
behalf of the student, placing him or her at one of
a number of universities that had been approved
by the Saudi government. Others decided on
their own where to apply to and filed the
applications themselves, still choosing from the
same government-approved list. According to
Mohammed, this was not easy to do with limited
skills in English. “Most of us had to have friends
or relatives help us fill out the applications,” he
says. “We couldn’t read them.” These students
and most of their friends say they applied to two
or three universities and faced the daunting task
of
navigating
different
applications
and
understanding each university’s requirements.
Page 20 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
From left to right: Fahad Bindayil, Mohammed
Alhalifi, Abdullah Balkhyoor, and Mashhour Alhalaifi
Abdullah was one of those students. “I wasted a
whole year of my life waiting for my visa,” he
says. He complains fervently about the visa
application process in Jeddah, remembering
waiting in blocks-long lines just to make an
appointment for a visa interview, then finding
out the U.S. Embassy decided to close the day of
his scheduled interview, months later, due to a
temporary dispute with the local government.
He ended up applying at the Embassy in Riyadh
instead, where the process moved more
smoothly. “We were the lucky ones,” he says.
“Many people spent lots of time and money and
still didn’t get a visa.” Fahad notes that the visa
application process was more cumbersome for
the first group of scholarship students, but it has
improved: “Now they have a better process for
applying for your visa. You can make your
appointment online.”
The students smile as they recall their
expectations of American culture before they
arrived. Abdullah remembers his grandmother’s
tears as she said goodbye; when he asked why
she was crying, she said, “I’m afraid they’re
going to kill you!” As Mohammed puts it, “We
thought it would be like the American movies.
Because our English was so poor, we couldn’t
read the information that came with our I-20s
(Continued on page 21)
(Saudi student perspective - continued from page 20)
that told us how safe it was here.” Afraid for
their safety and unable to communicate in
English when they first arrived, they huddled in
their on-campus rooms. As their confidence grew
and they encountered more Americans, they
realized “it was just normal here…just like home.”
They have found Americans to be kind and
curious. Much laughter ensues as they recall
some questions they have been asked - “Do you
have refrigerators in Saudi Arabia? What about
cell phones?” – and the surprised looks as people
notice their Western clothes.
University staff had concerns of their own before
the first round of Saudi scholarship students
arrived. “I have to admit we were a little worried
about enrolling the Saudi students,” says Kathy
Curtis, associate director of UB’s English
Language Institute. “Whenever there are more
than five students from any one country, it can
be an issue.” Ms. Curtis strives for balanced
diversity in the intensive English program and
works hard to avoid potential cliques that can
form if there are many students from any
particular country. Having worked with the Saudi
students for the past year, though, she speaks
highly of the students and their work ethic.
“They have been excellent students. I believe
they appreciate that having a solid command of
English will only make them better prepared for
their academic studies. Four of them have taken
part-time jobs this semester on campus as a way
to improve their English comprehension. The fact
that they are going to wash dishes and clean up
tables says a lot for them considering they are on
scholarship.”
Some cultural adjustments were necessary on
the part of the Institute, as well, according to
Curtis. “As a staff, we had to remind ourselves
about having Muslim students in class. We kept
an eye on their holidays, and made adjustments
to our activities so as not to exclude any of our
Saudis who were fasting. We had to make some
Friday
afternoon
class
adjustments
last
semester.” The students speak very favorably of
the accommodations that have been made to
allow them to practice their religion comfortably.
A prayer room and ablution station are available
in the Student Union and a nearby mosque is
attended by both students and faculty.
All of the Saudi scholarship students are anxious
to prove themselves academically and to make
friends with their American classmates; they are
determined not to waste the tremendous
Page 21 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
opportunity they have been given. “I’m a
Buffalonian now. This is home,” Mohammed
says proudly. In their heavy winter coats, they
grin when Mashhour adds dryly, “It’s great in
the summer.”
Elizabeth White is in the Office of
International Admission at the
University at Buffalo (New York)
The Saudi Scholarship
Program: A Puzzle or a
Prize?
How a private IEP and public
university developed a joint
marketing, recruitment,
retention and matriculation
strategy for the Saudi
program
By Dr. Sue Namias, ELS Language Centers/
Indianapolis and Sara Allaei, Indiana University
Purdue University Indianapolis
In the late summer and early fall of 2006, many
universities and Intensive English Programs (IEP)
throughout the United States began to receive
inquiries from Saudi Arabian students about the
admissions process. These prospective students
indicated they were nominees for full scholarships
from the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).
The inquiries were rather vague and the
administrators at the universities and IEPs were
left scratching their heads in puzzlement,
because there had been no official announcement
about a Saudi-sponsored scholarship program.
At ELS Language Centers/Indianapolis, a private
IEP, and at its host institution, Indiana
University-Purdue
University
Indianapolis
(IUPUI), an urban, public university of 29,000
students, we found ourselves in the same
position as many of our peers in educational
institutions and English programs across the U.S.
In late summer of 2006, both ELS and IUPUI
began to receive numerous inquiries about the
application process, with numbers increasing
dramatically in just a few weeks. It became clear
that we needed to address this influx of inquiries
from Saudi students quickly and efficiently. It
also became clear that several key pieces of
information were not available to us, and we
would need to be proactive in our search for the
answers.
Phase I – Filling in the Information Gaps
The IUPUI Office of International Affairs staff
involved with international student admission and
recruitment invited ELS administrative staff to
meet to begin putting the pieces of the Saudi
scholarship puzzle together. It appeared that the
Saudi Scholarship program had potential to be a
significant source of international students over
the next five or more years. However, we were
left wondering: “How many Saudi scholars can
Page 22 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
we expect in our programs? Why are students
applying directly instead of via referrals from the
Saudi Cultural Mission as with past Saudi
scholarship programs? Can we expect a
significant yield from this flood of inquiries?
What is this “list” of approved fields of study and
institutions referred to by the students? When
will they be arriving? How much time will they
need in intensive English study? How many of
these scholars will be undergraduates and how
many graduates?”
In response to the lack of official information,
representatives of both ELS and IUPUI visited
the Saudi Cultural Mission in Washington, D.C.
The Saudi advisors were able to provide
background information about the scholarship
program and answer some questions, but
certainly not all.
IUPUI utilized the Arabic
language skills of a staff member to review the
MOHE website to obtain information about the
majors approved by the Ministry. During this
initial information gathering phase, both IUPUI
and ELS communicated frequently and shared
information as it became available. It quickly
became clear that the range of science,
business, and engineering programs available at
IUPUI -- in combination with intensive English
study available in sessions beginning every four
weeks at ELS -- would be a very strong fit for
the scholarship program, if we could work
together effectively to assist applicants through
the enrollment process.
Phase
II
–
Misunderstandings
of
Application
Process
/
Identifying
Inefficiencies in the Inquiry Phase
The second challenge faced by both ELS and
IUPUI was dealing with inefficiencies created by
prospective students’ misunderstanding about
the separate application process for each
institution, a problem compounded by different
IUPUI undergraduate and graduate application
processes. Students also did not understand
which institution would issue the I-20. Both ELS
and IUPUI received multiple, frequent inquiries
from applicants and their representatives,
requesting conditional acceptance letters and I20s, the critical documents required by the
MOHE to confirm their scholarship.
Staff
became increasingly frustrated as standard
responses satisfactory for other prospective
student audiences resulted in a stream of followup inquiries.
(Saudi Scholarship Program - continued from page 22)
Phase III – Developing a Joint Response Strategy
To address these challenges, IUPUI and ELS staff outlined a strategy for jointly responding to Saudi
scholar application inquiries. Although the public university and private IEP had enjoyed excellent
professional relations over the years, we had never joined together to develop a joint recruitment
strategy for a particular region of the world.
IUPUI and ELS co-authored a standard response tailored to a typical Saudi scholarship inquiry. The
core element of the response was a simple flow chart that illustrated the separate ELS and IUPUI
application processes in visual terms, with minimal text (see below).
STEP 1
A. Apply to IUPUI
http://www.iupui.edu/~oia/AD/
admission_step1.html
B. Apply to ELS - Indianapolis
http://www.els.edu/Indianapolis
STEP 2
A. Receive Conditional
Letter of Acceptance
(CLA)
B. Receive admission letter
and I-20 from ELS Indianapolis
STEP 3
STEP 4
Apply for Student Visa and
begin studies at ELS - Indianapolis
Submit proof of English proficiency to IUPUI
Office of International Affairs in order to
transfer from ELS to IUPUI
This flowchart was accompanied by step-by-step
instructions outlining the application and
enrollment processes at each institution,
including separate application and application
fee requirements, documents required by each
institution, and information about I-20 issuance
by ELS and SEVIS transfer to IUPUI upon
matriculation.
IUPUI and ELS staff worked
together to simplify the language for the
intended audience of non-native English
speakers. A parallel flow chart and instructions
were designed for graduate level inquiries.
The joint response letter and flow chart was
designed in such a way that either IUPUI or ELS
could send it to a Saudi inquirer. The impact of
this joint response strategy was dramatic. Prior
to the implementation of the joint letter, both
institutions were receiving numerous email
Page 23 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
inquiries from the same students.
Almost
immediately, the duplication of Saudi inquiries
diminished.
Phase IV –Raising Campus Awareness via
Proactive Communication
Communications about the Saudi program
between ELS and IUPUI, and within IUPUI,
heralded the next significant phase of this
program. Staff of both institutions discussed the
potential impact on the campus of the sudden
appearance of a large number of Saudis. During
spring 2006, IUPUI convened a campus-wide
meeting of academic program representatives,
student advocates, and housing and student life
administrators to brief them on the growing
presence of Saudi students at ELS and to assess
the campus climate for welcoming a significant
(Continued on page 24)
(Saudi Scholarship Program - continued from page 23)
number of students from Saudi Arabia. Another
meeting was held with the campus police to alert
them to the incoming population of Saudis.
Again, IUPUI and ELS chose to be proactive in
communicating the arrival of a large group of
students from Saudi Arabia in the context of a
harsh national security climate and often
negative media coverage.
Phase V – Facilitating Cultural and Campus
Adjustment
After the initial difficulties of obtaining a student
visa and finding housing, cultural adjustment
issues began to arise, as with most cultural
groups newly arrived in the States. What was
different about this particular group was that it
was so large. In the spring of 2006, about 62 of
125 ELS students were from Saudi Arabia. The
number increased in the fall of 2006 to 93 out of
160 students. ELS felt it was important to assist
these students in preparing for academic study at
the
university,
while
making
them
feel
comfortable in their new culture. IUPUI wanted
to welcome the Saudi scholars to the campus,
and the IUPUI campus police wanted to inform
the students that they were on the campus to
ensure their safety along with the rest of the
university community.
Again, ELS and IUPUI
joined together, this time to develop and deliver
a “Cultural Orientation for Saudi Scholars.” In
addition to the sharing of cultural information,
this orientation program included presentations
by a native Arabic speaking IUPUI faculty
member on US classroom culture and by campus
police on the role of the University police force.
The program concluded with a sharing of
traditional Saudi refreshments. The program was
very well received and appreciated by the
students.
Phase VI –Matriculating Students into IUPUI
Programs
This final phase of the Saudi program centered
on matriculation challenges. The timing of a
Saudi scholar’s transfer to the university was
important to the student and to the academic
programs.
ELS began to communicate the
individual student’s progress in English on a
session by session basis with IUPUI advisors.
Individual IUPUI departments also met with ELS
staff on a regular basis to track student progress.
Communications flowed freely between ELS and
IUPUI academic program staff and international
student advisors as Saudi scholars approached
the end of their intensive English studies.
Students traveling home between their ELS study
Page 24 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
and matriculation at IUPUI needed advising
about procedures for travel under these
circumstances.
Almost all the undergraduate Saudis had already
been issued a “Conditional Letter of Admission”
promising acceptance to IUPUI upon successful
completion of their English language program,
so completing the final admission was relatively
simple. However, most of the graduate level
students had not yet applied to graduate
programs.
Therefore, ELS staff shared
counseling responsibilities with the IUPUI
international recruitment staff in an effort to
assist these graduate students in finding suitable
programs of study. Again, the public university
and private IEP worked together to address the
needs of these Saudi scholars.
Most Valuable Strategies and Lessons
Learned
It has been just over one year since the first
Saudi scholar arrived at ELS and since
matriculated to IUPUI.
More than 20 Saudi
scholars have already matriculated into IUPUI,
with Saudi Arabia appearing in the Top 10
Countries at IUPUI for the first time in IUPUI’s
international
student
enrollment
history.
Approximately 20 more are expected to
matriculate in January 2007, and by fall 2007,
we anticipate that Saudi Arabia will be in the top
five countries represented by IUPUI international
students, after many years of minimal
enrollment. ELS and IUPUI have learned many
valuable lessons in joining together to recruit
and welcome these Saudi scholars. The most
valuable strategies included:
• Visits to the Cultural Mission
• Joint planning between private IEP and
public host university
• Joint response to inquiries
• Communications across the campus
• Sharing of English readiness information
between ELS and academic units
• Co-counseling students
• Joint information meetings for campus
representatives, including campus police
• Implementation of a joint “Cultural
Orientation Program for Saudi Scholars”
• Reevaluation
The Saudi Scholarship Program has brought
thousands of Saudi scholars to the States. ELS
and IUPUI look forward to continuing to work
together to address this specific group’s needs
as the program continues.
Both educational
institutions, one private and one public, are now
(Continued on page 25)
(Saudi Scholarship Program - continued from page 24)
striving to apply the same spirit of cooperation
and creativity to improve the recruitment,
marketing, and matriculation efforts of all
nationality groups.
The Saudi Scholarship
Program may have begun as a puzzle, but it has
turned into a prize, inspiring us to develop new
joint
response
strategies
and
share
communications
for
the
benefit
of
our
institutions, but, more importantly for that of our
students.
Dr. Sue A. Namias is Director of ELS
University Projects at the ELS
Language Centers/Indianapolis.
Email: [email protected]
Sara Allaei is Assistant Dean & Director
for International Services, Indiana
University-Purdue University
Indianapolis.
Email: [email protected]
Page 25 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
The View
from Out
Here
By Karen Bauer, US Embassy-Riyadh
to
comprehensively
reflect
the
current
environment, and many U.S. institutions are
eager for clear understanding and transparency.
Admissions officials will find the ECE publication
presently underway, The Educational System of
Saudi Arabia, to be an invaluable resource, as it
will be to all those interested in the Kingdom's
system of education.
In November 2006, I had the fortunate
opportunity to visit five universities across the
United States and meet with Saudi students to
talk about their experiences on campus. For
many Education Advisors, we seldom interact
with our advisees once they reach colleges and
universities. The chance to converse with Saudis
was rewarding and beneficial. All of the students
I encountered were willing to share their
experiences in the United States, relating stories
of new friendships, homesickness, sharing their
culture and confronting stereotypes. It is clear
that representation of Saudi students on U.S.
campuses is growing and one can expect this
number to continue to climb.
Equalization/Recognition of U.S. Degrees in
Saudi Arabia
One of the first steps of the college search
process for a Saudi student is to research which
U.S. colleges and universities are approved for
degree equalization/recognition by the Ministry of
Higher Education (MOHE). It is crucial that a
Saudi student attends a recognized institution as
her/his degree will need to be equalized/
recognized by the MOHE or the Saudi Arabian
Cultural Mission (SACM).
If a U.S. institution
wishes to see if it is recognized, the following
directions will facilitate navigation of the Arabic
website.
Growth, Development and Transparency
A routine function in our Education Advising
Office (EAO) is to scan the English language
dailies and maintain an archive of newspaper
articles related to education in the Kingdom. I
was surprised on December 13, 2005 when the
2006 annual budget appeared in the newspaper,
allocating $23 billion to education. This amounts
to 26% of the total budget and demonstrates
King Abdullah's commitment to the youth of
Saudi Arabia. As 2006 unfolded we have seen:
1. The first option allows a student to search
for a specific institution (e.g., University of
Denver)
* Go to www.mohe.gov.sa
* Click on 5th right green bullet point
* In the 'Country' drop-down box, select
the 6th country (America), click Go
* Click on 1st blue line
* Type name of college/university or city/
state
* Click on Search
•
•
•
•
Refinement of the scholarship program,
aiming to bring 15,000+ students to the
U.S. over a five year period.
Additional
scholarship
program
destinations announced for Canada,
Germany, UK, France, Italy, China,
Singapore, South Korea, India, Malaysia,
Australia, New Zealand, etc.
Royal decrees for four new public
universities in Al Baha, Al Jouf, Jizan, and
Tabuk
The creation of hundreds of new schools,
technical colleges and training centers.
The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. EmbassyRiyadh commissioned a study by Educational
Credential Evaluators (ECE), Inc. to record the
rapid growth and expansion of the Saudi
education sector domestically and through
scholarships abroad.
Available resources and
publications about Saudi's educational system fail
Page 26 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
2. The second option allows a student to
search by field of study (e.g., marketing).
* Go to www.mohe.gov.sa
* Click on 5th right green bullet point
* In the 'Country' drop-down box, select
the 6th country (America), click Go
* Click on 2nd blue line
* Type name of major
* Click on Search
Recruitment
Given the current Department of State travel
warning
(http://
travel.state.gov/travel/
saudi_warning.html) and visa procurement
issues, recruitment in Saudi Arabia can be
challenging. However, in November 2006, two
tour consolidators, Linden Educational Services
and U.S. Educational Group traveled to Saudi
Arabia to recruit students and both had favorable
interest from local students. In addition, local
(Continued on page 27)
(View from Out Here - continued from page 26)
exhibitions have good attendance; the third
annual Saudi International Education and
Training Exhibition (IETEC) http://www.dhahranexpo.com/edhibition/2006/ietex/ will take place
in Dhahran from April 23-26, 2007, followed by
The Middle East Education and Training
Exhibition and Symposium (MEETES) http://
www.acexpos.com/index.php in Jeddah from
April 30-May 3 2007.
In an effort to assist in the process of visa
procurement for U.S. school officials desiring to
visit Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Commercial
Service (FCS) of the U.S. Department of
Commerce recently announced an assistance
program in Saudi Arabia available to accredited
institutions of higher learning that are in good
standing with their accrediting bodies. The U.S.
Export Assistance Center (EAC) now distributes
the following contact information to all colleges,
universities, educational touring groups and
organizations who express interest in recruiting
in Saudi Arabia.
W. Eric McDonald, Director
U.S. Export Assistance Center
U.S. Commercial Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
P.O. Box 10026
400 North 8th Street, Suite 412
Richmond, Virginia 23240-0026
Tel: 804-771-2246/Fax: 804-771-2390
E-mail: [email protected]
U.S. Embassy - Riyadh Consular Section Visa Advice for Students
The Consular Section at the U.S. EmbassyRiyadh advises students who wish to begin study
in the United States in September 2007 to
initiate
the
visa
application
process
approximately eight months in advance. This
means that during the month of January,
students should go to the appointment website
located
at
http://ksa.us-visaservices.com.
Students should 1) purchase a pin, 2) complete
and print out the required forms, and 3) select
an appointment date. Even if a student has not
received an I-20 and has no SEVIS receipt, he/
she should still initiate these appointment
procedures.
On the interview date, the student must come to
the U.S. Embassy-Riyadh between 8:00 and
10:00 AM with the required documentation that
is clearly stated on the visa page of the U.S.
Embassy website (http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/
Page 27 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
saudi-arabia/non_immigrant_visas.html ). This
documentation includes a pre-paid MRV (Machine
Readable Visa) application fee receipt that can be
purchased from any Samba Bank for SR 380 (US
$100). Cash is not accepted for the application
fee. Effective November 1, 2006, all applications
for all types of visas must be completed online
through http://evisaforms.state.gov. Typed or
handwritten applications will not be accepted
after October 31, 2006. Please refer to the visa
page of the U.S. Embassy website for specific
details on required documentation.
If a student comes to his/her appointment
without the I-20 and SEVIS receipt, he/she will
be given a yellow sheet of paper at the end of
the interview, indicating the items that still need
to be submitted. With the interview complete,
any further checks or additional processing
procedures can then be initiated by the Consular
Section. Sometimes these procedures can take
more than two months. As the student leaves
the interview and passes through the Consular
Section waiting area, he/she will see a FedEx
vendor. If the student does not wish to return to
the U.S. Embassy-Riyadh in order to deliver
items listed on the yellow sheet of paper, he/she
has the option of purchasing two FedEx
envelopes: one that would be addressed to the
Embassy and one that would be addressed to the
student.
A visa cannot be issued more than 120 days
before the start date listed on the I-20. When a
student is cleared for the visa, it will not be
placed in his/her passport until 120 days, or less,
before the start date listed on the I-20.
A
student cannot enter the United States on a
student visa more than 30 days before the start
date listed on the I-20.
In conclusion, the education system in Saudi
Arabia is being developed and refined. Hopefully
this information will provide U.S. admission
officers with a better understanding of the
Kingdom, opportunities for recruitment, U.S.
degree equalization/recognition and information
on visa procedures.
Karen Bauer is an Education Advisor
at the U.S. Embassy-Riyadh in Saudi
Arabia
Letter to the
Editor
(The article mentioned in this letter is reprinted
at the end of Jim Frey’s reply)
Dear Editor:
In the “Q & A with Jim Frey” section (page 9
Admissions wRAP Up – May 2006) Mr. Frey
implies that an Open University award is not a
valid degree if it has been studied in a country
other than the United Kingdom.
He also
suggests that degrees should not be recognized
unless the teaching institution is itself authorized
to award degrees.
There are currently more than 30,000 students
from 45 accredited partner institutions registered
for Open University validated awards. For many
of these students further study at a North
American university will be of interest. Given the
key role that NAFSA members play in the
admission process of overseas applicants to U.S.
universities, I would be grateful if you would
agree to publish some clarification for your
readers, and would like to take this opportunity
to explain our arrangements to you.
We would like to draw to your attention the fact
that the Open University is a world class
university with more than 200,000 of its own
directly registered students all over the world.
The Open University was granted university
status by the Queen’s Privy Council in 1969
(http://www.open.ac.uk/foi-docs/charter.doc).
The Open University was also accredited by The
Middle States Commission on Higher Education in
March 2005.
In addition, the Open University offers a national
and international accreditation and validation
service through its Validation Services (OUVS).
This organization was established at the request
of the UK government’s Secretary of State for
Education in 1992, at the same time as the
Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA)
ceased to exist. OUVS approves institutions and
validates their higher education programmes
through a rigorous peer review process.
Institutional approval and validation is subject to
periodic review and annual monitoring.
The
awards that students gain when they have
successfully completed an approved programme
at an OU associated or accredited institution is
an Open University award, conferred under its
Page 28 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
Royal Charter. As a UK awarding institution, all
Open University awards – wherever they are
delivered – are subject to UK quality assurance
requirements and expectations, as specified by
the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
Education (QAA) in its Academic Infrastructure.
This includes, for example, the use of UK Subject
Benchmark statements, The Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications and requirements
for external examiners.
The quality assurance arrangements required of
approved institutions provide the Open University
with assurance that the academic standards
achieved by students on validated programmes
are equivalent to those of other similar UK
degree programmes.
For example, external
examiners, who are usually faculty members at
British
Universities,
monitor
assessment
practices at programme level.
Their role
includes, for example, approving assessment
tasks, scrutiny of marking and grading practices,
and approving marks and grades for Open
University awards.
The Open University’s Handbook for Validated
Awards, describes the principles and regulations
that underpin the accreditation and validation
activity. The Handbook is available on request
and
on-line
from
our
webpages
at
www.open.ac.uk/validate. A complete list of our
approved partner institutions can also be found
on those webpages. The University also provides
a publication for students who are registered for
validated awards and I enclosed a copy of this
for your information.
The question that gave rise to Mr. Frey’s
response relates to the status of a Diplom as an
entrance qualification to an MBA programme that
was studied for at a German Berufsakademie and
refers to advice received from “the OSEAS centre
in Heidelburg”. The questioner does not specify
from
which
German
Berufsakademie
the
applicant in question has obtained the Diplom.
There are Berufsakademien in nearly all German
federal states, however only BA BadenWurttemberg is accredited by the Open
University. The advice given to the enquirer by
OSEAS that students can send their Diplom
credentials to the Open University to be certified
as a bachelor degree is incorrect. The Open
University validates Bachelors with Honours
programmes, not Diplom. Any student who has
successfully
completed
an
OU
approved
programme at BA Baden-Wurttemberg graduates
(Continued on page 29)
(Letter to the Editor - continued from page 28)
with a degree certificate for a Bachelor with
Honours OU award.
We would be pleased to offer any further
clarification necessary to ensure that students
wishing to enroll at an OU approved institution, or
those who have gained a validated award and
wish to enroll for further study at an institution in
the United States, are treated equitably and fairly.
Enquiries about approved institutions or validated
programmes should be directed in the first
instance by e-mail to the following address [email protected].
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Kate Clarke
Director, OUVS
The Open University
****************************
Jim Frey’s reply:
In my judgment, two requirements must be met
in order for a degree to merit recognition as a
valid academic qualification:
1. The degree-awarding institution must be
officially recognized as degree-granting by the
authorities who have jurisdiction over tertiary
education in the country in which the institution
operates.
2. The degree-granting institution must have
taught the student who received the degree if the
degree represents completion of a taught degree
program. Alternatively, the institution must have
set, administered, and marked (graded) the
examinations passed by the student if the degree
represents completion of examinations based
upon self-study.
Open University is officially recognized as a
degree-granting institution by the authorities who
have jurisdiction over tertiary education in the
United Kingdom. Thus the first requirement is
met.
Open University sets, administers, and marks
examinations taken by self-study students. Thus
the second requirement is met for those students
who take those examinations.
In my judgment, a degree awarded to a student
whom the degree-granting institution has neither
taught nor examined is not a degree that merits
Page 29 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
recognition as a valid academic qualification.
The Open University Validation Services (OUVS)
may serve a valuable function within the
educational system of the United Kingdom. But
reviewing, approving, validating, accrediting and
other similar activities do not academically link a
student to OUVS or to Open University in a
teaching/examining
relationship.
In
my
judgment an organization cannot delegate the
teaching/examining functions to someone else
and use that process to produce academic
degrees that merit recognition elsewhere.
The student about whom the original question
was asked was taught and examined by a
Berufsakademie in Germany, not by Open
University. If the student had received a degree
from Open University on the basis of
examinations administered by Open University,
using what was learned at the Berufsakademie
as preparation for the examinations, I would
have had no problem accepting the degree. But
the student did not do that. Instead, an Open
University degree was used to paper over the
student's actual educational achievement at the
Berufsakademie.
I believe that achievement
ought to be judged on its own merits.
James S. Frey, Ed.D., Senior Advisor & Founder
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
****************************
ORIGINAL QUESTION AND ANSWER
Question: A German applicant to our MBA
program
holds
a
Diplom
from
a
Berufsakademie—by all indications NOT
equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. But,
according
to
the
OSEAS
center
in
Heidelburg,
students
then
send
this
credential to the Open University in the
United Kingdom to be certified as a bachelor
degree.
So how should one view this
credential?
Response: In my judgment, a credit course is
one that can be credited toward the academic
requirements of a degree program at the
institution that taught the course.
In my judgment, a degree program is acceptable
only if the teaching institution is officially
recognized as degree-granting by the authorities
who have jurisdiction over tertiary education in
the country in which the student was educated.
(Continued on page 30)
(Letter to the Editor - continued from page 29)
Your applicant was taught by a Berufsakademie
in Germany, not by the Open University.
Therefore any involvement by the Open
University is not relevant.
The Open University is not an officially recognized
degree-granting institution in Germany. Even if it
had actually taught the student, I would consider
any degree it awarded in this situation to be
unacceptable.
I believe
the Diplom
awarded
by
the
Berufsakademie has to be judged on its own
merits, and only on its own merits.
****************************
Admissions wRAP Up welcomes letters to the
editor.
The editor reserves the right to edit
letters for space and clarity without changing the
original meaning. Writers must include their full
name, address, e-mail address and telephone
number.
Page 30 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N S E C T I O N
This is meant to be used as a guide to help you in determining the admissibility of a student with a specific
foreign credential, given, of course, that the student meets all of your other admission requirements. This
guide is not an official endorsement by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Remember that
intelligent people disagree even when they are looking at the same facts! This tool is meant for you to begin
to see the process of how to evaluate a credential from another country, and why your assessment might be
different from a colleague’s assessment.
The evaluation of a foreign credential usually entails several steps, such as:
¾ gathering information on a country's educational system,
¾ gathering information on a particular credential,
¾ determining where the credential falls on the US credential benchmark spectrum,
¾ determining if the student is admissible given institutional policies, and
¾ determining placement and transfer credit, if warranted
Ascertaining the benchmark comparability of a credential should be carefully distinguished from determining
the admissibility of a student. Students may have the equivalent to a US bachelor's degree, but they may not
be admissible to your institution. Thus, the evaluation of a foreign credential is heavily determined by your
institutional type and your institutional policies. Below, you will find that the benchmark comparability and the
admissibility determination are clearly separated into two steps.
In the following section, you will see several credentials from Saudi Arabia. You will also see evaluations from
three sources:
The “Council” was an
1. The National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials:
interassociational group that provided guidelines for interpreting foreign educational credentials for the
placement of holders of these credentials in US educational institutions. The membership of the Council
reflected the diversity of US education institutions for which recommendations were made. Council
recommendations were not directives, nor did they make judgments about the quality of programs and
schools. The Council was dissolved in March 2006, but its recommendations from previous publications
are included, when available.
2. U.S. educational institutions: The following evaluators volunteered to evaluate the educational credentials
appearing in this newsletter:
• Peggy Bell Hendrickson, International Education Adviser, International Admissions, University of North
Texas
• Melanie Gottlieb, International Credential Specialist, Webster University
• Elizabeth Kibler, Assistant Director, Graduate and Professional Admissions and Academic Support Unit,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Cecilia Barajas, International Admissions Counselor/Representative, Eastern Michigan University
3. Credential evaluation service: In this issue, we have invited Hany Arafat of SpanTran Educational Services
to evaluate the educational credentials.
Page 31 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASS
Page 32 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASS
Page 33 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASS
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
First Secondary School Class
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
Al Orouba Secondary School
Recognition/accreditation body
Ministry of Education
Prior level of education required
Intermediate Education (9 years)
Official length of program
3 years
Time period covered
One year (1422H*) (2002)
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Need a copy of the high school completion certificate. However, GPA is too low
for admission to UNT.
Webster University
(Competitive)
One year of high school. Need grade two and grade three transcripts
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
First High School year, out of three. Note: Would recommend an educational
ladder. Where is the information for 2003 and beyond? We would only use a
Ministry of Education sealed document, and they only issue sealed docs after
program is completed. This document lacks the endorsement.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Completion of 10th grade
Page 34 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SECONDARY GRADE - SCIENCE SECTION
Page 35 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SECONDARY GRADE - SCIENCE SECTION
Page 36 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SECONDARY GRADE - SCIENCE SECTION
Page 37 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SECONDARY GRADE - SCIENCE SECTION
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
First, Second and Third Grade—Science Section
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
Manarat Al-Sharqiah at Khobar
Recognition/accreditation body
Ministry of Education
Prior level of education required
Intermediate Education (9 years)
Official length of program
3 years
Time period covered
Three years (completed in 1422H)* (2001)
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
High school equivalency. Need the official General Secondary Education
Certificate
Webster University
(Competitive)
Completed secondary education; would admit as a freshman
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
Equivalent to high school graduation. Freshman admission. Page one is the
cumulative academic history. Some programs may require or seek ACT or
SAT test scores for placement into classes such as biology, chemistry or
physics. If ACT/SAT is available, use for placement in possible advance
courses.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Completion of U.S. 12th grade. Remarks: Must submit proof of success on the
General Secondary School Certificate Examination to establish high school
equivalency
Page 38 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR APPLIED MEDICAL SCIENCES
Page 39 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR APPLIED MEDICAL SCIENCES
Page 40 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR APPLIED MEDICAL SCIENCES
Page 41 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR APPLIED MEDICAL SCIENCES
Page 42 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR APPLIED MEDICAL SCIENCES
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
Bachelor Degree of Applied Medical Sciences and Academic Record
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
King Saud University
Recognition/accreditation body
Ministry of Education
Prior level of education required
General Secondary Education Certificate
Official length of program
Time period covered
1997—2002
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor equivalent (but grades are too low to meet UNT Graduate School
admissions requirements)
Webster University
(Competitive)
Bachelor of Science; graduate program admission
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
(Selective)
Bachelor’s equivalent. The GPA for the last 3 years = 3.29/5. A GPA of 4/5
would be required for full status admission; therefore, the student would not be
eligible for full status admission. NOTE: With departmental support, the
student would be evaluated for limited status admission. All admission
materials (personal statement, letters of reference, work experience, etc.)
would need to be reviewed to make this decision
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor’s equivalent; graduate admission. May need additional test scores
such as GRE or GMAT, Miller, TOEFL/IELTS/MELAB. King Saud University is
a highly selective school with a Carnegie ranking.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science
Page 43 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC RECORD
Page 44 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC RECORD
Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
Page 45 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC RECORD
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
Academic Record
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
Qassim University (Algaseem University)
Recognition/accreditation body
Ministry of Higher Education
Prior level of education required
General Secondary Education Certificate
Official length of program
Time period covered
1997—2002
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor equivalent (upon submission of bachelor’s degree), but GPA is too low
for admission to UNT even as a second bachelor’s student.
Webster University
(Competitive)
Bachelor of Arts. Admission to (with potential probation) to less selective
programs. We would not admit to graduate level to highly selective programs.
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
(Selective)
Bachelor’s equivalent. The GPA for the last 2.5 years = 2.88/5. A GPA of 4/5
would be required for full status admission; therefore, the student would not be
eligible for full status admission. NOTE: The transcripts indicate that the
student was in a bachelor’s degree program and that the student graduated. We
would admit with the documents provided; however, we would require the
student to submit his/her final certificate of degree to our office during his/her
first semester of enrollment.
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor’s equivalent. Graduate admission, depending on program placement
requirements. May need additional test scores such as GMAT, TOEFL/MELAB/
IELTS. Departments such as business school may need additional scores for an
admissions index.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Bachelor of Business Administration
Page 46 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
IGCSE
Page 47 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
IGCSE
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
Manarat Al Riyadh School – English Section
Recognition/accreditation body
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
Prior level of education required
N/A
Official length of program
Minimum of 11 years primary and secondary school
Time period covered
2001
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Incomplete high school equivalency record. Unable to admit student without at
least 5 passes on the GCSE in college-preparatory subjects.
Webster University
(Competitive)
High school completion. Normally we require 5 completed IGCSE’s, but based
on the strength of the applicant, we would likely make an exception with
Freshman admission. Would like to see a 5th subject or an explanation of why
5th subject was not taken.
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
High school certificate; British education pattern; freshman admission, no
advance standing.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
High school graduation if target institution accepts 4 IGCSE passes (with
English and math). Remarks: need more information about studies leading up
to the IGCSE examination.
Page 48 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
S T U D E N T ’ S E D U C AT I O N A L A N D T R A I N I N G R E P O R T
Page 49 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
S T U D E N T ’ S E D U C AT I O N A L A N D T R A I N I N G R E P O R T
Page 50 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
S T U D E N T ’ S E D U C AT I O N A L A N D T R A I N I N G R E P O R T
Page 51 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
S T U D E N T ’ S E D U C AT I O N A L A N D T R A I N I N G R E P O R T
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
Student’s Educational and Training Report
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
College of Technology at Dammam
Recognition/accreditation body
General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training
(GOTEVOT)
Prior level of education required
General Secondary Education Certificate (grade 12)
Official length of program
Time period covered
1998-2002
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Undergraduate transfer student. We would need a syllabus in order to
determine transfer credits for degree plan. UNT does not transfer courses in
English language. However, the transfer of other courses into the degree
program would determine the level of admission (freshman, sophomore, etc.).
Webster University
(Competitive)
Associate’s degree in technical field; admission with probation to less selective
programs only with transfer credit up to 64 semester hours. Highly selective
programs would not admit.
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
Undergrad transfer. Transfer credit for 2.0 grades, to be determined by a
course-by-course evaluation.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Associate of Applied Science in machine tool technology; need more
information regarding the official length of the program.
Page 52 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 53 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 54 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 55 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 56 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 57 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
Page 58 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
C R E D E N T I A L E VA L U AT I O N : S A U D I A R A B I A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY
G E N E R A L C R E D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Credential name in original
language
Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and transcripts
Country
Saudi Arabia
Institution
King Abdul Aziz University and Taibah University
Recognition/accreditation body
Ministry of Higher Education
Prior level of education required
General Secondary Certificate of Education
Official length of program
Time period covered
1999– 2001/2000—2005
Program type
Academic
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L O N T H E E VA L U AT I O N O F
F O R E I G N E D U C AT I O N A L C R E D E N T I A L S
No current placement recommendation available
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : U . S . E D U C AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T I O N S
University of North Texas
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor equivalent, eligible to apply to Graduate School.
Webster University
(Competitive)
Bachelor of Science. Admit to graduate level.
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
(Selective)
Bachelor’s equivalent. The GPA for the last 2.5 years = 3.98/5. A GPA of 4/5
would be required for full status admission; therefore, the student would not
automatically be eligible for full status admission. NOTE: Since the student’s
GPA is just under the full status admission minimum, our office would consider
admitting with full status with departmental support. All admission materials
(personal statement, letters of reference, work experience, etc.) would need to
be reviewed to make this decision.
Eastern Michigan University
(Moderately Selective)
Bachelor’s (chemistry); graduate admission. GPA is 3.0, will need to calculate
all classes, eliminating repeats and withdrawals; need a clear set of transcripts.
Will need GRE and TOEFL/MELAB/IELTS scores for possible placement into
chemistry department.
E VA L U AT I O N F R O M : E VA L U AT I O N S E R V I C E
SpanTran Educational Services
Bachelor of Science in chemistry
Page 59 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007
Newsletter Team
Editorial Board:
Marybeth Gruenewald
Senior Evaluator
Educational Credentials Evaluators, Inc.
[email protected]
Linda Jahn
International Academic Credential Evaluators
[email protected]
Nancy Katz
International Educational Consultant
[email protected]
Pat Parker
Assistant Director of Admissions
Iowa State University
[email protected]
Steven Shaw
Director of International Admissions
University at Buffalo
[email protected]
Marjorie Smith
Associate Dean, International Student Admission
University of Denver
[email protected]
Kate Trayte Freeman
Executive Director, International Students and Scholars Services
Drexel University
[email protected]
Special thanks to the
Content Committee:
Deborah Hefferon
Independent Consultant
[email protected]
Doug McBean
Senior Policy Coordinator
University of Toronto
[email protected]
Special thanks to:
Jim Frey
President
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
[email protected]
Questions? Feedback? E-mail: [email protected]
What credentials would you like evaluated?
What topics would you like covered?
What did you like about this newsletter?
What can we improve upon?
Page 60 Admissions wRAP Up - February 2007