Are UK degrees recognized in the US?

[PhilliesFan001]

I haven't been able to find a concrete answer online so I'm hoping somebody here has experience!

 

I'm American, thinking of going to the UK for a Master's, but I will probably return to America afterward. I would LOVE to go to the UK to study, but I'm afraid I'll have trouble applying for jobs if I have a British degree, especially if it's from a university that isn't well known internationally.

 

Has anybody experienced this problem? The degrees I'm looking at are in education or psychology and I have no idea how it works or where to even look.

[OptomisticGirl]

Can you talk to a local school here and find out? I know when I was going to school for nursing my American degree would not transfer over to the UK.

[Fudgie]

The issue isn't so much the degree but the certification process. Let's take teaching and psychology for example. Therapists often need to be licensed to work, and teaching, you need a teaching certification. These licenses/certifications, these are things that usually won't transfer internationally and you'll have to re-take to get certification within the US.

[needhelp21]

A not well know university? My friend, the UK holds a couple of the best known universities in the world.

 

A) We have Cambridge University, on the site it fully explains how to apply and what courses are available.

 

B) We have Oxford University, which is one of the worlds leading univeristies.

 

Either way, you master in any of them and any job interviewer will be quite impressed.

 

Sorry but you will have to google them yourself, as this site will not let me post URL's. But on the sites it should explain how you can apply for the Uni's. My cousin personally went to Oxford and when i visited I was surprised how many Amercians there actually was attending it, I thought it was an American invasion

[PhilliesFan001]

A not well know university? My friend, the UK holds a couple of the best known universities in the world.

 

A) We have Cambridge University, on the site it fully explains how to apply and what courses are available.

 

B) We have Oxford University, which is one of the worlds leading univeristies.

 

Either way, you master in any of them and any job interviewer will be quite impressed.

 

Sorry but you will have to google them yourself, as this site will not let me post URL's. But on the sites it should explain how you can apply for the Uni's. My cousin personally went to Oxford and when i visited I was surprised how many Amercians there actually was attending it, I thought it was an American invasion

 

Haha yeah of course I assume Oxford and Cambridge are well known, but I have zero chance of getting into those programs! My question was more about universities that may have a good reputation within the UK, but aren't as well known in the US. Most Americans have heard of Oxford/Cambridge/St Andrews but I think those are too prestigious for my grades.

 

Fudgie ~ I'm OK with the certification thing. With teaching I know even if I want to be in a different state I would need to be re-certified so that's not a big deal to me. My concern is the MA not being recognized at all and having to re-do a Master's degree course in the US. Not sure if that happens but I'm paranoid!

[needhelp21]

'too prestigious' , don't put yourself down like that, you can always try, as long as you show that you are dedicated and willing to go that extra mile with your work, they will greet you with open arms. I was surprised my cousin made it into oxford, i always presumed he was blatantly not oxford material, but he never gave up and fought his way in, if you have the dedication to see things through go for it!

[Alpine]

It depends on the profession. For some professions, you can apply to get it converted. (For example, I am a teacher with an Australian degree. I am able to use it in all Commonwealthy counties but if I wanted to teach in the US I would have to apply to have my qualification converted - but I wouldn't have to study all over again!)

 

I just read that your question is more with your Master's degree as you are studying teaching as well - I am sure that a Master's would be recognised. Can you check with any teachers that you know who have taught or studied abroad?

[Saffron_]

You are aware of the rising cost of tuition fees in England and Wales aren't you? Uni's can charge up to £9k a year for British students. That's around $14k. And I'm guessing it's higher for overseas students. But maybe you already know this.

[Saffron_]

Actually, forget what I just said. I'm sure you've already considered the cost and such.

[civilservant]

You also need to consider if you would actually qualify for a visa - they are beginning to stamp down on immigrants in all fashions, put simply the new government whats to be seen to be reducing the numbers of 'Johnny foreigner' coming through our borders. These changes will being to come into affect next month.

 

As OG and I can attest too, it's not as simple as saying I want to come over any longer.

[penelope13]

Do you have an idea what you would want to do upon your return from the UK? - Those are the places/people you need to ask if they will accept your UK MA degree.

[PhilliesFan001]

You also need to consider if you would actually qualify for a visa - they are beginning to stamp down on immigrants in all fashions, put simply the new government whats to be seen to be reducing the numbers of 'Johnny foreigner' coming through our borders. These changes will being to come into affect next month.

 

As OG and I can attest too, it's not as simple as saying I want to come over any longer.

 

Oh yes I know - I've been traveling to the UK multiple times per year since 2005 and my boyfriend is British, I'm very well aware of the pain in the butt immigration stuff sadly!

 

The costs and visas are really no problem for me, I'm not worried about the cost of tuition at all or obtaining a visa, my question is just strictly about whether a UK Master's is recognized or whether I would have to start over upon my potential return to the US for a career.

[civilservant]

Then you're asking the wrong people....

[Allyo]

My sister got a masters degree in biomedical sciences in the UK. Her degree is certainly valued over here in the United States. One good thing is that they speak English in the UK, so you wouldn't have to bother with official translations of transcripts or other official documents.

 

If you wanted to apply to a doctorate program, fellowship program, or any job that might require a masters degree in the United States I imagine that you might need to go to the nearest English consulate to get some sort of official verification of the masters that you obtained in the UK. A little extra work might be involved, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just keep in mind that everything can get more expensive, not even including flights or moving costs but little extras afterwards, such as the cost of verification or the cost of sending an official transcript.

 

I think someone mentioned that the issue for a lot of jobs is certification. Like if you have a professional degree and need to be certified to practice. I don't know specifics about psychology, but maybe you would want to check out a certifying agency or institution ahead of time and ask if they would value your degree.

 

However, you might also be applying to jobs where having a masters degree isn't required but rather an extra advantage or boost to your resume. In this case the employer's perception is everything. They could look at your resume and think, "Wow, this woman has got some international experience, shows motivation and desire to learn about new places and cultures, what a great employee she would make!" Or certainly they could think the opposite and be turned off by a university that they have potentially never heard of. We often assume that employers are rational, yet I think they also use a lot of really specific, even weird criteria that don't always make sense when they are deciding whether or not to hire someone. Either way, you could try to craft your resume to focus on your skills, not so much the university, or indeed try to spin the experience in such a way that it comes out looking like a huge positive. It could be potentially good to do an internship or gain some other practical working experience over there, in addition to the degree.

 

So I think you should do a little research based on your future career goals, like if you even wanted to become a certified therapist (once again I don't know what this involves) you could check out the certifying institution!

 

Another side note... I know you didn't ask this... but, my sister tried to look for work over there and had a hell of a time! They took ages to give her a working visa after she applied. There are few employers who would want to go through the trouble of sponsoring you for a work visa from what I understand unless you have a super special or unique skill. The process of applying for work over there can be even more frustrating than in the US. Not impossible, but you would certainly need lots of time and patience and hopefully connections!

[pl3asehelp]

What do you mean by recognized? I don't know about other industries, but n software in CA we routinely hire people with degrees from outside of the states.

[quantumst8]

 

The costs and visas are really no problem for me, I'm not worried about the cost of tuition at all or obtaining a visa

 

If you're that rich, then there's probably no need to worry about finding a job after graduation either =) I say just do it and enjoy.