All foreign transcripts must be accompanied by a professional evaluation and an official transcript, including an English translation if it is not in English. It is the student's responsibility to procure this evaluation and to assume the financial responsibility. An exception to this requirement is an exchange agreement between SMU and a foreign institution which is modeled after the U.S. education system. Course descriptions or syllabi are required
Because of the importance of this information, SMU only accepts evaluations from the following agencies of proven reliability:
International Academic Credential Evaluators, Inc.
PO Box 2585
Denton, TX 76202-2585
Phone: 940-383-7498
iacei.net
International Education Evaluations
7900 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd. Suite 300
Charlotte, NC 28227
Phone: 704-772-0109
myiee.org
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-273-1616
Fax: 305-273-1338
Email: info@jsilny.com
jsilny.org
SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
2400 Augusta Drive, Suite 451
Houston, TX 77057
Phone: 713-266-8805
Email: status@spantran.com
World Education Services, Inc.
PO Box 745 Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113-0745
Phone: 212-966-6311
TOLL FREE: 1-800-937-3895
Email: info@wes.org
wes.org
The above services' evaluations should include an explanation that the institution is recognized by the ministry of education in the home country and is generally considered to offer at least the equivalent of U.S. higher education credit. In addition, it should include an explanation of the credits, the grading system and course levels, as well as a course-by-course evaluation.
The expertise and reliability of a professional evaluation report is recognized worldwide and is likely to be accepted by other academic institutions, employers and state licensing boards. However, the report is not binding to SMU and it will be considered a recommendation for SMU's independent decision of the credit to be given. Information and applications from the agencies are available online.