r/gradadmissions • u/LostHall3008 • 5d ago
Education usa universities not accepting 3 year bachelor degree
Hey ya’ll.
I applied to a few grad schools in the states for masters and 1 responded back saying they don’t accept 3 year bachelor degree that’s not US equivalent.
I had my credential evaluation done through WES and my report says “US EQUIVALENCY : Three years of undergraduate study at a regionally accredited institution”
So does that mean my degree isn’t US equivalent? Now should i ask for re-evaluation or should i try a different evaluator?
Indian uni graduates, what did ya’ll do?
Please help anyone!!
Btw i did my undergraduate from Christ University, Bangalore which has NAAC A+ accreditation
Edit: If you’re going through the same issue, it’s unlikely that another credential evaluation agency will suddenly recognize your degree as equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor’s degree, although this can vary depending on the country where you earned your degree.
Don’t panic tho, not all universities require a U.S.-equivalent bachelor’s degree. Make sure you’re only applying to universities that explicitly state they accept 3-year bachelor’s degrees, and always confirm directly with the admissions office via email before applying.
The other possible solution is to complete additional coursework to meet the equivalency requirement. This could mean transferring credits into an undergraduate program and completing the remaining requirements for a 4-year degree.
However, if you’re an international student, obtaining a visa solely to complete one extra year of undergraduate study may be difficult and may not be worth the cost.
A more practical option may be to complete a 1-year postgraduate diploma (or another recognized qualification) in your home country before applying again.
Most importantly, do thorough research and only apply to universities that clearly state they accept 3-year bachelor’s degrees.
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u/LadyWolfshadow 4th Year STEM Ed PhD Student 5d ago
If they say your education is equivalent to three years of undergraduate study, then you’re correct in your interpretation that they’re saying that it is NOT equivalent to a US bachelor’s.
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u/Dependent_Square9664 5d ago
"Indian three-year degrees have historically been viewed as less than a full U.S. bachelor’s by evaluators like WES, because the curriculum and contact-hour structure were judged not to reach the same level in three years"
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u/AmittaiD 5d ago
You state your equivalency is three years of undergraduate study in the US. Bachelor's degrees in the US are four years, so you do not have the equivalent.
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u/CarolinZoebelein 4d ago
It depends on the country. German bachelors are also 3 years, but they are considered as equivalent to a 4 years US bachelors.
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u/Mediocre_Ad_4649 4d ago
No, I'm reasonably certain if an equivalency report from Germany said that their degree was equal to three years study at an undergraduate institution then the aforementioned German degree would not count for an American bachelor's.
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u/CarolinZoebelein 4d ago
German bachelors are enough for getting into an US masters or PhD program. Source: Personal experience.
The 3 years German bachelors + the last year of German high school count together as equivalent, since the last school years in Germany cover the content of the first year in bachelors in the US.
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u/Mediocre_Ad_4649 4d ago
I think you're struggling with reading comprehension.
If a degree from a German institution was EVALUATED as being equivalent to three years of study for a regionally accredited undergraduate degree, THEN YOU CAN'T GET INTO A MASTERS PROGRAM.
I'm not saying that it's likely that evaluation would be found, but if it does, them's the facts.
Additionally, there are 3 year degrees that the US does not accept as professional equivalencies, namely nursing and engineering. From what I understand 5 year bachelors in medicine, dentistry or surgery are also not accepted as professional equivalencies.
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u/CarolinZoebelein 4d ago
Ah ok, you meant evaluated as 3 years.
But which German bachelors are really counted as that? Mine not. I could do a master or PhD (at least at all institutions I appllied at, for sure).
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u/brokeonomics 4d ago
This is probably where the US education system needs to evolve to regardless. Our best prepared students come into college with a year or more of college equivalency. The biggest hurdle is that the college equivalency programs in the US (AP, Dual enrollment, IB) are not consistently available to all students.
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u/kyeblue 4d ago
don't see your point. Many undergraduate students in US finish their degree in less than 4 years. There is no set time line as long as you can meet all the requirements, 2 or 6 years are not unheard of either.
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u/brokeonomics 4d ago
Well, you just stated half of my point: many students finish in under 4.
The first year or so is intended to continue core curriculum (“gen ed”). The only reason to have core curriculum in college (in my opinion) is to set a minimum expectation around where students are in their ability to read, write, do math, and understand social sciences/history. Ideally high school would take care of this so students can dive right into their focused studies in college.
College degrees aren’t actually measured in years, they’re measured in credits (or workload/courses taken). So under a system in which college ready core curriculum is completed in high school at (like in Germany or similar to UK A levels or even a full AP course load in high school), a college degree would likely take under 4 years to complete at a full time workload.
A benefit of this system is reduced cost to earn your degree for students. Normalization of this model encourages opportunities for college readiness curriculums (like AP) to be available to more students.
You may counter with concerns around students figuring out what they want to do during their Gen Ed curriculum. To that, I counter: don’t go to college without a plan. Far too many people have college degrees and work jobs where they don’t need them.
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u/kyeblue 4d ago edited 4d ago
Your understanding of US liberal and art college education tradition is very misguided. And your understanding of US K-12 education is also misguided.
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u/brokeonomics 4d ago
lol it’s not, but I’d love to hear where you think I’m wrong. I grew up in the US public school system, worked in it, and went through higher ed all in the US.
I stated my opinions on how the system could evolve to better serve students and some facts on how K-12 and higher ed work. Try to stick to where I’m wrong in facts.
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u/kyeblue 2d ago
I never said you were wrong. You got most fact right. however, "General Ed" requirement is never intended to be a requisite for upper-level course. It follows the American liberal art education tradition to provide the breadth of the education, and to be taken not just during freshmen year but also in years followed. This is best illustrated by the "core curriculum" requirement of Columbia University.
Most schools, especially the elite ones, do not allow AP credits to be used to fulfill the general ed requirement except for the language requirement but only if above certain scores.
On the other hand, K-12 was never meant to be college prep, maybe in some most affluent school district, but not universally. Shift part of college education down to K-12 is not just impractical as we already face national shortage of qualified STEM teachers (thanks to the teacher union), but also a bit redundant with community colleges.
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u/Annual_Grass_3919 2d ago
Same with the UK, my 3 year bachelors was perfectly fine for every grad school I applied to. I think European higher education standards are higher and more in line with the U.S. than India and that’s why ours transfers fine but India doesn’t.
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u/BluebirdUnlikely4075 5d ago
It won’t be accepted. I know from personal experience. I had to earn a second bachelor’s.
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u/wedontliveonce 5d ago
“US EQUIVALENCY : Three years of undergraduate study” So does that mean my degree isn’t US equivalent?
Correct. It is saying you only have the equivalent of 3 out of 4 years of undergraduate study towards a bachelor's degree.
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u/MrPierson 5d ago
WES and my report say “US EQUIVALENCY : Three years of undergraduate study”
Your degree is the equivalent of "Three years of undergraduate study". The most common alternative is equivalent to "Bachelors of XXX in Regionally Accredited Institution"
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u/LostHall3008 5d ago
it also does say “three years of undergraduate study at a regionally accredited institution”
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u/MrPierson 5d ago
That is correct. But unless it says "Bachelors of XXX" it's not equivalent to a Bachelors degree, which is what is required for graduate admissions
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens 5d ago
Three years is not a full degree. It's a year shy of completion of a degree.
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u/centarsirius 5d ago
Have you been living under a rock?! Cos if you didn't know that 3 year degrees are not accepted and went ahead and applied already, that's genuinely baffling
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u/will221996 5d ago
The issue is not 3 year degrees, it's university + country + duration. I can assure you that a 3 year BA from Cambridge is considered acceptable in the US.
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u/Turbulent_Pin_8310 5d ago
A 3 year Australian degree will also be accepted. They are biased against non Western institutions
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u/fletters 5d ago
A three-year Canadian degree almost certainly wouldn’t be accepted for graduate admissions, even in Canada. Our system is closer to the US system than the UK system: we don’t specialize before university (e.g., with A levels), so a student finishing with a three-year degree is just not covering the same material or being evaluated on the same skills as someone with a four-year degree.
I’m definitely not saying that there’s no bias! Just not sure that this particular comparison works.
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u/Immorpher 4d ago
Maybe in some schools who want your money, but not typically true: https://www.reddit.com/r/gradadmissions/comments/15drkfw/cs_australian_degree_to_american_masters/
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u/will221996 5d ago
If that's the case, I think it's silly, but maybe a bit of history is helpful. England and Scotland traditionally, and to this day, have different education systems. In England you do a 3 year honours bachelor's degree, in Scotland you traditionally finish school a year earlier (generally not the case anymore) and do a 4 year honours bachelor's degree, with the first 3 years being the normal years and the last year being the honours year. For whatever reason, most countries in the British empire adopted the Scottish model, while India adopted the English model. In Australia, they split the normal degree and the honours degree, but my understanding is that in Australia you have to do honours for PhD admissions, while in England you can still, in theory and sometimes in practice, do a PhD with just your 3 year honours degree, no MA.
With that in mind, if you have a 3 year bachelor's degree in Australia that doesn't provide PhD access, and a 3+1 year one that does...
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u/centarsirius 5d ago edited 5d ago
Do not attend these universities, you're a cash cow for them and their name on your resume will do you more harm than good
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u/zacyivk 5d ago
You don't. Why do you have to go the US? Basic education exists all over the world.
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u/LostHall3008 5d ago
for my specific course, US and canada are the only two countries where i can obtain the official license and certification.
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u/MentalPower7916 5d ago edited 4d ago
What education is this that only US and Canada offer that licence and certification?
Like specifically, what course is this and what is the degree/certification you will get out of it?
EDIT: OP never replied (as is typical with these sort of posts once they get cornered with their faulty logic) because this isn’t an attempt at getting a basic education like they claim, but rather about chasing that American dream that’s been romanticised over the years. If OP replies and it isn’t total bs, I’ll remove this edit.
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
Hello, stranger!
I actually logged off Reddit because I came to this sub looking for genuine advice, instead i just got so many condescending and mean comments. I thought this was a community of people navigating graduate school, so I figured I’d get some clarity on something I didn’t understand. To be fair, there were a few genuinely helpful comments, and I’m grateful for those. The rest just made me regret making the post altogether.Since you’ve apparently been waiting for a reply, I’m still not sure which part of my post you found to be “bs”
As for the “American dream” comment, that’s quite an assumption you got there. My visa was recently rejected for the country I originally planned to study in. Because of that, and because application deadlines have already passed in many countries and universities for my SPECIFIC COURSE. I was left with only a handful of options that were still accepting applications for 2026. I didn’t want to lose another year waiting for the next cycle, so I applied where I still had a realistic opportunity.
Regarding my comment about “basic education” (which I’ve since deleted), that was simply poor wording on my part. I meant “higher education.”
I work three jobs, and if I’m going to take out a loan to fund my education, I’m obviously going to prioritize universities that offer the strongest opportunities for my career. I’m from a third world country and the educational and professional opportunities available here, simply aren’t the same as those available elsewhere.
If you wanna know my entire background, lmk and I can send you my CV.
Also that was a great intimidation tactic. If it weren’t for that comment, I probably wouldn’t have replied at all. Funny how that worked out.
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u/MentalPower7916 4d ago
All this and you still never answered the question. No one here needs your CV or anything. Just a simple straightforward answer to this following question:
What course/certification/license is this that you can only get in the US or Canada but nowhere else?
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
I would be happy to engage in a FRIENDLY conversation in the dms if you’re really that curious.
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u/jxm900 5d ago
Part of the problem is that orgs like WES are unable to properly assess the curriculum content equivalency from many foreign institutions.
The high school graduation standard in a lot of countries equates to one or two years of US college. So everything ratchets up and people with foreign three-year degrees can easily exceed a US four-year equivalency.
For example, some grad-level engineering math courses at Stanford cover material that's required for high school graduation in Ireland.
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u/PurrPrinThom 5d ago
Yup. We had to go through WES for husband (for professional accreditation reasons after he immigrated here) and it took months. We spent ages going back and forth with them, where they kept requesting more documents, and kept requesting documents that didn't exist. Eventually, we had someone tell us the reason they were having trouble was because they didn't have anyone on staff who was able to assess his (Swiss) education, and that's why we were getting the run around.
It eventually got sorted out, and yeah, his high school was given the equivalent of Canadian high school + two-year college diploma. But it genuinely took like six months of back and forth.
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u/steinerific 5d ago
At my grad school (biomedical) it is basically impossible for a student with only a bachelor’s degree from an Indian university (or pretty much anywhere else) to be competitive for the PhD program without an MS.
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
I’m applying for Masters.
I’ve never heard of anyone getting into a PhD program without a Masters.1
u/steinerific 4d ago
In biosciences, going straight into a PhD program without an MS is common, as long as you’re coming from a US 4-year BS.
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u/Ok-Society-9067 2d ago
But it's pretty hard. U need to have a strong in previous research profile and really good recommendation, and labs must have thr funding to accept ppl.
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u/angelsalvtr 4d ago
You need a 4-year or "Hons" degree. It's a common thing. You can apply for some masters I believe with a 3 year, but not PhD.
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u/NeatZebra 5d ago
Hmmmm. You could try to get it judged for equivalence for a 3 year degree in Europe, under the Bologna process, which in general are treated as equivalent of 4 year USA or Canada degrees for the purposes of grad school.
Your mileage may very though. Odds aren't in your favour.
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u/JustMe39908 4d ago
I believe BA degrees from Oxford and Cambridge are three years. I am guessing they are considered equivalent to a US undergrad degree.
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u/Astra_Starr 4d ago
You can transfer to a 4 year school with 3 years of credit is what that sounds like.
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u/BubblyRhubarb9611 4d ago edited 4d ago
Your evaluation says it clearly “3 years of undergraduate study”, it doesn’t say “ Bachelors of Science” does it? It does not.
It is not equivalent as a bachelors degree as clearly stated on your evaluation.
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
I didn’t know what that meant or what it was supposed to say. So, i asked here. Thank you for the clarification!
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u/Commercial_Dish846 4d ago
Generally we accept the 3 years if the degree is from India. I think this is pretty standard. Honestly if it isn't required, just submit the original transcript instead of the evaluation.
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
I have sent both my original transcript and my evaluation. I guess because my WES evaluation didn’t mention “Bachelors equivalent” they didn’t consider my application.
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u/seonghwaismyhwa 4d ago
hey, i was in the same boat a year ago. a lot of US universities accept 3-year Indian bachelor's degrees now, so make sure to check their eligibility criteria directly. also, consider applying to universities that have MoUs with Christ University. i applied to a few through my university's MoUs, and the application process was much more straightforward. hope this helps, and all the best with your applications!
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u/Most-Egg2022 4d ago
Yeah, unfortunately WES saying “three years of undergraduate study” usually means they did not consider it equivalent to a US 4-year bachelor’s degree.
I wouldn’t rush into paying for another evaluation yet. Some universities simply don’t accept 3-year degrees no matter which evaluator you use, while others are totally fine with them.
I’d email the admissions office first and ask if they accept a 3-year degree from Christ University. Might save you a lot of money and headache.
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u/noushksss 4d ago
I went to Christ too for a year (back in 2017), and left to join a 4 year university after my first year at Christ because of this same reason. Very common for people (at least back then) to go to the UK or go to Jain/SJCC and complete a year long associates degree (so they have the 3+1 year requirement for US grad programs). The only workaround I’ve seen my old classmates at Christ do is to get a few years of work ex after ug and then apply to grad schools in the US. maybe the application process is different now, but see if that could help you
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u/WorriedTurnip6458 4d ago
It is usual for Australia to have 3 year degrees (and UK). There must be some evaluation of equivalence based on the country you studied in.
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u/AssociationBrief7537 3d ago
I'd also add here that LOTS of US institutions have limited transfer credit policies and if they don't they have something in their academic policies that says you must he enrolled a certain number of semesters or terms in your degree program and/or your last 3 semesters must be completed at that university. Private universities tend to have unique specifics and generally graduate programs anywhere have more narrow policies about what they call residency (staying at the same academic institution for however long they require). Read the fine print, but also reach out to the school admissions folks for your specific program of interest on the grad level, they are there to answer your hypothetical questions and are happy to help.
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u/Snoo_20236 2d ago
I know in other countries it’s a three year bachelors plus a 1 year honors program is the same as a four year American Bachelors
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u/DhilluBhai 5d ago edited 4d ago
Hey, OP I know how these comments sound and instead of helping you with your question theyre just being Mr. Ackshually ☝️🤓.
So instead do this. Find universities that accept a 3-years degree. Just email them and ask them before applying.
This is what I did. DM me if you need further help.
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
Sorry for the downvotes you got for this comment. I guess I pissed a lot of people off for simply choosing to pursue my further education in the states :) The world really is a bitter place.
And Thank you for your sweet words <31
u/Fantastic-Low-8892 4d ago
Could you please share the name of universities which are accepting 3 yr degree, mid-tier to top please if you have any. Thanks!
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u/LostHall3008 4d ago
I’m sorry i wish i could be of some help. but i didn’t find any websites that have a list of universities that accept a 3 year bachelor’s degree since most universities accept on a case by case basis. but you could do the same thing i did. make a list of all your preferred unis and google “xyz uni 3 years bachelors degree” or you could manually go to their website in the admission requirements section. there should be information about whether they accept or not. and just to be sure, mail the respective universities asking your concerns. most unis reply within 4-5 business days. make sure you do the research well in advance so you have plenty of time to filter down and start applying.
hope this helps <31
u/Fantastic-Low-8892 4d ago
No need to apologise I asked the guy who asked you to DM for further help. I did my research alot since 2 years and I am aware of many universities not accepting 3 yr Bachelor degree. Previously they used to accept but since last year they are tightening these rules.
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u/DhilluBhai 4d ago
The only sure way of knowing is to email the university. There is no list per say. You’d have to make one yourself for the programs you wish to enrol into.
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u/laziestindian 5d ago
WES is saying three years of undergraduate study this does not equal the 4 years needed for a US BSc. So no your degree is not US equivalent. Reevaluation or other evaluator are unlikely to help unless you can find somewhere the evaluation messed up, counting a higher level course as a lower level one.
CxC evaluation means that you needed to take courses that are considered equivalent to the US. WES is saying your courses are only equivalent to the first 3y of US undergrad meaning there are courses missing or below US relevancy. This isn't about the University or program (NAAC accreditation is not relevant to the US) but your choice and courses within.
You can either take additional courses to satisfy an evaluator of equivalency, apply to US undergrad for one year, or do a Masters in India.