Academic Evaluation for British Columbia, Canada: Degrees, Diplomas and Transcripts

A British Columbia degree evaluation tells a U.S. employer, school, licensing board, or USCIS officer what your BC diploma, degree, or transcript equals in the U.S. This guide is for anyone who studied in British Columbia, Canada, at a university such as UBC, SFU, or the University of Victoria, at an institute such as BCIT, or at one of the province's colleges, and for the immigration attorneys who prepare their cases. MotaWord prepares the evaluation for $65, delivered in 72 hours.

When You Need a British Columbia Degree Evaluation

A BC degree is well known in the U.S., but institutions still need a written equivalency they can rely on. You usually need an evaluation for:

• USCIS petitions: H-1B, EB-2, and employment-based green card petitions that require a U.S. degree equivalent.
• Employment: U.S. employers checking a degree requirement for hiring or promotion.
• Admissions and transfer credit: U.S. graduate schools and colleges reviewing your BC transcripts.
• Professional licensing: state boards for nursing, teaching, accounting, and engineering.
• Military enlistment: recruiters checking your high school diploma.

Many U.S. employers ask for the evaluation before an offer is final. See how our academic evaluation for employment in the U.S. works. For USCIS education evaluations, the report must meet the Policy Manual standard of being credible, logical, and well documented, and the officer makes the final decision.

The Education System in British Columbia, Canada

Each Canadian province runs its own education system. See how Canadian degrees are assessed for U.S. immigration. In BC, the provincial ministry responsible for post-secondary education sets the rules for public universities, colleges, and institutes, and three bodies matter most when your credentials are evaluated.

What Is the DQAB in BC?

The Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) is the British Columbia board that reviews new degree programs and advises the minister on whether to approve them. It reviews degree proposals from private institutions and institutions based outside the province, as well as some new degrees at BC public institutions. A degree from a program approved through this process is a recognized BC degree, which is what a U.S. evaluator needs to confirm.

Private Training Institutions and BCCIE

Private career colleges that offer certificates and diplomas, but not degrees, are regulated by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB). The British Columbia Council for International Education (BCCIE) promotes BC's schools abroad and supports international partnerships. Neither body awards credentials, but PTIB registration helps an evaluator confirm that a private college diploma comes from a recognized school.

Transfer Between BC Institutions

The BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) runs the BC Transfer System, which lets students start at a college and finish a degree at a university. Many BC graduates therefore have transcripts from two or more institutions. Send all of them, because the evaluator counts every course toward your U.S. equivalency.

What Is a BC Degree Worth in the U.S.?

BC's degree structure is close to the U.S. structure, so most equivalencies are straightforward. The evaluation report decides your result; the patterns below are what evaluators usually find.

High School: The BC Certificate of Graduation

Secondary school in BC ends after Grade 12 with the BC Certificate of Graduation, often called the Dogwood Diploma. Adults can earn the Adult Graduation Diploma. The Dogwood Diploma is usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. high school diploma.

Bachelor's and Honours Degrees

BC bachelor's degrees usually take four years, and honours programs add research or specialized coursework. Both are usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Degrees completed through transfer, with the first two years at a college, are evaluated on the full record.

Master's and Doctoral Degrees

Master's programs take one to two years and come in thesis and course-based formats. They are usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. master's degree. A BC Ph.D., a research degree that ends with a dissertation, is usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. doctorate.

Professional Degrees

UBC awards professional degrees such as the Doctor of Medicine (MD), the Juris Doctor (JD), and the Doctor of Dental Medicine, and several BC universities award accredited engineering degrees. These are usually evaluated as equal to the matching U.S. professional degree, though U.S. licensing in each profession follows its own process. Professional designations, such as a chartered or CPA designation, are not academic credentials, so they do not receive an academic equivalency.

Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates

BC colleges and universities award two-year Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, which are usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. associate degree. Two-year college diplomas are often evaluated the same way. One-year certificates usually count as one year of undergraduate study in the U.S.

BC Transcripts, Grades and Course-by-Course Evaluation

BC institutions use different grading systems. UBC reports percentages, Simon Fraser University uses a 4.33 grade point scale, and the University of Victoria uses a 9-point scale. The evaluator converts your grades using the scale printed on your transcript.

A general evaluation states the U.S. equivalent of each credential and is usually enough for USCIS and employers. A course-by-course evaluation lists every course with U.S. semester credits and grades and calculates a U.S. GPA, which U.S. universities and licensing boards often require. See how our academic evaluation supports U.S. university and college admissions.

Evaluating degrees from British Columbia is easier when you know what each report includes. To see the types of evaluation reports and how they are prepared, read our comprehensive guide to diploma evaluation. Then choose the evaluation type your institution asked for.

Documents You Need for Your BC Degree Assessment

Prepare clear scans or photos of:

• Transcripts from every BC institution you attended, including college transfer credits and the grading legend.
• Your degree, diploma, or certificate for each credential, front and back.
• Your Dogwood Diploma, if the evaluation is for military enlistment or college admission.
• A name change document if your name differs from your passport.

BC institutions issue documents in English. If any document is in another language, such as a French language program record, certified translation can be added to your evaluation order at the quote stage, where the system detects non-English documents. Certified translations cost $24.50 per page, with delivery in as little as 12 hours. Download our checklist of required documents for a British Columbia degree assessment below.

Required Documents for British Columbia, Canada Degree Assessment

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How MotaWord Evaluates Your British Columbia Credentials

1. Upload: Upload your BC diploma and transcripts on the quote page and choose a general or course-by-course evaluation. Ordering is available 24/7 and takes a few clicks.
2. Document check: Our team checks that every page is readable and complete and asks for anything missing.
3. Evaluation: Our evaluators review your institution's recognition, your program, and your grades, and write a report that follows the USCIS Policy Manual standard.
4. Download: A MotaWord client dashboard is created when you order, where you follow your order, download your report and invoices, and talk to us. See everything you can do in your MotaWord client dashboard.

A standard evaluation costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours. Same-day delivery costs $115 when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday. A course-by-course evaluation costs $120, or $200 same-day. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified, and live chat is available 24/7 for support.

Most delays come from missing transcripts or unclear scans. To avoid them, read our list of the most common mistakes to avoid in academic evaluations. Then upload your complete file in one order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DQAB in British Columbia? The Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) reviews new degree programs in British Columbia and advises the provincial minister on approving them. Its reviews cover private and out-of-province institutions that want to offer degrees in BC, and some new degrees at public institutions.

What is a BC degree equal to in the U.S.? A four-year BC bachelor's degree is usually evaluated as equal to a U.S. bachelor's degree, and BC master's and doctoral degrees usually match their U.S. counterparts. Two-year associate degrees and diplomas often match a U.S. associate degree.

Do I need a USCIS education evaluation for a degree from British Columbia? Usually, yes. USCIS asks for an evaluation of any degree earned outside the U.S. when the petition depends on your education, such as H-1B and EB-2 petitions. The officer reviews the report and makes the decision.

Can I use my BC college transfer credits in the evaluation? Yes. Send the transcripts from every institution you attended. The evaluator reviews all of your coursework, including credits earned at a college before you transferred.

Is a professional designation from BC evaluated as a degree? No. Professional designations are not academic credentials, so they do not receive an academic equivalency. The evaluation covers the degree you earned before the designation.

How long does a British Columbia degree evaluation take? MotaWord delivers a standard evaluation in 72 hours for $65. Same-day delivery costs $115 when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday.

British Columbia's universities and colleges give you credentials that U.S. institutions respect, and a clear evaluation report puts them in U.S. terms. Order your British Columbia degree evaluation through MotaWord's academic evaluation services, and talk to a real person on live chat 24/7 if you have questions.

Mark Rogers - Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Mark Rogers, Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord, drawing on the team's experience with academic evaluations of Canadian diplomas, degrees, and transcripts. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified and a corporate member of the ATA and ITI, providing academic evaluations and certified translations in 120+ languages. Every evaluation report explains how each credential compares to U.S. education. See our education evaluation for H-1B visas →