Brazilian Degree Evaluation: Diplomas, Transcripts and the Associate Degree Equivalent in Brazil

People who studied in Brazil often ask the same first question: what is the associate degree equivalent in Brazil, and what does my Bacharelado equal in the U.S.? This guide answers it for every Brazilian credential, from the ensino médio certificate to the Tecnólogo, Bacharelado, Licenciatura, Mestrado, and Doutorado. It is written for graduates applying for U.S. jobs, visas, and university programs, and for the immigration attorneys who prepare their petitions. A standard Brazilian degree evaluation from MotaWord costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours.

Why You Need a Brazilian Degree Evaluation

U.S. institutions rely on a credential evaluation report to understand a Brazilian diploma. The most common reasons to order one are:

• USCIS petitions: H-1B, EB-2, and other employment-based green card petitions that require a U.S. bachelor's or advanced degree equivalent.
• U.S. university admissions and credit transfer: colleges want your degree level, credits, and GPA.
• Professional licensing: state boards for engineering, nursing, accounting, and teaching usually require a course-by-course report.
• Employment: employers check that you meet a job's degree requirement.
• Military enlistment: recruiters need proof that your ensino médio equals a U.S. high school diploma.

For work visas, the report has to connect your degree to the position in the petition. See how our education evaluation for H-1B visas supports a petition. USCIS reviews evaluations under its own policy guidance. Read how the USCIS Policy Manual treats evidence of education.

How Brazil's Education System Is Structured

Basic Education: Ensino Fundamental and Ensino Médio

Brazilian basic education includes nine years of ensino fundamental and three years of ensino médio. Students who finish receive a Certificado de Conclusão do Ensino Médio with a histórico escolar (transcript). Some schools offer ensino médio integrated with a technical course (curso técnico), which adds a vocational qualification at the secondary level. Admission to university usually goes through the ENEM national exam or an institution's own vestibular.

Higher Education Institutions and MEC Accreditation

Higher education is offered by universities, university centers (centros universitários), and colleges (faculdades), both public and private. Federal and state public universities do not charge tuition, which makes them highly selective. The Ministry of Education (MEC) authorizes and accredits institutions and recognizes their programs, and CAPES evaluates stricto sensu graduate programs.

Diplomas from institutions without university autonomy must be registered by a university to be valid. Evaluators look for this registration on the back of the diploma, along with the program's MEC recognition. Many institutions now also issue digital diplomas, which can be evaluated when they include the verification details.

Professional Councils

Regulated professions require registration with a professional council after graduation. Lawyers must pass the Exame de Ordem of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), physicians register with a Regional Medical Council (CRM), and engineers with a CREA. Council registration shows the right to practice in Brazil; it does not replace the diploma in a U.S. evaluation.

The Brazilian Grading Scale

Most Brazilian universities grade from 0 to 10, with a passing mark that is often 5, 6, or 7 depending on the institution. Some programs, especially graduate programs, use letter concepts (A to D or A to E). Evaluators convert grades using the institution's own scale, so the histórico escolar must show how grades are recorded.

How Brazilian Degrees Compare to U.S. Degrees

The outcomes below are typical. Each evaluation depends on the institution, the program's official length and hours, and your transcript, and the final report decides.

Ensino Médio and the U.S. High School Diploma

A completed ensino médio is generally evaluated as comparable to a U.S. high school diploma. An integrated technical ensino médio is usually evaluated at the same level, with the vocational component noted.

Tecnólogo: The Associate Degree Equivalent in Brazil

Brazil has no degree called an associate degree. The closest match is usually the Tecnólogo, awarded after a Curso Superior de Tecnologia that lasts about two to three years. Evaluators often compare a Tecnólogo to a U.S. associate degree, and longer programs with more hours may be evaluated as more undergraduate study. The secondary-level curso técnico is a different credential and is not an associate degree equivalent.

Bacharelado and Licenciatura

The Bacharelado is the standard first degree in academic and professional fields and typically takes four years, or five to six in fields such as law, engineering, and medicine. The Licenciatura qualifies graduates to teach in basic education and usually takes about four years. A Bacharelado or Licenciatura of four years or more is usually evaluated as comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Evaluators use the program's designed duration, not the time a student took to finish.

The diploma is the starting point for every evaluation. See how we translate diplomas for academic evaluations. Portugal uses some of the same degree titles, such as the Licenciatura. See how Portuguese and Brazilian degrees are evaluated for professional licensing.

Lato Sensu and Stricto Sensu Graduate Degrees

Brazilian graduate study (pós-graduação) has two types. Lato sensu programs, such as a especialização or an MBA, are professional programs of at least 360 hours. They are usually evaluated as graduate-level study, not as a full U.S. master's degree. Stricto sensu programs are research degrees: the Mestrado usually takes about two years and is commonly compared to a U.S. master's degree, and the Doutorado usually takes about four years and is generally compared to a U.S. doctorate. The diploma normally states which type you completed.

Transcripts, Grade Conversion and GPA

The histórico escolar lists every course, its hours (carga horária), and your grade. Evaluators use it to confirm the program's length and level and, in a course-by-course report, to convert each grade into a U.S. letter grade and semester credits and calculate a GPA. Clear copies and accurate translations make that conversion faster. See our guide to transcript translation services.

General vs Course-by-Course Evaluation

A general (document-by-document) evaluation states the U.S. equivalent of each credential and is usually enough for USCIS petitions and most employers. A course-by-course evaluation adds every course with credits, grades, and a GPA, which U.S. universities and licensing boards usually require. Learn how academic evaluations work for U.S. university and college admissions.

Once you have your report, it helps to know how to read each part. See our guide to interpreting an academic evaluation report. Standard academic evaluations cover formal education only, so combining work experience with education requires a separate report.

Documents You Need for a Brazilian Degree Evaluation

• Diploma, front and back, with registration and recognition details
• Histórico escolar for each degree
• Certificado de Conclusão do Ensino Médio for high school level evaluations
• Certified English translations of every document that is not in English

Clear scans or phone photos are enough to start. Make sure the back of the diploma is included, because registration stamps usually appear there. Read our guide to how a diploma evaluation is prepared from start to finish. Once your files are ready, the checklist below helps you confirm nothing is missing.

Required Documents for Brazilian Degree Assessment

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Certified Translation of Portuguese Academic Records

Brazilian records are in Portuguese, and USCIS requires a complete English translation of each foreign-language document with a translator's certification. Learn what USCIS expects from a certified translation. The translation has to include stamps, registration notes, and signatures, not just the printed text.

MotaWord's certified translations cost $24.50 per page, with delivery in as little as 12 hours and free digital notarization. When you order an evaluation, the quote system detects non-English documents and offers to add certified translation to the same order. Birth and marriage certificates for the same case can be translated too. See our certified Portuguese translation services.

How MotaWord Evaluates Your Brazilian Credentials

1. Upload: start a quote and upload your diploma, histórico escolar, and any other records. If they are in Portuguese, add certified translation at the quote stage.
2. Document check: our team reviews your files and contacts you if a page, side, or stamp is missing.
3. Evaluation: our evaluators review your institution's MEC recognition, the program's official length, and your coursework, then prepare a report that follows the USCIS Policy Manual standard of a credible, logical, and well-documented analysis.
4. Download: your report is delivered to your MotaWord client dashboard, where you can follow your order and download invoices.

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 for same-day delivery. Live chat is available 24/7 for support. See everything you can do in your MotaWord client dashboard.

Some readers only need to show what their diploma equals. See how a diploma evaluation shows your Brazilian degree in U.S. terms. No evaluator controls a USCIS officer's decision, but a clear, well-documented report gives the officer what they need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the associate degree equivalent in Brazil?

Usually the Tecnólogo, a two to three year higher education program (Curso Superior de Tecnologia). Evaluators often compare it to a U.S. associate degree, depending on its hours and content.

Is a Brazilian Bacharelado equal to a U.S. bachelor's degree?

A Bacharelado of four years or more from a MEC-recognized program is usually evaluated as comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The evaluator confirms it from the program's length and your transcript.

Is a lato sensu MBA a master's degree in the U.S.?

Usually not. Lato sensu specializations and MBAs are often evaluated as graduate-level study rather than a full U.S. master's degree. Stricto sensu Mestrado degrees are the ones commonly compared to a U.S. master's.

Is the Brazilian ensino médio equal to a U.S. high school diploma?

A completed ensino médio is generally evaluated as comparable to a U.S. high school diploma. The evaluation report is what U.S. colleges, employers, and recruiters accept as proof.

Do I need to mail my original Brazilian diploma?

No. Clear digital scans or photos of both sides are enough for MotaWord evaluations and certified translations.

How much does a Brazilian degree evaluation cost?

A standard evaluation costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours. A course-by-course evaluation costs $120. Same-day delivery is $115 and $200 when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday.

Your Brazilian Degree, Ready for U.S. Review

Whether you are filing a work visa petition, applying to a U.S. program, or proving your ensino médio to a recruiter, the process starts with complete documents and a clear report. Get your Brazilian diploma, degree, or transcript evaluated with MotaWord's academic evaluation services. Our team is on live chat 24/7, whatever your time zone.

Mark Rogers - Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Mark Rogers, Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord, drawing on the team's experience with Brazilian academic records and credential evaluations for U.S. use. 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. Evaluation reports follow the USCIS Policy Manual standard of a credible, logical, and well-documented analysis. See our transcript evaluation services →