convalidating a u.s. degree

[mll22]

Has anyone ever gone through the process of getting their U.S. degree convalidated?  My spanish co-worker from my school who has experience working in private schools (her husband is a director of one, also)  seemed to think that if I got my Math degree convalidated, that i'd have a good chance of getting hired at a private school teaching math.  I've found a little info on the MEC website, but it's all in big law/articles lingo, and so was wondering if anyone had any actual on-hands experience knowledge of what you have to all hand in/do to get it convalidated.  (not sure if that's the right verb in english, but best i can come up with).  Thanks for any help!

[chuvinh]

I got my us degree to be made equivalent or 'homologado' to a Spanish one just recently after having waited almost 3 years.    But the good news was that they actually gave it to me.  I received the magistero degree given to teach in primary school.Since it's been so long since I had to go through the whole process of getting all the papers stamped and made official, I can't say I recall the whole process.  But the MEC does have all the information you need.  Or you can check the websites of the consulates in the states like the Los Angeles or San Francisco consulates that give you some information to that matter as well.  All I remember was that I had to pay quite a bit to have the transcripts of my university courses stamped by the "apostilla de la Hague" and other stamps.  Having the all the work translated is another thing, but I had my wife translate it at the time.  I don't know how it may work now and whether they require you to have a certified translator to do it.

Just be patient and good luck!

[stacylimones]

Have you learned anything more about the "homologación" of your degree? I am starting to look into this process as well and am considering finding a lawyer or "gestor" who understands the process and could help me out. I am pretty good at "papeleo" having handled both US and Spanish immigration processes myself, but this seems to be more confusing. Let me know if you find anything new out, and I'll do the same!
Besos,
Stacy

[RebeccaG]

Hi Stacy and Everyone,

Just thought I would jump in on this discussion as it is something that I will be moving to do in the next few months.

I have a client who works in administration at one of the large public universities in Madrid. She has advised me to begin collecting the paperwork and documentation, but as far as formalizing the process, I might want to hold off for a few months. For those of you who aren't aware, the Spanish university system is undergoing a restructuring according to the Bologna Process to bring its system in line with the other European univeristy systems.

Some degree programs will be eliminated and others will be streamlined into three categories: Bachelors (4 year degree), Masters or Licenciado (6 year) and Doctorate. As you see this is basically the North American structure. By waiting a few months until the structure is more firmly in place, the process of "homologar" degrees may be easier...especially for those who have 4 year liberal arts degrees.

She also directed me to the following website: Ministerio de Educación, Politica Social y Deporte. Once there, click on the following: Educación --> Títulos--> Legalizaciones --> convalidaciones.

Once I begin to go through the process, I will be sure to post the information here. In the meantime, you can begin to do the research on your own following the above links.

Good luck with everything and be sure to post back to keep everyone else apprised of your progress!

-Rebecca

[stacylimones]

Thanks for posting, Rebecca, please keep up up-to-date, and I'll do the same!
Besitos

[stacylimones]

Just thought I'd mention that the convalidation/homologation (if that word exists in English) is now handled by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
The info can be found here:
http://web.micinn.es/contenido.asp?menu1=4&menu2=6&menu3=&dir=04_Universidades/022EdUnSu/06@Titulaciones/031HoDeTi

[stacylimones]

A quick update:

I called the phone number listed under "Atención al Público" on the Ministry of Science and Innovation's website. They directed me to the "Subdirección General de Títulos" who in turn transferred my call to "Homologación". I have to say that I was not very well assisted with the woman who answered my call. I told her I was looking for information on the "homologación" of my degrees, one a 4-year and another a 2-year master to which she very curtly responded that they do not recognize masters degrees. She then asked me what branch of medicine my degree was in. When I told her that I did not have a medicine degree she told me that it was not the right place to call. (My degrees are in Spanish aka "Filología Hispánica".) She told me to go to "Paseo del Prado" and when I told her that I wasn't in Madrid, she gave me a telephone number that I googled and found to be associated with the Ministry of Education. I've called a few times but after the initial recorded greeting, no one picks up.
I guess I'll just have to keep trying, but in the meantime, if anyone is interested, that telephone number is 915.065.600 and is for the offices of the Ministry of Education at Paseo del Prado, 28 in Madrid. They probably have "Atención al cliente" in person there, too, but I'm not about to take a trip to Madrid until I know for sure that they could actually help me.
Total, just another day in Spanish beaurocracy Hell. What else could be expected? :-)
Cheers,
Stacy

[stacylimones]

I think the world may be coming to an end; I had a good experience with funcionarios today! ;-)
So it turns out you can get all the forms needed for the homologación of foreign degrees at the Áreas de Alta Inspección de Educación in your Autonomous Community. The addresses of these offices can be found here:

 http://www.mepsyd.es/educa/jsp/plantilla.jsp?area=ccaa&id=35

In Seville, they are open from 12:00 to 14:00 weekdays. I waited about 30 minutes having arrived at about 10 past 12. (Next time I'll go earlier.) The man who attended to me was really nice and answered all of my questions thoroughly and didn't rush at all. Really incredible compared to other experiences I've had. At the moment, the whole thing is looking relatively straight-forward albeit tedious. (But tedium can be expected any time you have to go through a bureaucratic process, I'd say.)

I'll keep you all posted on my progress. Wish me luck! :-)

[RebeccaG]

Hi Stacy!

Thanks for sharing your experiences here, I am sure that they will be helpful to those of us who will be following in your footsteps.

As for me, I haven't done much yet as I wanted to make sure of my travel plans (no point in shuffling to bunch of places if I don't plan on traveling back to the US anytime soon to pick up required documents/paperwork!)..

Do keep us posted as to how it is working out for you! Good luck!

Rebecca

[Beckett]

Stacy and Rebecca,
Yes, please keep us up to date on your process of "homologando" your degrees. So there's definitely a chance that an American teacher could get a job as a full-fledged teacher, with full benefits and same salary as a Spaniard, then?

[Beckett]

I got my us degree to be made equivalent or 'homologado' to a Spanish one just recently after having waited almost 3 years.    But the good news was that they actually gave it to me.  I received the magistero degree given to teach in primary school.Since it's been so long since I had to go through the whole process of getting all the papers stamped and made official, I can't say I recall the whole process.  But the MEC does have all the information you need.  Or you can check the websites of the consulates in the states like the Los Angeles or San Francisco consulates that give you some information to that matter as well.  All I remember was that I had to pay quite a bit to have the transcripts of my university courses stamped by the "apostilla de la Hague" and other stamps.  Having the all the work translated is another thing, but I had my wife translate it at the time.  I don't know how it may work now and whether they require you to have a certified translator to do it.

Just be patient and good luck!

So you are now teaching in Spain as a full-time teacher receiving the same pay and benefits as a Spaniard? Also, what did you do for a living during the 3-yr time frame while you were waiting? More details, please!!

[chuvinh]

I'm actually back in California teaching after having stayed for only a year in Madrid.  I had taught as one of auxiliares de conversaciones in a concertado which in my case did things a little differently, but it worked out for the best as I was able to work more hours and got paid more.  I received my homologacion almost a year ago in april, and to be honest, I didn't think they were going to give it to me considering how different the courses and format are in the states to become a teacher and how it is in spain.  But I did apply for the degree or title of Magistero  which at the time was the equivalent of three years, but recently the requirement has changed to 4 years.  I had a BA in Liberal Arts, a teacher credential in elementary education, and various TEFL and education courses that I used to apply for the Magisterio degree.  It worked and that's all I really care about at this point.  I lucked out really.

In theory, if I were to be in Spain again and teach, I would be confident in being able to find a position teaching English, but of course, only in a private or concertado.  But at least it would be legal and easier to find a job.  During that year, my wife passed the oposiciones to teach in the public school and it does have its benefits.  So much in fact, that I'm seriously considering taking the Spanish exam to show superior Spanish proficiency (at least in a working environment proficency) and then take the opos in a couple of years in 2011.

I'm actually looking into how to homogolar my master's degree in education just for the sake of having more points for the oposiciones.  I was told to wait as the funcionarios themselves are figuring out how the process works, at least in the spanish consulate in Los Angeles.

[MadridTeacher]

Wow Chuvinh!
Sounds complicated. I hope you pull it off!
Cheers,
Steven

[mll22]

In theory, if I were to be in Spain again and teach, I would be confident in being able to find a position teaching English, but of course, only in a private or concertado.  But at least it would be legal and easier to find a job.  During that year, my wife passed the oposiciones to teach in the public school and it does have its benefits.  So much in fact, that I'm seriously considering taking the Spanish exam to show superior Spanish proficiency (at least in a working environment proficency) and then take the opos in a couple of years in 2011.

Chuvinn,
wow, i wish i would've checked up on my super old post a long time ago to see if there were any replies.  i think i forgot or had given up hope!!

you say you're you going to present for the opos.... is it possible for an american to presentarse a los opos without having residencia comunitaria or nacionalidad?? that's what i understood from the convocatoria, but then another profesor español told me he didn't think so, he thought you only needed to take the spanish proficiency exam.  or are you going to be able to presentarte because you're married to a spaniard and have nationality?? i'm glad to see that they recognized your magisteria degree...gives a few more options of getting a degree valuable here and in the u.s., but i do understand that perhaps you did get a little lucky as well.  the idea of going through all that work for them to tell me that they won't evecn homologarlo, pfff!!  anyways, just wondering if you (or ANYONE) could give me a little insight on how an american can presentarse a las opos.
Thanks!!

[mll22]

 But I did apply for the degree or title of Magistero  which at the time was the equivalent of three years, but recently the requirement has changed to 4 years.  I had a BA in Liberal Arts, a teacher credential in elementary education, and various TEFL and education courses that I used to apply for the Magisterio degree.  It worked and that's all I really care about at this point.  I lucked out really.

Hi chuvin:
was just curious where you got your teaching degrees from?  thanks!

[Nina.Jedina]

Hey guys, if you haven´t turned in any of your information yet, it´s pointless to go to the Paseo de Prado 28 (I was simply redirected to calle Alcalá 36, where you pick a number and talk to someone who can be of more assistance). When you get all your papers together, you turn them in to Los Madrazo number 17 (all of these buildings probably close before 2, not that I checked, but I think the PdP office is open Saturday mornings as well). From what I understood, you used to go to that address, but they cut down bureaucracy by having people turn in their documentation to the LM address, and from there on, they take it over to the PdP address.

Anyone else on the board getting their degrees homologado? At this point, they will still ask you if you did 3 years (diplomatura) or 5 years (licenciatura). Now granted, those of us from the States have spent different periods of times at the university (example, I did undergrad in 3.5 years, and finished my masters in a couple of years). If you have a master´s, go for the licenciatura, and if they want to bring it down to diplomatura, ask if you can take some courses on the side in order to bring it up to licenciatura-always aim high, it can´t hurt!

[Expat_teacher]

Do they really consider an undergraduate degree to be along the same lines as a Diplomatura? Everyone I know who has a bachelor's degree equates it to a licienciatura!

[Nina.Jedina]

I think the problem comes in with their view that the undergrad is 3 years and a master another 2, therefore if you have an underground degree that lasted 4 years, it wouldn´t be considered enough for a Spanish equivalent of master. Bear in mind that this all becomes just so much more confusing when you try to translate U.S. system to Spanish old system to Bologna new system.

To give an idea, in order to be considered for applying for a PhD I had to somehow prove that I had finished 3000 hours of contact hours between undergraduate and graduate degrees. Figuring out to translate credits into hours was an exhausting process-to me the idea of how the number of hours I´d spent in the classroom seemed bizarre after a lifetime of dealing with so-called credit hours at my large, public state university. The Spanish university did, however, convalidate them without a problem once I had turned in everything they requested from me.

It´s worrisome in my opinion to think that people who studied at a fast pace and finished their undergrad degrees in 2.5 years and their master´s in another might be in essence punished for being being hard-working students since their studies did not last as long as the average student´s did, even though they obtained the same degrees in the end.

[halydia]

Aupa a todos!

I've began the arduous task of convalidating of my degree here in Spain. I was just wondering how long it took for the degree to be legalized once handed in to the Spanish authorities. I'm really hoping to be able to take my Masters in ESO next year, but they want my degree legal when pre-inscripcion comes around in May.

This has been a helpful topic to read, and I was happy to see the generally positive tone of the posts! It seems like such a scary process when looking at it on paper...

[unohooim7]

Does anyone have any updates to this post? I may convalidatating my bachelors just in case I want to study while abroad.

[halydia]

Does anyone have any updates to this post? I may convalidatating my bachelors just in case I want to study while abroad.

I've finally got the seals from the Canadian and Spanish governments saying that the pieces of paper that say I went to university aren't fake. This took three months so far. I imagine that if your degree is from a country that uses the Apostille of the Hague this first bit goes quicker.

The full on homologacion bit sounds like it's going to take a lot longer. I'm going to speak with the folks in the Ministry of Education two weeks from now, and can hopefully update more then. I've been told to expect at least a year for this process of full on "homologacion" of my degree. Frustrating.

[ajnabiyya]

Hola a todos. Thanks for posting on your experiences! I was wondering what people knew about when it is best to request a specific "homologación a un título del catálogo de títulos universitarios oficiales" and when "homologación a grado académico" is more appropriate. My impression is that the more specific one would be needed for something official like teaching in public schools, whereas the general one should be enough you want to study in a Spanish university's graduate program. But what about situations like applying to teach at a private school or university that happens to want its English teachers to have títulos homologados? Do they tend to require them to have the official equivalent of a licenciatura de filología inglesa or a título de magisterio or whatever, or is it enough to have the homologación a grado?


At this point I'm very much leaning toward requesting a "homologación a grado de licenciatura" and not trying to homologize my masters degree, just because a general homologación of an undergrad degree seems like by far the easiest route, but I kind of feel like I'm making my decisions in the dark so if anyone has any input I'd certainly be grateful.


I think I'm going to start getting my papers together now to apply within the next few months, and I'll post on this thread afterwards to let future applicants know any details I can think of that might be helpful.