INDUSTRY NETWORKING SESSION with
Kathleen Morrow, Director and
Irena Blodgett, Consultant
(International Qualifications Assessment Service)

Date: March 10, 2005
Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Ms. Kathleen Morrow and Ms. Irena Blodgett presented on the assessment services provided by IQAS and the reasons why people may choose to have their credentials assessed by their organization.

The International Qualifications Assessment Services (IQAS) is part of the Alberta Government. Persons with international/foreign academic credentials may submit their documents/papers for assessment, whereby a certificate is issued to determine the comparability of the person�s credentials to Canadian standards.

IQAS evaluates the person�s level of education as presented through the document, and does not analyze the specific knowledge attained by the individual. IQAS authenticates the original documents and compares foreign levels of education to Canadian standards.

For example: (this scenario is not the same for every individual, contact an IQAS consultant for your specific case)

A woman from the Philippines may have 10 years of pre-post secondary schooling and 4 years of studies as a registered nurse in her home country. In Canada, that may be equivalent to a Grade 12 high school diploma, a 2 year post-secondary diploma, and 1 year of progressive studies in nursing.

This means that the person would not have the qualifications to be a certified Registered Nurse in Alberta. She may need to take some courses or upgrade.

The following are questions posed by attending clients and the answers provided by the speakers. The following is not a word for word transcript of the session.

1. What could I use an IQAS certificate for?

IQAS will assess your academic (diploma/degree) credentials and issue a certificate that states what your education would mean according to Canadian standards. You may want to have an IQAS assessment done for the following reasons:

* use it to determine what your foreign degree/diploma equates to in Canada
* attach it to job applications so that employers know what kind of technical or job related courses you may have taken in comparison to Canadian standards
* some long-distance educational courses may require a verification of your academic credentials
* some professional licensing bodies use IQAS to authenticate degree/diplomas and/or the status of issuing institutions

2. Does IQAS help with application to APEGGA? (The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta)

APPEGA has its own accreditation process. You may present your IQAS certificate to them, but they will still assess your credentials according to their own standards. Some regulatory bodies use IQAS assessments to compare foreign credentials to Canadian standards, but APEGGA has their own processes.

3. Which regulatory bodies or Professional bodies use or recognize IQAS assessments?

There are currently over 35 professional bodies in various industries and occupations that use IQAS. These organizations are listed on the Alberta Government website, and include regulated occupations such as nursing, accounting, dentistry, and social work.

View Listing of Professional Bodies Using IQAS

4. When using IQAS for educational purposes, which institutions will recognize IQAS certificates?

Currently, Bow Valley College, Southern Institute of Technology (SAIT) and DeVry Institute of Technology recognize the assessments performed by IQAS. The University of Calgary and Mount Royal College perform their own credential assessments.

5. What if our documents are not in English?

You may seek a professional translator or a person with notarization authority to translate your documents into English. However, you would still need to submit your original documents.

6. Can we send in photocopies of our original documents?

Yes, but they have to be verified by a notary, who will place their deal and signature on the photocopies to verify that they are photocopies of the originals.

If originals are submitted, they will be returned to the individual.

7. How long does an assessment take?

Usually about 7-12 weeks, but it depends on whether or not all the relevant and required documents are submitted to IQAS. The processing time will also depend on the time of year, where some months have more requests than others.

8. I�ve heard that an IQAS assessment certification expires after 2 years?

That�s incorrect. There is no expiry date on an IQAS assessment.

9. How much does an assessment cost?

There are 3 types of assessments performed by IQAS:
*A Basic Assessment, which is good for employment purposes, is $100.
*A Description of Course Work Assessment is $200, plus $75 for each additional university/college degree that you may wish to submit. This assessment is usually done because individuals want to demonstrate knowledge in specific areas, for a professional licensing body or educational institution who may need to review course by course information.
*An Assessment for Education Institution provides evaluation for admission into a post-secondary school in Alberta or Saskatchewan, and costs $100.

For further information, contact IQAS:

9th Floor, 108 Street Building
9942 � 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J5
Website: http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/iqas/iqas.asp
Telephone: (780) 427-2655
Fax: (780) 422-9734