Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tony_Balony]

Hi - I'm an ESL teacher from the US and I've had to get an E2 like everyone else. However, I am a former degree/transcript checker and I have a legal credibility that no one else has here in that Us courts recognize my opinion on the matter like they would a CPA's when discussing financial records.

With that in mind, I have made it my mission to get the K's to stop requesting
"degrees" as they do. I think they mean "diplomas" but their English is bad.

Regardless, according to transcript practice and law in the US, diplomas have ceased having any legal credibility well over 30 years ago. The paper diplomas now only serve as ceremonial documents. They are legally worthless yet form the backbone of the K's degree verification process. Thats changing as they can't deny that reality any longer but none the less they still ask for the "degree".

I can speak for the US. I have transfer credits from nine different colleges or universities on my transcript from my degree granting universitiy. I did night school, summer sessions and changed schools. All of that info is compiled on my official and unofficial transcripts. I'm familiar with that business.

I'm wondering about the use of the diploma in the other countries. If say you finished a u grad degree in Canada and wanted to go to another uni for grad school, would that grad school ask for your diploma to prove you have a u grad degree or do they ask for official transcripts from your degree granting school?

[lastat06513]

I have taught in China and Kuwait as well as Korea and in each of these places, I had to submit my degree "diploma" or "certificate" as part of verifiaction process (they either asked for the orginal or a copy- when possible, I submitted a copy).
i can guarantee you that this is not only isolated to Korea.

[icicle]

To answer your question about what university's ask for ... In Australia they will ask not for the degree certificate but for the transcript ... Or at least for permission to request the information from the Issuing University ... I have done 2 postgraduate degrees and like you said in Australia the degree certificates are purely ceremonial (for display) without any real "legal" worth ... It is the transcripts which really count ...

Icicle

[air76]

Your degree is required in Chile as well.

[Hank the Iconoclast]

I really think they should accept transcripts as the main way to prove that someone graduated. If you have it in a sealed document from the registar's office with the University's seal on it that makes if much more difficult to fake. Diplomas can be forged rather easily. I doubt that these countries will ever learn that fact though and we will continue to have to provide our fancy diploma to prove that we graduated.

[ttompatz]

[Tony_Balony]