Education

Program Information

Program, Duration and Unit

Programs contain three parts:

Level – Duration – Duration Unit

Globally education has the following structure:

  • Secondary (12 years of Education; or in some systems 10+2 with an option to branch off into a trade school after 10 years or continue on to finishing the last 2 years of Secondary Education)
  • Post-Secondary
    • Trade and College Prep
    • Undergraduate
      • Some non-US educational systems allow students to enroll for Professional Degrees such as Medical, Law etc. after Secondary school; degrees obtained from those systems, regardless of whether they are arts and science or a professional degree will come under Post-Secondary.
  • Post Baccalaureate
    • Graduate Education
    • Professional Education
      • Some educational systems such as in the US, require students to have obtained a baccalaureate degree before they can enroll in a professional degree such as Medicine, Law etc. Those will fall under Post Baccalaureate Professional Education.
    • Doctoral Research
  • Continuing Education
  • Post Doctorate

Program

Choose the appropriate program. Some programs are pre-defined with duration, for example Bachelors (4 Yrs). If you do not find your program listed, say Bachelors (5 Yrs) as offered in some countries, then you would choose Bachelors (Other) and enter duration as 5 and select Years as duration unit.

Note: The program duration is the duration of the program, not the duration it took for you to complete the program.

For example, some students may complete a 4 year Bachelors program sooner than 4 years and some may take a little bit longer. It is still a 4 years program.

Secondary

Create a Secondary education record, even if you have a higher degree.

The secondary education degrees/diplomas/certificates are attained after 10 or 12 years of High School. In some education systems students have the option to exit the Secondary school education after 10 years of high school and enter a trade school or a polytechnic, like Singapore for example.

Enter the highest Secondary School Education you obtained.

High School (12 Yrs)

If you completed 12 years of High School.
High School (10 Yrs)

If you branched off after completing 10 years of High School.

Note: High School (12 Yrs) includes High School (10 Yrs). If you completed 12 years of High School, you do not need to create a ‘High School (10 Yrs)’ record as well as a High School (12 Yrs) record.

Note: People are likely to change many schools during their K-12 education. Do not worry about earlier schools you attended. Create a record using the school you attended during your final year of the secondary education.

For example, you completed 9th Grade in one country and completed 12th grade in another country. You would create a High School (12 Yrs) record using the school and country you graduated from.

Post-Secondary

Bachelors (‘3 Yrs’ vs. ‘4 Yrs’ vs. ‘Other’): The years stand for the duration of the program and not your attendance dates.

Bachelors (4 Yrs):

If you completed a 4 year Bachelors program you would choose ‘Bachelors (4 Yrs)’.

Some schools offer a 4 year program designed to be completed in 3 years, such as an accelerated program. In this case you would select ‘Bachelors (4 Yrs)’ and use the attendance dates to show that it was completed in 3 years. In other words a 4 year program requiring around 120 credits will still require you to earn 120 credits, regardless of whether you completed or are planning to complete in 3 years or 5 years.
Bachelors (3 Yrs): In some non-US education systems such as Australia, Colleges and Universities offer a 3 year / 6 semester programs. Use this only in that case.
Bachelors (Other): Some education systems have non-standard duration such as 5 years. You would use this in that case.

Note: If you obtained your Medicine or Law degree after completing your secondary education i.e. High School (12 Yrs), enter them here as ‘Bachelors’ as it is still Post-Secondary.

Post Baccalaureate

Graduate Programs (Masters)

Similar to Post-Secondary, choose the appropriate program based on the duration.

Professional Education

Education systems in some countries (example: US) require a ‘Bachelors’ degree to be obtained before you can enroll in professional education programs - such as Audiology, Medical, Law, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Veterinary Medicine etc. These are just a few examples.

If your path to professional programs required a Baccalaureate degree, choose the appropriate ‘Post Baccalaureate Professional Education’ program based on the duration.

Some countries (example: India) only require a secondary education i.e. High School (12 Yrs) to enroll in professional programs such as Medicine and Law.

If your path to professional programs did not require a Baccalaureate degree and only required a Secondary education choose ‘Bachelors’ with appropriate duration as it is still Post-Secondary.

Doctoral Programs (Research based)

If your program is a Doctoral program that involved defending your dissertation research, which led to a degree such as PhD, choose ‘Doctoral (Research based)’.

Continuing Education

Choose the appropriate program.

Post Doctorate

CVQ treats ‘Post Doctorate’ work as experience. For ‘Post Doctorate’ work add a record under Experience using employment type as Post Doctorate.

Duration

This is the duration of the program, not how long one takes to complete the program. For example, if one takes 5 years to complete a Bachelors (4 years) program, they would choose Bachelors (4 Yrs) and make the 5 years reflect in the attendance ‘From and To’ fields.

Duration will be preselected if you choose one of the programs that define duration as part of the program description, for example Bachelor’s (4 Yrs).

If you choose a program that says ‘Other’, for example ‘Bachelors (Other)’, then you will be asked to enter the Duration here.

Duration Unit

Duration unit in conjunction with duration defines the length of a program. For example, a Certificate course may be of 3 months, whereas a Degree Program may be of 4 years.

Duration Unit will be preselected if you choose one of the programs that define duration as part of the program description, for example Bachelor’s (4 Yrs).

If you choose a program that says ‘Other’, for example ‘Bachelors (Other)’, then you will be asked to enter the Duration Unit here.

Degree Title

Enter your degree title.

Dual Degree

Dual Degree is when one enrolls to obtain two degrees. These could be an inter-disciplinary program within the same school/college or two programs offered by two different colleges within the same University or even between two different Universities. There are different names used by various Colleges and Universities. Some of them include:

  • Joint Degree
  • Dual Degree
  • Concurrent Degree
  • Integrated Degree

If your degree is part of such a program, then check this box.

Checking this box will open up another tab for you to enter your second degree.

Note: Add dual degree as dual degree instead of two separate education records.

Note: In some educational systems, the term Dual Degree refers to Double Major. If you obtained one Degree with two majors, do not enter them as Dual Degree. Enter them as a single education record with two majors. See section ‘Major’ below for more details.

Degree Date

Graduated Programs / Degrees

Enter the month and year you graduated.
In Pursuit or Planned Programs / Degrees

If you are still in pursuit of this degree or have enrolled but not started the program yet, enter your planned graduation date.

If the planned graduation date changes while pursuing your degree come back here and update it.
Incomplete Programs / Degrees

If you started a program and were unable to complete it due to life’s circumstances, leave the degree date blank.

Major

Majors are also called as Concentrations in some Universities.

If the degree you earned includes any ‘Major’ or ‘Concentration’, enter them here. You can also add multiple majors here if that is your case.

If you have more than one major, after entering your first major, use the ‘tab’ key or the ‘return’ key to enter your second major.

Single Degree vs. Dual Degree

If you obtained two majors under the same degree (Double Major) say (1) Business and (2) Political Science, enter them as two separate Majors in the Major Field.

If you majored in Marketing with a minor in Finance, enter Marketing under Major and Finance under Minor.

If you have two majors as a result of a dual degree, enter them as two separate Majors under dual degree by selecting the ‘Dual Degree’ check box.
Single Major vs. Double Major

If you obtained two majors under the same degree say (1) Business and (2) Political Science, enter them as two separate Majors in the Major Field. This is Double Major.

Some schools have compounded major names for a single Major, for example "International Accounting & Controlling". This would still be one Major and not a Double Major.

Major Option

Major Option is a supplement to Major. If the degree you earned includes any Major Option, enter them here.

Major Concentration

Major Concentration is also a supplement to Major. If the degree you earned includes any Major Concentration, enter them here.

Minor

If the degree you earned includes any Minor, enter them here.

School

Attendance From and To Dates

Attendance dates are the actual dates you attended or plan to attend school/college. For example, if you are enrolled in a 4 year program, but are planning to complete your program over 5 years, say Sep 2021 to Jun 2026, then you would actually input these dates as your attendance dates.

Graduated Programs / Degrees If you have already obtained your degree i.e. graduated, then the attendance dates are less relevant and you may choose to leave these blank.
In Pursuit Programs / Degrees If you are currently in pursuit of a degree, it is highly recommended that you enter your planned attendance dates. In this case your ‘Attendance From’ date will be in the past and your ‘Attendance To’ date will be in the future.
Planned Programs / Degrees If you have enrolled in a program and have not started the program yet, it is highly recommended that you enter your planned attendance dates. In this case, both your ‘Attendance From’ date and ‘Attendance To’ date will be in the future.
Incomplete Programs / Degrees If you started a program and were unable to complete it due to life’s circumstances, leave the attendance dates blank.

School/College, University

Secondary Education Programs (High School)

For High School Programs, only enter School, City, State, and Country – as university does not apply here.

Post-Secondary Programs (Associate, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate)

If the School/College from which you earned your degree is part of a University, then enter:

  • School/College
  • University
  • City
  • Country
  • State

Note: Students may be used to using their University names due to the name recognition they bring. If you are part of a University that has several Schools/Colleges, enter both the School/College name and the University name in their respective fields.

If the School/College is not part of a University, such as a community college or a private liberal arts college then only enter:

  • School/College
  • City
  • Country
  • State
Continuing Education / Certifications / Online Programs:
Enter the organization / institution conducting the course and issuing the certification. If the institution is a private organization and not part of any University, leave the university blank.

City, State and Country

Enter the City, State and Country where you attended school and not where the School/University is located.

For example:

If you pursued your Executive MBA degree from University of Chicago's Booth Campus in Hong Kong, enter Hong Kong for City and Country and not Chicago even though University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ primary location is Chicago.

Exchange Programs / Study Abroad Programs:

If you attended a semester overseas, enter the primary campus location.

Online Programs:
Enter the City, State and Country of the organization issuing the certificate.

GPA, Honors and Awards

Providing your GPA helps improve your CVQ score. Your GPA is never disclosed to anyone. It is only used to compute your CVQ.

Even if your GPA is not where you would like it to be, providing your GPA is better than not providing at all as providing your GPA helps improve your CVQ score.

If circumstances prevented you from excelling in one of your education programs, GPAs you earned in other programs come to your rescue.

For example, let’s say a student was not able perform to their fullest potential in high school due to life’s circumstances or any other reason, but goes on to graduate from college with a 4.0 GPA, CVQ accounts for their potential by looking at their entire record. Hence providing all your GPAs only help improve your CVQ.

Your GPA / Percentage Grades

GPA

If your education is graded on a 4.0 GPA scale, with 2.0 required to graduate/pass, and you earned a 3.67 GPA then you would enter your GPA as shown here:

Your GPA Maximum on the Scale Minimum to Graduate/Pass
3.67 4.0 2.00
Percentage Grades

Percentage Grades are also known as Numeric Grades. They are also known as Marks in some countries.

If the education system you graduated in does not use a GPA system, instead uses Percentage Grades / Numeric Grades / Marks, enter your grades along with Maximum on the Scale and Minimum to Graduate/Pass here.

For example, if 60% is required to pass, and you scored 97%, then you would enter your grades as follows:

Your Percentage Grade Maximum on the Scale Minimum to Graduate/Pass
97 100 60
Other Scales

If your grading system is totally different and does not fit here, please send us an email with more details using the support link available under your ‘Account’ dropdown on the top navigation bar of the APP and we will review it for inclusion.

Corresponding Letter Grade to your GPA / Score

If you are awarded a corresponding letter grade to your GPA, enter the letter Grade here.

For example, if you earned a GPA of 3.33 that has a corresponding Letter Grade of ‘B+’, enter B+ here.

If the education system from which you graduated in does not have Letter Grades, leave this field blank.

Credits Completed to Graduate

Enter the credits you completed to graduate, where applicable.

For example, if you completed 128 credits to earn your Bachelor’s degree, then enter 128 here.

If your degree is a dual degree or an integrated degree, enter only the credits applicable to this degree. You will be able to enter credits applicable to the other degree in the ‘Dual Degree’ screen. You will also be able to enter any applicable cumulative credits on the ‘Dual Degree’ screen.

If the education system you graduated from does not have such a credit system, for example countries other than US, then leave this field blank.

Credits - Unit of Measure

Credits are expressed in different units. For example, semester hours in Universities that follow semester terms or quarter units that follow quarter terms.

Enter the appropriate unit of measure for the credits you entered.

Honors designated on your Diploma, if any

Honors Degree

Honors degree is awarded through Honors College in some universities and through Academic departments/colleges in others.

If the degree you earned is an Honors Degree and is designated on your diploma, check this box.

Distinction

If the degree is also earned with a distinction and is designated on your diploma, check this box.

Latin Honors

If the degree is awarded with one of the Latin Honors listed below and is designated on your diploma, select the appropriate one.

  • summa cum laude
  • magna cum laude
  • cum laude

Other Honors & Awards (H&A), including Departmental Honors, if any

Sole Recipient H&A

Sole Recipient H&A are Honors and Awards conferred upon only one individual during the review period. In some cases, even though it is intended for one, it may be shared with other students in case of a tie.

If you are the sole recipient of such an award, or if the award was intended for a sole recipient but you shared it with others due to a tie, enter them here.

An example of this would be St. Catherine of Siena Undergraduate Peace and Justice Research Award awarded by Villanova University to one undergraduate student during every review period.

Top 1% H&A

Top 1% H&A are honors and awards awarded to top 1% of the candidates in a review period.

If you were in the top 1% that received one of these awards, enter them here.

An example of this would be Palmer-Brandon Scholarship awarded by Indiana University to the top 1 percent of undergraduates in their fields.

Top 5% H&A

Top 5% H&A are honors and awards awarded to top 5% of the candidates in a review period.

If you were in the top 5% that received one of these awards, enter them here.

An example of this would be the George F. Baker Scholar award awarded by Harvard Business School to the top 5% of the graduating class.

Top 10% H&A

Top 10% H&A are honors and awards awarded to top 10% of the candidates in a review period.

If you were in the top 10% that received one of these awards, enter them here.

An example of this would be the Arjay Miller Scholar award awarded by Stanford Graduate School of Business to the top 10% of the graduating class.

Other H&A

Other H&A are Honors and Awards that did not fall under any of the above categories. Some examples include, but not limited to:

  • > Top 10% H&A
  • One of several recipients of an honor or award with no % based threshold limits
  • GPA based cut-off awards such as Dean’s List, Honor Roll etc.
  • Recipient of discretionary awards

Note on Honors such as Dean’s List: If you were recognized more than once, list them here separately.

For example:

Dean’s List 2011

Dean’s List 2013

Discipline-based honor societies and associations

This section is under works. Functionality will be rolled out soon.

Different Name while Attending

Different Name while Attending

If your name was different while attending this education program, for example maiden name, check the box and enter your First Name, Middle Name and Last Name from that time.

Incremental Fields specific to Dual Degree

GPA and Credits for your Second Degree

Your GPA, Max GPA and Min GPA to Graduate

Enter the GPA pertaining to the second degree here.

Corresponding Letter Grade to your GPA

If you are awarded a corresponding letter grade to this second degree’s GPA, enter the letter Grade here.

If the education system from which you graduated in does not have Letter Grades, leave this field blank.

Incremental Credits for Second Degree

Enter the incremental credits you completed to earn your second degree as part of this dual degree program.

For example, if you completed 30 additional credits to earn your second degree, then enter 30 here.

If the education system you graduated from does not have such a credit system, then leave this field blank.

Incremental Credits - Unit of Measure

Enter the appropriate unit of measure for the credits you entered.

Cumulative / Institutional GPA for both Degrees Combined

Your GPA, Max GPA and Min GPA to Graduate

If your institution awarded a cumulative GPA for both Degrees combined, then you would enter them here.

Corresponding Letter Grade to your GPA / Score

If your institution awarded a corresponding letter grade to your combined GPA, enter the letter Grade here.

Cumulative Credits completed for both Degrees

Enter the cumulative credits you completed to obtain both degrees.

For example, if you completed 160 credits to earn both your ‘Bachelors’ and ‘Masters’ degree, then enter 160 here.

If the education system you graduated from does not have such a credit system leave this field blank.

Cumulative Credits - Unit of Measure

Select the appropriate unit of measure for the credits you entered.