Do Universities in the US Accept Students with a 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree?

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Hi! I am Swati. I did my B.Com from DU. I want to pursue an MBA from a reputed college in the US. Am I eligible to apply?

At our study centres all over India, we often get such enquiries from callers. Study-abroad aspirants are concerned about their eligibility to apply to masters programs in the US. The reason? Undergraduate degree in the US is typically 4-years long and as such universities in the US have a 12+4 requirement for applying to masters. They do not consider a 3-year bachelor as a complete degree.

For example, according to the Graduate Admissions International Applicants at Stanford::

A three-year bachelor’s degree in any subject is not considered sufficient for graduate study at Stanford. The two-year master’s degree following the three-year bachelor’s degree from India is required.

Harvard University is slightly more accommodating in this regard. It strongly encourages international students to get their transcripts evaluated by the World Education Services (WES). WES carries out a credential evaluation of a student’s Indian degree and converts Indian university credits into US university credits. It conditionally recognizes some three-year bachelor’s degrees from India as equivalent to bachelor’s degree from the U.S. – if the degree has been earned in Division I and the awarding institution has been accredited by India’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a grade of “A” or better.

An international applicant is required to hold a college or university degree equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree. Equivalent degrees include international three-year bachelor degree programs.

But there’s good news! Of late, many top universities have been showing exceptional flexibility in this regard and have begun to accept the 3-year bachelor’s degree from India. (Read more here)

The admissions committee can also verify the applicant’s degree to conclude whether their academic level is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree or not. Given below is the list of U.S. universities which already accept three-year Indian Degrees upon evaluation:

List of Universities in the USA Accepting 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Columbia University
• Princeton University
• Yale University
• Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
• Carnegie Mellon University
• University of North Carolina
• California State University
• University of Nevada
• Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
• Northwestern University
• Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth
• University of North Carolina, Charlotte
• Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, San Diego
• John Hopkins University
• University of Maryland, College Park
• New York University (NYU)
• University of Texas, Dallas
• University of Texas, Arlington
• Georgia State University

So, do US universities accept 3-year bachelor’s degree? The answer is: many do, while some do not. In case of any confusion, connect with our expert admissions counselors for a free session. They will help you with profile evaluation and draw your personalized admissions roadmap. All the best!

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Important Takeaways on Universities in the US Accept Students with a 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree

Before moving onto these takeaways, let’s first know that USA is considered as one of the prominent destinations to study masters and it is even home to some of the best universities for masters in the USA. As we know that not all universities in the USA may accept students with a 3 year bachelor’s degree, however few have now started to make these arrangements of accepting the same. Mentioning below are few important points to consider on the same, but before that students must checkout the terms and conditions and policies that come along. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Based on the course of study in the USA, some universities may allow students  to submit their 3-years bachelor’s degree  if they fall in the 10+2+3 or 10+2+4.
2. Only for certain specific master in USA courses, the universities in the US allow 3-years bachelor’s degree under special circumstances. They may not accept the same for other master’s courses.
3. Those students who have graduated with a 3 years degree from any university in the US are also permitted to apply for the master’s course in the USA.
4. Are you a student from Asia or other countries where Bologna Process is followed? If yes, then as a student you are allowed to submit your 3 years bachelor’s degree for master’s study in the USA.
5. If as a student you have a 3 year bachelor’s degree, then it should be from a NAAC recognised institution with an A grade.

Each university in the USA or any country for that matter has their own set of rules and regulations that they follow  in case a student has a 3 years bachelor’s degree for master’s course admissions. Thus, it is advised that before applying to any masters course in the USA, students must thoroughly check the admission process and requirements of the university.

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