Recognition of foreign qualifications

Academic recognition of foreign qualifications - Phases and procedures

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If you wish to request academic recognition ( EQUIVALENCE ) of foreign qualifications, this provision is the responsibility of the University, which attributes to a qualification obtained abroad the same legal value as a qualification present in the Italian system. The University may recognize the equivalence for all purposes of the foreign academic qualification with that issued by the University. The evaluation procedure is concluded within ninety days of the submission of the request.

Applicants who do not have European citizenship and reside in a non-EU country must first contact the Italian Diplomatic-Consular Representation competent for the territory. The documentation to be presented and all the information are the same as those indicated for Italian, EU and non-EU citizens legally residing in Italy.

How to apply to the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria

Before submitting the application for recognition:

1. you will have to search in the educational offer of the University of Mediterranean Studies of Reggio Calabria, in the academic year in which you want to submit the application, a course of study that by nature, level and content  corresponds to the qualification you possess and for which you are requesting recognition . You cannot request recognition for courses of study that have not yet been activated until the last year of the course;
2. you must have  knowledge of the language  in which the course of study is held at least at level B2;
3. For  courses of study with a national restricted number of places,  you will need to contact the course secretariat first for further details. 

The Department shall also evaluate the  qualification immediately preceding  the one for which recognition is requested (the secondary school diploma if recognition is requested for a bachelor's degree or single-cycle master's degree, the bachelor's degree if recognition is requested for a master's degree). 

The following documents must be attached to the Application for Recognition of Foreign Academic Qualification, accompanied by the €16.00 stamp duty:

1. Original of the secondary school leaving certificate valid for admission to the University where the academic qualification was obtained; 
2. Official translation into Italian of the diploma referred to in letter a);
3. Declaration of value on the same qualification as referred to in letter a), issued by the Italian Diplomatic or Consular Representation to whose educational system the qualification itself refers and confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille);
4. Academic qualification - in original - for which recognition is requested, also accompanied by the official translation into Italian and by a declaration of value and confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille), issued by the Italian Diplomatic or Consular Representation to whose university system the qualification refers;
5. Certificate – in original – detailing the courses followed and exams taken abroad to obtain the foreign academic qualification referred to in letter d);
6. Official translation into Italian of the certificate referred to in letter e);
7. Official study programs (on headed paper of the foreign University or endorsed with the stamp of the University itself) of all training activities undertaken to obtain the foreign academic qualification, with translation into Italian. 
8. Declaration [1] from the institution of origin, attached to the package of programs, confirming the authenticity and correspondence to the activities supported: stamped, signed, with confirmation of authenticity;
9. Information relating to the voting system adopted at the university where the qualification for which recognition is requested was obtained. [2] 
10. 2 passport-sized photographs;
11. Copy of the receipt of the bank transfer made to the current account in the name of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria of €300.00 IBAN code: IT67W0200816304000401060714 It is important to include in the reason for payment: Recognition of Academic Qualifications aa ____-___ name and surname of the applicant;
12. For EU citizens: copy of passport or identity document;
13. For non-EU citizens with equivalent status: certified copy of the residence permit;                   
14. Documents required to demonstrate knowledge of the language in which the UNIRC course of study is held.

If you are requesting recognition of a second cycle qualification, you must also attach:

15. Foreign academic qualification of the first cycle, in original and translated, with confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille) and the relative Declaration of Value;
16. Certificate with the list of exams passed in original, translated and with confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille);

By official translation we mean that carried out by foreign Embassies or Consulates in Italy, by Italian Embassies or Consulates abroad and by so-called sworn translators, whose names are registered as such in the appropriate lists deposited with the Courts.

The interested Department may also request a copy of the thesis discussed in the final exam taken to obtain the academic title, accompanied or not by the relevant official translation and legalization.

The original application filled in with all the required data and complete with all attachments can be submitted personally to the University Protocol Office located in the University Campus, via dell'Università 25 89124 Reggio Calabria. It must also be scanned and sent to the email address [email protected] or via PEC to  [email protected] 

Upon receipt of the application for recognition, the office verifies the attached documentation. If the application is incomplete, the applicant will receive a communication via email with the request for additional documents or clarifications.

How to pay the contribution

To start the recognition process, a bank transfer of €300.00 must be made to the current account in the name of: Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria.

IBAN code: IT67W0200816304000401060714

reason: Riconoscimento Titoli Accademici a.a. ____-___  with the indication of the name and surname of the applicant.

The fee is due regardless of the outcome of the procedure, and is non-refundable. 

How the application is evaluated by the Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria

Each Department has its own procedure for the recognition of foreign qualifications.

If there are no bilateral agreements between two countries for the equivalence of qualifications, the request for recognition may end with:

• full recognition  of the qualification and the release of the corresponding Italian qualification  (very rare cases);
•  partial recognition , which will give you the opportunity to enroll with a career abbreviation in the degree course for which you requested recognition. For  degree courses with restricted access  , enrollment can only take place if there are residual places available with respect to the year of admission and following the passing of the tests required by the admission notices, except for specific exceptions expressly indicated in the recognition report. The outcome  of the request for recognition is valid  only in the case of enrollment for that specific academic year .
• No recognition . In some particular cases, for example in the presence of substantial differences in the study plan and in the content of the foreign exams taken compared to those provided by the course of study offered at the Università degli studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria for which you requested recognition, the Department may decide not to grant any type of recognition. In this case too, you will be sent the resolution containing the  motivated denial  of the requested recognition. 

Next steps

According to LAW 11 July 2002, n. 148 - Ratification and implementation of the Convention on the recognition of qualifications concerning higher education in the European Region, made in Lisbon on 11 April 1997, and provisions for the adaptation of the internal system, which states in art. 2 The competence for the recognition of cycles and periods of study completed abroad and of foreign qualifications, for the purposes of access to higher education, continuation of university studies and the achievement of Italian university qualifications, is attributed to the Universities and Institutes of university education, which exercise it within the scope of their autonomy and in conformity with their respective regulations, without prejudice to bilateral agreements on the matter.  and in art. 3 For the purposes of exercising the powers referred to in Article 2, the Universities and the Institutes of higher education shall decide on the applications for recognition, duly documented, presented pursuant to the Convention referred to in Article 1, within ninety days from the date of receipt of the applications themselves.

Therefore, upon receipt of the application, the offices will immediately forward it to the Department to which the Course of Study indicated in the application belongs.

1. The Department, using its own procedures, will have to examine the documentation presented by the interested party and express its opinion on the academic recognition of the equivalence of the Title presented;
2. In the event of full recognition of the qualification, the Department must send the resolution of the Department Council to the International Relations and Language Services Area, in which the equivalence of the foreign qualification with the Italian qualification is approved;
3. The International Relations and Language Services Area will send the ordinary proposal for resolution to the Academic Senate which, if it deems it appropriate, may approve the academic recognition by equivalence of the foreign qualification with the corresponding Italian qualification;
4. Subsequently, the International Relations and Language Services Area will communicate the outcome of the application to the interested party, who will receive the resolution of the Academic Senate at his/her certified email address.
    

[1] This declaration must be attached to the program package, stamped, signed, with confirmation of authenticity, and must indicate the total number of pages in the package; alternatively, each page must be stamped, signed and with confirmation of authenticity;

[2] This information may already be contained in the exam certificates or in the Diploma Supplement; if not, the relevant documentation can be submitted without any formality (e.g. printout of the respective web page of the university where the qualification was obtained);

Application_for_Recognition_of_Foreign_Academic_Title