What is the Academic Credentials Assessment Service?
The Academic Credentials Assessment Service (ACAS) evaluates the education that people received outside Canada and compares it to Manitoba standards.
The purpose of this free service of Manitoba Immigration is to:
- help immigrants gain recognition of their secondary and post-secondary education
- help Manitoba businesses understand the qualifications of potential employees
The ACAS doesn't not do academic credentials reports except when it is required by the employer or educational institution to which an immigrant is applying.
How an ACR helps employers
Manitoba employers should note that a report from the Academic Credentials Assessment Service is advisory in nature and is designed to support and facilitate hiring or admission decisions made by employers, occupational regulatory bodies and educational institutions. An ACR helps by:
- explaining international educational documents
- helping you better understand the value of an immigrant's education and training so you can make more informed placement and staffing decisions
What does a report say?
A report from the ACAS makes a general "statement of comparison," meaning that the program is similar with respect to the status of the issuing institution, the level, length, general course content. ACAS says "generally compares to" because no credential will be exactly the same from one institution to another.
More information
For more information contact the Academic Credentials Assessment Service at 945-6300.
What steps does ACAS follow in doing its assessment?
- Authenticity Review
All of the applicant's educational documents are reviewed for consistency and evidence of tampering or alteration. ACAS seeks verification on suspicious documents directly from the issuing institutions. An evaluation will not be conducted on documents determined to be altered or falsified.
- Translation Review
ACAS conducts educational assessments using original/official documents or certified/notarized copies and their English/French translations. Translations are checked for accuracy.
- Recognition Status of Institution
ACAS only conducts assessments of formalized education obtained at accredited or recognized institutions. A recognized institution is one that has been formally recognized by competent authorities in a country and/or is widely accepted by other institutions inside or outside the country.
- Description of Educational Program
ACAS conducts extensive research and provides a description of the educational program taken abroad. The research includes a review of the level of education, duration of study, general contents of progam and the purpose of the degree. Although ACAS reviews the general content of a program the details of each course are not examined.
