Títulos, Técnicos, and Estudios Totales:Education in Mexico

TAICEP Annual ConferencePhiladelphia, PA

October 1-4, 2018Presenter: Karen Krug

Research & Knowledge Management Evaluator, ECE

Photos © K. Krug. Used by permission

OVERVIEW & TERMINOLOGY

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General Facts about Mexico

Conventional country name long form: United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos)

Population: over 123 million (as of 2017)

Languages: Spanish, regional indigenous languages such as Nahuatl, Yaqui, or various Mayan languages

Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic

Administrative Divisions: 31 states (estados, singular - estado) and CDMX

Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Ciudad de México, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas

http://travelquaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/political-map-of-mexico.gifhttps://pixabay.com/

Key Spanish Terminology (1)

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Levels of Education TranslationEducación primaria Primary education (grades 1-6)

Educación básica Basic education (grades 1-9)

Educación secundaria Secondary education (grades 7-9)

Educación media superior Upper secondary education (grades 10-12)

Educación superior Higher education

Estudios de pregrado Undergraduate studies

Estudios de posgrado Graduate studies

Key Spanish Terminology (2)

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Credentials

• bachiller bachelor• técnico technician• tecnólogo technologist• licenciado licentiate• ingeniero engineer• diplomado diploma holder• maestro(a)/magíster master• especialista specialist• doctor doctor

Academic Calendar

• año year• semestre semester• cuatrimestre quatrimester• trimestre trimester• mes month• semana week• día day• hora hour• diurno day-time

[study program]• nocturno evening [study

program]• fecha date

Key Spanish Terminology (3)

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Transcript Terminology

Carrera Program of study, curriculum

Plan de estudios Plan of studies

Asignatura Subject, course

Taller Workshop

Trabajo de grado Graduation work

Tesis de grado Degree thesis

Egresado Graduated, a graduate

Calificación/nota Grade, mark

Crédito Credit

Horas semanales Weekly hours

Mínima aprobatoria Minimum passing [grade]

Promedia [grade] average

Promoción Promotion [to the next grade]

Puntaje Grade points

Photo © K. Krug. Used by permission

Chart: http://www.internationalcomparisons.org.uk/html/index.asp

Educational System of Mexico

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Easily-Confused TerminologyTerm Translation In Mexico In other Latin American countries

(examples)Secundaria Secondary Lower secondary education, grades 7-9 Cuba: Similar to Mexico

Peru: Secondary education, grades 7-11

Técnico Technician Upper secondary vocational program, admission based on grade 9, length 2-4 years (exception: Técnico Superior is post-secondary)

Colombia: 2-3 year post-secondary programDominican Republic: 2-3 year post-secondary programEl Salvador: 2-3 year post-secondary programVenezuela: Similar to Mexico

Bachiller, Bachillerato

Bachelor, Baccalaureate

Upper secondary program, admission based on grade 9, length 2-3 years, grants access to post-secondary study

Chile: post-secondary program, often less than 4 yearsCosta Rica: 4-6 year post-secondary programEcuador: Similar to MexicoPeru: May be secondary or post-secondary

Colegio College Almost always secondary school (very few exceptions)

Similar to Mexico - almost always secondary-level unless combined with Universidad,Universitario, Superior, etc.

Profesor Teacher Used for secondary (until the mid-1980s) and post-secondary programs for training teachers for preschool, elementary, or secondary schools

Similar to Mexico – can refer to teachers of preschool, elementary, secondary, vocational, music, etc.

Ingeniero Engineer Most often used for post-secondary programs in engineering-related fields, but can be used for other fields as well (e.g. Agriculture, Music Technology)

May include other fields in addition to engineering, especially business-related: Ingeniero Comercial, Ingeniero Financeiro, Ingeniero en Gestión Turística

SECUNDARIA, BACHILLERATO, & TÉCNICO

Secondary Education

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Lower Secondary Education(Grades 7-9) • leads to Certificado de Secundaria• part of compulsory education since

1993

Upper Secondary Education(Grades 10-12)• also called the preparatory cycle

(preparatoria)• 3-year program, specialization track in

the final year (2-year programs in some areas - should all be upgraded by 2020)

• qualification of • Bachillerato, • Bachillerato Tecnológico, or • Bachillerato Técnico

Secondary Education

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Técnico (technician)

• nivel medio profesional• professional middle level

• nivel medio técnico• technical middle level

• nivel medio terminal• terminal middle level

Examples of qualifications:

• técnico• technician

• técnico profesional• professional technician

• profesional técnico• technical professional

• enfermero• nurse

• partero• midwife

• trabajador social• social worker

• profesor de educación primaria/ preescolar (before 1984)• Primary/preschool education teacher

• other professional qualifications

Vocational Education

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Secundaria

Secundaria (cont.)

Bachillerato General

Bachilleratofrom University

BachilleratoTecnológico

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Título de Técnico

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Nursing Program – What level?

Nursing Program Cédula Information

(More information on cédulas in Verification section)

Grading Scales – Secondary & Post-Secondary

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Spanish English Numeric Percentage

Excelente (E) Excellent 10 100

Muy Bien (MB) Very Good 9 90-99

Bien (B) Good 8 80-89

Regular (R) Average 7 70-79

Suficiente (S) Sufficient 6 60-69

No Suficiente (N) Insufficient 5 50-59

Muy Bien (MB) Very Good 9-10 90-100

Bien (B) Good 8 80-89

Suficiente (S) Sufficient 7 70-79

No Suficiente (N) Insufficient 6 60-69

with minimum passing grade of 6 orminimum passing grade of 7

Terms Abbr. Meaning

No Acreditada NA Not Passed

Acreditada AC Passed

Equivalencia EQ Equivalence, Exemption

No Derecho ND No Right (unable to sit for final exams due to low attendance or low grades)

No Presentada NP Not Presented (did not sit for final exam)

Revalidada REV Revalidated (transfer credit)

Examen Ordinario OR Ordinary Examination Session

ExamenExtraordinario

EX, EE Extraordinary Examination Session (first make-up exam session)

More Grading Terminology

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How to find credits for secondary programs

Search for:• name of institution or issuing

body +• bachillerato (or other

credential name) +• plan de estudios or mapa

curricular

Example:• SEP bachillerato mapa

curricular

Result:• http://www.dgb.sep.gob.mx/

informacion-academica/mapas_curriculares.php

Check the website of the institution or issuing body, or:

http://www.dgb.sep.gob.mx/informacion-academica/mapas_curriculares.php

RECOGNITION – INSTITUTIONS & PROGRAMS

Post-Secondary Education

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Reconocimiento de Validez Oficial de Estudios(RVOE) - Recognition of Official Validity

of StudiesPrograms are granted official validity when curriculum meets official government standards

Program recognition can be granted by federal or state government body or by public autonomous institution

Public institutions are automatically recognized; all degree programs automatically have official validity

Private institution programs must go through validation process for official validity

Note: Accreditation is not the same thing as official validity

RVOE Clues from Documents

Institution name includes Autónoma• Public institution

Título and transcript are issued by government bodies• e.g. Gobierno del Estado de Baja California or Sistema Educativo

Nacional

Student has professional cédula number• Only issued for recognized programs

Documents include RVOE number• Trust but verify!

http://www.anuies.mx/anuies/instituciones-de-educacion-superior/

ANUIES Higher Education Institution Search

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ANUIES Higher Education Institution Search(cont.)

Results for “Londres”

ANUIES Institution Search Results

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Checking RVOE

ALL CAPS!

https://www.sirvoes.sep.gob.mx/sirvoes/mvc/consultas

Checking RVOE (cont.)

Using RVOE to identify program

DOCUMENTATION

Post-Secondary Education

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Técnico Superior Universitario• 2-year post-secondary course

offered by an Universidad Técnologico

Sálidas Laterales (lateral exits)• Shorter intermediate degree

programs• Usually of 1-2 years duration • Called carreras cortas (short

programs) or salidas laterales(lateral exits)

Licenciado or TítuloProfesional• First academic degree of at least 4

years • Some are 5-6 years, depending on

the area of study

Courses of Especialización• Post-graduate program

concentrating on a more practical or applied branch of a discipline

• Limited or no research required• Often seen in health sciences

Maestría• Research-based post-graduate

program• Thesis required

Doctorado• Research-based• Two or three years after Maestría• Minimum of 150 credits (some can

be transferred from the Maestríalevel)

Cursos de actualización(continuing education

courses)

University Qualifications

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Possible Documentation

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Título (Title) or Grado(Degree)

Certificado de Estudios(Certificate of Studies)

KardexCompleto/Incompleto(Complete/Incomplete

Grade Report)

Carta de Pasante (Letter of Passing)

Completion of Servicio Social (Public Service)

Acta de ExamenProfesional/Examen de

Grado (Act of Professional

Exam/Degree Exam)

En trámite (in process) letter

Cédula (Identification card)

Plan de Estudios (Plan of Studies) or Mapa

Curricular (Curricular Map)

What do you need to see to consider the degree completed?

Obviously incomplete

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Obviously complete

Not so obvious: Certificado de

Terminación de Estudios

Not so obvious:Carta de Pasante

Degree Requirements Beyond Plan of Studies

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Additional degree requirements

include some or all of the following:

• Thesis (Tesis)• Professional examination (Examen Profesional)• Public service (Servicio Social)

Possible exceptions to these

requirements include:

• High enough grade average can exempt student from thesis

• Completion of graduate level courses can exempt student from undergraduate professional exam

• Completion of final project can exempt student from social service

Because of these requirements:

• Many students complete academic portion of degree program, but never earn título or grado

• Only way to know if student has completed ALL degree requirements at post-secondary level is with título, grado, cédula, or statement from institution that título/grado is en trámite (in process)

• Degrees may be issued years after the period of study indicated on the grade report

Servicio Social and Acta de Examen Profesional

Pay attention to what has been completed – does it say “título”??

“En Trámite”

Licenciado by Exam - CENEVAL

Transcript Issues: Is It Official?

Transcript Issues: Program Length

Program Length

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Different institutions can have different lengths for the same degree programs.

Institutions can be running part-time night version of a normal program with the same curricula but different durations.

Institutions can change the duration of a program from one year to the next.

Credit systems and enrollment dates do not always help.

Plan de Estudios or Mapa Curricular

http://fintecate.uabc.edu.mx/web/fin/mapa-curricular-industrial

Transcript Issues: No Credits Listed

Plan de Estudios or Mapa Curricular

If program is older, and you can’t find it on the current website, try the WaybackMachine: https://archive.org/

Diploma de Especialidad

Grado de Maestría

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Grado de Doctor en Ciencias

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AUTHENTICITY ISSUES & VERIFICATION

Photo © K. Krug. Used by permission

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Comparison with Other Samples

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Logo from previous document Logo from other UNAM documents from same

time period

Photo © K. Krug. Used by permission

Secondary Comparison

Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), Dirección General de Profesiones (DGP)https://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx/cedula/indexAvanzada.action

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Can be used to verify títulos(degrees) of:

• University-level programs• Some secondary-vocational (técnico) programs

Search by:• Cédula number or• Given name and family name(s)

Notes:

• Student must have earned título in order to get cédula(not available for incomplete programs, even with carta de pasante)

• Can verify título even without seeing the actual document

• Not all título-holders register for cédula, so absence of cédula does not necessarily indicate fraudulent título

• Date of cédula can be a year or more after date of título• Only confirms título, not transcript

Degree Verification: Registro Nacional de Profesionistas

Where to Find Cédula Number

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Back of Título Cédula card

Recent

Previous

Recent

Previous

Registro Nacional Search Interface

Hint: Cédula numbers should have 7 digits. If yours only has 6 digits, try adding a zero in front.

http://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx/cedula/indexAvanzada.action

Fraud detection using Cédula

Other Online Verification Resources

Examples of bodies offering

online transcript verification

• State of Guanajuato: http://sistemas.sabes.edu.mx/celectronico/

• State of Sinaloa: QR code on documents or http://www.sepyc.gob.mx/certificado/validacion/

• Universidad Autónoma de Baja California: QR code on documents

• Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila: QR code on documents

Note: Use of students’ personal log-in information to access/verify educational documents is not recommended due to privacy concerns.• e.g. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad de Guadalajara

RESOURCES

Photo © K. Krug. Used by permission

Educational System Overviews

ECE e-Learning: The Educational System of Mexico

•https://theconnection.ece.org/resources/viewresourcebyid?resourceId=497 (for Connection Advantage subscribers)

Nuffic – Education and diplomas Mexico

•https://www.nuffic.nl/en/subjects/education-and-diplomas-mexico/

IQAS – International Education Guide: Mexico

•https://www.alberta.ca/iqas-education-guide-mexico.aspx

WES: Education in Mexico

•http://wenr.wes.org/2016/08/education-in-mexico/, World Education News & Reviews. August 2016. Magaziner, Jessica and Carlos Monroy.

UNESCO – International Bureau of Education – World Data on Education (Mexico)

•http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Mexico.pdf

Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI) - Mexico section

•http://www.oei.es/quipu/mexico/ (in Spanish only)

Mexico: A Study of the Educational System of Mexico and a Guide to the Academic Placement of Students in Educational Institutions of the United States

•World Education Series. AACRAO. 1982. Villa, Kitty Maker

Recognition, Verification, & Other Resources

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Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP)• http://www.sep.gob.mx/

Reconocimiento de Validez Oficial de Estudios (RVOE)• http://www.sirvoes.sep.gob.mx/sirvoes/mvc/consultas

Registro Nacional de Profesionistas• https://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx/cedula/presidencia/indexAvanzada.action

Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Institutos Superiores (ANUIES)• http://www.anuies.mx/ (degree programs of all members have RVOE)

Federación de Instituciones Mexicanas Particulares de Educación Superior (FIMPES)• http://www.fimpes.org.mx/ (degree programs of all members have RVOE)

Sistema Nacional de Información de Escuelas (SNIE)• http://www.snie.sep.gob.mx/SNIESC/ (database containing all schools, at all levels, in the country)

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¡Gracias!

Photos © K. Krug. Used by permission