Hi Everyone,
I wanted to answer this question since I am going through the same process and unfortunately like everyone else, I couldn’t find an answer on how to get my qualification ECA report after graduating from the University of Essex Online (Operated by Kaplan Open Leaning). So, I will re-post my answer multiple times in different sections of this forum to let others know since I was desperate to get my questions answered, but I could not find any.
I will share my experience below, as of today 17th Nov 2020.I will try to include as many details as I can to make it easier to get the ECA report from WES for those who graduated from Essex Online:
I have recently graduated from the University of Essex Online (Kaplan Open Learning), (Top-Up Degree in Business & Management) and I have lately started my Express Entry application on Oct 2020 . So, reading through the process, WES became my first nightmare as I came to know that Essex Online is operated under a partnership with Kaplan Open Learning and the University of Essex, so I had to coordinate between them to have my degree assessed by WES. As well as having my HND level 5 qualification evaluated and verified. So, I have three places to go, just to get my ECA qualification report equivalised to Canadian degree (It takes some time)
Unfortunately, as an undergraduate from University of Essex Online (Kaplan), you will not have access to Electronic Version of your degree transcripts through HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report) or Gradintel.com as with other full-time students.
Having access to HEAR should ease the process of evaluating your qualification which is done electronically rather than sending the documents to WES. All you do is authorizing access for WES to verify your qualification online. Then you will have your ECA report after 35 days easily.
Now, the process of sending documents from the University of Essex Online is quite hectic because the University of Essex (Main) does not hold any records of your degree transcript. So, Kaplan Open Learning or Essex Online
only holds such record of your transcript while University of Essex (Main) can only provide you with Degree Certificate and Award Confirmation Letter ONLY. So, two institutes hold two different degree credentials.
It’s mentioned in the University of Essex - Student Documentation Ordering System webpage under “Awards from Partner Institutions” that graduates from a UK Partner Institution or college may request replacement Award Certificates only”,
check their website https://www1.essex.ac.uk/studentdocs/
Anyhow, to be, frankly speaking, you should face no problems once you follow the instructions and you will be able to get your qualification equivalency report from WES step by step:
1- First, have your WES reference ready as you will include it in every application or order you place along with the WES address in case you are sending a Hard Copy.
2- Contact Student Support Advisor at University of Essex Online (Kaplan) to acknowledge your request and coordinate with you when placing the order for Award Replacement and Confirmation Letter.
3- Go to the University of Essex – Student Documentation Ordering System at
https://www1.essex.ac.uk/studentdocs/
4- Scroll down the page and go to the following section “
SELECT ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW TO ORDER YOUR DOCUMENTS NOW”
5- Then select “
OTHERWISE, LOGIN INDEPENDENTLY”
6- Then a new page should open, so scroll down to “
FORMER STUDENT” Section
7- Select “
AWARD CONFIRMATION LETTERS” for only £5
8- Select “
AWARD CERTIFICATES” for Only £40 – (
Note: as of 17th Nov 2020, this option is not available and the university staff will not be unable to print your certificates due to COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK, you may check later)
9- Fill the form and make sure to select
KAPLAN OPEN LEARNING for Campus related question.
10- Do not forget to include your WES address, reference number and the document mailing instruction in the NOTES section.
11- Complete the Payment (Online)
12- You will now receive a reference number for your certificates order.
13- Please make sure you share your order reference number and WES reference number with your Student Support Adviser at University of Essex Online (Kaplan), So that they will coordinate with the graduation team at the University of Essex (Main)
14- You will then receive an email from the University of Essex Graduation team to confirm and process your request, usually with 3 to 7 days from the day you processed your order.
15- Please note that only Award Confirmation Letter and Degree Award will be sent to WES, so make sure you provide your WES reference and Coordinate with your Student Support Adviser on the Progress whenever the Graduation Team at the University of Essex (Main) emails you.
Note: due to COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK, the University of Essex (Main) will not be able to print degree certificates as of 17th Nov 2020, so do not get frustrated and wait until they can.
Alternatively, The University of Essex (Main) could send your Award Confirmation Letter and Degree Award through electronic means using a WES secure portal which is a website tool used by Universities and Higher Education institutes to upload academic qualifications to WES.
In my case, The Graduation Team at the University of Essex (Main), asked if I wanted to send the documents to WES through Secure Portal (Used by the University only), then later wait for the Degree Certificate to be printed after the UK lockdown finishes. So, I replied and requested them to send the documents electronically (both the Degree Certificate and Award Confirmation Letter) to WES instead of waiting for the lockdown to finish.
Once I emailed them with my request, I have received an email from WES immediately confirming that a document was uploaded in my WES account from the University of Essex (Main). Then I have contacted the University of Essex Online (Kaplan) to include the degree transcript in the files uploaded by the University of Essex gradation team. Then within 3 hours, I received another email from WES confirming the same.
I am now waiting for the evaluation report from WES to finish and I shall update this once I get the ECA report.
Note; This a Top-Up degree (1 year – 120 Credits), so, I have placed another order from Pearson or Edexcel to evaluate my HND Level 5 qualification (240 credits). Hopefully, my ECA report should equivalise my qualification to a Canadian degree.
Thanks
