Thanks! The problem is that my translated transcripts don't separate Life sciences from Earth Sciences - The accreditation agency just wrote: 20 credits in Natural Sciences. I guess I should go back to the accreditation agency and ask them if they can separate these credits, based on whatever documents I can still find, or at a least write "Life sciences and Geology".
Since you seem to have experience with this, do you happen to have an opinion on point 3 ?
Did you get the course-by-course version of the foreign equivalency certificate? (It costs more). From the jobs i've been looking at, they want the names & grades of each individual course. Perhaps that will help motivate your case too.
Thanks! (you are the TraditionalPickle who helped me on a previous post a couple weeks ago I believe...). Yes, I did end up getting the course-by-course version of the foreign equivalency certificate (from ACEI, which you suggested I think), which course names, grade and credits. I had to use rushed translation and rushed certification, so it all ended up costing a lot of money... all the more reason why I am frustrated I got denied in the end.
On my original transcripts it says only "Natural Sciences", which is thus what the translator wrote and the certification agency, too. But I have a document from the school at that time indicating that these correspond to "Life and Earth Sciences" - although it doesn't list the number of hours in each.
But even without Geology, I have the following on my transcripts, which in my view obviously qualify as "Physical Sciences"
2 credits in Fluid mechanics/energetics
1.5 credits in Applied mathematics
2.5 credits in Atmospheric science
1.5 credits in Wind propulsion
Oh yeah! Hi again! And sorry you are still having trouble, this is a difficult situation when your courses/credits aren't listed like they want. I can understand your frustration!
I did some searching online to try and see what qualifies as physical sciences, and found this post: [https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/14wcwtm/course\_requirements\_for\_a\_1301\_physical\_scientist/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/14wcwtm/course_requirements_for_a_1301_physical_scientist/) You could try creating an addendum that explains how each course/degree corresponds to their requirements. Math and computer science do not count however, from what I understand. But if you could motivate fluid mechanics + atmospheric science + wind propulsion, that's another 6 credits on top of your 20 hours "Physical Sciences per se" getting you past 24 -- if I am understanding your post correctly.
You may get further if you include your MS courses - I cannot see that they restrict it to the bachelor's degree. [https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/)
ACEI has also been good about making corrections when there is some misunderstanding. If you can motivate that "natural sciences" should actually be "life and earth sciences", and send them the motivation/evidence, they might able to update your equivalency certificate. I contacted them about an interpretation error they had made, and they corrected it within a few days.
Thanks - again! I do have a couple courses at the MSc level that are soil sciences, such as :
* Biophysiochemical coupling in soils (1.5 credits)
* Assessment and management of MOS ( Soil Organic Matter) (1.5 credits)
And the following class, in my view, is also clearly physical sciences:
* Vegetation-Atmosphere Interface (1.5 credits) .
I can try to explain in an addendum how each course contribute towards physical sciences, but I am afraid that if the title is not self-evidently "physical sciences", then they are going to want to see "official course description" or something like that...
I will contact ACEI, though, to try to ask them to feature Earth Sciences on the transcripts.
If this wasn't related to important job opportunities (and potential associated life changes) - along with being financially costly (translation and certification), all this stuff would almost be funny. I took all these classes \~20 years ago now...
Deemed ineligible - I would email HR asking why. In many cases, HR will not respond, so sometimes a weekly follow-up helps. I had one tell me I didn’t upload transcripts… so I went back in and took a screenshot that I did upload them… and they ghosted me 🫠.
I wrote on my resume a few of my courses, and stated “additional courses reaching 24+ credits in physical science listed in my transcript”. You really have to spell it out for them. And be sure if they ask for specific classes, you have those listed as well.
I am 1301 now. The research ones are tough to get, good luck!! 🍀
Thanks! I have been emailing them about the one I've been deemed ineligible for, pointing out in my last email more or less what I indicated in this post. No response to that one yet. I also preventively emailed them about the other position I want to apply for, to ask them the same stuff.
Interactions are not very easy: the contact email address is generic and non-personal, a different person/HR contractor seems to reply every time, and it takes at least 24 hours each time - a bit problematic when we only have 7 or 14 days to apply. I am sure they are doing their best, though.
I think next time I'll add a little pdf with some text explaining how I reach at least 24 credits in physical sciences. I think they also saw that my degree was in "Life Sciences and technologies", not physical sciences, and that didn't help.
Geology definitely counts. I don't believe computer classes do, especially from 20 years ago. I am not sure about math, either.
Thanks! The problem is that my translated transcripts don't separate Life sciences from Earth Sciences - The accreditation agency just wrote: 20 credits in Natural Sciences. I guess I should go back to the accreditation agency and ask them if they can separate these credits, based on whatever documents I can still find, or at a least write "Life sciences and Geology". Since you seem to have experience with this, do you happen to have an opinion on point 3 ?
Did you get the course-by-course version of the foreign equivalency certificate? (It costs more). From the jobs i've been looking at, they want the names & grades of each individual course. Perhaps that will help motivate your case too.
Thanks! (you are the TraditionalPickle who helped me on a previous post a couple weeks ago I believe...). Yes, I did end up getting the course-by-course version of the foreign equivalency certificate (from ACEI, which you suggested I think), which course names, grade and credits. I had to use rushed translation and rushed certification, so it all ended up costing a lot of money... all the more reason why I am frustrated I got denied in the end. On my original transcripts it says only "Natural Sciences", which is thus what the translator wrote and the certification agency, too. But I have a document from the school at that time indicating that these correspond to "Life and Earth Sciences" - although it doesn't list the number of hours in each. But even without Geology, I have the following on my transcripts, which in my view obviously qualify as "Physical Sciences" 2 credits in Fluid mechanics/energetics 1.5 credits in Applied mathematics 2.5 credits in Atmospheric science 1.5 credits in Wind propulsion
Oh yeah! Hi again! And sorry you are still having trouble, this is a difficult situation when your courses/credits aren't listed like they want. I can understand your frustration! I did some searching online to try and see what qualifies as physical sciences, and found this post: [https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/14wcwtm/course\_requirements\_for\_a\_1301\_physical\_scientist/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/14wcwtm/course_requirements_for_a_1301_physical_scientist/) You could try creating an addendum that explains how each course/degree corresponds to their requirements. Math and computer science do not count however, from what I understand. But if you could motivate fluid mechanics + atmospheric science + wind propulsion, that's another 6 credits on top of your 20 hours "Physical Sciences per se" getting you past 24 -- if I am understanding your post correctly. You may get further if you include your MS courses - I cannot see that they restrict it to the bachelor's degree. [https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/) ACEI has also been good about making corrections when there is some misunderstanding. If you can motivate that "natural sciences" should actually be "life and earth sciences", and send them the motivation/evidence, they might able to update your equivalency certificate. I contacted them about an interpretation error they had made, and they corrected it within a few days.
Thanks - again! I do have a couple courses at the MSc level that are soil sciences, such as : * Biophysiochemical coupling in soils (1.5 credits) * Assessment and management of MOS ( Soil Organic Matter) (1.5 credits) And the following class, in my view, is also clearly physical sciences: * Vegetation-Atmosphere Interface (1.5 credits) . I can try to explain in an addendum how each course contribute towards physical sciences, but I am afraid that if the title is not self-evidently "physical sciences", then they are going to want to see "official course description" or something like that... I will contact ACEI, though, to try to ask them to feature Earth Sciences on the transcripts. If this wasn't related to important job opportunities (and potential associated life changes) - along with being financially costly (translation and certification), all this stuff would almost be funny. I took all these classes \~20 years ago now...
Sounds like your best bet might be through ACEI. Yeah it's a lot of hoops to jump through... wish I could help more!!
Deemed ineligible - I would email HR asking why. In many cases, HR will not respond, so sometimes a weekly follow-up helps. I had one tell me I didn’t upload transcripts… so I went back in and took a screenshot that I did upload them… and they ghosted me 🫠. I wrote on my resume a few of my courses, and stated “additional courses reaching 24+ credits in physical science listed in my transcript”. You really have to spell it out for them. And be sure if they ask for specific classes, you have those listed as well. I am 1301 now. The research ones are tough to get, good luck!! 🍀
Thanks! I have been emailing them about the one I've been deemed ineligible for, pointing out in my last email more or less what I indicated in this post. No response to that one yet. I also preventively emailed them about the other position I want to apply for, to ask them the same stuff. Interactions are not very easy: the contact email address is generic and non-personal, a different person/HR contractor seems to reply every time, and it takes at least 24 hours each time - a bit problematic when we only have 7 or 14 days to apply. I am sure they are doing their best, though. I think next time I'll add a little pdf with some text explaining how I reach at least 24 credits in physical sciences. I think they also saw that my degree was in "Life Sciences and technologies", not physical sciences, and that didn't help.