International Credentials
How to Verify Iranian Degrees and Academic Credentials
Iran has a large, established higher education sector regulated by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) for secular universities, and the Ministry of Health for medical universities. Iran has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention. Verification requires navigating government databases, consular legalization chains, and NACES credential evaluation. Here is how to verify an Iranian degree abroad.
Key takeaway
The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) at msrt.ir is the primary authority for secular universities in Iran. Medical universities are regulated by the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education (MOHME). Iran's integrated graduate database (Samaneh Jame Daneshgahi) is used for domestic verification. Iran has not joined the Apostille Convention — international document authentication requires a consular legalization chain through Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. University of Tehran (UT) and Sharif University of Technology are the most frequently forged institutions. NACES members (WES, ECE) evaluate Iranian credentials for US use.
Iran's higher education structure
Iran has over 150 state universities and hundreds of private and non-profit institutions. The system is divided between comprehensive universities (under MSRT), medical universities (under MOHME), and Islamic Azad University (IAU) — a semi-private network with over 400 branches across Iran, technically independent but regulated by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution.
Major state universities include the University of Tehran (Iran's oldest and most prestigious), Sharif University of Technology (engineering focus, internationally recognized), Amirkabir University of Technology, Isfahan University of Technology, and Iran University of Science and Technology. These are competitive entry institutions with strong research reputations.
Iran's degree structure follows a tiered system: Fogh-e Diplom (post-secondary certificate), Kardani/Associate's degree (two years), Karshenasi/Bachelor's (four years, abbreviated BS or BA), Karshenasi Arshad/Master's (two years), and Doktora/Doctoral degree (four or more years). Medical degrees (Doctorate of Medicine/ PhD equivalent) follow a separate track under MOHME. Pay attention to the correct credential level when comparing Iranian degrees to US equivalencies.
Verification through MSRT and institutional databases
Iran's primary verification approach is through the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (msrt.ir) and the integrated graduate database (Samaneh Jame Daneshgahi). This database allows employers and institutions to verify degree holders by name and national identification number. Access for international verifiers is limited — typically the candidate must initiate verification through the MSRT system or provide an official MSRT-authenticated transcript.
For Islamic Azad University credentials, verification can be requested through IAU's centralized system at iau.ir. IAU credentials require care: with hundreds of branches of varying quality, the specific campus matters. A degree from IAU's Science and Research Branch (Tehran) carries different weight than a smaller provincial branch.
For medical credentials, the Ministry of Health (behdasht.ir) and the Iranian Medical Council (pezeshkian.ir) regulate practitioners. Medical credentials for international use require verification through MOHME in addition to standard document authentication.
Step-by-step verification
Step 1 — Search VerifyED
Start at VerifyED. Enter the institution name. VerifyED covers 912,000 institutions worldwide and flags known diploma mills. Iranian institutions are cross-referenced against MSRT-recognized universities and the diploma mill database.
Step 2 — Confirm MSRT recognition
Check msrt.ir for the list of recognized universities. Confirm the specific institution (including the exact branch for IAU) is on the MSRT-recognized list. For non-state private universities, verify they appear in the approved non-profit higher education institution list. Institutions not on the MSRT list are not authorized to award recognized degrees.
Step 3 — Request MSRT-authenticated documents
For international use, Iranian graduates can obtain an official translation and MSRT authentication of their degree certificate and transcripts. The MSRT authentication (also called "تأییدیه مدرک" or degree confirmation) confirms the institution's recognition and the credential's authenticity for foreign evaluators. This is a prerequisite for NACES credential evaluation.
Step 4 — Consular legalization chain (no Apostille)
Iran has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention. International authentication requires a consular legalization chain: university attestation → MSRT or MOHME attestation → Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication → destination country's embassy in Iran consular legalization. This process can take several months. Plan accordingly for any employment or academic admission requiring fully authenticated Iranian documents.
Step 5 — NACES credential evaluation for US use
For US employers and academic institutions, Iranian credentials must be evaluated by a NACES member (WES, ECE, or IERF). WES regularly evaluates Iranian degrees and references MSRT's recognized institution list. The candidate should provide original transcripts, degree certificates, MSRT authentication, and official translations (if not already in English/French). WES provides a US degree equivalency assessment noting the Karshenasi as equivalent to a bachelor's degree and Karshenasi Arshad as equivalent to a master's degree.
Common fraud patterns
University of Tehran forgery
The University of Tehran (UT, دانشگاه تهران) is Iran's most prestigious institution and the most frequently forged. Fraudulent UT credentials often feature incorrect faculty names (UT has 25+ faculties), invalid student identification numbers, or incorrect official seals and signatures for the stated graduation year. Always request MSRT-authenticated documents and verify directly with UT's Registrar.
IAU branch misrepresentation
Islamic Azad University has over 400 branches. Some candidates misrepresent a credential from a low-quality provincial IAU branch as being from IAU's flagship Science and Research Branch (Tehran) or another well-regarded campus. Always verify the exact branch name and its specific MSRT recognition status. The branch name should appear on the degree certificate itself.
Kardani misrepresented as Karshenasi
Iran's Kardani (associate-level, two-year credential) is sometimes misrepresented as a full Karshenasi (bachelor's, four-year degree). These are meaningfully different credential levels. A WES or NACES evaluation will correctly classify the credential — do not accept a candidate's self-reported equivalency for Iranian associate-to-bachelor's claims.
Non-recognized private institutions
Iran has some private higher education institutions that are not recognized by MSRT. These institutions may advertise widely or claim government approval they do not hold. If the institution does not appear on MSRT's recognized university list, its degrees are not recognized by the Iranian government and will not pass NACES evaluation.
Medical credential verification
Iranian medical universities (Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and others) are regulated by the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education (MOHME). Medical credentials for international use require MOHME attestation in addition to the standard legalization chain.
For licensing in the US, UK, or Canada, Iranian medical graduates typically need to pass the relevant medical licensing examinations (USMLE in the US, PLAB in the UK) in addition to credential verification. WES evaluates Iranian medical degrees for academic purposes; the credential evaluation does not confer licensing eligibility.
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