The decision on credit transfer is usually made by a faculty or programme coordinator. They put your syllabus next to the description of the matching course at their own university and look for overlap: in topics, in outcomes, in hours. If the translation is vague, or the terms change from one syllabus to the next, the coordinator will simply not credit the course - they rarely have time to come back to you with questions.
Syllabus translations are ready the same or next day. Below we explain what the receiving university compares, how we keep terminology consistent across a large package and how you can reduce the volume that needs translating.
Why this is a big job
A single syllabus is usually 2-5 pages. For credit transfer you often need syllabi for 15-30 courses, which adds up to 50-100 pages. At that point you are no longer translating one document but running a project, and its quality depends on two things: consistent terminology and good organisation of the work.
The same term - "independent work" or "midterm assessment", for example - appears 30 times across 30 syllabi. If it is translated one way in one place and another way somewhere else, the coordinator assumes two different things are meant. That is why a large package is only ever handled with a single shared term list.
When you need a syllabus translation
- Transferring to a university abroad - when you continue studies started at a Georgian university in another country and ask for the courses you have already completed to be credited;
- Applying for a master's programme - when the programme checks whether you took the required prerequisite courses during your bachelor's;
- On an exchange programme - when the courses you completed at the host university have to be credited by your home university;
- For professional recognition - when a regulatory body checks the content of specific courses and the number of hours;
- When returning to Georgia - when a Georgian university needs a Georgian translation of the courses you completed abroad.
In every one of these cases the decision is made by a person who compares your syllabus with their own programme. The job of the translation is to make that comparison as easy for them as possible.
What a Georgian syllabus contains
Syllabi at Georgian universities differ in layout, but in content they usually cover the same fields: course title and code, ECTS credits, the split of hours between contact time and independent work, prerequisites, course aim, learning outcomes, teaching methods, a week-by-week topic plan, assessment components and the reading list.
Learning outcomes are often divided into three categories: knowledge and understanding, skills, and responsibility and autonomy. This division follows the European Qualifications Framework, so in the translation we name the categories the way European universities do (Knowledge and Understanding, Skills, Responsibility and Autonomy), and the coordinator recognises them straight away.
The breakdown of hours needs special attention. Some universities care less about credits than about the number of contact hours - for laboratory work or clinical practice, for example. So we translate the hours table in full, with every sub-type (lecture, seminar, laboratory, practice) listed separately.
What the receiving university compares
- Learning outcomes - "knows", "is able to apply" and "analyses" describe competences at different levels and must be rendered with different verbs in the translation too;
- Workload - credits, contact hours and independent study hours;
- Topics - the subjects covered, week by week;
- Assessment components - midterm and final exams and their percentage weight;
- Prerequisites - which course has to be completed before this one is taught;
- Reading list - core and supplementary textbooks.
Of these six, learning outcomes are the most sensitive. In the Bologna system outcomes are written by level, and if "analyses" is translated as "is familiar with", the course may be judged to be at a lower level. That is why we translate outcome verbs using the academic terminology used by universities in the receiving country.
How we handle a large package
1. The term list comes first. Before translation starts, we draw up a single term list: the names of the university, faculty and programme, course titles, assessment components and the standard syllabus fields. The list applies to the whole package and matches the translation of your diploma and transcript. 2. Repeated blocks are translated once. Much of every syllabus is identical: the assessment system, the academic integrity policy, attendance requirements. These blocks are translated once and repeated word for word in every syllabus, which is why even a large package is ready quickly. 3. The reading list stays in the original language. The title of a published book is not translated in a bibliographic entry, so the receiving side can find the book. If the programme wants a translation as well, we add it in brackets. 4. Delivery the same or next day. Syllabus translations are ready the same or next day. If credit for some courses matters more to you than for others, tell us - we will deliver those syllabi first. 5. Final check. When the package is finished, every syllabus is checked against the shared term list: one course, one name, in every document.AI is never used on the content of a client's document. The translator receives only the part to be translated, and the working file is kept for no longer than 1 month after the service is completed.
Mistakes that cost you credits
- The course title differs between the supplement and the syllabus. The coordinator cannot link the two documents and does not credit the course;
- Learning outcomes are flattened. "Analyses" and "evaluates" were both translated as "knows", and the course looks like it is at a lower level;
- The hours are left out. Only the credits were translated, while the receiving side needs the contact hours;
- The assessment weights are lost. The midterm and final exam percentages moved from the table into running text and can no longer be read at a glance;
- Every syllabus was translated, including ones nobody needs. This wastes time and hides the important ones from the coordinator.
All five can be avoided at the translation stage - which is why we start with the term list and finish by checking the whole package.
Format and tables
A syllabus is often laid out as a table: field names on the left, content on the right and a weekly plan at the end. In the translation the fields, tables and week-by-week breakdown follow the original, so the coordinator can quickly find what they are looking for: credits, hours, outcomes.
If the receiving university gives you its own form (a course description template, for example), send it to us - we will transfer the translation into the fields of that form as well.
How to reduce the volume
- Translate only the courses you need. Ask the receiving university which courses the recognition concerns. Quite often they do not need every syllabus;
- Check for an English version. Some universities also publish their syllabi in English;
- Ask about certification. Syllabi do not always need notarization - sometimes the issuing university's stamp on the original is enough. Add certification only when the receiving side asks for it.
A short email to the recognition office before you order often saves the most effort: once you know exactly which courses and which form they expect, the package is smaller and the coordinator gets exactly what they need.
Languages and directions
We translate syllabi from Georgian into English, German, Russian, French, Italian, Polish, Czech and other languages. We also translate from foreign languages into Georgian, if you are continuing in Georgia studies you started abroad and a Georgian university needs your foreign syllabi for credit transfer.
The same rule applies when translating into Georgian: the foreign course title is kept in its original form in brackets on first mention, and credits and hours change only in language, never in number. That way the coordinator at the Georgian university compares exactly what you studied abroad.
Turnaround
Syllabus translations are ready the same or next day. If the receiving university has a specific deadline, give us the date when you place the order.
How to order
Send us the syllabi
Files or links via WhatsApp or email. If your list of courses is not final yet, send that too.
Share the requirements
The receiving university's instructions: language, certification and their own template, if they have one.
Mark your priorities
Tell us which courses matter most for recognition - those will be delivered first.
Receive the package
Your syllabus translations will be ready the same or next day, with consistent terminology throughout.
Send us your syllabi and the receiving university's requirements - you will get the translation the same or next day.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
How many syllabi do I need to translate?
As many as the courses you are asking to have credited. The recognition office of the receiving university will give you the exact list.
How long does a syllabus translation take?
The same or next day. Priority syllabi are delivered first.
Does a syllabus need to be notarized?
Not always. It depends on what the receiving university requires - sometimes the issuing university's stamp on the original is enough.
Do you translate the reading list?
We keep the titles of published books in the original language so the receiving side can find them. If the programme asks for it, we add a translation in brackets.
Will the syllabus format be kept?
Yes. The fields, tables and week-by-week breakdown follow the original. If the university has its own template, we will transfer the translation into it as well.
Will the course titles match my diploma supplement?
Yes, if the supplement was also translated by us or you send us its translation. Course titles come from the shared term list.