Certificates and Transcripts

After the conclusion of the CLS Program, students are often eager to obtain documentation of their participation in CLS. In order to receive a CLS Certificate of Completion, a letter of non-competitive eligibility, Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores, and academic transcript, participants must successfully complete the CLS post-program requirements by the deadlines communicated to them by CLS staff. Participants who do not successfully complete the post-program requirements may not receive CLS alumni status and do not have access to the documents described below.

The CLS Certificate of Completion, Letter of Non-Competitive Eligibility, and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores are usually sent to alumni via email in the fall following the CLS Program after all post-program requirements are confirmed to be completed and all documents are processed. Transcripts may be requested separately. Please see the "Academic Transcript" section below for more information.

Certificate of Completion and Digital Badge

CLS participants who successfully complete all program requirements receive a digital CLS Certificate of Completion via email. Alumni also receive a digital CLS alumni badge, which they can add to LinkedIn and to social media platforms as a credential of their completion of CLS. Instructions for accessing the digital badge are shared with alumni via email in the fall after the end of the CLS Program.

Letter of Non-Competitive Eligibility

Under Executive Order 13750, alumni who successfully complete the CLS Program are eligible for 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status for civil service positions within the federal government, with the possibility of an extension up to three years total if certain criteria are met. Alumni who complete post-program requirements are issued a letter confirming their NCE status, which is usually sent via email in the fall following the CLS Program. Alumni can find more information about NCE status by visiting the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website and reviewing the Non-Competitive Eligibility Guide for CLS Alumni.

Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Scores

CLS alumni receive both their pre-program and post-program OPI scores, along with an ACTFL OPI proficiency rating certificate, via email. Alumni can use their OPI certificate as documentation of the language skills they gained during CLS and include their proficiency rating in their resume or CV.

Academic Transcript

In order to receive academic credit, CLS finalists must request academic credit via the pre-program Academic Credit Request Form. Alumni who requested academic credit receive 2 units of undergraduate academic credit from Bryn Mawr College, which is equivalent to approximately 8 credit hours at most U.S. institutions. While Bryn Mawr awards academic credit for successful completion of the program, alumni are responsible for arranging credit transfer to their home institution. As each college and university has its own regulations regarding credit transfer, participants should contact the registrar or study abroad office at their home institution to determine how this credit may be transferred upon completion of the program. CLS participants are strongly encouraged to discuss their institution’s credit transfer process before leaving the United States.

Participants who successfully complete the CLS Program and who requested academic credit typically receive an email with instructions for requesting their academic transcripts from Bryn Mawr in the fall following the end of the CLS Program.

Once participants receive the email with instructions for requesting their transcript, they are responsible for working with their home institution to transfer the academic credit. Often, institutions will ask for the transcript to be sent directly from Bryn Mawr to the institution’s Registrar rather than from the student themselves. As a result, alumni should clarify their institution’s credit transfer process before requesting their transcript, as Bryn Mawr College provides only one official transcript to each CLS participant who successfully completes the program and has requested academic credit. If a participant requires additional transcripts, they will need to request them directly from the Bryn Mawr College Registrar.