Education Systems
backUSA Higher Education - Degree & System
Degrees offered by US institutions of Higher Education
Bachelor’s Degree
It is important to note that undergraduate degrees in theUnited Statesfall into two categories: the Associate Degree, which is a two-year degree (either an Associate of Arts Degree or an Associate of Science Degree) and the Bachelor’s Degree, which is a four-year degree.
After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree, students can choose to further their education by continuing onto graduate school, where they can earn a Master’s Degree or Doctorate Degree (Ph.D.). Do note that professional schools such as business school, law school, medical school, and pharmacy school are also graduate level institutions that prepare students for careers ins specific fields and require that students earn a 4-year bachelor’s degree before matriculating. (Refer the list of Majors offered by US Colleges at the bottom).
Postgraduate Degree
There are close to 1,600 universities awarding postgraduate degrees in theUS, each offering its own curriculum and specialized fields of study.
Types of postgraduate degrees offered in theUS include a combination of research and taught components.
* Professional Master- the degree prepares you for a particular profession (e.g. business administration, architecture, social work, or public policy/administration, for example). Professional degrees generally require a set of mandatory core courses and electives, allowing students specialize or take courses outside the department. They mostly emphasize coursework and are unlikely to require a thesis. At the end of some of these programs, students may need to complete an internship or a project.
* Academic Master – you generally complete the degree in two academic years (though there are a few one-year programs) and commonly lead to a career in academia or research. Students typically complete a thesis as part of their studies. In the humanities, these degrees may also involve meeting a minimum language requirement. Please note that some institutions will only offer admission for academic/research-based Doctoral degrees, although under circumstances they may award a Master’s degree to students who successfully complete the required coursework and Master's thesis, but do not go on to complete their Doctoral dissertation.
* Doctoral degrees – you’ll generally complete this degree in 4 to 5 years of study, though this will vary by university, its department and area of study. In general, the degree consists of two to three years of coursework culminating in oral and written qualifying exams before the student is admitted to doctoral candidacy and starts on two to three more years of dissertation research. A dissertation of publishable quality work is then required, followed by an oral exam or 'defense' to complete the degree. Depending on the department, students may apply for a two-year Master’s program and then continue on working toward the Doctoral degree or begin the Doctoral program straightaway.
* Medicine degrees - Medicine is a postgraduate degree in theUS. Students need to complete a first degree in a science related field before completing a four-year medical school degree. This is then followed by residency and internship programs to get a MD/DO medicine degree.
* Law degrees - Law is also a postgraduate degree in theUS. Students may complete a three-year JD degree following undergraduate study. Upon completion of the JD degree, students need to sit for a bar exam to become qualified to practice law in a given state. The JD degree prepares individuals to practise law in theUS. More often international students do a one or two-year LLM (Master’s in Law degree), if they have a first degree in law back in their home countries. Master’s in Law degree offers specialised study in a particular area of law, such as international law or tax law.
The US Bachelor Degree consists of 4 years:
Freshman/1st year - Sophomore/2nd year: General Education and Pre-major
Junior/3rd year - Senior/4th year: Major study
Semester/Quarter System
Many schools in the USA have a two-semester system, each semester lasting for roughly 15-17 weeks. The fall semester usually starts in late-August or September, and finishes just before or after Christmas. The spring semester begins in early- to mid-January and runs until May or sometimes June.
Some schools use a semester system called the quarter system, each quarter lasting for about 10 weeks. There are also schools which schedule three-semester academic years, where each semester is 10-12 weeks
Academic requirements
Admission requirements vary between universities and colleges in the United States. The students must have graduated from secondary school. They have to fulfill the requirements for the specific education course to which you are applying. Most schools require results from a test like the SAT Reasoning Test (Scholastic Assessment/Aptitude Test), which is a standardized test for university admissions.
All Community Colleges and many universities do not need the SAT. Take for example, Albright College will accept students provide you are a high school graduate. These give a lot of advantages to overseas students.
Language requirements
Some schools in the US accept that you have obtained certificates at sufficiently high standard in English from secondary school. Many universities require that you complete a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test to prove your English skills.
Again, many community colleges do not need applicant to sit for the official English test as they provide the English as a Secondary course for them.
Credit System
Each course you take at a university in the USA is counted as a certain number of credits, also called hours or units. The students normally need between 130 (under Semester system) and 180 credits (under Quarter system) to graduate.
One credit is equal to 50 minutes of class time per week; completing a class that meets 3 times every week is equal to earning 3 credits. Full-time students usually earn 15 credits every semester. Students are assigned an academic advisor at the school who helps plan their credits and courses.
Grading System
Almost everything you do for a class in the United States effect your grade. Essays, written assignments, laboratory reports, class attendance and class participation, test and examinations.
The grade scale is usually from either A to F. For each grade, you need certain percentages. For example, to get an A (or 4) on a test, you usually need to correctly answer 90-100 % of the questions, to get a B (or 3), you need 80-90%, and so on. Other common grades are:
•I = incomplete
•W = withdrawal
•Audit = enroll in the course for no credit or grade, but attend class and complete assignments
•Pass/ Fail = enroll in the course for either a Pass or a Fail grade
Pass/ No Credit = enroll in the course for either a Pass or a No Credit grade, with no negative points
Examinations are usually given once in the middle of the term and once at the end. Professors often give short quizzes or tests in between, with or without notice. Many times you must write a research paper or complete a project assignment toward your final grade.
Grade point average (GPA) is a common measurement of grade in universities and colleges in the United States. The scale is from 0 to 4.0; students with a 4.0 GPA being the highest grade overall in every class.
List of common Majors offered by Colleges in USA
African Studies
American Studies
Asian & Pacific Area Studies
European Studies
Latin American Studies
Middle Eastern Studies
Afro-American (Black) Studies
Native American Studies
Hispanic-American Studies
Islamic Studies
Judaism & Jewish Studies
Agriculture
Agricultural Sciences
Animal Sciences
Plant & Soil Sciences
Agricultural Business & Management
Range Management
Agricultural Mechanization
Horticulture
Veterinary Sciences
Computer Sciences
Computer & Information Sciences
Computer Programming
Data Processing
Information Mgmt. Sciences & Systems
Computer Mathematics
Library Science
Education
Bilingual/Cross-cultural Education
Special Education
Counseling
Adult & Continuing Education
Elementary Education
Pre-School Education
Junior Education
Senior High Education
Art, Music, & Drama Edu
Home Economics Education
Physical/Health/Fitness Education
Science Education
Vocational/Industrial Education
Business Education
Foreign Language Teacher Education
Liberal Arts Education
Social Science Education
Mathematics Education
Computer Science Education
Religious Education
Engineering
Aerospace Aeronautical
Astronautical Engineering
Agricultural Engineering
Architectural Engineering
Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering
Ceramic Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Communications Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electronics Engineering
Geological Engineering
Geophysical Engineering
Industrial Engineering & Design
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
Mining & Mineral Engineering
Marine Engineering
Naval Architecture
Nuclear Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
Surveying & Mapping Sciences
Systems Analysis & Engineering
Engineering-Related Technology
Drafting
Automotive Engineering & Tech.
Electrical Technology
Electromechanical Technology
Environmental/Energy Control Tech.
Engineering Mechanics
Occupational Safety & Health Tech.
Construction & Building Tech.
Aviation & Air Transportation
Transportation/Logistics
English & Literature
English Language
Classics & Classical Studies
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Linguistics
American Literature
English Literature
Speech & Rhetorical Studies
Technical and Business Writing
Foreign Languages
Foreign Languages/Literature
Chinese
Japanese
Asian Languages
German
Scandinavian
French
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Latin
Greek
Hebrew
Middle Eastern Languages
Russian
Slavic (other than Russian)
General & Interdisciplinary Studies
Humanities
Conflict Resolution/Peace Studies
Women's Studies
Liberal/General Studies
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Individualized Majors
Mathematics
Mathematics
Actuarial Sciences
Applied Mathematics
Statistics
Medical & Allied health Care
Dental Schools
Dental Assisting Schools
Medical Schools - All Majors
Medical Assisting Schools
Nursing Schools
Pharmacy Schools
Veterinary Schools
Military Science & Protective Services
Military Sciences
Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement
Fire Protection & Security
Parks & Recreation Resources
Parks Administration
Sports, Recreation, & Leisure Studies
Equestrian Studies
Conservation Mgmt. & Protection
Forestry Production & Processing
Forestry
Wildlife & Fish Management
Ecology Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Philosophy, Religion, & Theology
Philosophy
Religion & Theology
Philosophy & Religion
Biblical Languages
Bible Studies
Religious Education
Religious Music
Ministry & Church Administration
Public Affairs & Law
Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement
Public Affairs/Administration
Social Work & Social Services
Pre-Law
Legal Assisting
Religious affiliation
Catholic Affiliation
Protestant Affiliation
Mormon Affiliation
Other Religious Affiliation
Sciences
Biology
Biochemistry & Biophysics
Botany
Cell & Molecular Biology
Microbiology/Bacteriology
Zoology
Marine Biology
Biological Specializations
Physical Sciences
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology
Chemistry
Geological Sciences
Physics
Earth & Space Sciences
Science Technologies
Social Sciences
Social Sciences
Anthropology & Archaeology
Criminology
Economics
Geography
History
International Affairs/Relations
Political Science & Government
Psychology
Sociology
Urban Studies
Sports (Men’s & Women's)
Alpine skiing
Archery
Archery
Badminton
Baseball
Baseball
Basketball
Bowling
Crew
Crew
Cross-Country Running
Diving
Fencing
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Horsemanship
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Martial Arts
Nordic skiing
Riflery
Rodeo
Rugby
Rugby
Sailing
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Track & Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
Weight Lifting
Wrestling
Visual & Performing Arts
Visual & Performing Arts
Crafts & Artisanry
Dance
Design, Photography
Dramatic Arts
Film Arts
Fine Arts
Music
Museums & Preservation
References:
http://www.educations.com/USA_Education_Institutes__d5779.html
Three major philosophical beliefs that shape American public life.
1. Informed by the Jeffersonian ideals of limited government and freedom of expression, states, religious communities, and individuals established and maintain a range of higher education institutions and continue to protect these institutions from the levels of government control seen in most other countries.
2. The second set of influences is capitalism and the belief in the rationality of markets. American colleges and universities vie for students, faculty, and funding under the assumption that diversity and high quality are best achieved through competition rather than centralized planning.
3. The final major philosophical influence on American higher education is a widespread commitment to equal opportunity and social mobility. Higher education was an elite activity for much of its history, excluding individuals based on gender, religion, race/ethnicity, and social class. However, during the 20th century, economic and social changes transformed higher education into a primary gateway to the middle-class, and women and minorities made inroads against longstanding exclusion from mainstream higher education. Americans came to view broad access to higher education as a necessary component of the nation’s ideal as a “land of opportunity.”
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