EDUCATION SYSTEM of the USA
Primary school:
American children start schooling at the age of five years. The first year
at school is called kindergarten. Primary school most commonly consists of
five years of education, referred to as first through fifth grades.
Secondary school:
Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), students
advance to secondary school. Secondary school comprises of seven years,
referred to as sixth to the twelfth grades. The ninth through twelfth grades
are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth
grade, American students are awarded a certificate called the high school
diploma. This diploma is required for the admission into college or
university. The same applies to international students who must have
completed studies that are equivalent to what is taught at an American high
school.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDY
After schooling comes the undergraduate study or Bachelors. Students who
have completed high school and would like to attend college or university
must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are
schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate degree) or
a four-year degree (called a bachelors degree) in a specific course of
study.
That course of study is called the major. While such schools that offer a
four-year degree will admit students who have not yet chosen a major, all
students are required to select (or declare) a major by the second year at
school. Students who complete an associate degree can continue their
education at a four-year school and eventually complete a bachelor degree.
The bachelors degree or under graduate study usually lasts for four years.
However, in some cases an accelerated program can be completed in three
years, while some professional fields like medicine, law etc require five
years. The four-year undergraduate study is for 120 credit hours. Here's the
key to know how many courses a student will study. Ideally, one course
averages three credits. However, subjects involving lab facilities will get
four credits. A student receives a Bachelor's degree or undergraduate degree
when he finishes around 40 courses in different subjects over a span of four
years.
Separate names/ titles are given to the undergraduate students of different
years to distinguish them. You would read such names on the universities'
websites as well. First year students are called Freshmen, 2nd year
Sophomores, third year Juniors and the 4th or last year students are
referred to as Seniors. The decision of the major's to be taken is necessary
only after the 2nd or sophomore year. Deciding the majors is termed
'Declaring a Major' in US.
GRADUATE STUDY
Let's have a look at what all is involved in Graduate study or Masters.
Graduate education differs from undergraduate education in that it offers a
greater depth of training, with increased specialization and intensity of
instruction. Study and learning are more self-directed at the graduate level
than at the undergraduate level.
Students who have obtained a bachelor's degree (both domestic and
international) can continue their education by pursuing one of the two types
of graduate degrees ie the master's degree and the doctoral degree; both
involve a combination of research and coursework.
To pursue a master's degree in USA, a student needs to have 16 years of
undergraduate study. Thus, a candidate who has successfully completed four
years of Bachelors Program or Under Graduate Study is eligible to apply for
the Master's Degree in USA. However, the traditional three year degree (BA,
BSc and BCom) holders must complete an additional year of degree program for
eligibility. There are some universities which have started accepting
students after 15 years of study as well.
The first type is a master's degree. This is usually a two-year degree that
is highly specialized in a specific field. It is generally expected that
students have a bachelor's degree in a closely related field for admission
into a relevant master's degree program. However, there are many exceptions
to this, such as with students who want to pursue a Master's in Business
Administration (MBA) degree. This means two of the students who have done a
Bachelors of Commerce or Bachelors of Engineering are eligible for the same
MBA provided they meet the other criteria as well
Like in case of Undergraduate study, a graduate student needs to fulfill
Degree requirements which are stated in terms of "credits" (sometimes called
"units" or "hours"). Each course usually earns three or four credits,
generally reflecting the number of hours spent in the classroom and the
amount of other work involved. A student will usually accumulate up to 48-54
credits for the whole course if the university operates on a traditional
two-semester system.
The second kind of graduate degree is PhD. Students who want to advance
their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate
degree, also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years
to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the
student, and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very
intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree.
Academic Calendar & Sessions
The academic year in the United States generally lasts nine months, from
late August or early September until the middle or end of May, and it may be
divided into two, three, or four academic terms depending on the
institution. If the year is divided into two terms, these are called the
Fall and Spring terms, or "Semesters". Short breaks occur during both fall
and spring terms, between terms and on public holidays. An optional summer
term is often available and provides the opportunity to continue courses if
the student wishes to accelerate the program.
It is best to start a program in the fall term (beginning in
August/September). This is because many courses must be taken in sequence,
and time may be lost in completing the degree if students start in another
term. It is also easier to become accustomed to studying in the United
States and to meet other students in the department if you start at the
beginning of the academic year. Lastly, scholarships may be more readily
available to students starting in the fall rather than midyear.
Colleges, Universities and Institutes
Institutions in the United States can be of various kinds ie colleges,
institutes, universities. As a general rule, colleges tend to be smaller and
usually offer only undergraduate degrees, while a university also offers
graduate degrees. An institute usually specializes in degree program in a
group of closely related subject areas. Thus, you will also come across
degree programs offered at institutes of technology, institutes of fashion,
institutes of art and design, Moreover, colleges are in no way inferior to
universities.
State Universities
State universities or Public universities are founded and subsidized by US
state governments to provide low-cost education to residents of that state.
Some include the words "state university" in their title or a regional
element such as "eastern" or "northern".
State universities tend to be very large, with enrollments of 20,000 or more
students, and generally admit a wider range of students than private
universities. State university tuition costs are generally lower than those
of private universities. Also, in-state residents (those who live and pay
taxes in that particular state) pay much lower tuition than out-of-state
residents.
International students, as well as those from other states, are considered
out-of-state residents and therefore do not benefit from reduced tuition at
state institutions. In addition, international students may have to fulfill
higher admission requirements than in-state residents
Private Universities
Private institutions are funded by a combination of endowments, tuition
fees, research grants, and gifts from their alumni. Tuition fees tend to be
higher at private universities than at state universities, but there is no
distinction made between state and non-state residents. In general, private
universities have enrollments of fewer than 20,000 students, and private
colleges may have 2,000 or fewer students on their campuses.
Community Colleges
As the name suggests, community colleges are community-based institutions
with close links to secondary schools, community groups, and employers.
Community colleges can be public or private institutions and are sometimes
called junior colleges or two-year colleges. Community provide two-year
associate degree programs, usually called the associate of arts (AA) or
associate of science (AS) degrees, as well as excellent technical and
vocational programs.
A growing number of international students are choosing to study at
community colleges primarily because tuition costs are often lower at
two-year than at four-year institutions. Secondly, majority of the community
colleges usually have agreements to allow students to move easily into the
third year of a bachelor's degree at the local state university.
Vocational and Technical Institution
These institutes specialize in training for the skilled trades and technical
fields of employment. Duration of the courses depends on the particular
subject. After completion, the students will be awarded a certificate of
completion and they can straight away get a job.
Assessment tests
Educational institutions use variety of tools to assess the students. Test
range in style from multiple choice (objective type) format designed to
gauge your knowledge of the subject and reasoning ability to essay or
problem-solving type tests. There are three kinds of tests -- open book
tests, closed books tests and take home tests. In the 1st type, you can
refer notes, text book, reference material etc during the test. 2nd one is
usual tests that you will have in your home country. In the 3rd one you take
the question paper home and answer at your convenience before the dead line
set by the professor. Take home tests often have essay-based questions.
Grading
American Universities give grades instead of ranks or classes for courses.
The grades are A, B, C, D, E, F, I. A is the highest grade. Grades from A to
D is considered as pass. Grade I-incomplete. Grade I is granted when
students stops the course in between with the teachers permission. If it is
without permission this can become an F grade.
• Marks between 100-90- A Grade (Excellent)
• Marks between 89-79- B Grade (good)
• Marks between 78-68- C Grade (Average)
• Marks between 67-57- D Grade (Below)
• Below 57- F or fail
Each grade has points. 4 points for A grade, 3 for B and 2 for C. The
average points taken for all the courses taken together are the GPA (Grade
Point Average). It is the general score on a scale of 1.0(lowest) to 4.0
(highest). It is difficult to get admission for graduate study if you don't
have at least a GPA of 3.0. GPA is computed using a unique formula by the
university's administration.
I am sure by now, you would have understood the majority of the terms you
read in brochures of various colleges/universities/institutes. Also, this
will help in deciding what kind of educational institution you are eligible
for as well as help you in making a decision of the best school that you can
go to.
