USA Education System
The USA education system has provided top notch resources and quality education
for a variety of programs that students, educators and professionals can pursue
for that extra edge.
U.S. higher education starts with undergraduate courses. You can earn either a
two-year associate's degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree. Students often
earn an associate's degree first, and then study two more years to gain a
bachelor’s (or baccalaureate) degree. Usually, a bachelor’s degree will be
awarded by a university, whereas an associate's degree may be earned either at a
community college or university.
Higher education in the United States refers to a variety of institutions of
higher education in the United States. Strong research and funding have helped
make American colleges and universities among the world's most prestigious.
The size of U.S. higher educational institutions varies greatly, too, from
colleges that enroll fewer than 1,000 students to large universities that enroll more than 50,000 students.
Applicants whose first language is not English, and who have not lived in a
country where the first language is English for at least three years immediately
before the start of their course, need to satisfy the University’s English
language requirement.
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For those students who take TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), we look
for 575/233/80* or above for courses in Chemistry, Computer Science,
Engineering, Geography, Geology, Mathematics and Physics and Astronomy, and
600/250/90* for all other courses. (*Scores for
paper-based/computer-based/internet-based versions of TOEFL)
For those students who take IELTS (the British Council’s International English
Language Testing System), we look for an overall score of 6.0 or above for
courses in Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geography, Geology,
Mathematics and Physics and Astronomy, and 6.5 or above for all other courses. |
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Types of Qualification education centers in U.S.A |
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1. State College or University: These schools are supported and run by the State
Government. Each U.S. state operates at least one state university, and several
state colleges. |
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2. Private College or Universities: These schools are privately owned/operated
institutes. Tuition fee is usually higher than the state government schools.
Normally these colleges and universities are smaller in size. |
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3. Community Colleges: Community colleges are local i.e. a city or county
colleges. They also conduct evening classes for students who work
during the day. Normally, community colleges welcome international students. But few countries do not recognize degrees from such community colleges.
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4. Professional Schools: These are professional schools to train students
in professional fields such as Art, Music, Engineering, Business, etc. They can be a part of a
university or may be a separate school. Some offer graduate programs as well.
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5. Institute of Technology: These are technical schools which conduct atleast four
years of study in the science and technology fields. Some of them offer graduate programs too.
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Structure in education in U.S.A |
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While characterized by great diversity, American institutions of higher
education are classified in general as follows: |
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1. Undergraduate study
Community and Junior Colleges: provide a two-year course beyond high school or
secondary school. Courses are either "Terminal", leading to employment, or
"Academic", preparing the student for transfer to a four-year college or
university where he/she will complete his/her education. Graduates of junior
colleges are usually awarded an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in
Sciences (A.S.) degree. A Technical Institute: offers a two- or three-year
course of training for a semi-professional occupation, such as that of a dental,
engineering or medical technician. |
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2. Graduate Study
Graduate and Professional Schools: Provide post-university study leading to the
Master's or doctoral degree. |
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3. The Master's Degree
The M.A., M.S., M.B.A. and other professional Master's degrees require a
minimum of one academic year. More often 18 months or two years are needed.
Although requirements for advanced degrees vary far more than for the Bachelor's
degree, some number of course credits is always required. The Master's degree
will usually require a minimum of about 30 credits up to a maximum of 60
credits, and an average grade of "B." |
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4. The Doctorate Degree
The Doctorate Degree covers many fields of specialization and requires a minimum
of three to four years of study beyond the Bachelor's degree; two to four years
of study after the Master's degree. Most graduate schools do not require that a
student fulfill the specific requirements for the Master's degree before
becoming a candidate for the Doctor's degree, although many students find it
desirable to do so. Doctorates in Education, Science and Law are sometimes
labeled Ed.D., Sc.D., Jur.D., but most doctorates are known as Ph.D. (Doctor of
Philosophy) degrees. |
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To obtain a Ph.D. degree or other doctorate the university generally requires that a student:
1. Earn a certain number of credits in a required distribution of courses.
2. Maintain an average grade of B.
3. Pass a qualifying comprehensive examination after completion of the required
courses.
4. Pass examinations in one or more foreign languages.
5. Present and defend a thesis which is the result of original research.
6. Pass an oral examination. |
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5. Professional Training
Training for many professions may only be taken as postgraduate study. Thus a
law degree takes three years after completion of a four-year Bachelor's degree;
medicine takes four years after a Bachelor's degree, and social work two. In
other professional fields such as dentistry, veterinary medicine and
architecture, four years of general college work is usually required before
admission to the four-year professional program |
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