Understanding The US Education System

US Education System

America is a super-wealthy nation which spends a gross GDP of over 5 % in just its education sector. Over the years with its advancing growths in diverse segments, it has been able to create a sustainable and efficient higher education system. The US education system for higher studies is top in class all over the globe .Be it infrastructure or coursework of its universities or the number of successful people coming through the US education system, it passes excellently in all areas.

The US education system is state-controlled, i.e., there is very little control of Central government in education policies of its Universities.

The American education is very diverse with its functioning. It has private and public colleges; urban, suburban and rural colleges. Some are affiliated to a particular religion, while some are secular in thought. Some education institutions are large and spacious, some are small. Some are expensive, some charge nominally. Hence, in USA you are sure to find the right match to your requirements and financial capabilities.

But there is a catch. The programs provided, the procedure required can turn intricate for the students applying for higher studies. Hence it is necessary that you become well-aware of the education framework of US before actually studying here.

So, let us dig a little deeper!

UNDERSTANDING THE US EDUCATION SYSTEM IN DETAIL

Types of higher education institutions in the US education system according to Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education:

• Doctoral Research Universities-are research institutions especially meant for research studies .They produce at least 20 research articles a year in order to be placed in this category.

• Master’s Universities and Colleges-they are post-graduate colleges especially meant for masters in different fields of study. At least 50 master’s degrees are awarded each year by these universities.

• Baccalaureate Colleges-they are colleges where more of bachelor’s degrees are awarded each year than master’s degrees.

• Associate of Arts Colleges-they award associate degrees in Art streams. Associate degrees are academic programs taken at the undergraduate level .They provide the students with the basic theoretical knowledge and technical skills that are needed professionally.

• Specialized Institutions-these institutions focus especially on certain fields of study and provide degrees in the same. For example an institute of technology may only provide technical courses to its students.

• Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Schools-these institutions are especially dedicated on providing degrees in non-academic courses like dance, music, theatre, and other art forms.

Undergraduate Study:

Most universities offer undergraduate students a liberal education, which means students are required to take courses across several disciplines before choosing one major field of study later.

Courses at most universities are only a semester long. Each course is allotted a specific number of credit hours, generally based on how much time is spent in class. Most courses are three credits, but some might be one, two, four, or five credits. All degree programs require that their students completely a minimum number of credits before they are eligible for graduation. Most Bachelor’s degree programs do not require students to write a final thesis.

Graduate Study:

In US education system, graduate and professional programs are specialized, meaning students have one particular field of study from the beginning .Students continue to take courses at the graduate level and then a final thesis is submitted by the student.

Doctoral students have to take courses until they have earned enough credit hours to attend their qualifying exams, which usually includes both written and oral components. After doctoral students pass their qualifying exams, they are advanced to their application and can begin writing their thesis. Before the degree is given, the student’s completed thesis must be orally defended before the candidate’s faculty committee.

• GRADING SYSTEM

Just like the domestic students, you will be required to submit your academic records as part of your application for admission to university or college. In the U.S. this includes your “grades” and “grade point average” (GPA), which are measurements of your academic achievement. You will have to find the academic equivalent of that in your country and then the colleges will judge your GPA accordingly.

Academic Year-The U.S. academic calendar typically runs from September to May and can be divided into two academic semesters of 16-18 weeks. Alternatively, some schools may operate on a quarter or trimester system of multiple terms of 10-12 weeks.

Attractive features of the US Education System:

• US education system is very flexible in its functioning
• It provides students the option to specialize in a variety of academic disciplines
• Students can also take “elective” courses to explore other topics of interest for a well-rounded educational experience. So a student will have a major subject and one or more minor subjects as per his relevance and the curriculum.
• S. higher education institutions are accredited on a national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies, which means they are being independently and un-biasedly judged on the standards they are maintaining as an institution.
  

  You should also read about; IELTS, TOFEL and PTE.

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