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Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Understanding US Education System
Compiled for ALUCBy
Anita J. Ghajar-Selim
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
US Education Structure
• Primary: K-5
• Secondary: 6-12– Middle School or Junior High School– High School
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Grading System• The academic transcripts in the US include
both your grades and grade point average (GPA).
• Courses are normally graded using percentages which will be converted into letter grades: A to F (A being the highest and F meaning fail)
• Two similar GPA’s don’t necessarily mean the students are seen equally when it comes to admission decisions.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Academic Year
• Beginning: August or September• End: May or June.
Academic Year at many schools is composed of two terms called “semesters”. If the schools has three terms, then you are in a “trimester” system.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Types of US Higher Education
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
State College or University
• Each of the 50 states has at least one state university and several stage colleges supported and run by the local government or a state. They either have the word “state” in them (NC State University), or the name of the State (University of Michigan).
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Private College or University
• These schools are privately run. • The tuition is higher than state universities. • They are smaller in size.• They might be religiously affiliated (like Notre
Dame in Indiana or Guilford in North Carolina) although they accept students of all religions.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Community College
• They are two-year colleges that award an AA (transferable)
• There are two tracks: Academic track where you can transfer your degrees to college or university and the other Workforce track that prepares you for workforce straightaway.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Institute of Technology
• They offer 4 years of study in science and technology.
• They may or may not have graduate programs.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Levels of Study
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
First Level: Undergraduate• You can start from a community college, a 4-year university,
or college). You will have to take prerequisite courses: literature, science, the social sciences, etc. to get a general knowledge and foundation.
• If you study at a community college to finish these prerequisites courses, you will earn an Associate of Arts (AA) transfer degree and then transfer to a 4-year university or college. The main purpose is to prepare you for workplace.
• You can also get your AA from a Junior College. The oldest is Louisburg College in NC. The main purpose is to prepare you for a 4-year university. You can transfer as a junior.
• You should choose your major at the beginning of the 3rd year.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Second Level: Graduate in Pursuit of Master’s Degree
• This level is usually mandatory for higher level positions.
• It takes one to two years to complete. • The majority of the time is spent in classroom
and the students must prepare a long research paper called “master’s thesis” or complete a “master’s project”.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Third Level: Graduate in Pursuit of a Doctorate Degree
• Normally it takes 3 years or more to ear a PhD, but for international students, it may take as long as 5 or 6 years: first two years in classes and seminars and one year conducting research and writing a dissertation.
• They usually accept candidates who know 2 foreign languages and pass both a written and an oral examination.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Characteristics Of The U.S. Higher
Education System
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Classroom Environment
• Classes range from lecture rooms with several hundred students to seminars with only a few students.
• Classes are dynamic with a lot of emphasis on participation, discussion, and presentation.
• Grades are based on class participation, mid-term, research papers, quizzes, and final exam.
Source: http://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system
Credits
• Each course is normally worth 3-5 credits– the number of hours a student spends in that class each week.
• A full time program is almost 12-15 credit hours (4 or 5 courses per term). International students should be in a full time program each term.