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Understanding the American Education Systemelm
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The American education system offers a rich field of choices for international students. There is such an array of schools, programs and locations that the choices may overwhelm students, even tho from the U.S. As you begin your school arch, it’s important to familiarize yourlf with the American education system. Understanding the system will help you narrow your choices and develop your education plan.
The Educational Structure:
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL
Prior to higher education, American students attend primary and condary school for a combined total of 12 years. The years are referred to as the first through twelfth grades.
Around age six, U.S. children begin primary school, which is most commonly called “elementary school.” They attend fi ve or six years and then go onto condary school.
Secondary school consists of two programs: the fi rst is “middle school” or “junior high school” and the cond program is “high school.” A diploma or certi ficate is awarded upon graduation from high
school. After graduating high school (12th grade), U.S. students may go on to college or university. College or university study is known as “higher education.”
GRADING SYSTEM
Just like American students, you will have to submit your academic transcripts as part of your application for admission to university or college. Academic transcripts are official copies of your academic work. In the U.S. this includes your “grades” and “grade point average” (GPA), which are measurements of your academic achievement. Cours are commonly graded using percentages, which are converted into letter grades.
The grading system and GPA in the U.S. can be confusing, especially for international students. The interpretation of grades has a lot of variation. For example, two students who attended different schools both submit their transcripts to the same university. They both have 3.5 GPAs, but one student attended an average high school, while the other attended a prestigious school that was academically challenging. The university might interpret their GPAs differently becau the two schools have dramatically different standards.
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Therefore, there are some crucial things to keep in mind:
two monthsYou should find out the U.S. equivalent of the last level of education you completed in your home country. Pay clo attention to the admission requirements of each university and college, as well as individual degree programs, which may have different requirements than the university. Regularly meet with an educational advisor or guidance counlor to make sure you are meeting the requirements.
Your educational advisor or guidance counlor will be able to advi you on whether or not you must spend an extra year or two preparing for U.S. university admission. If an international
student entered a U.S. university or college prior to being eligible to attend university in their own country, some countries’ governments and employers may not recognize the students’ U.S. education.
ACADEMIC YEAR修理英文
revenge第一季wicked公司The school calendar usually begins in August or September and continues through May or June. The majority of new students begin in autumn, so it is a good idea for international students to also begin their U.S. university studies at this time. There is a lot of excitement at the beginning of the school year and students form many great friendships during this time, as they are all adjusting to a
new pha of academic life. Additionally, many cours are designed for students to take them in quence, starting in autumn and continuing through the year.
The academic year at many schools is compod of two terms called “mesters.” (Some schools u a three-term calendar known as the “trimester” system.) Still, others further divide the year into the quarter system of four terms, including an optional summer ssion. Basically, if you exclude the summer ssion, the academic year is either comprid of two mesters or three quarter terms.
THE U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM: LEVELS OF STUDY
First Level: Undergraduate
"The American system is much more open. In Hong Kong you just learn what the teacher writes on the board. In America, you discuss the issues and focus more on ideas."
A student who is attending a college or university and has not earned a bachelor’s degree, is studying at the undergraduate level. It typically takes about four years to earn a bachelor’s degree. You can either begin your studies in pursuit of a bachel or’s degree at a community college or a four-year university or college.
Your first two years of study you will generally be required to take a wide variety of class in different subjects, commonly known as prerequisite cours: literature, science, the social sciences, the arts, history, and so forth. This is so you achieve a general knowledge, a foundation, of a variety of subjects prior to focusing on a specific field of study.
Many students choo to study at a community college in order to complete the first two years of prerequisite cours. They will earn an Associate of Arts (AA) transfer degree and then transfer to a four-year university or college.
A “major” is the speci fic field of study in which your degree is focud. For example, if someone’s major is journalism, they will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. You will be required to take a certain number of cours in this field in order to meet the degree requirements of your major. You must choo your major at the beginning of your third year of school.
A very unique characteristic of the American higher education system is that you can change your major multiple times if you choo. It is extremely common for American students to switch majors at some point in their undergraduate studies. Often, students discover a different
field that they excel in or enjoy. The American education system is very flexible. Keep in mind though
that switching majors may result in more cours, which means more time and money.
Second Level: Graduate in Pursui t of a Master’s Degree
Prently, a college or university graduate with a bachelor’s degree may want to riously think about graduate study in order to enter certain professions or advance their career. This degree is usually mandatory for higher-level positions in library science, engineering, behavioral health and education.
Furthermore, international students from some countries are only permitted to study abroad at a graduate level. You should inquire about the credentials needed to get a job in your country before you apply to a postgraduate university in the USA.
A graduate program is usually a division of a university or college. To gain admission, you will need to take the GRE (graduate record examination). Certain master’s programs require specifi c tests, such as the LSAT for law school, the GRE or GMAT for business school, and the MCAT for medical school.
Graduate programs in pursuit of a master’s degree typically take one to two years to complete. For e
xample, the MBA (master of business administration) is an extremely popular degree program that takes about two years. Other master’s programs, such as journalism, only take one year.
The majority of a master’s program is spent in classroom study and a graduate student must prepare a long rearch paper called a “master’s thesis” or complete a “master’s project.”
Third Level: Graduate in Pursuit of a Doctorate Degree
Many graduate schools consider the attainment of a master’s degree the first step towards earning a PhD (doctorate). But at other schools, students may prepare directly for a doctorate without also earning a master’s degree. It may take three years or more to earn a PhD degree. For international students, it may take as long as five or six years.
For the first two years of the program most doctoral candidates enroll in class and minars. At least another year is spent conducting firsthand rearch and writing a thesis or disrtation. This paper must contain views, designs, or rearch that have not been previously published.
A doctoral disrtation is a discussion and summary of the current scholarship on a given topic. Most U.S. universities awarding doctorates also require their candidates to have a reading knowledge of t
wo foreign languages, to spend a required length of time “in residence,” to pass a qualifying examination that officially admits candidates to the PhD program, and to pass an oral examination on the same topic as the disrtation.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM Classroom Environment Class range from large lectures with veral hundred students to smaller class and minars (discussion class) with only a few students. The American university classroom atmosphere is very dynamic. You will be expected to share your opinion,
argue your point, participate in class discussions and give prentations. International students find this one of the most surprising aspects of the American education system.
Each week professors usually assign textbook and other readings. You will be expected to keep up-to-date with the required readings and homework so you can participate in class discussions and understand the lectures. Certain degree programs also require students to spend time in the laboratory.
averageProfessors issue grades for each student enrolled in the cour. Grades are usually bad upon: Each professor will have a unique t of class participation requirements, but students are expected
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to participate in class discussions, especially in minar class. This is often a very important factor in determining a student’s grade. A midterm examination is usually given during class time. One or more rearch or term papers, or laboratory reports must be submitted for evaluation. Possible short exams or quizzes are given. Sometimes professors will give an unannounced “pop quiz.” This doesn’t count heavily toward the grade, but is intended to inspire students to keep up with their assignments and attendance. A final examination will be held after the final class meeting.
Credits Each cour is worth a certain number of credits or credit hours. This number is roughly the same as the number of hours a student spends in class for that cour each week. A cour is typically worth three to five credits.
A full-time program at most schools is 12 or 15 credit hours (four or five cours per term) and a certain number of credits must be fulfilled in order to graduate. International students are expected to enroll in a full-time program during each term.
Transfers If a student enrolls at a new university before finishing a degree, generally most credits earned at the first school can be ud to complete a degree at the new university. This means a student can transfer to another university and still graduate within a reasonable time. Types of U.S. higher education
Xujie Zhao from China: Studying Computer Networking at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.
