USA is a great destination for students. The American education system has a great
variety of best courses for international students. As you narrow down on your choice
of University, it is essential that you get an overview of the American education
system. This will help you make a more informed decision and take right steps for
your plan of education.
GRADING SYSTEM
In USA your academic performance is measured in terms of “grades” and “grade point
average” (GPA). The educational programs are first graded in percentages and then
converted into grades.
The grading system and GPA have variations that must be understood by non-American
students. Even if two students submit same GPA but are from different Universities,
then their target University may mark their scores differently due to the difference
in academic excellence of their previous schools.
ACADEMIC YEAR
In almost all the American Universities, the academic calendar begins in August
/ September and goes in till May / June. Most new students start their courses in
autumn, and the programs are drafted accordingly in this sequence.
Most Universities provide studies across two terms called “semesters”, few use a
three-term calendar called the “trimester”. There are periods of long break for
students to travel home on vacation, keeping in mind that they’ve come from a long
distance away.
Undergraduate courses
A student who is yet to get her/his bachelor’s degree is termed as an undergraduate
student. Typically these courses are about four years in length. The first two years
have a variety of subjects and are called as prerequisite courses – such as in arts,
literature, history, science, etc. The purpose is to enable students that they reach
a certain standard of education with base on many types of subjects.
A “major” is the main specialization of your degree. For instance, if your major
is Computers, then you will be awarded with a Bachelor of Science in Computers.
You will have to undergo a definite number of courses in that area so as to fulfil
the degree requirements. In some cases the major can also be chosen at the beginning
of third year of your studies. You can change your major later but that will means
having to do more courses, incurring more time and costs.
Graduate courses
Students having an undergraduate degree can make plans about graduate courses so
as to do jobs in highly skilled sectors or make progress in their life. Few very
high level posts in medicine, science, nanotechnology, engineering, etc. require
a higher degree.
GRE is required for admission to Masters in Science and GMAT is required for business
school.
The graduate programs are usually one or two years in length. For instance MS Computers
is two years long, Masters in Journalisn is one year, MBA is two years, etc.
Most of the time in a master’s program goes in classroom study and the student has
to prepare a detailed research paper called “master’s thesis” or she/he may have
to complete a “master’s project.”
Classrooms
You will be attending your course in classes which could be huge lectures having
more than a hundred students or much smaller classes with a handful students. The
education system in USA makes the classroom atmosphere quite progressive, where
you will share your viewpoints, take part in discussions, deliver seminars and react
to constructive criticism. This is a major USP of the American education system.
It is the task of professors to give references to textbooks and reading material.
As a student you will have to keep abreast of these and do timely homework which
will streamline your participation in classroom discussions and seminars.
Credits
All courses have a defined number of credits which is equivalent to the number of
hours a student needs to spend in class every week. Most full-time courses are 12
to 15 credit hours, for three to four courses per term, and fulfilling these are
essential for a student to graduate.
Expert advice on Education in USA
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