Higher Education in Britain and the USA

Higher Education in Britain and the USA

1. Each university and college in the U.S has its own international student entry requirements – the minimum requirements for grades and standardised tests, e.g. the TOEFL and SAT, varies from institution to institution. Even within the same university there may be different admissions requirements, depending on which major you choose to study. Usually, the higher your grades and test scores, the better chance you have of getting into one of the top institutions in the U.S, eg. Cornell, Harvard.

The universities in the United Kingdom (with the exception of The Open University) share an undergraduate admission system which is operated by UCAS. Applications must be made by 15 October for admissions to Oxford and Cambridge (and medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses) and by 15 January for admissions to other UK universities.Many universities now operate the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) and all universities in Scotland use the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) enabling easier transfer between courses and institutions.One-half of universities have lost confidence in the grades that are awarded by secondary schools, and require many applicants to sit for a competitive entrance examination. According to the Schools Minister, “strong evidence has been emerging of grade inflation across subjects” in recent years

2. What are the three types of schools in higher education?

Almost all higher educational institutions proceed through an accreditation process, which is developed to promote academic standards within the educational institution. Several accreditation agencies exist to ensure that graduates meet certain standards and secure consistency in education. There are numerous benefits for accreditation, namely, evaluation of curriculum, attentiveness of faculty to present the curriculum, and program. The educational philosophy that guides the principles of the institution and its structure has several components, which will be addressed under specific educational institutions.  Vocational Schools, Technical Schools, and For-Profit Schools.

3. What degrees are offered by schools of higher learning in the USA/Britain? What are the requirements for these degrees?

Four-year colleges, which usually have a larger number of students and offer a greater range of studies, provide the bachelor's degree, mostly the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.). They are either primarily undergraduate institutions (i.e. Liberal Arts Colleges) or the undergraduate institution of a university (such as Harvard College and Yale College). Universities are research-oriented educational institutions which provide both undergraduate and graduate programs. However, for historical reasons, some universities (such as Boston College, Dartmouth College, and The College of William & Mary) have retained the term "college" as their name. Graduate programs grant a variety of master's degrees (like the Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)) in addition to doctorates such as the Ph.D. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education distinguishes among institutions on the basis of the prevalence of degrees they grant and considers the granting of master's degrees necessary, though not sufficient, for an institution to be classified as a university.

At postgraduate level, the main qualifications offered are:

Master's degree. A master’s qualification gives you the opportunity to further your knowledge of a particular subject or to go in a completely different direction using the skills you’ve gained from your undergraduate studies. A master’s degree is an academic qualification awarded to individuals who successfully demonstrate a higher level of expertise in a particular field of study. You can study one in almost any subject, but there are two main types of master’s: taught and research.

MBA courses. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is an internationally recognised qualification which gives you the skills you need for a successful management career. MBA courses cover topics such as business policy and strategy, operational and strategic management, marketing, market research, finance and accounting, IT, human resource management, leadership, entrepreneurship and international trade.

PhDs/doctorates. A Doctor of Philosophy, or doctorate (PhD/DPhil) is the highest academic level a student can achieve. These degrees are very demanding and often lead to careers in academia. Doctorate courses can be applied for by students who achieve at least a 2:1 result at undergraduate level. Although you don’t necessarily need a master’s degree, it is usual practice to undertake one before a PhD.

Postgraduate diplomas and qualifications. For those wishing to continue their studies beyond an undergraduate degree, a variety of options are available. Postgrad certificates and diplomas allow students to study something new or build on the skills and knowledge already gained during their first degree.

Professional and vocational qualifications. A professional or vocational qualification is usually taken to improve skills or gain attributes required by specific jobs. Most awards will involve practical training, giving you the opportunity to experience a job first-hand.

Conversion courses. A conversion course is a vocational postgraduate qualification usually taken by graduates wanting to change subject area after their first degree and better prepare themselves for the job market.

4. What is a credit in the US system of higher education? How many credits must an undergraduate student earn to receive a bachelor’s degree? How can they be earned?

Most colleges use a 5-stage letter grade system in which the letters are worth a certain number of "points":

A -- highest grade -- worth 4 "points"

B -- above average grade -- worth 3 points

C -- average passing grade -- worth 2 points

D -- minimum passing grade -- worth 1 point

F -- failure (no credit) -- zero points

5. What steps do students have to take to enroll in a college/university for admission? Speak about the exams they take – PSAT, SAT, ACT.

The SAT and ACT tests are primarily used for college admission purposes or financial aid. If your child is college bound, these tests are important. Even if your home school child is not currently thinking about attending college, you may still want to consider having your child take either the SAT or ACT (primarily used for east coast schools). Your child's post high school plans may change one day, and having an SAT or ACT score on file will facilitate the college entrance process.

6. What financial assistance are applicants eligible for? What is college scholarship, grants, loan? Explain and bring out the essence of student financial aid.

Loans

 Remember when you were a kid and asked your brother for some cash to buy a few new baseball cards? Sure, he gave it to you but he did so expecting you would pay him back. That’s a loan in its simplest form and when it comes time to start writing those checks to your child’s college or university, you’ll need more than those few bucks to cover the cost. The school, banks and even the government can step into that role formerly held by your sibling – its pockets are much deeper – to provide the funds you need but just like your baseball card loan, you will have to pay it back eventually…this time with interest.

Grants

Grants, like loans, can come from both federal funds and private institutions but, unlike loans, you do not have to repay them. Stop rubbing your eyes and questioning your reading comprehension skills because you read that sentence correctly: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REPAY THEM. Feel free to let out a sigh of relief or do a celebratory dance; we’ll be here when you’re ready to start reading again.

Scholarships

 Hooray for more free money for college: Just like their cousin the grant, scholarships do not require repayment and are awarded for almost anything. Seeing as though scholarships are what we know best (note our name), you’ll find plenty of advice on this subject all over our site but here are the most important things to consider.

7. What is a GPA (Grade Point Average)?

Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements of varying levels of achievement in a course.

Grades can be assigned in letters (for example A, B, C, D, E or F), as a range (for example 1 to 6), as a percentage of a total number correct, as a number out of a possible total (for example out of 20 or 100), or as descriptors (excellent, great, satisfactory, needs improvement).

In some countries, all grades from all current classes are averaged to create a grade point average (GPA) for the marking period. The GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a student earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credits taken.[1] The GPA can be used by potential employers or educational institutions to assess and compare applicants. A Cumulative Grade Point Average is a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all courses completed so far.

8. What is the role of a student’s counselor? Specify the function of career development and job placement within a university.

Student Counselors provide vital services to all students who want to make the most of their time in college. When visiting Counseling Services, students will receive caring, knowledgeable assistance.  Below are just a few of the services we offer.

10. What are the sources of funding for universities and colleges (both public and private)?

Universities that provide four-year study courses are either privately funded foundations or are state or city foundations that depend heavily on the government for financial support. Private universities and colleges depend largely on tuition charges levied on students. The individual state governments fund the nation’s highly developed system of state universities, which ensure the provision of higher education for the vast majority of those willing and academically qualified to receive such education.

11. What is an undergraduate student? A graduate student?

The undergraduate classes are usually the first 4 years of college until you get your Bachelor's Degree. After the Bachelor's Degree, you would apply to graduate school to get a Master's Degree or a PhD.

12. Are you for written or oral examinations? Which ones are more objective?

Oral and written examinations have much bigger differences then common features. At first glance the written examination seems to be easier for student – you have more time for preparing, rallying your thoughts, you have the chance of cheating and copying the information from the textbook – that’s all advantage. From the other hand it is very difficult to put in words your thoughts when the time is limited. If you didn’t learn some theme and you happened to take the examination card with this question, it would be impossible to trick your teacher by using many words for describing what you didn’t know.

14. Would you like to study in the USA or Great Britain? Why? Why not? What are the requirements for foreign students to study in the USA or Great Britain?

The number of international students attending school in the US has risen steadily in the past five years, and now totals more than 723,000 students according to the most recent report from the Institute for International Education. Within the US, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Texas are the most popular locales for foreign students.

Though the UK's higher education system is much smaller than what the US has to offer, the proportion of international students in the UK is comparatively high, accounting for 17% (as compared to ~3% in the U.S.). In 2009-10, the number of international students in the UK was 428,225; in descending order, the most chosen destinations for study were England, Scotland, Wales, then Northern Ireland.

15. What aspects of American or British higher education system would you like to introduce into our system?

Well, it’s very difficult to judge what I would like to introduce , because every system is peculiar but I believe that system of admission in US universities is rather better that in Russia.