2. PLAN
Stages of
higher education;
Types of institutions and degrees;
The grading system;
The academic year division and the
curriculum structure;
Conclusions.
3. HIGHER EDUCATION
The undergraduate study (4 years)
• junior and community colleges
• technical institutes
• universities or liberal arts colleges
The graduate study (1 or 2 years)
• graduate schools
• professional schools
4. Are earned
on the basis of the number of
courses successfully taken;
Each course earns credits or unites;
The full degree requirement is usually 120
credits.
5. THE GRADING SYSTEM
The A-F
grading system
A 93 – 100% or 4.00 points
B 80 – 92% or 3.00 points
C 70 – 79% or 2.00 points
D 60 – 69% or 1.00 points
F below 60% is failing
The
Pass / Fail grading system
7. THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Runs:
• late August – early/late May
• mid-September –late August
Is divided into:
• 2 terms – semester
• 3 terms – quarters
8. THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM
General
basic courses sometimes called
core courses or distribution
requirements, which must be taken by
all the students, usually during the
freshman and sophomore years;
Courses in which a student wishes to
major, which are mostly taken in the
last two years;
Elective courses which the student
chooses from any field.
9. CONCLUSIONS
The American
higher education is divided into the
undergraduate and the graduate study. The undergraduate
study lasts 4 years and leads to the Bachelor’s degree.
The institutions of the undergraduate study are: junior and
community colleges, technical institutes, universities or
liberal arts colleges. Graduate study lasts 1 or 2 in graduate
and professional schools, and leads to the Master’s degree.
American degrees are earned on the basis of credits. The
full degree requirement is usually 120 credits.
US colleges and universities use letter A-F grades or the
Pass/Fail grading system.
The academic year is either divided into two terms called
semesters, or into three terms called quarters.
The academic curriculum usually consists of core courses,
major courses and elective courses.