Higher Education in the USA

To attend an American university students must complete 12 years of primary and secondary education. Students who would like to attend college or university must attend an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree or a four-year degree in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major.

An associate degree is a two-year degree given by two types of colleges: community colleges and junior colleges. The two classes of associate degrees are the Associate of Arts (also called the A.A.) and the Associate of Applied science (also called the A.A.S.).

Community colleges are operated by the local government and are financed by public funds. They serve two functions: (1) students who do not want to get a bachelor’s degree will attend a community college to get an associate degree; (2) students who want to get a bachelor’s degree will complete the first two years of their undergraduate education at a community college and then transfer to a four-year college for the last two years. The tuition at a community college is much less than at a four-year college or university. Therefore many American students choose to attend a community college for two years as a way of lowering the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree.

A bachelor’s degree is the traditional degree given by American colleges and universities. It normally requires at least four years of full-time college-level coursework. The two classes of bachelor’s degrees are the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts.

Students must complete a required number of courses within their major in order to graduate with a degree in that major. They may also be required to complete a number of courses in closely related fields. A college graduate with a bachelor’s degree may find that degree insufficient for the type of profession he would like to have. It may often be necessary to get an advanced degree, such as a Master’s or Doctorate degree, to advance your career.

Not all colleges and universities offer Master’s degree programs. The Master’s degree is a graduate school degree that typically requires two years of full-time coursework to complete. The Doctorate degree is even more focused and specialized than the Master’s degree. Completion of a doctorate degree typically takes between three and six years. The length of time will depend on the student’s educational background, the field of study selected, the student’s dedication and ability, and the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen.

Task 2

Answer the questions on the text

1. What are the admission terms for the American students?

2. Why do many American students prefer studying in community colleges for the first two years of their university career?

3. What two Bachelor’s degrees do American students grant?

4. What degrees does the graduate school grant?

5. How does the American system of higher education differ from the Russian one?

Task 3

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