USA is a favorite destination for students worldwide because of its world-class education. A total of 582,984 international students are enrolled in various colleges and universities in the US. The United States welcomes foreign students to American language schools, high schools, universities and other institutions of higher education. Students on F-1 may accept employment in the U.S.
There are many many types of institutions, academic and social environments, entry requirements, degree programs, and subjects in which you can specialize.
In USA, F1 student allow candidates to freely enter and leave the United States throughout the duration of their grant and in addition, dependents may enter the country with the principle applicant and remain for the entirety of their course of study. F1 allow candidates to work in the USA during their course so long as the work is based on campus. In some cases where unforeseen circumstances lead to hardship, off campus work may also be permitted.
In the case of F1 study holders, dependents are granted a US F-2, allowing them to remain in the country for the same duration as the principal applicant and to study if they wish, although employment is not permitted
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN USA
The more you know about the American educational system, the more you will benefit from it.
- The United States does not have a single unified education system. Federal and state laws regulate the operation of educational institutions to an extent, but few laws govern the actual subject areas covered or educational goals at any given academic level.
- Public education for children in America is extremely fragmented, and is usually under the control of local communities. Private education, including schools affiliated with religious organizations, has an even lower level of government oversight.
- The American university system is not really a system at all, it is so diverse, encompassing private and public institutions, some operating for profit. Private corporations, rather than the government, administer a system of aptitude examinations for college entry, even to public universities. Specialized trade and technical schools fill an important need. For people who are working but still would like to further their education, it is possible to obtain a masters degree through one of many MBA online programs that are available. For people whose main goal is the love of learning rather than the attainment of educational degrees, adult education centers exist in many communities.
HIGHER EDUCATION IN AMERICA
American degrees are based on a Liberal Arts philosophy, a unique feature of the U.S higher education system.
It requires that students take a wide variety of courses in the arts and sciences before focussing on one academic area. This is so they gain a well-rounded education, and can apply their skills to a wide range of careers.
THE AMERICAN BACHELOR DEGREE CURRICULUM CONSISTS OF :
CORE COURSES
These are courses taken in mathematics, physical sciences, English, humanities, and social sciences. These general education courses lay the foundation of the degree program, though not all colleges have these core courses.
A MAJOR
This is the main academic subject you will study. Most students major in one subject, although at some colleges you can pursue a double major in a related or different subject. Students declare their major in the first two years of study.
A MINOR
This is a subject in which a student chooses to take the second greatest concentration of courses, although not all institutions offer this choice.
ELECTIVES
These are a student’s free choice of additional topics they find interesting.
A degree is designed to be completed in four years, although there is no fixed timescale. Most undergraduates complete their studies within 6 years of the date they first enrolled.
Studying can then lead to a Bachelor of Arts B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelor’s degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.)
Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry, are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelor’s degree depending on the program.
These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses that must be taken before enrollment.
In the U.S, a degree is awarded after a student has completed a required amount of coursework, expressed in terms known as credits/units or semester hours. Most courses only last 1 semester, and usually a student will need to accumulate approximately 110 to 130 credits in order to graduate, with each course on average earning 3 or 4 credits.
Continuous assessment is a feature and each course (class) per term is graded and then converted into a numeric equivalent called a Grade Point Average on a scale of 0 – 4.0, which indicates how well a student is performing. Many Bachelor’s degree programs in the United States do not require students to write a final thesis.
