GUIDE TO EDUCATION IN USA

In 2010/2011 academic year the number of international students rose in the USA by 5% to an all-time high of 723,277. They choose the United States as the place they wanted to broaden their experience and continue their education, making the U.S. the top choice over any other country in the world.

Let’s learn what the U.S. has to offer you:

1.        Academic Excellence – The U.S. has one of the world’s finest university systems, with outstanding programs in virtually all fields.

2.        Variety of Educational Opportunities

3.        Cutting-Edge Technology

4.        Opportunity for Research, Teaching and Training for many graduate programs

5.        Flexibility – A wide variety of course choices to meet specific coursework requirements

6.        Support Services for International Students – Helping you adapt to culturally and academically different environment and there is often a wide range of student services that they provide.

7.        Global Education and Long-Term Career Prospects (knowledge and skills) gained from studying in the U.S.

8.        Campus Life Experience

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES IN U.S.

  • Associate Degree usually takes two years to complete and may be “terminal” programs (which lead into specific careers upon graduation, or “transfer” programs) which correspond to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree and tend to be more liberal arts based. Under the letter option one could then transfer into third year of a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Associate degree programs are offered at two-year colleges known as junior or community colleges.

  • Bachelor’s Degree typically takes four years to complete. Four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degree programs, with a small number also offering associate degree programs. The first year is called the freshman year; the second is called sophomore; the third, junior; and the fourth, senior.

GRADUATE STUDIES IN U.S.

Master’s Degrees

        Academic Master’s – The Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degrees are usually awarded in the traditional arts, sciences, and humanities disciplines as well as in technical fields such as engineering and agriculture. Original research, research methodology, and field investigation are emphasized.

       Professional Master’s degree programs are designed to lead the student from the first degree to a particular profession. Professional master’s degrees are most often “terminal” master’s programs, meaning that they do not lead to doctoral programs. Such master’s degrees are often designated by specific descriptive titles, such as master of business administration (M.B.A.), master of social work (M.S.W.), master of education (M.Ed.), or international relations, architecture, urban planning, public administration (M.P.A.) and public policy (M.P.P.)

Doctoral Degrees

       The doctoral degree is designed to train research scholars and, in many cases, future college and university faculty members. Receipt of a doctoral degree certifies that the student has demonstrated capacity as a trained research scholar in a specific discipline. A comprehensive examination is given, usually after three to five years of study and completion of all coursework, and when the student and adviser agree that the student is ready.

SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

The path for study and entry into many professions in the United States differs substantially from the process in most other parts of the world. This section gives an overview of study requirements for:

-          Dentistry

-          Medicine

-          Nursing

-          Veterinary medicine

-          Law

Dentistry

Dental study usually begins after four years of undergraduate study. Universities do not have undergraduate programs in dentistry; students planning to study dentistry can major in any subject, but should have a minimum number of prerequisite undergraduate courses in the biological sciences, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, as well as in the humanities and the behavioral and social sciences.

Medicine

Medical study generally follows completing of a bachelor’s degree. Admission to medical study is very competitive. Less than half of U.S. citizen applicants are accepted to medical school, and typically less than 3 percent of international applicants are accepted.

Nursing

Basic study for the nursing profession in the U.S. takes place at the undergraduate level. The profession-level ‘registered nurse’ (R.N.) has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and must fulfill state licensure requirements in practice.

Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary school is generally entered following completion of a bachelor’s degree program. Admission to U.S. veterinary schools is extremely difficult for students from other countries to achieve because of intense competition for limited number of places. Competition for veterinary study is more rigorous than that for study in medicine.

Academic Calendar

The academic year is slightly different for each institution, but normally runs from early September to the end of May. It may either be divided into two terms of 18 weeks called semesters, or “quarters” or “trimesters”, which are about 12 weeks long. Universities very often provide six- to eight-week summer terms.

There are at least two main holidays during the academic year: a two- to four-week break in the winter (December-January) and a one-week “spring break” some time between early March and mid-April.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The application timeline will help you plan out your 18 months leading up to studying in the United States. 

18 months before U.S. study

-          research various colleges and universities programs

-          register and prepare for required entrance exam


 12-14 months before U.S. study

-          Choose the schools to which you will apply

-          Obtain all necessary information and forms for each school

-          Take required entrance exams
         10-12 months before U.S. study

-          Request any forms and information again, if necessary

-          Identify your references and supply them with required reference forms

-          Request transcripts from your school(s)

-          Write your application essay (also called  a “personal statement”)

-          Retake entrance exams if scores were unsatisfactory
         10 months before U.S. study

-          Complete and mail applications

-          Electronic Applications: An Additional Note
         3 months before U.S. study

-          Apply for your student visa

-          Research health insurance options for your time abroad

-          Make travel arrangements for when you arrive in the U.S.

 Public University versus Private University: What’s the difference?

  •          Cost – A private university tends to run a little (or a lot) higher than a state-funded public university
  •          Size – From class size to campus acreage, public universities generally run much larger than the typical private college. Private schools often possess smaller classrooms and usually a more compact campus – letting you get to know your professors and other students.
  •          Selection – A public university usually offers a larger selection of classes, majors, even extracurricular than a private university. On the other hand, a private university with a smaller selection of majors might be well known for its more specialized programs and majors – and can help you find your focus in the subject you care about.
  •          Affiliation – It’s not uncommon for a private university to have a religious affiliation as well.
  •          Prestige – There are some people that consider a private university a career boost from the start.

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

There is no official list of top 10, 20, 50, or even 100 universities in the United States. The U.S. government does not rank universities. Rankings that you may come across are usually produced by journalists and are likely to be subjective.

Selection of university shouldn’t be largely influenced by its rankings. Many U.S. colleges and universities (including lower-ranked public universities) offer their specialties in specific fields and programs, which are highly recognized for its quality and standard. For instance,

University of Arizona #3 nationally for the best business programs in management information systems
Michigan State University and Arizona State University #3 and #4 respectively for the best business programs in supply chain management/logistics
Iowa State University #4 nationally for the best undergraduate engineering programs in biological/agricultural

Source rankings: U.S. News & World Report 2012 Edition – Best Colleges

Click here for top National Universities:

Click here for best Business Programs:

Click here for Engineering Programs:

Visited Universities by Brunei government officials and the Embassy: 

1.        Harvard University’s J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts

2.        Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3.        Amherst College, Massachusetts

4.        University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill*

5.        George Washington University, District of Columbia

6.        Georgetown University, District of Columbia

7.        Stern School of Business, New York University

8.        Columbia University, New York

9.        Princeton University, New Jersey

10.     Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, Massachusetts

11.     American University, District of Columbia

12.     University of District of Columbia

13.     University of Maryland – College Park*

14.     Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick*

15.     Yale University

16.     Wesleyan University

17.     Penn State University

18.     Boston University

19.     Harvard University

20.     Babson College

21.     University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

22.     Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management

23.     University of Chicago – Booth School of Business

24.     New York Botanical Garden

25.     Yale University

26.     University of Virginia

27.     Old Dominion University

28.     Duke University

29.     University of Washington

30.     University of California – San Diego

31.     Stanford University

32.     University of California – Berkeley

33.     Teachers College of Columbia University

34.     California Institute of Technology 

Note: *Public universities