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HIGHER EDUCATION
- The higher education sector in the U.S. is characterized by autonomy and diversity. Institutions are operated by cities, counties, states, non-profit bodies and profit oriented entities. Within this context, institutions are largely self-governing and are only accountable to the particular body that controls them.
Admission requirements:
Given the decentralized nature of the American Higher Education System and number and types of institutions offering Bachelors programs, admission practices vary greatly. Most often, admission to an institution of higher education is autonomously governed by each college or university. In classifying the admissions practices of these institutions the categories "open admission", "moderately selective" and "highly selective" are often used. The High School Diploma is, however, is a common requirement for most institutions, regardless of category. In addition to the Grade Point Average, many universities assess students based on the various aptitude exams. The two main such tests are the Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I) and the American College Test (ACT). Both the SAT I and the ACT are multiple-choice aptitude tests designed to measure a student's ability to perform at the tertiary level. Students typically take these tests in their final year of high school. Until recently, the ACT was required by colleges in the Midwest, while the SAT I was the test of choice for schools in the Northeast and on both coasts. More recently, however, most schools all over the country have begun accepting the numerical figures of both tests.
In addition to the SAT I, many students may also choose to take the subject specific SAT II tests, which measure the student's ability in a particular subject. These are used by some tertiary institutions in the admissions process.
Adults who have not completed the prescribed work for a traditional High School Diploma may earn a High School Certificate or Diploma by the tests of the General Educational Development (GED) examination. These equivalency awards are accepted in lieu of a high-school transcript by most institutions of higher education when other factors indicate maturity and readiness for post-secondary study.
Length:
There are a variety of institutions offering less-than-2-year short-term vocational training, 2-year institutions offering associate's degrees and vocational certificates, and 4-year colleges and universities offering Bachelor or higher degrees. The technical institutes award certificates and/or Associate degrees. Junior or community colleges are primarily two-year institutions, which grant associate degrees or branch campuses of larger four-year colleges and universities.
The four-year undergraduate degree program, which is the first level of university level awards, is offered at specialized, general baccalaureate, comprehensive and doctoral institutions. The Bachelor degree is typically a pre-professional degree while post-baccalaureate professional degree programs are required in such areas as law, medicine and dentistry.
The second stage of university education consists of the Master's degree, as well as other potential Diploma or Certificate courses. Master's programs are designed for two years of full-time study, which includes the completion of a research thesis.
Beyond the Master's level, the Research Doctorate represents the highest stage of university study, which requires a minimum of three years beyond the Master's level and must include a dissertation and defence.
Assessment and Promotion:
University requirements are measured using units or credits. One semester credit is equal to 50-minute period of classroom instruction over a 15-week semester, for a total of 750 minutes per semester. The typical Bachelor degree awarded at a four-year college includes approximately 120 credit hours with specific requirements for major and minor courses of study. Sixty credits are common to complete the major in the field.
The Master's degree is awarded after the successful completion of course requirements and completion of the research thesis.
The Doctorate degree requires a certain amount of course work, which is supplemented by the preparation and defence of a published dissertation or project thesis and the passage of a variety of written and oral examinations before an examining committee.
Grading Scale:
Grading scales do vary by institution, but generally, the following systems of letter grades or grade points are used.
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Numeric
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Letter
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WES |
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4.0
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A
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Excellent
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A
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3.7
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A-
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A-
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3.3
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B+
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B+
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3.0
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B
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Good
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B
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2.7
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B-
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B-
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2.3
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C+
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C+
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2.0
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C
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Average
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C
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1.0
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D
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Pass
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D
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0
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F
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Fail
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F
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In order to pass a degree, and remain in a satisfactory standing, students must generally maintain a C or 2.0 average.
In many Master's and Doctorate programs, A is excellent and B is good, everything else is unsatisfactory.
In order to calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA), the score on the four-point scale corresponding to a letter grade for each course is multiplied by the number of credits assigned to the course; the weighted scores of all courses are added together, and this total is then divided by the total number of credits earned. The GPA is a common measure of the student's eligibility for post-secondary education.
Many schools permit students to elect one or two classes each year in which they will not receive a letter or number grade but only a 'pass' or a 'fail'. Pass/fail grades are not taken into account when calculating a GPA.
- Revised: May 06, 2004
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