Higher Education in Different Countries

 

1. Higher education is a period of specialized study to qualify the individual for professional activity, following the completion of secondary education (that is why it is sometimes called as ‘ tertiary education ’) and usually affording, at the end of a course of study, a named degree, diploma, or certificate of higher studies. The duration of the study may be from four to seven years or more, depending upon the specialization.

2. The institution providing higher education may be either an institute, college or university or a type of professional school, e.g. military, medical, police or law schools. The basic entrance requirement for most higher-educational institutions is the completion of secondary education, and the usual age of admission to university is 18.

3. The Russian legal education system is based on European undergraduate traditions. Students may enter law schools directly after leaving secondary school. There law students specialize in a certain field of law such as civil law, public international law, criminal law, administrative or financial law.

4. The prevalent method of tuition in Russian universities is a set of lectures and seminars. The academic year is divided into two terms. At the end of each term in January and June students pass oral examinations. They are also required to get “ practical training ” in courts, prosecutor or notary offices, state agencies and law firms.

5. In 2011 Russian law schools began providing two-stage education: students who study for 4 years will get a Bachelor’s Degree in law (LLB); those who are able to continue their education for two more years will get a Master’s Degree (LLМ).

6. The undergraduates reading law in the Institute participate in such instructional activities as seminars, lectures, moots, practical training and study the following subjects: History of Russia, Civil Law, Foreign Languages, Constitutional (State) Law, Criminal Law, International Law, Labour Law, etc.

7. British and American universities. In Britain, undergraduate degrees, also known as first degrees, take three years to complete, while master's degrees typically last for a single year, and doctoral degrees can be finished in three years. In the U.S., undergraduate degrees are completed in four years and many master's degrees are earned in two years, while doctoral degrees can take anywhere between one to eight years to be completed.

8. Though UK university tuition fees rose to £9,000 a year in 2012, they still were less than half of what many Americans pay to study for a degree. Most private US colleges charge a minimum of $30,000 for a degree course. State colleges are usually cheaper, but students at an Ivy League university such as Harvard or Yale have to find more than $50,000 a year.

9. Much like the U.S., British universities offer lectures, or formal presentations, to large groups of students. British universities also feature seminars for smaller groups of students. However, British universities focus more on tutorial education than U.S. schools. British schools emphasize lectures rather than interactive learning, a focus of the U.S. Much like the U.S., however, British universities feature continuous assessment, where coursework, exams and projects are expected throughout the year for each degree field. Final exams and dissertations are a prominent feature in both countries.

9. Classification of academic ranks of faculty members. A “ lecturer ” is the junior academic rank in the United Kingdom. Lecturers carry out original research and teach undergraduate students. The most senior academic job title in both countries is “professor”. Professors usually have doctorate degrees. Not all college teachers in are full professors. Thus in the USA college students may also be taught by instructors who need complete their doctorate degrees in order to become assistant professors and then associate professors. There are also adjunct professors who are hired to teach for a limited time, usually one semester.

 

1.1.1. Слова из текста:

higher education– высшее образование

qualify – квалифицировать, обучать для какой-л. цели; готовить (кого-л.) к какой-л. деятельности

secondary education – среднее образование

tertiary education ['tɜ:rʃı,erı,edʒʋ'keıʃən] – высшее образование, «третичная» ступень образования

named degree – присваиваемая степень

institution – организация, учреждение

e.g. – например (сокращенно от лат. exempli gratia)

law school – юридический факультет университета, юридическое учебное заведение

entrance requirement – условия поступления

completion – окончание, завершение

undergraduate – студент первых курсов, обучающийся по основным программам высшего образования (до получения степени бакалавра); базовое высшее образование, бакалавриат

tuition – плата за обучение

oral examination – устный экзамен

practical training – производственная практика

notary – нотариус

law firm – адвокатская контора, юридическая фирма

Bachelor’s Degree – степень бакалавра

LLB – Bachelor of Laws – бакалавр права

Master’s Degree – степень магистра

LLМ – Master of Laws – магистр права

instructional – образовательный, учебный

moot – учебный судебный процесс в юридической школе

doctoral degree – степень доктора наук

earn – получать, заслуживать

charge – требовать (в виде оплаты), запрашивать плату

Ivy League university – привилегированный университет Северо-востока США, входящий в Лигу Плюща; старейший университет Новой Англии

formal presentation – официальная презентация, официальное выступление

feature – характеризоваться, иметь особенность, отличаться

interactive learning – взаимообучение

academic rank ≈ academic title – должность в высшем учебном заведении, учёное звание

faculty member – преподаватель высшего учебного заведения

lecturer – преподаватель вуза

full professor – академическая должность профессора кафедры и звание «профессор»

instructor – преподаватель, ведущий практические занятия за профессором

assistant professor – доцент, работающий по совместительству (претендует стать «associate professor»)

associate professor – доцент кафедры, преподаватель с правом стать «full professor»

adjunct professor – адъюнкт-профессор (приглашается на работу на условиях почасовой оплаты на ограниченный срок)

1.1.2. Найдите в тексте ответы на следующие вопросы:

1. What is higher education?

2. Why is higher education known as “tertiary”?

3. How long may college education last?

4. What is the usual age of admission to colleges?

8. Where do law students in Russia get their practical training?

9. What subjects do law students study?

10. Where do degree courses last longer: in Britain or the US?

11. Are university tuition fees almost the same in the USA and the UK?

12. Does the tuition charge depend on whether you enter a state or private college in America?

13. What is the most senior academic job title in British and American universities?