American Institutions of Higher Education

There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States. A college is usually for undergraduates, whereas a university is a collection of one or more colleges, plus a graduate school and various professional schools. Colleges mainly teach but universities, with their large numbers of graduate students, also place emphasis on research. As per UNESCO, the United States ranks second in terms of the number of higher educational institutions across the world. The overall number is 5,758 and on an average, there are over 115 institutions in every state. The number of students pursuing higher education in the country is also the maximum and the number is 14,261,778, which is approximately 4.75% of the overall population.

Many schools divide their academic year into two terms or semesters, but some have the trimester system, that is, they divide the year into three terms. Others use the quarter system, or four terms. The academic year begins in fall-end of August or beginning of September- and continues through to the end of May or beginning of June. Some schools offer optional summer terms for students who want to complete their programs quicker.

There are different types of American institutions of higher education. Technical Institutes offer a two- or three-year course of training for a semi-professional occupation, such as that of a dental, engineering or medical technician. Terminal Occupational Education offer one to three years of study beyond secondary level intended to prepare the student for immediate employment. Liberal Arts College or Universities offer a university education combining natural and social sciences as well as humanistic studies. The college may be part of a university which also has graduate and professional schools, or it may be an independent institution offering a Bachelor’s degree program, with little if any instruction at the graduate level.

Four years of undergraduate study lead to a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts or in Science, a B.A. or B.S. degree, and qualify the graduate to apply for admission to a graduate school. A Bachelor’s degree program is designed to last four years, the first year being called Freshman year, the second Sophomore, the third Junior, and the fourth Senior. Courses in the first two years are referred to as “lower division” courses and in the last two years as “upper division” courses. General basic courses sometimes called “core courses” must be taken by all students, usually during their first two years. They include subjects such as English, a foreign language, natural science, social science and mathematics. Courses in which a student wishes to “major”, i.e. specialize, are mostly taken in the last two years. “Elective courses” are courses which the student chooses from any field.

The M.A., M.S., M.B.A. and other professional Master’s degrees require a minimum of one academic year. More often 18 months or two years are needed. The Doctorate Degree covers many fields of specialization and requires a minimum of three to four years of study beyond the Bachelor’s degree; two to four years of study after the Master’s degree. Doctorates in Education, Science and Law are sometimes labeled Ed.D., Sc.D., Jur.D., but most doctorates are known as Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees.

S tudents are graded on course work completed, and most colleges and universities use letter grades as follows: A being excellent or outstanding; B means above average; C, average; D, below average; and F, failing. An undergraduate student must maintain a C in general and a B in his or her major field in order to receive a degree. Some schools may also use the “Pass/Fail” grading system in which there are only two possible grades. Many schools combine both the “Pass/Fail Option” with the conventional grading system.

Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the USA. It is one of the world’s most famous universities. It was founded in 1636 and is the oldest higher education institution in the USA. In 1696 it was named after John Harvard who gave money and books to the college. Today Harvard has about 2,300 professors. The number of undergraduate students is 6, 650 and there are about 13,000 graduate students. It has nine faculties.

COMPREHENSION

Exercise 1.