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U.S UNIVERSITY INFORMATION |
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A1 EDU ABROAD |
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Your trusted Partner for overseas educational neeDS |
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Studying in the US and Canada – The difference between 2-Year and 4-Year Colleges
2-year colleges (often but not always community colleges) usually offer the associate's degree such as an Associate of Arts (A.A.). Community colleges often feature open admissions, with low tuition. 4-year colleges, which usually have a larger number of students and offer a greater range of studies than two-year colleges, offer the bachelor's degree, such as the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.). These are usually primarily undergraduate institutions, although some might have limited programs at the graduate level. Many students earn an associate's degree at a two-year institution before transferring to a four-year institution for another two years to earn a bachelor's degree.
Four-year institutions in the U.S. which emphasize the liberal arts are called liberal arts colleges. These colleges traditionally emphasize interactive instruction although research is still an important component of these institutions. They are known for being residential and for having smaller enrollment, class size, and teacher-student ratios than universities. These colleges also encourage a high level of teacher-student interaction at the center of which are classes taught by full-time faculty rather than graduate student and teaching assistants (TAs), who do teach classes at universities. Most liberal arts colleges are private, although there are public liberal arts colleges.
Higher education in the United States refers to a variety of institutions of higher education. Strong research and funding have helped make American colleges and universities among the world's most prestigious, which is particularly attractive to international students. According to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities, more than 30 of the highest-ranked 45 institutions are in the United States.
The American university system is largely decentralized. American universities have developed independent accreditation organizations to vouch for the quality of the degrees they offer. The accreditation agencies rate universities and colleges on academic quality. Universities are research-oriented institutions which provide both undergraduate and graduate education. (For historical reasons, some universities - such as Boston College, Dartmouth College, and the College of William & Mary - have retained the term "college," while some institutions such as Wesleyan University, use the term "university”. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education distinguishes among institutions on the basis of the prevalence of degrees they grant, and considers the granting of master's degrees necessary, though not sufficient, for an institution to be classified as a university. Some universities have professional schools, which are attended primarily by those who plan to be practitioners instead of academics. Examples include journalism school, business school, medical schools (which usually award the M.D.), law schools (J.D.), veterinary schools (D.V.M.), or dental schools. A common practice is to refer to different units within universities as colleges or schools (what is referred to in other countries as faculties).
In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a county college, junior college, technical college, or a city college, is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and Associates' degrees. The name derives from the fact that community colleges primarily attract and accept students from the local community, and are often supported by the local community through property taxes.
Community colleges generally offer three types of programs. 1) The first type of study is toward an associate's degree, in which a student takes necessary courses needed to earn a degree that will allow for entry into jobs requiring some level of college education but not a full four-year degree. The associate's degree program also allows students who wish to eventually obtain a bachelor's degree at a four-year college to complete the necessary "core" requirements to attend the college of their choice. Some states have mandated that the community college's curriculum be structured so as to satisfy "core curriculum" requirements at the state's public universities or private universities. Many community colleges have arrangements with nearby four-year institutions, where a student obtaining an associate's degree in a field will automatically have his/her classes counted toward the bachelor's degree requirement. For example, a community college associate's degree in hotel and restaurant management, computers or accounting would count toward the four-year school's core requirement for a Business Administration degree. Some have gone one step further by arrangements with a four-year college for the student to obtain the bachelor's degree from the four-year college while taking all the courses via distance learning or other non-traditional modes, thus reducing the number of physical visits to the four-year school.
2) The second type of study is towards certification in an area of training (such as nursing, computer repair, allied health, law enforcement, firefighting, or welding), which require preparation for a state or national examination, or where certification would allow for hiring preference or a higher salary upon entering the workforce. These courses are often geared toward the needs of the local or area business community.
3) The third type offers services of local interest to members of the community, such as job placement, adult continuing education classes (either for personal achievement or to maintain certification in specialized fields), and developmental classes for children. Some community colleges offer opportunities for high school dropouts to return to school and earn a high school diploma or obtain a GED.
A growing trend in the United States is for community colleges to begin offering bachelor's degrees. At least fourteen states have authorized them to do so and others are considering the issue. Many large community colleges, such as Miami-Dade College and St. Petersburg College, in Florida have even completely dropped the words "community" or "junior" from their names as they have added bachelor's degree programs in limited fields and have started their evolution into four-year colleges while retaining their local commitments. In more rural communities, community colleges may host branches of the local state university, and community colleges with specialized programs may offer four year degrees in conjunction with other schools, some miles away.
Applicants for U.S. student visas must apply for their visas no earlier than 90 days before the date when they must report to the school in the United States. For visa procedures in your country, please check with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. A listing of these offices and their web sites can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov. For the latest updates on the visa application process, visit www.unitedstatesvisas.gov. Your timetable for admission in 2011 The U.S. academic year begins in late August or early September. In June-August 2010 you should: -Start your research about education abroad -Discuss your plans with your family and support network -Register for tests such as TOEFL and SAT In August-November 2010 you should: -Take tests such as TOEFL and SAT -Attend the A1EduAbroad fair and prepare a shortlist of your target universities (4-10) In December 2010-March 2011 you should: -Make sure you meet the deadlines for application to your target universities In April-May 2011 you should: -Receive your letters of acceptance or rejection -Select and accept the university you wish to attend -Complete acceptance formalities: separate applications for housing are required -Send letters of regret to universities you will not attend -Work with university to obtain supporting documents for visa application In June-July 2011 you should: -Apply for student visa -Plan and purchase your travel tickets In August 2011 you should: -Arrive at your university in time for the orientation program -Enjoy the benefits of your partnership with A1EduAbroad – start your education!
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