Education in USA

Bachelor's and Associate Degrees
The bachelor's degree typically takes four years to complete. The associate degree usually takes two years to complete.

Associate degree programs 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 latter option one could then transfer into the 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.

Four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor's degree programs, with a small number also offering associate degree programs.

The U.S. Bachelor's Degree
One of the most attractive features of the bachelor's degree program in the United States is that it is highly flexible. You can usually choose from a wide variety of courses and create your own unique program of study.

The degree is awarded after you complete a specified number of credits, which are usually completed in four years of full-time study. The first year is called the freshman year; the second is called sophomore; the third, junior; and the fourth, senior. You may read that students in the United States often take longer than four years to complete their degrees. This may be because they change majors and need to accumulate enough credits in the new major field to earn the degree. Or it may be because they take less than a full-time course load per term for academic, personal, or financial reasons.

International students, however, cannot study part-time and must maintain full-time status.

Academic Calendar
Different schools use different calendars, and sometimes the differences become confusing. 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. These are optional, and students attend if they wish to complete their degree faster, decrease their course load during the regular terms, or make up for courses not completed successfully during the regular academic year.

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.

Course Load and Grading System
American institutions of higher learning require students to take a certain number of courses in their major course of study as well as a number of courses in various other fields.Students at American universities complete their degrees when they have accumulated a certain number of "credits." It usually takes somewhere between 130 and 180 credits to graduate. Sometimes the terms "semester/quarter hours" or "units" are used instead of credits. Each individual course you take earns a specified number (usually three or four) of credits/hours/units. Your academic adviser will help you plan your course schedule for the academic year.

The Credit System
Students at American universities complete their degrees when they have accumulated a certain number of "credits." It usually takes somewhere between 130 and 180 credits to graduate. Sometimes the terms "semester/quarter hours" or "units" are used instead of credits. Each individual course you take earns a specified number (usually three or four) of credits/hours/units. Your academic adviser will help you plan your course schedule for the academic year.

Degree Courses
The individual courses that make up the degree program can be divided into the following types:

Core courses: These provide the foundation of the degree program and are required of all students. Students take a variety of courses in mathematics, English, humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences. Some colleges require students to take many core courses, while other schools require only a few.

Major courses: A major is the subject in which a student chooses to concentrate. Most students major in one subject; however, some colleges offer the option of pursuing a double major with a related subject. Your major courses represent one-quarter to one-half of the total number of courses required to complete a degree.

Minor courses: A minor is a subject in which a student may choose to take the second greatest concentration of courses. The number of courses required for a minor tends to be half the number of major courses.

Elective courses: These courses may be chosen from any department. They offer opportunities to explore other topics or subjects you may be interested in and help make up the total number of credits required to graduate.

Grades
American universities employ a system of continual assessment and assign grades for each course taken. Almost everything you do for a class will influence your final grade. Examinations and tests, essays or written assignments, laboratory reports, laboratory or studio work, class attendance, and class participation may all be used to determine your final grade. This means it is essential to keep up with the reading and course work and to attend classes on a regular basis.

The following is a general percentage/letter grade scale for classes taken at U.S. colleges:
100 – 90% = A
89 – 80% = B
79 – 70% = C
69 - 65% = D
Below 65% = F