Studying Abroad. What Is The Difference Between Universities In The UK And Higher Education In America?
Studying Abroad. I'm Thinking Of Going To Uni In America But To Be Honest I Don't Know Much About It. What Are The Differences And What Qualifications
Studying Abroad : What Is The Difference Between Universities In The UK And Higher Education In America
I'm thinking of going to uni in America but to be honest i don't know much about it. What are the differences and what qualifications can you get? Also how do these qualifications compare to qualifications in the UK? Thanks for your help. ~~~ serenity_jem ~~~
Best Answer To Studying Abroad Question
This brief has more to do with what part of the world you come from and your secondary education orientation. First American universities offer a four year undergraduate degree course broken into 8 semesters. The first semester for the fall (Autumn in UK) intake begins late August/early September. US has an 8-4-4 education system where as UK has the 7-6-3 system meaning if you join a US university after your advanced levels in UK or any other country using the UK secondary education sysstem, you will loose one year as you will have to do 4 years of undergraduate as compared to UKs 3. The scope of American undergraduate degree is not as intensive and comprehensive as what UK universities offer. There is a general perception that a degree obtained from UK is viewed by the rest of the world as more advanced than one from US. I also tend to think UK's university environment is more student friendly and academic than the American ones. Inadequate public transport, or the lack of it, makes dependence on a private car as a means of transport more expensive to study and live in US as compared to UK. Finally, if you are British, foreign students are not allowed to work in US where as you can work and partly support yourself while studying in UK.
All Answers To Studying Abroad Questions
Answer 1The UK would have you believe they have a superior education system but to be honest thats a load of Balls. Get across to the US, the University system is pretty much the same in terms of sitting courses to earn enough credits to progress to the next year.
Answer 2This brief has more to do with what part of the world you come from and your secondary education orientation. First American universities offer a four year undergraduate degree course broken into 8 semesters. The first semester for the fall (Autumn in UK) intake begins late August/early September. US has an 8-4-4 education system where as UK has the 7-6-3 system meaning if you join a US university after your advanced levels in UK or any other country using the UK secondary education sysstem, you will loose one year as you will have to do 4 years of undergraduate as compared to UKs 3. The scope of American undergraduate degree is not as intensive and comprehensive as what UK universities offer. There is a general perception that a degree obtained from UK is viewed by the rest of the world as more advanced than one from US. I also tend to think UK's university environment is more student friendly and academic than the American ones. Inadequate public transport, or the lack of it, makes dependence on a private car as a means of transport more expensive to study and live in US as compared to UK. Finally, if you are British, foreign students are not allowed to work in US where as you can work and partly support yourself while studying in UK.
Answer 3I disagree with the above poster. I would say that American Universities are more intensive and their diplomas viewed in a slightly better light because of this fact. In the US, as mentioned above, there are four years of education, vs the UK's three. In the UK the focus is almost entirely on what subject you are studying and is largely independent I believe. In the US almost all schools have a broad "core curriculum" that you must master in the first year or so of university. This includes generally history, mathematics, philosophy, sociology, science, and a foreign language. The requirements vary depending on the university. For example if you go to a liberal arts college, then the core requirements are highers, whereas if you go to a large public or research university, they are generally fewer. Similarly, you go to class more often and depending on the course, you have assignments to turn in throughout. Generally classes either meet 50 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, or for 90 minutes Tuesday and Thursday. You can also double major (or pick up a second specialty) or minor in another subject. Transportation wise - again this depends on what university you go to. For example, I went to school in Boston, Massachusetts and never once had to drive. Everything is on the train system. Regarding having a job... I think you can still do "work study" option by working on campus. Additionally, I think the US allows you to work in a limited capacity after your first year, however I am not 100% certain. Ultimately it depends on your preference. One can get a world class university education in either the US or UK.
Answer 4I'm in a similar situation, only in the reverse (American likely headed back to Europe for graduate studies). For undergraduate studies, your Honours Bachelors Degree is more or less the equivalent to our Bachelors Degree. For postgraduate it's a little more complex. We have Masters Degrees then Doctorate Degrees, like you, but I'm unsure how they compare is "value" or "weight" to each other.
Answer 5I would be tempted to agree with Leof, having had the advantage of studying and working both sides of the Atlantic. I feel that British Uni's tend to be more student friendly, however the Americans are very friendly hosts. But we have the better educational history.
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