The Education System United States Of America (USA)
The United States is a federal republic made up of 50 states, one district (the capital) and four territories. The national Department of Education sets guidelines relating to general education policy.
The education system in the United States is very diverse, with major differences in level, content and quality. None of the various phases of education conclude with a standardized final examination. For this reason, the concept of standardized entrance and outcome levels does not exist in the American system. This means that the content of the relevant programme must always be examined to determine how the course will be evaluated.
The American education system is unlike that in many other countries. Though the U.S. Federal government contributes almost 10% to the national education budget, education is primarily the responsibility of state and local government.
Early Childhood Education - Age Newborn to 5 years
DayCare is one form of early childhood education. Day Care refers to early childhood settings that focus their goal on substitute care for children while their parents are absent (i.e.:working or in school). They could involve academic training, or they could involve solely socializing activities. Day Care is not required and is not free; in fact, depending on the setting, it could be quite expensive. Day Care programs usually offer daily programs, for upto 12 hours.Pre-Schools differentiate themselves by equally focusing on harvesting a child's (1) social development, (2) physical development, (3) emotional development, and (4) cognitive development. They commonly follow a set of organization-created teaching standards in shaping curriculum and instructional activities/goals.
Pre-School (also called Pre-K or PK or Pre-Kindergarten) refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins around the age of three in order to prepare for the more didactic and academically intensive kindergarten, the traditional "first" class that school children participate in.
Primary and secondary education in USA
Age 5 years to 18 years: K-12 - U.S. educators frequently use the terms K-12 education to refer to all primary and secondary education, from Kindergarten prior to the first year (or 1st grade) of formal schooling,through secondary graduation (12th Grade).In the United States elementary (primary) education is 6 years, followed by 6 years of secondary education. Exactly how these twelve years (or grades) are divided depends on the state or school district. The most common divisions are 6 plus 3 plus 3 (elementary plus junior high plus high school), 6 plus 2 plus 4 (elementary plus middle school plus high school) and 8 plus 4 (elementary plus high school). Regardless of the division, secondary education begins in the seventh year, i.e. when students start receiving instruction in individual subjects from subject specific teachers.
The basic six-subject curriculum of English, mathematics, science, social studies, visual arts and physical education is supplemented each year with subjects in related disciplines taken at an increasingly higher level and/or in a different specialization within the field. For example, English subjects include creative writing, American or British literature and mass communication; electives include a foreign language, economics or the history of a particular country.
As opposed to the study of mathematics at secondary level in many countries, the American curriculum follows a sequence of specific types of mathematics, each of which is studied 5 hours a week for 1 year. Students begin with algebra 1 in the 8th or 9th grade, and in subsequent years take 1 year of geometry, then either algebra 2 or calculus. Depending on what an individual school offers, students may choose from several additional math courses, such as trigonometry or mathematics analysis.
At the end of the twelfth year, the same diploma is awarded to all students, regardless of the programme completed. This diploma is popularly referred to as the High School Diploma. Each state sets its own minimum requirements for obtaining the High School Diploma, expressed in a minimum number of credits that must be earned in the last 4 years (grades 9-12), distributed across 6 subject areas. The number of credits is around 20, including credits in non-academic subjects such as health and physical education.
Academic Calendar
The academic year runs from September to May/June, and education is compulsory until the age of 16 or 18, depending on the state. The language of education is English.The academic year ise slightly different for each university or college but normally runs from early September to the end of May. It may be divided into two terms of 18 weeks called “semesters.” Alternatively, the university may have “quarters” or “trimesters,” which are about 12 weeks in length. In addition, universities very often provide six to eight week summer terms. These are optional, and students attend if they wish to get through their degree faster, to decrease their course load during the regular terms, or to 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 over Christmastime and a one-week “spring break” sometime between early March and mid-April.
Admission to higher education
The large variations in level and quality among American higher education institutions are also evidenced by the differences in entrance requirements. These requirements are usually characterized by the degree of selectivity applied when admitting students. At the low end of the spectrum are institutions with an ‘open doors admissions policy’, that set little to no selection criteria. Institutions with an open doors policy generally accept all students who apply, provided they have a High School/GED Diploma and are aged over 18.The top of the spectrum contains a relatively small number of very selective institutions that select students according to (among other things) the criteria named earlier: level, programme content and performance during the last 4 years of high school, SATs and other entrance examinations. Active involvement in extra-curricular activities and evidence of leadership qualities also play an important role, as do letters of recommendation and essays.
Higher education degrees
Degree Courses
- American bachelor’s degrees normally take four years to complete; associate degrees take two years.
- The academic year is determined by the individual college but usually includes two terms, or semesters, and runs from September to May.
- 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 sci-ences. 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.
Associate’s degree
Associate’s degree programmes are offered by two-year colleges (junior colleges or community colleges) or four-year colleges or universities, and require 2 years to complete. Most community colleges have an open doors admissions policy, but specific programmes (technical specializations, nursing and most transfer programs) often involve some sort of selection procedure.There are two types of programmes leading to the associate’s degree:
- Predominantly vocationally-oriented programmes that prepare students for immediate employment at a level comparable to that of an MBO diploma (qualification level 4), and
- Transfer programmes, which can be vocational or general in nature, but contain enough liberal arts subjects (such as English, science, social sciences, etc.) to allow students to transfer to the third year of a bachelor’s programme after obtaining their associate's degree.
Bachelor’s degree
Bachelor's degrees are awarded by a four-year college or university at the end of an undergraduate programme lasting 4 years, usually expressed in a minimum number of credits. In most cases the study programme consists of general subjects (liberal arts) and electives (either of these may or may not be related to the major), a major and sometimes a minor. There is usually a progression from a broad base towards increased specialization.At some institutions, fourth-year students must take research methodology and complete a research project or bachelor’s thesis. If an internship is part of the programme, it is generally no longer than a few months. The course is completed as soon as the required number of credits has been reached, with a prescribed division according to level and content. There is no final examination. The name of the degree is followed by an indication of whether it was an arts or science programme: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS).
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 fulltime study.
The first year is called the freshman year; the second is called sophomore; the third, junior; and the fourth, senior. You may have 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. Courses taken in the first two years are known as lower division courses, and courses taken in the final two years are called upper division courses.
Master’s degree
All courses taken after a bachelor’s degree are provided at a graduate school, usually (but not always) at a university. Individual departments determine admissions to graduate programmes. All candidates must have a bachelor’s degree, and there are also some additional requirements, depending on the selectivity of the institution and/or the specialization. These additional requirements can relate to the GPA, prerequisite subjects, entrance examinations, knowledge of a second language, etc.A master’s programme can take between 1 and 3 years, depending on the specialization and the number of credits required. In contrast to bachelor's programmes, master's programmes are very specialized, usually focusing on one discipline. Many interdisciplinary master’s programs are also available, studying one central theme from a variety of disciplines. Students can choose between master’s programmes with an academic or professional focus. A thesis and/or comprehensive examinations are usually required for the more research oriented master’s programmes.
Professional master’s programmes commonly take longer (2/3 years) and the field of study is indicated in the degree, e.g. Master of Business Administration, Master of Social Work, Master of Public Health, Master of Divinity. Graduates of research oriented programmes are usually awarded a Master of Arts (MA) or a Master of Science (MS).
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
PhD programmes are also provided by graduate schools and universities, and consist roughly of the following steps: at least 1 year of instruction, extensive oral and written examinations (qualifying exams), based on which official permission is granted to conduct research, and the writing and public defence of a dissertation.A master’s degree is required for admission to a PhD programme, yet it is not uncommon for the more selective research universities to grant admission to promising students with a bachelor’s degree. In such cases, the entire course takes longer. The duration of PhD programmes depends on various factors,
however, the average length for students with a master’s degree is 5/6 years. Admission is very selective.
Advanced professional degrees
Advanced professional degrees form a separate category. These programmes prepare students for professional careers, mostly in medical sciences and law. The entrance requirement is a bachelor’s degree with a partially prescribed curriculum, such as a pre-medicine or pre-law programme, supplemented with entrance examinations and the selection criteria mentioned above. Admission is very selective.The length of the most common courses varies from 3 years for the Juris Doctor (law) to 4 years for the Doctor of Medicine (MD), the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). In these cases, the term ‘Doctor’ refers to a professional title and is not a PhD.
Grading system in USA
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 system applies to all forms of secondary and higher education, unless otherwise indicated on the transcript (there are many variations as well as more detailed grading systems):
| Numerical grade | Letter grade | Description |
| 4 | A (90-100%) | excellent/superior |
| 3 | B (80-89%) | very good/above average |
| 2 | C (70-79%) | average |
| 1 | D (60-69%) | below average |
| 0 | F (0-59%) | failure |
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Each student completes his or her degree with a grade point average (GPA). A cumulative grade point average is the GPA for all courses taken throughout the degree program. Most universities use a GPA scale of 4.0, but a few universities use a scale of 5.0. To work out your GPA, take the numerical value assigned to the letter grade you achieve for each course (typically 4 points for an “A,” 3 points for a “B,” and so on), then multiply this number by the number of credits each course is worth. Finally, add these numbers together and divide by the total number of credits for all courses. For example:| Letter Grade | Numerical Value | Number of Credits | Total |
| A | 4.0 | 3 | 12 |
| B | 3.0 | 3 | 9 |
| C | 2.0 | 3 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 9 | 27 | |
| 27 divided by 9 = 3.0 GPA | |||
Most universities will also offer some sort of honors degree
To qualify for an honors degree, you must fulfill additional credits or write an honors thesis; precise details depend upon the university and/or academic depart-ment. There may be different levels of honors: summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude, in descending order of distinction.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 each semester earns a specified number (usually three or four) of credits/hours/units.Various credit point systems exist for the quantification of study programmes, all of which are based on the number of contact hours and not on the study load as a whole. The systems most commonly used are described below.
At the high school level, 1 credit represents a subject involving 5 hours of lessons per week for 1 school year (approx. 36 weeks). Sometimes 5 credits are awarded for the same number of hours. For example, if a student takes physics for 5 hours per week over 36 weeks, at the end of the school year he/she will be awarded either 1 or 5 credits, depending on the system used.
In higher education, each credit represents approximately 1 hour in the classroom and 2 hours of preparation.It is important to know whether an institution uses a semester calendar (15-16 weeks) or a quarter calendar (10-12 weeks), as it will affect the study load. This is usually made clear on the transcript, and otherwise in the transcript explanation.
A semester year is divided into fall and spring, and a quarter year into fall, winter and spring. Both calendars contain an optional summer semester/quarter. .
- semester credit = 1 contact hour per week for a period of 15-16 weeks;Usually 120 semester credits are required for a bachelor’s degree (30 per year). 1
- quarter credit = 1 contact hour per week for a period of 10-12 weeks; 180 quarter credits are required for a bachelor’s degree (45 per year).
Education System combining all patterns at the primary and secondary education level and including post-secondary education system.
Pre‐Kindergarten - (Ages 3‐4)
Elementary or Primary Education - (Ages 5‐12)
Secondary Education - (Ages 12‐18)
Post‐Secondary Education - (Ages 18‐22)
Post Baccalaureate - (Ages 22 +)
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