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Understanding the American education system
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Module 3. Higher Education in the USA
Think about it:
Scan the text about American system of higher education and find sentences which contain key information. Name the most specific feature of American education system.
UNDERSTANDING THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
US higher education borrows its structure from both the British undergraduate college and German research university, but its character is profoundly influenced by three major philosophical beliefs that shape American public life. Informed by the Jeffersonian ideals of limited government and freedom of expression, states, religious communities, and individuals established and maintain a range of higher education institutions and continue to protect these institutions from the levels of government control seen in most other countries. The second set of influences is capitalism and the belief in the rationality of markets. American colleges and universities vie for students, faculty, and funding under the assumption that diversity and high quality are best achieved through competition rather than centralized planning. The final major philosophical influence on American higher education is a widespread commitment to equal opportunity and social mobility. Higher education was an elite activity for much of its history, excluding individuals based on gender, religion, race/ethnicity, and social class. However, during the 20th century, economic and social changes transformed higher education into a primary gateway to the middle-class, and women and minorities made inroads against longstanding exclusion from mainstream higher education. Americans came to view broad access to higher education as a necessary component of the nation’s ideal as a “land of opportunity.” Higher education responded by broadening access. Indeed, the one uniquely American type of institution - the community college - was founded in the 20th century to ensure open access to higher education for individuals of all ages, preparation levels, and incomes. Guided by these beliefs, U.S. higher education reflects essential elements of the American character: independence, suspicion of government, ambition, inclusiveness, and competitiveness.
Higher education in the United States includes educational programs which usually require for admission 12 years of elementary and secondary schooling. It is carried on under a number of forms. The most common type of higher education is the college. Colleges in the USA differ greatly in size – they may include from 100 students to 5000 and more.
The U.S. Department of Education counts 6,500 postsecondary institutions that participate in its student financial aid programs, including 4,200 colleges and universities that award degrees and 2,300 institutions that award vocational certificates. In addition, an untold number of other institutions offer post-secondary instruction of some type but do not choose to participate in the federal student aid programs and therefore are not counted by the federal government.
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Degree-granting institutions are typically divided into four major groups, and a considerable amount of diversity exists within each group:
1. America’s 1,100 public two-year institutions, or community colleges [1], enroll the largest share of undergraduates. These institutions award associate degrees in vocational fields, prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions, and serve their communities by providing a wide array of educational services. These services range from specialized training for large employers, to English language instruction for recent immigrants, to recreational courses. The course of study in a community college lasts two years. Community colleges usually award their students with a two-year undergraduate associate degree[2]. Some associate’s degrees are typically used as transfer degrees, meaning that after completing the two-year degree, the student would transfer their credits towards a four-year bachelor’s degree. Other associate’s degrees are career-oriented and “terminal,” meaning they train a student to pursue a certain career. Community colleges may give courses in the regular academic subjects or subjects like dental technology, sewing and other non-academic subjects.
2. There are only 630 public four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Four-year colleges require for admission graduation from a standard secondary school; their four-year curriculum leads to the bachelor's degree in arts and sciences. The American college is known by various titles such as the college of liberal arts, the college of arts and sciences, the college of literature, science and arts. The college may be the central unit around which the university is organized, or it may be a separate corporate entity, independent from the University. In contrast to universities, colleges don’t have graduate or professional programs.
The university in the United States is an educational institution comprising a college of liberal arts and sciences, a professional school leading to a professional degree and a graduate college (school). A graduate college provides programs for study and research beyond the levels of the bachelor's and first professional degree. Most graduate and professional schools are affiliated with the major universities. The term “graduate school” refers to advanced study in academic areas leading to a “masters” degree (M.A. or M.S.) and perhaps later to a “Doctor's” degree (a Ph.D. or Doctorate). Most college professors of any stature have doctorates. In addition to coursework in their specialty, doctoral candidates have to write an extensive research thesis. Ph.D.'s are called “Dr.” instead of “Mr. or Ms.” Law school study runs for three years and ends with the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.). A lawyer takes a state bar examination and is then allowed to practice law in the state. Medical school takes four years, followed by a four year internship and residence requirement. Many doctors then take examinations in specialized areas in which they become “board certified” by the governing board of their particular state. Graduate business schools offer the highly regarded Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Unlike law and medicine, there is no post-degree certification or licensing process for businesspeople. Other professional schools exist in fields like engineering, architecture, dentistry, veterinary (animal) medicine, and accounting.
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There are regional comprehensive universities that concentrate on undergraduate teaching and graduate preparation in professional fields such as teaching and business, as well as research universities that offer a comprehensive set of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. Among the top universities in the USA are: Harvard University, Yale University, The University of Chicago, Princeton University, Columbia University and others. Students who have graduated from a university are called alumni.
3.Private not-for-profit institutions are extremely diverse, including research universities, four-year liberal arts colleges that focus on undergraduate teaching, a small number of two-year institutions, faith-based institutions that maintain strong links with religious denominations, women’s colleges, historically black colleges and universities, and specialized institutions that focus on a single field, such as nursing or fine arts. This sector includes junior colleges which refer to the same type of education as community colleges: junior college typically refers to a private institution and community college to a public one.
3.2.Find the English equivalents for:
Исследовательский университет; образовательная программа; заимствовать структуру; требовать при поступлении; философские воззрения; начальное и среднее образование; определять жизненный уклад общества; окончание средней школы; программа; приводить к ч-л; степень бакалавра гуманитарных и технических наук; неправительственные учебные заведения; отдельная составная единица; иметь программы, ведущие к степени выше бакалавра или профессиональной степени; учебный курс; приводить к получению степени; неакадемический предмет; иметь диплом об окончании средней школы; образовательное учреждение; включать ч-л (в состав); колледж свободных искусств и наук; профессиональная степень; аспирантура; предоставлять программу обучения и исследований; выше уровня ч-л; давать образование; быть включенным в университет; быть независимым от университета; давать подготовку в профессиональной области; учебное заведение, присваивающее степень.
3.3.Give Russian equivalents for:
Regional comprehensive universities; graduate preparation in professional fields; a comprehensive set of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs; a separate corporate entity, independent from the University; alumni; faith-based institutions; specialized institutions that focus on a single field; the regular academic subjects; English language instruction for recent immigrants; a widespread commitment; an elite activity; award associate degrees in vocational fields; vocational fields; junior college; the scale of academic achievement; alumnus.
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