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Step 1. Read the information below about advanced degree programs in the UK and the USA. It will give you the idea of some general requirements for such programs.
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SKILLS
Step 1. Read the information below about advanced degree programs in the UK and the USA. It will give you the idea of some general requirements for such programs.
Step. 2. Browse the following web sites:
http: //www. masterstudies. com/
http: //www. findamasters. com
http: //studylink. co. uk/
Choose one of the master’s programs that match your professional interests.
Step 3. Using the official website of the college which runs the selected program, prepare a short presentation of five to seven minutes about the program. Use the following plan:
· Name of the program and the university/ college it runs (give reasons for your preference)
· Program description
· Duration and price
· Admission process
· Curriculum
Postgraduate programs in the UK [30]
The wide range of UK postgraduate courses on offer gives students great flexibility. They can start by enrolling on a postgraduate diploma course (PG Dip), then transfer to a master's degree, or begin by taking an MRes (master of research), which could lead on to a PhD. The decision is always theirs.
If a student’s qualifications or English language skills do not quite match the standard required for a UK master's degree, he/ she may need to take a pre-master's course. It can last from one term to a complete academic year and cover academic study, cultural instruction and language training.
Full-time postgraduate courses in the UK vary from one year to four years, depending on the type of course a student chooses. Postgraduate certificates and diplomas (PG Cert/Dip) are one-year taught postgraduate courses that don't usually involve research. They are often accepted as professional qualifications. Taught master's courses (MA, MSc, etc. ) generally last for one year and consist of two elements. Students should complete a number of modules (attending lectures and seminars, writing essays and taking examinations) and produce a dissertation from original research. On a master's degree by research (MRes, MPhil) in the UK, students typically do not attend lectures; instead they devote the entire year to research. The final mark will be determined by the quality of a submitted dissertation.
A PhD, also known as a doctorate, takes three to four years to complete, during which time students work on a single research project. In their final year, they should present a dissertation of approximately 100, 000 words.
Whatever UK postgraduate course you study, most of the work you do will be on your own initiative, which really develops your thinking and research skills. On taught courses, postgraduate tutors and lecturers provide the framework of the course, but students are encouraged to pursue their own interests. Within postgraduate research programs, the principal teaching method is original research, completed under academic supervision.
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Postgraduate programs in the US [31]
The M. A. and other professional Master’s degrees require a minimum of one academic year. More often 18 months or two years are needed. Although requirements for advanced degrees vary far more than for the Bachelor’s degree, some number of course credits are always required. The Master’s degree will usually require a minimum of about 30 credits up to a maximum of 60 credits, and an average grade of “B. ”
The Doctorate Degree covers many fields of specialization and requires a minimum of two to four years of study after the Master’s degree. Most graduate schools do not require that a student fulfill the specific requirements for the Master’s degree before becoming a candidate for the Doctor’s degree, although many students find it desirable to do so. Doctorates in Education, Science and Law are sometimes labeled Ed. D., Sc. D., Jur. D., but most doctorates are known as Ph. D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees.
To obtain a Ph. D. degree or other doctorate the university generally requires that a student:
· Earn a certain number of credits in a required distribution of courses.
· Maintain an average grade of B.
· Pass a qualifying comprehensive examination after completion of the required courses.
· Pass examinations in one or more foreign languages.
· Present and defend a thesis which is the result of original research.
· Pass an oral examination.
Students wishing to take courses without enrolling for a degree may apply to register as “special students”. Non-degree students do not have access to all the facilities that degree students are able to use, such as limited access to library and computer facilities, and often there is a limitation on the number of credits they can take.
American degrees, both undergraduate and graduate, are earned on the basis of the number of courses successfully taken. Each course earns “credits” or “units”, which are known as credit hours. The number of credits earned by each course relates to the number of hours of classroom work involved, but does not necessarily correspond exactly. For instance, a course meeting three times a week for an hour (actually 50 minutes) each time may be expected to give a student three hours credit for the semester or term. On the other hand, an intensive seminar may meet once a week for two hours and also be a three-credit course. The graduate student program, known as an “academic load”, is normally 9-12 units.
Students are graded on course work completed, and most colleges and universities use letter grades as follows: A (= 4. 0) being excellent or outstanding; B (= 3. 0) means above average; C (= 2. 0), average; D (= 1. 0), below average; and F, failing. Some schools may also use the “Pass/Fail” grading system in which there are only two possible grades. The student either passes and receives credit for the course or fails and receives no credit. Many schools combine both the “Pass/Fail Option” with the conventional grading system. In this case, a student may take a certain number of courses for a Pass or Fail grade, and his other courses using the conventional A – F grading system.
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