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Academic Programs:
The academic programs available in USA include Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree and PhD Degree. A student having 10+2 certificate can start directly to the Bachelor's program with the 4 year degree granting college or through a 2 year Associate Degree as discussed below. The diploma holders can also be considered for admission; however their cases are decided by the respective college/university based on their academic background. A candidate with Bachelor's degree can seek admission to Master's program. In addition to the general qualifications, specific requirements are specified by the concerned universities/ colleges.
Associate Degrees:
A US associate degree is a 2-year degree program. US Community colleges offering associate degree programs are operated by the local government and are financed by public funds. US junior colleges offering associate degree programs are generally privately run. Both are excellent options for those wanting to earn an associate degree. There are tw0 general groups of students that generally pursue and enroll in an associate degree program: (1) students who do not want to pursue a bachelor degree but want to attend a US community college, enroll in an associate degree program, and pursue an associate degree; (2) students who want to pursue a but who want to complete the first two years of their undergraduate education (by enrolling in one of the many associate degree programs) at a US community college and then transfer to a four-year US college for the last two years. The tuition for associate degree programs at US community colleges is typically much less than at a four-year college or university, even a public one. Therefore many students choose to attend a US community college for two years and enroll in one of the many associate degree programs as a way of lowering the cost of getting a bachelor?s degree in the USA. US community colleges offer a great education in the way of associate degree programs at a great price. More and more international students are now becoming aware of the opportunities offered by US community colleges in the way of associate degree programs. Associate degree programs at US community colleges and junior colleges as way to cut costs.
US Junior colleges also offer associate degree programs and are very similar to US community colleges except that some are privately funded and, therefore, are not always as economical.
Bachelor's Degree:
A bachelor degree is the most traditional degree given by US colleges and universities. It normally requires four years. The two most common classes of bachelor degrees awarded by US schools are the Bachelor of Science degree (also called the B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts degree (also called the B.A.). Some schools offer only the B.A. degree, even for science majors (such as a B.A. in biology). Other schools offer both the B.A. and the B.S. A bachelor?s degree is what most students pursue when enrolling in a US university or college. In fact, people with a bachelor?s degree earn substantially more than those who don't. More and more jobs and careers today require applicants to posses one. Some would argue that a bachelor?s degree is the first step to success. At the very least, it helps open doors of opportunity.
All students pursuing a bachelor?s degree must select a major, usually by the end of their second year. Students must complete a required number of courses (or units) within their major in order to graduate with a bachelor degree in that major. They may also be required to complete a number of courses in closely related fields in order to satisfy other requirements.
Master's and PhD Degrees:
The US masters degree is a graduate school degree that typically requires two years of full-time graduate school course work to complete. Unlike students pursuing a bachelor?s degree, students in a master?s degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major). As such, students must have already decided on their major before applying to a master?s degree program.
The US PhD degree or doctoral degree is even more focused and specialized than the master?s degree. Some students will complete a master's degree before applying to a doctorate degree program, but that is not always necessary. Completion of a US doctorate degree typically takes between three and six years. The length of time will depend on the student?s educational background (a student with a master?s degree may take less time to complete his PhD if it is in the same field), the field of study selected, the student's dedication and ability, and the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen for his PhD. The thesis is a very long, extensive, and original research paper that is a requirement for completing the PhD program. (Some master's degree programs also require a thesis, but it is much simpler and shorter than the PhD program thesis.)
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