USA (798448), страница 10

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Like schools in Britain and other English-speaking countries, students are encouraged to be creative not only during class time but also in extra-curricular hours. There is usually a very broad range of extracurricular activities available. Most schools, for instance, publish their own student newspapers, and some have their own radio and t.v. stations. Almost all have school orchestras, bands, and choirs, which give public performances. There is theater and drama groups, chess and debating clubs, and, of course, sports. Students can learn flying, diving, and mountain - climbing. They can act as volunteers in hospitals and homes for the aged and do other public-service work.

Often the school-children themselves organize and support school activities and raise money through “car washes”, baby-sitting, bake sales, or by mowing lawns. Parents and local businesses also help the groups to have a chance to go to state championships, or camping trips. Such activities not only give pupils a chance to be together outside of normal classes, they also help develop a feeling of “school spirit” among the students and in the community.

Whichever varieties of school curricula exist all of them have standard examinations at every level of education.

There are two widely used and nationally administered tests for high school students who wish to attend a college or university. One is the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), which attempts to measure results in verbal and mathematical fields through multiple-choice questions marked by computer. The other is the ACT (American College Testing program), which attempts to measure skills in English, mathematics, and the social and natural sciences. Both tests are given at specific dates and locations throughout the U.S.A. Each year, the SAT is taken by over two million high school students. One million of these students are in their last year of high school. Another million are in their next-to-last year. The ACT, is taken every year by millions of high school leavers in the western part of the U.S. With so many different types of high schools and programs, and with so many differences in subjects and standards, these tests provide common, nationwide measuring of knowledge.

Higher Education.

According to American statistics over 41 percent of high school leavers apply to colleges and universities. Every year, about 12 million Americans are enrolled in the over 3,000 colleges and universities of every type: private, state, church-related, small and large. Close to 80 percent of the college students attend state institutions while a little over 20 percent are enrolled in privately supported universities and colleges. Every state in the US maintains at least one institution of university rank. Programs in them are often adapted to serve local needs. State universities provide opportunities of higher education usually at a cost considerably below the cost of education in private institutions and the educational fees are lower in them. Each state has the right to found new public or private institutions of higher education within its borders.

The Types of Higher Educational Institutions:

In the USA there is no clear definition of the term "institution of higher education". The institutions, which provide higher education, do not constitute any coordinate system and are not controlled by any centralized national authority. In principle, any educational institution offering further training after leaving high school, the so-called "post-secondary educational institution” may be referred to as Higher Educational Institution. The only criterion to determine the nature of any U.S. institution may be a qualitative level of it.

Of the nation’s 1,900 institutions of higher learning roughly one-third are state or city institutions. About 1,200 are privately controlled or controlled by religious groups. The others are vocational or junior colleges.

Junior Colleges (The world “college” refers either to an independent institution offering undergraduate education or to a part of a university). These institutions of higher education or so-called “cow” colleges offer only two-year programs. The first program of the “cow” colleges leads to a vocational, professional work (shop work, office work, nurses, mechanics, police, etc.), the other one gives a chance to transfer to a four-year college at the end of two years.

Colleges of Liberal Arts generally offer four year education beyond the secondary school level. Their programs are aimed at providing a broad educational base in history, science, philosophy, languages and culture. Students choose specialization or concentration in one particular field during the third and fourth years of the program.

Specialized Institutions are usually institutions of technology, teacher training colleges, art schools, and other specialized institutions. They emphasize intensive concentration in a specialty as contrasted with the board range of liberal arts colleges. The course of study typically emphasizes technical, scientific, or engineering aspects of knowledge in the field.

A University. An American university consists of a number of schools and colleges (such as College of Arts and Sciences or a College of Engineering, etc.). There are two levels: the undergraduate school and the graduate school grouped together in one educational system. Some of the universities are private; others are run by the state.

Despite the development of a network of state universities, private universities continue to play a very significant role in the formation of scientific and educational potential of the United States.
In the USA there is a group of private leading universities dramatically different in its characteristics from all other universities of the country. They are: University of California-Berkeley, Mitt, Stanford, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Harvard, Cornell, Washington University, University of California - Los Angeles, Columbia, Yale, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Princeton University and California Institute of technology. These universities are the undisputed leaders in education and science of the USA and determine the qualitative contribution of higher education in the development of scientific-technical and economic potential of the country.
Acceptance into university

Acceptance into university is based on a written application, submission of a transcript showing all courses and results in previously-attended educational institutions, evidence that the student satisfactorily completed all requirements at the previously-attended institution, and sometimes an oral interview or written resume. Different schools of higher learning may have different standards of acceptance: some may require excellent grades on the S.A.T., while others may have less strict requirements. In higher education and especially in very prestigious universities The U.S.A has a selective system of admission in higher education and especially in very prestigious universities.

At the undergraduate level universities may have several divisions - colleges of liberal arts, a school of business or engineering or applied science, etc. A student usually enrolls in one undergraduate division, but he may take courses in more than one of these.

Students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshmen is a first year student, a sophomore a second year student, a junior a third year student, and a senior a fourth year student.

Most undergraduate students must take classes in English, Math, History, and science. They choose a major (specialize) in a subject such as business, education, or art in their third year of college or after they have completed half of their course work. In order to receive any degree from the University students must complete a survey course in American History or American Government.

To graduate from a university requires a student to complete requirements of the university, to achieve the minimum allowable grade in the required courses, and to collect the required number of so-called credits. There is wide variation in the requirements depending on the university. In general, universities and colleges require students to fulfill a set of general requirements applicable to all students at the school , as well as fulfilling the specific requirements for their major field of study.

In addition, most universities require a minimum grade-point average before a student is allowed to graduate.

There are four principal types of academic degrees, each representing a different level of academic achievement:

The bachelor’s (baccalaureate) degree is the oldest academic degree used in various forms by almost every institution. A full-time undergraduate degree in universities usually takes four years. Many students study part-time and work, so it may take them much longer time to finish. Some students first take an associate’s degree at “cow” or liberal colleges, where the tuition fees are lower and study two more years at university to complete their bachelor’s degree. Some graduate students receive grants, which cover the cost of their education; a person on such a fellowship is called a university fellow or a grantee.

All students who have graduated and received the bachelor’s degree are classified as graduate students. Their transcript of grades is submitted with all applications to graduate schools.

The most common master’s degree program represents a minimum of 1 year of work beyond the baccalaureate. In certain areas this has been extended to 2 years of required graduate study (e.g. in business administration) or even 3 years (e.g. in fine arts). It may also involve one or all of the following additional requirements: a thesis, a general examination, and mastery of a foreign language. The master’s degree candidate follows a rather specific course of study, usually in a single field and arranged in cooperation with his adviser.

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is one of the more rapidly growing; it is designed to prepare liberal arts graduate for secondary school teaching. Normally neither a language examination nor a thesis is required for MAT, but course in practical teaching is usually incorporated.

The master’s degree program is not, however, considered to be a research degree, but rather preparation for the PhD. Doctoral programs usually consist of at least 3 years of study beyond the baccalaureate.

There are 2 quite distinct types of doctoral programs: the professional degree and the research degree. The first type represents advanced training for the practice of a given profession, such as the Doctor of Medicine, the Doctor of Dental Science, and similar degrees. These degrees do not imply original research.

The research doctorate (PhD) is the highest earned degree in the American graduate school. Candidates usually follow a program of studies concentrated in one of the major fields of knowledge. They are normally required to demonstrate reading proficiency in at least two foreign languages. After a student has satisfactorily completed his course work and met his foreign language requirements, he must take a comprehensive examination to demonstrate a general knowledge of his field. It may be oral or written or both, and is evaluated by a special committee. The final period of predoctoral study is given to the preparation of the dissertation (this may require several years to finish). The prospective doctor of philosophy should defend the conclusions of his dissertation. Consequently, it is frequently the custom to make public announcements of the date and place of the final examination and to permit the attendance of any scholars who may wish to participate.

Some colleges and universities also award honorary degrees as a form of deserved recognition for distinguished public service or for outstanding creative work.

The concept of continuing (or lifelong) education is of great importance to Americans. Every year, over ten percent of all adult Americans further their education through participation in part-time instruction. Some estimate that as many as 45 million adult Americans are currently taking courses in universities, colleges, professional associations, government organizations or even churches and synagogues.

1. Answer the questions.

I. What were the aims of early institutions of higher learning?

2. Did American colleges duplicate their British counterparts in all respects?

3. List the changes that took place in the American system of higher education in the 19^th century?

4. What does the word “school” mean as applied to an American university?

5. When were women first admitted to American universities?

6. Is the USA school education centralized? Is there a unified system of education?

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