USA Education System

Structure of Education in USA

The structure of Education system in USA is as follows:

Undergraduate Programs i.e. Bachelor’s Degree:

Under graduate program or Bachelor’s Degree is the first step for post-secondary education in USA that starts basically after primary and secondary schooling of 12 years. Bachelor’s Degree includes minimum 4 years of education and finally gets a bachelor’s degree.

There are two-year programs which earn an Associate degree. A student having an associate degree needs to study further for a minimum of 2 years in order to achieve bachelor’s degree. In some cases an accelerated US education Program can be finished in 3 years, while some professional fields are completed in 5 years.

First year students are called freshmen, Second years are called sophomores, third years are called juniors while the forth or last year students are termed as seniors. The decision of taking a major’s is essential only after the completion of second year or sophomore year. In USA, deciding the majors is termed as 'Declaring a Major'

Graduate Programs i.e. Master’s Degree:

In USA, after achieving the Bachelor’s Degree the further degree which can be earned is called as “Graduate study”.

In USA a candidate who has lucratively completed his 4 years of Undergraduate Program is qualified to apply for the Master's Degree. Traditionally, three year degree i.e. BA, B.Sc, B.com holders especially from India have to complete an additional year of degree program for being eligible for taking a Graduate Study in USA. The student adviser appointed will decide which additional course is best for the students. There are also registered agencies available that assess the subjects studied in India with the courses corresponding in USA and finally issue a certificate.

Doctoral Degree or Research
Doctoral Degree is the higher education program awarding the degree in research oriented disciplines. Usually it requires 5 to 6 years of full-time studies apart from Bachelor’s Degree for the preparation for the university level of teaching and researching. Indian students can apply for Doctoral Degree after completing their Master’s Degree.

Non-Degree Option:

For those who wants something different from their standard degree program or want practical skills or professional contacts that are more than an educational bona fides. Possibly such students opt for an experience of “real world” that allows them to move away from the environment of a university. Moreover they are interested in academic studies but are not sure regarding their articulateness in English language, or about the requirements of the degree program regarding the time and financial commitments. USA offers many choices for the non-degree option which are stated as below: