Colleges and University Colleges in the USA

The terms “college” and “university” are often used interchangeably in the United States. Usually, a college offers a four-year program of study leading toward the Bachelor’s degree. Colleges may be independent, offering only undergraduate programs, or they may be part of a university that offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The four- year program leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree (B. A.) or the Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.). Generally, the B.A. degree is regarded as preparation for further graduate or professional study, while the B.S. degree is regarded as preparation for immediate professional work. In some programs the distinction may be slight.

Within separate university colleges there are departmental divisions, made according to disciplines: Department of Computer Science, Department of Political Science and Economics, Department of Mathematics. Each department is headed by the Chairperson.

One major decision which faces the American student ready to begin higher education is the choice of attending a large university or a small college. The large university provides a wide range of specialized departments as well as numerous courses within such departments. The small college, however, generally provides a limited number of courses but offers a better student/ faculty ratio, thus permitting individualized attention to students. The large university exposes its students to many different cultural, social, and extracurricular programs. The small college provides greater opportunities for direct involvement and individual participation in such activities.

In the United States, public educational institutions receive about 75 % of their funds from local, state and federal sources, but private colleges and universities receive little or no government support. Student financial aid is administered by the university or the sponsoring agency and is provided by private organizations, and the state and federal governments. All financial aid awards are made by the Financial Aid Office of a college or a university and are based on financial need of a student. Student financial aid is awarded in the form of grants (with no repayment), loans (long-term, low interest, with repayment following graduation) and scholarships (with no repayment).

Methods of instruction in US colleges and universities vary with the type of class and the style of the professor teaching it. Professors are allowed a great deal of freedom in conducting classes, and sometimes students need extra help in learning how to study for classes. If a student should fall behind in any of his/ her classes, he/ she is expected to seek help immediately from the professor, teaching assistant or his/her academic advisor.

The most common method of instruction at U.S. colleges and universities is a classroom lecture usually lasting 55-60 minutes. Lecture classes are usually large, while seminar classes are much smaller and involve more participation and presentation based on independent reading or research in the library.

In many courses, lectures are followed by discussion at seminar classes. If class discussion is encouraged, it is important to contribute to it. In many cases the student’s grade will be partly determined by his/ her participation in class discussion.

American colleges and universities operate on three main types of calendars that divide the year into terms: the semester, trimester, and quarter systems. The academic year is approximately nine months long, no matter how it is divided.

The semester system divides this period of nine months in half, resulting in fall and spring semesters. It is used by 69 % of US colleges and universities. Schools that use the trimester and quarter systems divide the same nine months into three-month terms. The summer term is the forth quarter in the quarter system, and enrollment in classes is optional.

There are usually two examination periods in each term, one in the middle and one again at the end. Holiday schedules vary with each school, but there are usually a number of short holidays in each term, a longer break in December and January, and a weeklong vacation period in the early spring.

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