What Are The Types of American Universities And Degrees

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There are four types of degrees awarded in the United States: associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral degree. The first two are awarded at the undergraduate level, and the latter two are awarded at the graduate level.

According to the nature of the degree, there are two types: academic (research) degree and professional (speciality) degree. In addition, American universities also award honorary degrees, which do not reflect academic achievements but are recognition of those who have made outstanding contributions to society.　　

There are different levels of institutions in the United States, and the level of degrees offered is also very inconsistent. According to the school, it is divided into the following categories: 　　

The first category: Doctorate granting Universities　　
This type of school is called a comprehensive research university, which offers Bachelor, Master, Doctor and other degrees. It occupies a prominent position in the American higher education system and is divided into private and public. Take Duke University, for example.　　

Such universities have powerful business schools, law schools, medical schools, engineering schools, liberal arts schools, etc. in the United States, with a complete range of majors, as many as dozens of departments, hundreds of majors, and hundreds of professional research projects.　　

This type of school represents the top research level of American universities and has received a large amount of research funding from the US federal government research institutions, which can reach hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. There are many opportunities for graduate students to win prizes.

The second category: Master Granting Universities　　
Most of these schools are regional universities, offering associate degrees, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. The master’s degree focuses on vocational education and is more practical to find a job after graduation. The application competition is not very fierce and it is easier to be admitted; professors do The task of research is not heavy, focusing on teaching; teaching in small classes; tuition is relatively cheap.　　

According to the US. News 2017 regional university rankings, the number one ranking is Providence College (Providence College).

The third category: Liberal Arts Colleges College of Arts and Sciences　　
The College of Liberal Arts and Science mainly provides a bachelor’s degree, and a few colleges of philology provide master’s degree. The teaching is mainly in the arts and sciences to cultivate elites of the nobility.　　

The College of Arts and Sciences has well retained the essence of American traditional undergraduate education, cultivated the concept of whole-person, and emphasized comprehensive education.　　

Different from comprehensive universities, students can get more attention from professors; professors focus on teaching; the number of students is small, with thousands of students. The close relationship between teachers and students and alumni is conducive to building a good network Basic; mostly in beautiful places far away from big cities, campus facilities are good and safe, which is conducive to learning; relatively speaking, more undergraduates get scholarships; tuition is more expensive; teaching quality is high, and a large number of industry leaders have been trained Talent.　

The fourth category: Community College
Community colleges mainly provide associate degrees, and few schools offer bachelor degrees. Community colleges originated after World War II. The US government appeased veterans, opened colleges in various communities, and maintained operations by taxes in various regions.　　

Community colleges provide two types of courses, one is general education courses, which are transferred to a four-year university after graduation; the other is technical courses, which are directly employed after graduation. Some people say it is equivalent to a Chinese speciality, which is very similar to the latter’s perspective but is different from the former’s perspective. The recognition of undergraduate education in China is much lower than that of full-time undergraduates. The degree obtained when graduating from a community college to a four-year university is the same as that of a four-year undergraduate student. Therefore, community colleges have also become some students. A “springboard” to enter a prestigious American school.　　

Community colleges also have some characteristics: complete transfer guidance and study plans; good undergraduate basic education courses; low tuition fees; many admission opportunities and easy admission; English language courses (ESL) are provided.

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