The U.S. higher education system includes colleges and universities, both private and public. According to international rankings, most of them are among the best educational institutions in the world. It is worth replacing that, unlike the European education system, in America there is no qualitative difference between a college and a university. For example, even Harvard, first in the 2016 rankings, is actually divided into schools, colleges, and institutes. The only difference is that colleges only offer undergraduate programs, while universities and institutes provide opportunities to do research and pursue an academic career in graduate school (1-2 years), graduate school (3 to 6 years) and postdoctoral research. If the student’s specialization is in medicine, law, or theology, the study pattern is somewhat different: after completing the bachelor’s program, the student may enroll in a higher professional school. These schools are attached to major universities, and they offer a 3-year course of study.
Technical institutes and community colleges are part of vocational education, but they can serve as the first level of higher education if the student transfers to a university for a bachelor’s degree after completing a bachelor’s program. As a rule, the transfer takes place in the second or third year.
The U.S. higher education system is even more liberal than schools. Most universities do not place students in a specific department, but simply admit students to the university. However, applicants are more likely to choose the institution that is strongest in the area they plan to study. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is famous for developments in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, but, if plans change, there you can study history, and theater, and literature. This is due to the fact that during the first two years a student can take almost any course offered within the walls of the institution. The only requirement is a sufficient number of credits, which a student earns for successfully completed courses. In the third year you need to decide on your specialization and choose a major – the main area of professional interest. It is in this field that the student will receive his or her diploma. However, because students are free to design their own curriculum, it is possible to major in some of the rarest fields at the intersection of different professions in the U.S.
The democratic nature of the curriculum, however, requires a fairly disciplined attitude toward study, including class attendance and on-time submission of all tests and research papers. The latter is paid special attention in the system of higher education in the United States: in addition to the lectures and seminars that Russians are accustomed to, students in American universities have a lot of time to spend on research or projects. Often they are carried out not individually, but by a group of students: in the United States they believe that education can be structured not only according to the “teacher-student” principle, but also “student-student”. Also such work develops the ability to work in a team, which is highly valued not only in the academic environment, but also later by employers.
Finally, not the least factor that has made the American system of higher education so revered around the world is the financial and material support. Not only does it maintain excellent facilities, but it also maintains a staff of really strong professors, who often come to the U.S. from other countries.
Together, strong academic training, the ability to choose courses based on one’s own professional plans, and a focus on the real sectors of the economy keep the U.S. higher education system the strongest in the world.