Overview of the American Education System. (Американская система образования: краткий обзор).

Primary school

American children start school at the age of five years. The first year at school is called kindergarten. It is required of all American children enrolled in the American education system. The second year at school is considered the first year of primary school and is referred to as first grade. In America, the word grade has two meanings: (1) the score achieved on an exam or in a course, and (2) a year of education in primary or secondary school. Primary school most commonly consists of five years of education, referred to as first through fifth grades.

Secondary school

Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), American children enrolled in the American education system advance to secondary school. Secondary school most commonly consists of a total of seven years, referred to as sixth through twelfth grades. The ninth through twelfth grades are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth grade, American students are awarded a certificate called the high school diploma. In the American education system, students must have obtained a high school diploma before they are admitted into college or university. Foreign students who would like to attend an American college or university must have completed coursework that is equivalent to what is taught at an American high school. Foreign students, who would like to attend an American high school, need to consider how the high school they select will give them access to the best colleges.

Undergraduate school

Students who have completed high school and would like to attend college or university must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate (кандидат в бакалавры (младший специалист) В некоторых университетах и колледжах низшей ступени [junior college] - лицо, прослушавшее неполный курс, обычно двухгодичную программу из четырехгодичного курса, требуемого для получения степени бакалавра [bachelor's degree]) degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelor’s degree (бакалавр Степень, которая присваивается после окончания четырехгодичного курса колледжа или университета)) in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major (специализация Основной предмет, в котором специализируется студент в колледже или университете, выбирается на четвертом курсе (году обучения), непосредственно перед получением степени бакалавра. В высших учебных заведениях США предлагается свыше 1000 специальностей). While most schools that offer a four-year degree will admit students who have not yet chosen a major, all students are required to select (or declare) a major by their second year at school. Students who complete an associate degree can continue their education at a four-year school and eventually complete a bachelor’s degree.

Graduate school

Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing one of two types of degrees. The first is a master’s degree ((ученая) степень магистра Ученая степень, промежуточная между бакалавром и доктором, присваивается после 1-2 лет учебы в магистратуре). This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students are sometimes admitted to a master’s degree program only if they have a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field. However, there are many exceptions to this, such as with students who want to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree (деловое администрирование обр. программа университета или колледжа, предназначенная для подготовки менеджеров (как правило, высшего управленческого звена)). Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree (докторская степень), also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the student, and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree. It is always required of students pursuing a PhD, and may sometimes be required of students pursuing a master’s degree (depending on the school).

Certain courses of study are only available at the graduate school level in America. The most notable of these are law, dentistry (профессия зубного врача), and medicine. Students who want to pursue a degree in one of these fields must first obtain a bachelor’s degree.

What is a bachelor’s degree?

A bachelor’s degree is the traditional degree given by American undergraduate colleges and universities. It normally requires at least four years but not more than five years of full-time college-level coursework. The two most common classes of bachelor’s degrees awarded by US schools are the Bachelor of Science degree (also called the B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts degree (also called the B.A.). Some schools offer only the B.A. degree, even for science majors (such as a B.A. in biology). Other schools offer both the B.A. and the B.S. Bachelor degrees are what most students pursue when enrolling in a US university or college. People with a bachelor’s degree earn substantially more than those who don't. More and more jobs and careers today require applicants to posses an accredited (аккредитованный, общепринятый) bachelor degree. Some would argue that a bachelor degree is the first step to success.

All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must select a major, usually by the end of their second year. Students must complete a required number of courses (or units (Часть учебного курса, которую необходимо изучить для получения зачета [credit]. Обычно измеряется количеством часов аудиторной и лабораторной работы.)) within their major in order to graduate with a bachelor degree in that major. They may also be required to complete a number of courses in closely related fields in order to satisfy bachelor degree requirements. For example, a student who is majoring in chemistry will not only have to complete chemistry courses, but also mathematics, biology, and physics courses in order to graduate with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. In addition to the requirements for the major, students must also complete a series of courses outside of their major. These requirements will apply to all students attending the college, regardless of major. For example, all students may be required to complete courses in writing, foreign language, communications, and American history. There are various types of schools that offer bachelor’s degree programs.

Masters Degree Programs and PhD Programs

A college graduate with a bachelor’s degree may find that degree to be insufficient for the type of profession he would like to have. It may often be necessary to pursue an advanced degree, such as a US master’s degree or US doctorate (also knows as PhD) degree, to advance your career. For example, a US master’s degree may be necessary if you are seeking a position as an economist with your local government, or you may need a PhD degree to teach at a university in your country. In addition, some disciplines are taught only at the graduate school program level in the USA. Among these are law, medicine, and dentistry, both of which are doctoral programs.

Not all USA colleges and universities offer USA master’s degree programs. Even fewer offer US PhD degree programs. Also, the number of majors offered at the graduate level by a graduate school will usually be much smaller than the number of majors at the undergraduate level. Occasionally, a school will only offer a major at the graduate program level. For example, Stanford University offers a USA master’s degree in business administration, but offers no undergraduate business degree program.

The US master’s degree is a graduate school degree that typically requires two years of full-time graduate school coursework to complete. Unlike students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, students in a master’s degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major). As such, students must have already decided on their major before applying to a master’s degree program.

The US PhD degree or doctoral degree is even more focused and specialized than the master’s degree. Some students will complete a master’s degree before applying to a doctorate degree program, but that is not always necessary. Completion of a US doctorate degree typically takes between three and six years. The length of time will depend on the student’s educational background (a student with a master’s degree may take less time to complete his PhD if it is in the same field), the field of study selected, the student’s dedication and ability, and the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen for his PhD. The thesis is a very long, extensive, and original research paper that is a requirement for completing the PhD program. (Some master’s degree programs also require a thesis, but it is much simpler and shorter than the PhD program thesis.)

http://www.usastudyguide.com/overview.htm