University and Higher Degrees in the USA
An academic degree is a title conferred upon an individual by college or university trustees and faculty that officially recognizes completion of a prescribed academic curriculum undertaken at the undergraduate or graduate academic level.
The bachelor of arts (B. A.) degree is typically conferred by institutions of higher learning that are designated as four-year colleges, many of which are part of universities. In general, completion of a B.A. degree requires that the student successfully complete course work and fulfill elective requirements through personally chosen course work. Most bachelor’s degree programs require that the undergraduate student complete at least 120 credits to graduate.
According to the US Department of Education as for graduate education, it falls into the following categories: master’s degree education, intermediate graduate awards and post-baccalaureate certificates, professional degree education, research doctoral degree education and postdoctoral training.
The Master’s degree
Graduate degrees vary, but the most commonly completed graduate degree is the master’s degree. The master’s degree is awarded upon completion of one to two years of advanced graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree, depending on the field of study and conferring institution. It recognizes heightened expertise in an academic discipline or professional field of study, gained through intensive course work; the preparation of a culminating project or scholarly paper or thesis; or successful completion of a comprehensive examination which tests students on foundational knowledge in the field of study.
A significant number of programs offer students the option of completing a final master’s project or paper as an alternative to a scholarly thesis. These projects or papers typically focus on applied problems, issues relevant to the world of professional practice. As a result the master’s degree has evolved into a pragmatic degree, combining theoretical, academic, and practical foci with the goal of preparing the graduate student for advanced practice and positions of leadership in the field of specialization. Such programs are growing in popularity and availability throughout the nation. The appeal of these programs lies in their ability to offer well-grounded training to students, and to do so in a relatively short time. In sum, master’s degrees can be separated into two types: the research master’s degree and the professional master’s degree.
The primary goal of these degrees is to provide graduate students with advanced post-baccalaureate training, preparing them for advanced doctoral study in a particular field. Although typically these degrees are required for admission into doctoral degree programs in the field of study, there is a growing trend toward offering admission to doctoral programs to students who lack a master’s degree, awarding the master’s degree to these students en route toward the doctoral degree.
The research doctorate is the highest academic degree conferred upon an individual in the US system of graduate education. Course work and examinations play important roles in the first stages of a research doctoral degree program of study. However, what distinguishes this degree from all others (in particular, from first professional doctoral degrees) is its recognition of the recipient’s proven ability to conduct independent research at a professional level in either an academic or professional discipline. This independent research, typically presented in the form of a thesis, dissertation, or other major culminating project, must pass the review of a committee of scholars from both within and outside the field of study. Because of the comprehensive nature of this independent research and because it must be deemed to represent an important contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of study, research doctoral degrees take an average seven years to complete. In some cases, the doctoral candidate must also complete a supervised internship.
The most commonly known research doctoral degree is the doctor of philosophy (PhD). However, there are a number of other doctoral degrees that enjoy the same status and represent variants of the PhD within certain fields. Examples are the doctor of education (EdD), the doctor of dental science (DScS) and the doctor of architecture (DArch). The doctor of science (DSc), more commonly conferred in England, the British Commonwealth countries, and Russia, is considered to be a higher degree than the doctor of philosophy (PhD) with regard to maturity and scientific accomplishment.
Postdoctoral Education
Many persons who have earned PhD’s or similar degrees enroll in postdoctoral training programs or internships. These occur most often in the allied health and medical sciences, the counseling professions, and the physical and natural sciences. Lasting one or more years, these programs do not usually confer a degree, but they are often considered necessary for those hoping to launch a professional or academic career in a given field of study.
Honorary Degrees
Honorary degrees are awarded by institutions of higher education primarily in recognition of some significant achievement rather than the completion of an academic course of study. For this reason, honorary degrees are not generally considered comparable to their academic counterparts.
Select the word from the topic related vocabulary that best
completes each of the sentences below:
1. The requirements for an MA or PhD degree usually include the preparation of …
2. An examiner who is invited from another university in order to be present at the final examination and to ensure objectivity is called …
3. A student who has already obtained a first degree and is studying for a higher degree is called …
4. The examination held at the end of a three or four year university or college degree course is called …
5. Master’s degrees are classified into categories of …
6. The degree obtained at the end of a more general course is usually called either … or …
7. The degree obtained at the end of a specialized course in a single subject is usually called …
8. The main undergraduate qualification is the first degree such as …
9. The most common types of research postgraduate masters are …
10. The MAs awarded by Oxford and Cambridge are colloquially known as …
Maria Brown tells us about her educational background. Complete each sentence with one of the words or phrases from the box below. Then speak on your own educational background. You may use Maria’s as a model.
| apply | graduated | grant | higher degree |
| honours degree | job | option | PhD |
| place | primary school | scholarship | secondary school |
| stay on | study | subject | thesis |
1. I started at … in London when I was 5.
2. At the age of 11, I went on to …, also in London.
3. At 18, I … to university.
4. I got a … at Manchester to … Engineering.
5. In fact I was awarded a … .
6. But at the end of the first year I changed to another …
7. I … from University in 2003.
8. I have a first class … in Economics.
9. I decided to … at university.
10. So I did a … in business administration at the University of California.
11. During the course, I did an … on small business development.
12. I found the topic so interesting that I applied for a … to do a doctorate on the same subject.
13. Once I had got the money, I had to write a 50,000 word …
14. So now I have a BA, an MBA and a …
15. All I need now is a …
Progress questions.
1. What is an academic degree?
2. What categories does British/American graduate education fall into?
3. Who is the Bachelor’s degree conferred to?
4. When is the Master’s degree awarded? What does it recognize?
5. What is the research doctorate? What characteristic feature distinguishes this degree from all others?
6. What is the most commonly known research doctoral degree? Do other variants of the PhD enjoy the same status?
7. In what cases are honorary degrees awarded?
8. What is a “fellowship”?
9. What do various levels of academic degrees designate?
10. What are the differences and similarities between the systems of post-graduate study in the U.K., in the USA and in Belarus?
11. What reasons have made you take up further study, do research?
12. What new experience and knowledge do you hope to gain from the post-graduate study?
Now let us discuss the educational policy in the Republic
of Belarus.
Belarus: Education in the 21st Century
Many countries consider education a major vehicle of social advancement. Training of highly qualified specialists, capable of solving the most complex problems of modern society is the main priority of higher education. The efforts of our scientists have always been focused on the fundamental problems of humanities, natural and social sciences.
At the end of the century the system of higher and further education in Belarus underwent a process of great reforms. They were initiated to provide closer links between education and technological needs of industry. The major significance of the reforms was to move toward the democratization of university administration and the “humanitarization” of the educational process in terms of students’ individual aptitudes and needs.
A distinguishing feature of our universities is that they are becoming internationally oriented. We have joined the European Cultural Convention which enables us to participate in all projects concerning higher and further education, academic mobility and recognition of qualification. The universities also expand their cooperation with such authoritative international organizations as UNESCO and the Council of Europe.
The need to make education more democratic and universal arises from the fact that our country is integrating into the European community. Issues such as environment, exchanges rate and economic competition, public health, national security, poverty, population control and human rights affect every country domestically as well as internationally.
The characteristic feature and the main trend in modern higher and further education is not only to check students’ knowledge but develop their abilities and creative thinking. Today’s scientific and technological progress demands of the university graduates to be prepared to deepen their knowledge individually and adapt themselves quickly to the changes in science or industry.
Much has already been done and is being done to transform the national system of education. A wide range of non-state schools, colleges and institutes have been introduced.
Of course, university education in Belarus still faces a great variety of problems, connected with introduction of new disciplines, retraining of the faculty, reorienting university policies and programs towards new goals. But if we want to prosper in the new environment of the 21st century, our universities must truly orient themselves around new goals.
Plan your discussion.
1. The role of education in modern society.
2. Reforms of higher and further education in the Republic of Belarus.
3. The main trends in the native higher and further education.
The Belarusian State University is one of the leading educational institutions in the Republic of Belarus. It ranks high among European Universities. Further there follows information about research activities at the BSU.