Higher Education in Great Britain

Higher Education

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

academic[ˌækə'demɪk]академический academic year учебный год accomodation [əˌkɔmə'deɪʃ(ə)n]жилье activity[æk'tɪvətɪ]деятельность admission [əd'miʃ(ə)n] прием admit[əd'mɪt] принимать advice [əd'vaɪs] совет advise [əd'vaɪz] советовать apply [ə'plaɪ] (to) обращаться с просьбой о приеме appoint [ə'pɔɪnt] назначать approach [ə'prəuʧ] подход chancellor ['ʧɑːn(t)s(ə)lə] канцлер complete [kəm'pliːt] завершать education by correspondence заочное обучение council ['kauns(ə)l] совет course[kɔːs] курс (учебный) curriculum [kə'rɪkjələm]учебный план extra-curricular внеаудиторный degree [di'gri:] ученая степень, звание Bachelor’s ['bæʧ(ə)lə] degree степень бакалавра Master’s ['mɑːstəz] degree степень магистра Doctor’s ['doktəz] degree степень доктора наук diploma [dɪ'pləumə] диплом education[ˌeʤu'keɪʃ(ə)n], образование higher education высшее образование secondary education среднее образование scientist ['saɪəntɪst] ученый qualification [ˌkwɔlɪfɪ'keɪʃ(ə)n] квалификация

to enter ['entə] the University поступить в университет exam [ɪg'zæm] (examination) экзамен to take exams сдавать экзамены to pass exams выдержать экзамены faculty ['fæk(ə)ltɪ] факультет fail [feɪl] потерпеть неудачу graduate ['grædjuɪt ] выпускник graduate (from) заканчивать (вуз) grant [gra:nt] стипендия the humanities [hjuː'mænətɪ] гуманитарные науки vocational[və'keɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l] профессиональный lecture ['lekʧə] лекция lecturer ['lekʧ(ə)rə] лектор obtain [əb'teɪn] получать philosophy [fɪ'lɔsəfɪ] философия postgraduate [ˌpəust'græʤuət] аспирант private ['praɪvɪt] частный provide [prə'vaɪd]обеспечивать recreation [ˌrɪekrɪ'eɪʃ(ə)n] отдых research [rɪ'sɜːʧ] научно-исследовательская работа responsible [rɪ'spɔn(t)səbl] (for) ответственный (за) entry requirement ['entrɪ rɪ'kwaɪəmənt] требования к поступающим continuous assessment [kən'tɪnjuəs ə'sesmənt] текущая успеваемость

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Higher Education in Great Britain

Higher education of Great Britain comprises a considerable amount of past-school education, including part-time as well as full-time studies carried on in technical colleges, teacher training colleges, art colleges, institutes of adult education and so on.

Higher education, consisting of degree and equivalent courses, has experienced a dramatic expansion. The number of higher education students in Britain almost doubled between 1979 and 2009 to 1.6 million, so that today around 30 percent of young people enter full-time higher education.

There are some 90 universities, which enjoy academic freedom. Every University is autonomous and responsible to its governing body. The regulations differ from University to University. While there are similarities between them, they all differ from Oxford and Cambridge, where there are a number of separate colleges, each with their own regulations and courses of studies. The new, so-called ”red-brick” Universities are divided into various faculties: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, etc.

University degree courses are generally being taken for three, four or even five years. University teaching combines lectures, practical classes, and small group teaching in either seminars or tutorials. The last is a traditional feature of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

First degree courses are mainly full time and usually last three years, with longer courses in subjects such as medicine. Universities offer courses in a broad range of academic and vocational subjects, including traditional arts subjects, the humanities, and science and technology. The government encourages young people to choose degree courses in subjects, or combinations of subjects, that provide the knowledge and skills required by a technologically advanced economy .

Over 95 percent of students on first degree and comparable higher education courses receive government grants covering tuition and accommodation and other maintenance expenses. Parents also contribute, the amount depending on their income. In addition, students can take out loans to help pay their maintenance costs.

The first stage lasts for three or four years and leads to the award of a Bachelor's Degree in Arts, Science or other fields (Technology, Law, Engineering, etc.). It is now rare for the class of degree to depend entirely on student performance in final examinations. Most institutions base a component of the degree class on examinaions taken during the period of study, especially those taken at the end of the second year, and many also use some form of continuous assessment. The majority of degree courses also involve the research and writing of an extensive thesis or dissertation, normally making up around 50% of the final year assessment.

Study at master's level is at the forefront of an academic or professional discipline. Students must show originality in their application of knowledge and advancement of knowledge. The normal entry requirement for a Master's degree is a good Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree is normally studied over one year.

After usually three years' further study beyond the Master's Degree, the candidate may present a thesis for the Doctorate of Philosophy (D.Phil. or Ph.D.). A further stage leads to Higher Doctorates which may be awarded by a university in Law, Humanities, Science, Medical Sciences, Music and Theology after a candidate, usually a senior university teacher, has submitted a number of learned, usually published, works.

COMPREHENSION

Exercise 1.