Choosing a college or university

At the undergraduate (college) level, a four-year “liberal arts” course of study is traditionally offered which leads to a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in such subjects as history, languages and philosophy. (The term “liberal arts” comes from liberals arts, a Latin expression for free, or human. arts and skills. In the time of the Roman Empire, these were skills and arts that only a free person – not a slave – could acquire.) Many liberal arts colleges also offer a bachelor or science (B.S.) degree in physics, chemistry or other subjects. A technical training institution, offering such courses as agriculture or business skills, offers courses of varying length, and community college studies last two years.

Graduate school in America award master’s and doctor’s degrees in both the arts and sciences. (The term “doctor” comes from the Latin word docere, meaning “to teach”.) The courses for most graduate degrees can be completed in two to four years. But if a graduate program requires original research, a student could spend many additional months or even years in a university library or laboratory.

In American university, each college and graduate school has its own curriculum. At the undergraduate level, there may be some courses that every student has to take (for example, classes in world history, math, writing or research). But students do select their “major” (the field in which they want their degree), plus a specific number of “electives” (courses that are not required but that students may choose). The National Institute of Education, a government agency, report that a total of more than 1,000 majors are offered in America’s colleges and universities. The combined electives available in these schools probably amount to a number in the tens of thousands.

Typically, an undergraduate student has to earn a certain number of “credits” (about 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of college. Credits are earned by attending lectures (or lab classes) and by successfully completing assignments and examinations. One credit usually equal one hour of class per week in a single course. A three-credit course in biology could involve two hours of lectures plus one hour in a science lab, every week. A course may last 10 to 16 weeks – the length of a “semester”.

The United States does not have a national (federal) school system, but each of the 50 states operates its own university, and so do some large city governments. (The government does grant degrees in the schools it operates for professional members of the armed services – for example, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.)

About 25 per cent of all schools of higher education in the United States are privately operated by religious organizations. Most are open to students of different faiths, but in some religious schools all students are required to attend religious services. They are also privately owned schools with no religious connection.

Both private and public colleges depend on three sources of income: student tuitions, endowments (gifts made by wealthy benefactors) and government funding. Some endowments are very large: Harvard, Princeton and Yale Universities have more than a thousand million dollars each. Public institutions receive a larger portion of public tax moneys than do private schools.

There are many small American colleges – some with fewer than 100 students. But the larger universities tend to keep attracting larger numbers of enrollment.

They offer the best libraries and facilities for scientific research. Access to a “mainframe” (very larger) computer and to modern laboratories attracts leading scientists to the faculties of such schools. And students enroll to study with the experts. Research programs continue to be important to the reputation of America’s universities. But in recent years, the percentage of advanced degrees awarded in the “pure” (research) sciences has defined. The same has been true for the liberal arts. Students continue to seek the largest, most respected universities – but for new and different programs.

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