10. Higher Education in Belarus, the uk, the usa.

Higher Education in Belarus

Higher Education in the UK

The principal post-school institutions of higher education are the 47 universities (including the Open University), of which 36 are in England, 8 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales.

Apart from the universities there are the 30 polytechnics in England and Wales, the 14 Scottish central institutions which provide similar studies and the Ulster Polytechnic in Northern Ireland.

British universities are independent, autonomous, self-governing institutions. Although they all receive financial support from the state (about 79 per cent of their incomes is now provided by government grants), the Department of Education and Science has no control over their regulations, curriculum, examinations, appointment of staff, or the way in which money is spent.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the most usual titles for the first degree are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) and for the second degree Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil); in Scotland Master is sometimes used for a first degree. Uniformity of standards is promoted by the practice of employing external examiners for final university examinations.

Universities are centers of research as well as teaching and many postgraduate are engaged in research for higher degrees, usually Doctorates.

Admission to universities is by examination or selection (interviews). Applications for places from prospective undergraduate candidates for admission to nearly all the universities (except for the Open University) are submitted initially to the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA). In the application a candidate can list up to five universities or colleges in order of preference. Applications must be sent to the UCCA in the autumn term of the academic year preceding that in which the candidate hopes to be admitted. The UCCA sends a copy to each of the universities or colleges named. Each university selects its own students.

British universities can be roughly divided into three groups: I) Oxford and Cambridge and the older Scottish universities, 2) the redbrick universities, and 3) the new universities.

The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and the older Scottish Universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. All the others were founded in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries.

Oxford and Cambridge have dominated British education for seven hundred years. In the second half of the twentieth century they have preserved an antique way of life.

Oxford and Cambridge each consist of a number of residential colleges founded at different times, most of them for men, but a few (of later foundation) for women. Oxford has five women's colleges, Cambridge three. Each college has its own building, its own internal organization, its own staff and students. In order to enter the university, one must first apply to a college and become a member of the university through the college.

The university is like a federation of colleges. It arranges the courses, the lectures and the examinations, and awards the degrees. Today some of the men's colleges are co-educational. The universities¬ of Oxford and Cambridge each have over 10,000 full-time students. Oxford is older than Cambridge, more philosophical, classical and theological. Cambridge, on the other hand, is more scientifically biased. But in many respects (especially their prestige and wealth) they look very alike; therefore they are often referred to collectively for convenience as Oxbridge. Admission to the universities is based on the old tribal patterns which guide boys from traditional schools to traditional universities. Candidates to Oxford and Cambridge are largely self-selected, much influenced by parents, schoolfriends and family backgrounds.

The older Scottish universities were founded before Scotland was joined to England, and to a great measure they take their traditions from the continental universities.

The universities, which were founded between 1850 and 1930, including London University, are known as redbrick universities. They were called so because that was the favorable building material of the time, though they are rarely referred to as 'redbrick' today.

The University of London is by far the largest conventional university, with about 39,000 full-time students. It was established by the union of two colleges: University College (1827) and King's College (1831). Later many other colleges, schools and institutes were added, and it also could be called a kind of federation of colleges, but the system is entirely different. The largest of the London colleges are like universities in themselves, having many different faculties and departments. Others specialize in certain subjects, like the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Imperial College of Science and Technology, the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, the School of Oriental and African Studies, the School of Architecture.

There are also institutes attached to London University as well as to other universities. Whereas colleges within a university teach all subjects, and schools a group of subjects, these institutes specialize more narrowly, and are often more occupied with research than with teaching undergraduates. In London University, for example, there are the Institute of Archeology, the Courtauld Institute (specializing in the history of art) and some others.

Most of the redbrick universities founded in the nineteenth century are scattered throughout the country and are to be found in Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton and some other cities.

The redbrick universities organize their academic work in a variety of ways. Subjects are taught in individual departments which are in turn grouped into faculties covering the main subject grouping, like arts, science, engineering, social science. For example, these are the faculties at Manchester: Arts, Science, Techno¬logy, Medicine, Law, Economic and Social Studies, Business Administration, Theology, Music, Education.

3. The new universities were all founded after the Second World War. Some of them quickly became popular because of their modern approach to university courses. The traditional faculty structure in these universities has been avoided in an attempt to prevent overspecialization. One form of organization (at Sussex) is school, which embraces a range of related subjects. Some of the technological universities have boards of studies. York and Warwick have structures which are closer to the older universities.

Polytechnic. They are products of modern times and somehow stand apart from traditional universities. The first 'polytechnic' was set up in 1838 in Regent Street, London, and was revived and enlarged in 1881. But the term now usually refers to those, the plans for which were announced by the Labor Government in 1966. These plans were to turn sixty colleges of technology, commerce and art into thirty new polytechnics; which have become centers for advanced courses in a wide range of subjects. Many of the thirty polytechnics today take part-time students and serve as comprehensives of further education. But some of them take full-time students; their work is of university level and thus is officially described as the higher education sector within further education, where students are able to take on a full-time degree course.

The Open University. The Open University was founded in 1969 by the Labor Government to cater for those people who, for some reason, had not had a chance to enter any of the other universities, especially those above normal student age. It takes both men and women at the age of 21 and over. The University provides part-time degree and other courses. No formal academic qualifications are required for entry to these courses, but the standards of its degrees are the same as those of other universities.

Higher Education in the USA

In the United States terms college and university can describe variety of institutions. A college may form one major division of the university, offering programs in … specific academic field that lead to … undergraduate or graduate degrees, or both. … colleges may also be independent of … university, offering four-year programs of general education that lead to … bachelor’s degree in … liberal arts and sciences. Some independent colleges offer … limited number of graduate programs, but usually their primary mission is to provide … undergraduate education. Community colleges offer … two-year programs of general education or vocational education.

Universities generally comprise various colleges and professional schools that make up … academic divisions of … institution. For example, … university may include … college of arts and sciences in … addition to professional schools of education, law, medicine, and engineering. Universities provide higher education leading to … bachelor’s degree as well as professional and graduate programs leading to … master’s and doctoral degrees. Colleges and universities in … United States and … Canada may be public institutions supported by federal, state, provincial, or municipal governments, or they may be private (independent) institutions. … university differs from … college in that it is usually larger, has … broader curriculum, and offers graduate and professional degrees in … addition to undergraduate degrees.

… most prominent types of colleges and universities in … United States and … Canada include community colleges, state or provincial universities, liberal arts colleges, professional schools, military academies, and proprietary institutions. Other types include technical colleges, agricultural colleges, teachers' colleges, and colleges affiliated with … religions.

Общественные колледжи

Общественные колледжи обычно предлагают первые два года общей базовой университетской подготовки. Большинство из них также предлагают образовательные программы для взрослых, профессиональное и техническое образование. Общественные колледжи присваивают специальные ученые степени за успешное завершение большинства двухгодичных программ. Многие студенты получают первые два года университетского образования в общественных колледжах, а затем переводятся в колледжи с четырехлетней программой обучения. Другие студенты общественных колледжей продолжают заниматься по программам профессиональной, технической и предпрофессиональной подготовки. Многим студентам выгодно учиться в общественных колледжах, так как плата за обучение в них ниже, чем в колледжах и университетах с четырехлетним сроком обучения.

Public Colleges and Universities

Aside from a few four-year colleges supported by municipal governments or the federal government, most public colleges and universities in the United States are state institutions. In most cases, state boards of higher education provide funds for these schools and oversee their programs of instruction. Most state governments establish systems of higher education, such as the State University of New York System or the University of California System, which comprise groups of interconnected college or university campuses.

Federally supported higher education in the United States is mainly associated with branches of the armed services. Federal military colleges provide comprehensive undergraduate programs in addition to defense training for prospective military officers.

In Canada, provincial governments establish boards of higher education responsible for allocating funds to provincial universities and overseeing their programs of instruction. In addition, the federal and provincial governments provide substantial funds for all institutions of higher education, including private colleges and universities. This public funding dramatically reduces costs for students.

Independent Colleges and Universities

Independent colleges and universities are private, nonprofit institutions. Many independent colleges and universities originated as church-related institutions, although a majority of these are no longer affiliated with religious groups. The most common independent colleges and universities include (1) liberal arts institutions that offer comprehensive undergraduate education, (2) technical or specialized institutions that prepare students in engineering, performing arts, music, nursing and other fields, and (3) large universities that include undergraduate programs in addition to graduate and professional schools.

Graduate and Professional Schools

Professional schools are typically divisions of large universities. They offer specialized education in a variety of professional fields, such as education, business, medicine, law, social work, agriculture, journalism, architecture, fine arts, nursing, engineering, and music. Some professional schools offer four- or five-year programs leading to a bachelor's degree, as well as graduate programs leading to master's and doctoral degrees. Other professional schools—such as schools of medicine, law, and library science—usually offer only graduate study. For example, Harvard University offers undergraduate courses related to the study of law, but the Harvard Law School offers courses for study in professional degree programs. Many large universities include graduate schools that offer master’s or doctoral degree programs for advanced study in such liberal arts and science fields as history, chemistry, physics, and literature.

Proprietary Institutions

Proprietary institutions are private, for-profit, postsecondary institutions. They generally focus on preparing students for specialized careers in fields such as business, performing arts, commercial art, travel, music, fine arts, computer technology, and electronics. (Microsoft® Encarta®