American-education-system

1AmericanEducationSystemTheAmericaneducationsystemisconfusinganddifferentfromtheeducationsysteminourcountry.Itoffersthewidesteducationchoicesforstudentsintheworld.Infact,anstudentinAmericancanpursueanythingfromnuclearsciencetofilmanddance.Americaneducationpossibilitiesarealmostendless!Perhapsoneofthemostimpressivefactsisthelargenumberofpresidents,primeministersandleaderswhohaveexperiencedtheAmericaneducationsystemandgraduatedfromauniversityorschoolintheUSA.Inmanyfieldsandindustries,theAmericaneducationsystemoffersthemostcutting-edge,sought-afterprogramsattheworld'sbestschools.ThatiswhygraduatingfromanaccreditedAmericanschoolandbeingexposedtotherigorsoftheAmericaneducationsystemisaninvestmentinthefuture.PrimaryandSecondarySchoolMostAmericansattendtwelveyearsofprimaryandsecondaryschool.Withasecondaryschool(highschool)diplomaorcertificate,astudentcanentercollege,university,vocational(jobtraining)school,secretarialschool,andotherprofessionalschools.SchoolbeginsaroundagesixforU.S.children.Theyattendfiveorsixyearsofprimaryschool.Nexttheygotosecondaryschool,whichconsistsofeithertwothree-yearprogramsorathree-yearandafour-yearprogram.Thesearecalledmiddleschoolorjuniorhighschoolandseniorhighschool(oftenjustcalledhighschool).Americanscallthesetwelveyearsofprimaryandsecondaryschoolthefirstthroughtwelfthgrades.Thismaybeaccomplishedeitheratpublic(orgovernment-operated)schools,oratprivateschools.HigherEducationAfterfinishinghighschool(twelfthgrade),U.S.studentsmaygoontocollegeoruniversity.Collegeoruniversitystudyisknownashighereducation.StudyatacollegeoruniversityleadingtotheBachelor'sDegreeisknownasundergraduateeducation.StudybeyondtheBachelor'sDegreeisknownasgraduateschool,orpostgraduateeducation.Advancedorgraduatedegreesincludelaw,medicine,theM.B.A.,andthePh.D.(doctorate).DifferentsortsofUniversitiesandColleges:1.StateCollegeorUniversityAstateschoolissupportedandrunbyastateorlocalgovernment.Eachofthe50U.S.statesoperatesatleastonestateuniversityandpossiblyseveralstatecolleges.Somestateschoolshavetheword“State”intheirnames.2.PrivateCollegeorUniversityTheseschoolsareoperatedprivately,notbyabranchofthegovernment.Tuitionwillusuallybehigherthanatstateschools.Often,privatecollegesanduniversitiesaresmallerinsizethanstateschools.3.Two-YearCollegeAtwo-yearcollegeadmitshighschoolgraduatesandawardsanAssociate'sDegree.Sometwo-yearcollegesarestate-supported,orpublic;othersareprivate.YoushouldfindoutiftheAssociate'sDegree(准学士学位，专科毕业证书)willqualify2youforajobinyourcountry.Insomecountries,studentsneedaBachelor'sDegreetogetagoodjob.Two-yearcollegeorjuniorcollegegraduatesusuallytransfertofour-yearcollegesoruniversities,wheretheycompletetheBachelor'sDegreeintwoormoreadditionalyears.4.CommunityCollegeThisisatwo-yearstate,orpubliccollege.Communitycollegesservealocalcommunity,usuallyacityorcounty.Manyofthestudentsarecommuterswholiveathome,oreveningstudentswhoworkduringtheday.Most,butnotallgovernments,recognizedegreesfromjuniorandcommunitycolleges.5.ProfessionalSchoolAprofessionalschooltrainsstudentsinfieldssuchasart,music,engineering,business,andotherprofessions.Somearepartofuniversities.Othersareseparateschools.Someoffergraduatedegrees.6.InstituteofTechnologyThisisaschoolwhichoffersatleastfouryearsofstudyinscienceandtechnology.Someinstitutesoftechnologyhavegraduateprograms.Othersoffershortercourses.7.TechnicalInstituteAtechnicalinstitutetrainsstudentsinfieldssuchasmedicaltechnologyorindustrialengineering.Althoughthecoursemayprepareyouforthecareeryouwant,thedegreemayormaynotbeequivalenttoacollegeoruniversitydegree.Somecollegesanduniversitiesdonotacceptcreditsfromstudentswhohaveattendedtechnicalinstitutesandwanttotransfer.8.Church-relatedSchoolManyU.S.collegesanduniversitieswerefoundedbyreligiousgroups.Therelationship,however,betweentheschoolandthereligiousorganizationmaybeveryflexible.Sometimes,theseschoolsprefertoadmitstudentswhoaremembersofthesponsoringreligiousgroup.Nearlyalltheseschoolswelcomestudentsofallreligionsandbeliefs.Traditionally,manychurch-relatedschoolshaverequiredthatstudentstakeBiblecoursesandattendchapelservices.Butthesepracticesarebecominglesscommon.