Study in USA (United States of America)

The United States is the world’s third largest country by total area, and the third largest by land area alone, after Russia and Canada. The United States is a federal constitutional republic, with its capital in Washington, D.C.
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.
Education in USA:
Education in the United States has been a state or local, not federal, responsibility. The Department of Education of the federal government, however, exerts some influence through its ability to control funding. Students are generally obliged to attend school starting with kindergarten, and ending with the 12th grade, which is normally completed at age 18, but many states may allow students to drop out as early as age 16. Besides public schools, parents may also choose to educate their own children at home or to send their children to parochial or private schools. After high school, students may choose to attend universities, either public or private. Public universities receive funding from the federal and state governments, as well as from other sources, but most students still have to pay student loans after graduation. Tuition at private universities is generally much higher than at public universities.
There are many competitive institutions of higher education in the United States, both private and public. The United States has 168 universities in the world’s top 500, 17 of which are in the top 20. There are also many smaller universities and liberal arts colleges, and local community colleges of varying quality across the country with open admission policies.
Education System of USA:
The structure of U.S. education includes 12 years of regular schooling, preceded by a year or two ofpre-school education, and followed by a four-stage higher education degree system (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate) plus various non-degree certificates and diplomas. In addition, there arespecial education services, adult basic and continuing education, leisure learning programs, and continuing professional education and training programs. Completion of each level or stage is a prerequisite for access to the next, and a variety of assessment and evaluation tools are used to determine learning needs, academic achievement standards, and eligibility to proceed to higher levels of education.
Undergraduate Postsecondary Education
Undergraduate postsecondary education is the U.S. terminology for formal education after graduating from secondary school but prior to advanced study in the research disciplines or professional fields. It corresponds to the initial phases of higher education studies in other education systems.
Undergraduate studies in the United States are generally divided into two phases:
a set of distributed course requirements that must be completed involving basic study in several subjects;
and a concentrated program of study in one or more subjects.
Graduate Postsecondary Education
Graduate education is the term used in the United States for studies undertaken after the award of a bachelor’s degree. It corresponds to what is called post-graduate or advanced education in some other systems. Education at this level in the United States can be of two types:
(1)professional studies that require the student to have already earned an undergraduate degree
(2)research studies following either a bachelor’s degree or a professional degree.

• First-Professional Studies
• Master’s Degree Programs
• Intermediate Graduate Awards
• Research Doctorate Programs
• Postdoctoral Programs
• First-Professional Studies

Some professional fields of study require the student to first complete an undergraduate degree program before he or she can be admitted. These fields include Chiropractic, Dentistry, Law, Medicine (Allopathic, including surgery), Optometry, Osteopathy, Pharmacy, Podiatry, Theology (ordination qualifications), and Veterinary Medicine. There are many more professional fields of study in the United States, but those listed here are unique in that they are not offered at the undergraduate degree level.
It is also important to recognize that first-professional degrees in these fields are first degrees, not graduate research degrees.
Master’s Degrees Programs
The term “master’s degree” includes a variety of awards of varying content, length, and purpose. These include:
Master’s degrees awarded as advanced research degrees in academic or professional fields of study;
Master’s degrees awarded as basic professional qualifications; and
Master’s degrees awarded as terminal degrees.
Research Master’s Degrees
Master’s degrees are awarded in the academic disciplines and applied research fields for study and research from 1 to 3 years beyond the bachelor’s degree or the first-professional degree. The length of the program depends upon the requirements of the discipline and the institutional faculty, which may include work in several fields related to the subject being studied.
Studies for research master’s degrees involve the completion and defense of an independent thesis, the passing of comprehensive examinations set by the graduate faculty, and occasionally the completion of special projects in addition to participation in advanced seminars and courses.
Professional Master’s Degrees
Master’s degrees awarded for professional studies generally do not have an academic research component but are largely taught degrees with the frequent addition of a supervised project or report as part of the degree requirements. In many professional fields it is possible for the student to enroll in either a professional master’s degree program or a research master’s degree program depending upon his or her educational goals.
Intermediate Graduate Awards
Students at the graduate level may occasionally undertake specialized, short courses of study. Most of these study programs result in the award of a certificate, frequently called a Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.). The C.A.S. is not considered a degree but it does constitute completion of a structured program of study at the graduate level. Graduate level certificates are awarded in both academic and professional specialties, especially in the fields of education, visual and performing arts, languages and linguistics, religious vocations, the social sciences, and the health professions.
In the field of education there is one recognized degree that is intermediate between the master’s and the research doctorate. The degree of Education Specialist (Ed.Sp.) is awarded for professionally oriented studies, usually culminating in an independent applied research project, that prepare the student to assume leadership and management roles in the primary and secondary education career streams.
Research Doctorate Programs
The research doctorate is the highest earned academic degree in U.S. postsecondary education. It is always awarded for independent research at a professional level in either academic disciplines or professional fields. Research doctorates earned at accredited institutions are not awarded merely for completing coursework, professional preparation, or for passing examinations.
Postdoctoral Programs
While U.S. institutions do not award higher doctorates, many persons who have earned Ph.D.s or similar degrees apply to and enroll in postdoctorate research programs or internships. Such programs are especially frequent in the health and medical sciences, the counseling professions, and the natural sciences. Postdoctorate programs take place at universities, hospitals and clinics, research facilities in government and industry, and museums. They may last one or more years. Academic credit toward further degrees is not usually earned, but the programs are often significant additions to an individual’s professional resume and credentials.