U.S. Education System

Post Secondary Education in the U.S.

Post secondary education in the United States refers to all formal education beyond secondary school.

For international students seeking higher educational opportunities in the U.S., post secondary education is typically divided into the following categories:

• Associate's Degree
• Undergraduate Degree
• Graduate Education (Master’s and Ph.D.)

Types of U.S. Higher Education Degrees

Associate Degree

An Associate's Degree can be pursued after finishing 12 years of school education. These programs are usually offered by community colleges or junior colleges. These programs may vary from specialized technical programs to liberal arts degrees designed to lead to transfer into four-year Bachelor’s degree programs. Most public two-year colleges have articulation agreements with four-year institutions.

The Associate's Degree program is usually a two-year qualification in areas such as accounting, business, photography, interior designing, and the like.

Undergraduate Degree (B.A.)

Undergraduate education is pursued after finishing 12 years of school education successfully. It is offered in public and private colleges and universities as well as two-year institutions.

The curriculum of an undergraduate program generally consists of four general areas of study - major, cognates, general education courses and electives. The program is fairly flexible within subject groups, which enables a student to have numerous degree options, open in the year 1 and 2 of full-time study. In general, an undergraduate program can be finished successfully in four years.

Graduate Education (Master’s and Ph.D.)

Graduate education is pursued after successfully completing a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree. Master’s/Ph.D. programs of study are typically offered by universities and research institutes.

A graduate program could be research-based, coursework-based or can have a combination of both. In general, a Master’s program can be finished successfully in 1 or 2 years full-time. Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degrees are typically awarded in the traditional arts, sciences, and humanities disciplines. An M.S. degree is offered mostly in technical fields such as engineering, business and education.

Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a more specialized degree which is the doctorate degree, also called a Ph.D.. A Ph.D. degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the research area, the individual's ability, and the thesis that the student has selected. Doctoral level degree or Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest degree awarded in academic disciplines. Some other professional doctoral degrees are: Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), D.B.A.m (Doctor of Business Administration), and M.D. (Doctor of Medicine).