Notes and common mistakes
• you can only receive a degree for a full course at university; do not use "diploma" and "certificate" to mean degree
• the piece of paper you receive when you graduate is a certificate
Types of education
| Type of education | Explanation |
| Higher education | University education |
| Further education | Normally for more vocational courses and may start from the age of 16 |
| Adult education | This is normally for non-degree programmes and often is part-time |
Notes
• if you receive a degree from a university, you are in higher education
• if you receive a diploma or certificate, you are in further education
Types of course
| Phrase | Example |
| A Full-lime degree course | Most students follow a full-time degree course |
| A part-time degree course | if you are in full-time employment, a part-time may be more suitable |
| A distance course | In the age of the internet, more and more people are studying by distance |
| A sandwich course | if you want practical experience, a sandwich course is the best option |
Institutions
| Place | Explanation |
| A faculty | Part of a university which specializes in the teaching of one subject, e.g. 'the Law Faculty" |
| A college | Part of a university in British English which students belong to for social activities |
| A college of further education | An alternative to university. Where you normally study something vocational |
| A polytechnic | An alternative word for university in some cultures; sometimes one step below university |
| Law school | where you study law after you graduate and before you start practising law |
| Medical school | The name of the medical faculty in many universities |
Forms of learning
| Learning process | Explanation |
| Lecture | The students make notes and listen to the lecturer. There may be a question and answer session at the end. |
| Seminar | Often led by a student on a particular topic. Normally, the idea is everyone gets the chance to talk. Often follows a lecture |
| Tutorial | Sometimes teaching one-to-one with a tutor and sometimes the same as a seminal |
Notes and common mistakes
• a lecturer gives or delivers a lecture and is sometimes used as a rank of university teacher
• a tutor is in charge of a seminar or tutorial
• we don't use "class" or "lesson" in university education (although Americans do use "class")
Finance
| Word | Example |
| Scholarship | She won a scholarship for her dissertation. |
| Grant | Because she came from a poor background, she was given a grant by local government |
| Loan | Almost all British undergraduates now have student loans that they need to repay when they start earning |
Notes
• a scholarship is won for academic merit
• typically a grant is awarded either for a particular project or to allow a student to follow a course
Types of writing
| Form of writing | Explanation |
| Thesis | The paper you write at the end of your PhD |
| Dissertation | The paper you write at the end of your master's (and some first degree courses) |
| Assignment | This is the university equivalent of homework |
Some informal "university" verbs - useful in speaking
| Verb | Examples |
| Do | I'm doing law at Bristol University |
| Study | I'm studying maths at Beijing University |
| Be | I'm at the LSE. |
| Go | He's going to university next year |
| Finish | I'm going to finish my course next year |
· To fail means that you did not pass your test. Failure is the noun form. '40% of students failed the test. The other 60% passed.'
· Retake means to take an exam you failed in the past for a second time. As a noun retakes mean the exams which are held again for students who did not pass them the first time around. ' Retakes will be held in February for all those students who did not get 40% on the last test.' ' Don't worry you will be able to retake this exam if you don't pass.'
To revise means to study before a test. Revision is the noun form. 'I'm going to stay in tonight and revise for Monday's test.'
· Semester / Term are used to mean the periods of the school year. The school year is usually divided into three terms / semesters: Spring, Autumn and Winter. 'At this school each semester is 12 weeks long.' Admission to colleges and universities
· To admit — to allow entry; to give entrance or access
· Admission — the act or process of admitting
· Applicant/a candidate
· Apprenticeship – training in an art or a trade
· To major – to specialize in (a particular academic field)
· A major – the main field of study in which a university student specializes
· To minor – to have a secondary specialization in (a particular academic field)
· A minor – the secondary field of study in which a student specializes
· B.A. – Bachelor of Arts, an undergraduate degree in a humanities-related subject
· B.S. – Bachelor of Science, an undergraduate degree in a science-related subject
· Master’s – the graduate degree after a bachelor's and before a Ph.D. There are also different kinds of master's, including M.A. (Master of Arts), M.S. (Master of Science), M.B.A. (Master in Business Administration), etc.
· Ph.D. – doctorate, highest graduate degree
Introduction. EDUCATION
The merry-go-round of college life is something that one' never forgets. It's a fantastic, experience.
Who can forget, the first day at the university when one turns from an applicant who has passed entrance exams into a first-year student? A solemn ceremony in front of the university building and serious people making speeches. Hey, lad, do you happen to know who they are? The rector, vice-rectors, deans, subdeans... and what about those ladies? Heads of departments and senior lecturers? Okay. Some of them must be professors, some— associate or assistant professors, but, of course, аll of them have high academic degrees.
The monitors have student membership cards, student record books and library cards – so one feels like a real person. First celebrations and then days of hard work. So many classes, so many new subjects on the timetable! Lectures, seminars and tutorials, Home preparations…
Everyone tries hard to be, or to look, diligent. First tests and examination sessions. The first successes and first failures. Tears and smiles. And a long-awaited vacation.
Junior students become senior. Still all of them are one family – undergraduates. Students' parties in the students' club. Meeting people and parting with people. You know, Nora is going to he expelled and Dora is going to graduate with honours. Yearly essays, graduation dissertations, finals... A postgraduate course, a thesis, an oral, and a degree in Philology.
I am happy! It is over! It is over... Is it over? Oh, no...
They say that it is a poor soldier who does not want to become a general. Name the steps of the social ladder which a student must pass to climb up to the position of the rector. Use the words from the list below, placing one word on one step.
Dean, assistant lecturer, head of department, vice-rector, associate professor, assistant professor, subdean, professor.
HIGHER EDUCATION (UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE) IN RUSSIA
After obtaining a Certificate of Complete Secondary Education a student can enter a University or a Community College. At a Community College students with complete secondary education can obtain an Associate Degree in one or two years. A student can choose a program of higher education with a duration of four to six years. There are three different degrees that are conferred by Russian universities: Bachelor's Degree (4 years), Specialist's Degree (5–6 years), and Master's Degree (6 years). Bachelor's and Master's degrees were introduced relatively recently; they did not exist during the Soviet period. Even now they are not offered by many six-year institutions.
Post-Graduate Education
After obtaining a Specialist's or Master's Degree, a student may enter a university or a scientific institute to pursue postgraduate education. The first level of postgraduate education is aspirantura that usually results in the Kandidat Nauk degree (Candidate of Sciences). The seeker should pass three exams (in his/her special field, in a foreign language of his/her choice, and in history and philosophy of science), publish at least three scientific articles, write a dissertation and defend it. This degree is roughly equivalent to the Ph.D. in the United States.
After graduation a student may continue postgraduate education. Few (2 to 4) years of study in doctorantura (докторантура) with obtaining important scientific results, publishing them and writing new thesis would result in the Doctor Nauk degree (доктор наук, Doctor of Sciences), but the typical way is working in a university or scientific institute with parallel preparation of a thesis. The average time between obtaining Kandidat and Doctor degrees is roughly 10 years, and most of new Doctors are 40 and more years old. Only 1 of 4 Kandidats reaches this grade. Kandidat Nauk may keep position of Assistant Professor (Docent) in universities and of Researcher or Senior Researcher in a scientific institutes. Doctor Nauk can hold position of full Professor, Head of Laboratory or equal and higher ones.
Granting of advanced degrees is overseen by the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The system of higher and secondary education in Russia is going through a transitional period. The main objectives of the reforms are: to decentralize the higher education system, to develop a new financial mechanism, to give more academic freedom to faculties and students.
Having a university or college degree is common. Russia has the highest educational level in the world (more than 40% of the total population have college or university degree). Since Perestroika, the system of higher (university) education is slowly deteriorating as well as the medical aid system, which used to be among the world's best. The problem with Russian education is that it was always rather theoretical and unrelated to practice. Therefore, it's common for a person having an engineering degree to work in sales, or one with a chemical background to find himself in marketing. In the old days having a degree was an end in itself. They are trying to change the educational programs now, but it will take years to build the system.
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. What three degrees are conferred by Russian universities? What is their duration?
2. Where can a student pursue postgraduate education?
3. What degrees can a student obtain after finishing aspirantura and doctorantura?
4. What are the main objectives of the reforms of the system of higher and secondary education in Russia?
5. What is the problem with Russian education?
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USA
In their last year of high school, students often apply to more than one college or university. Each college or university in the USA has its own requirements for admission.' Most colleges and universities require applicants take a standard entrance exam: the American Collegic Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). SAT must be taken in your senior year in high school. It is given on a certain day in December or January at a local college. The test takes a whole day. There are three parts: Math, English and Logic. Every student gets a book with questions. The book is divided into sections, with about 70 questions each. Each of the three subjects has a maximum of 800 points. The lowest score for getting into university is 550. The University Admission Office takes into consideration:
1. The applicants' high school grades (transcripts),
2. Recommendations from high school teachers,
3. Applicants' scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and ACT,
4. The impression they make during interviews at the university.
The system of higher education in the USA consists of four categories of institutions: universities, four-year colleges, technical training institutions and two-year community colleges.
Depending on the source of financing higher education institutions may be either public (state-supported) or private. The amount of money you have to pay depends on whether you go to a private college or a state university. At a private college the tuition is higher. Overall they are much the same as state universities. The subjects are divided into compulsory and optional. The subject the student specializes in is called a "major". Optional subjects are called "electives". Every student is assigned an "academic adviser" or a "faculty adviser" who will help the student decide on a plan of study based on his/her goals and the requirements for a degree.
Four years of undergraduate study at a university's "undergraduate schools" or colleges lead to a Bachelor of Arts (B. A) or Bachelor of Science (B. S.) degree. "Graduate schools", which are part of a university or are separate institutions, offer advanced programs which lead to a master's (M. A. or M. S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) or Doctor of Education (Ed. D.) degree.
Junior colleges, technical colleges, and community colleges are two-year institutions, usually public, offering technical training and a basic academic program. „
Some junior and community colleges award only an Associate of Arts (A. A.) degree without specifying a major. Other junior, technical and community colleges award A. A. degrees to liberal arts students and A. S. (Associate in Science) or A. A. S. (Associate in Applied Science) degrees to students who major in science or practical technology. After receiving an A. A., A. S. or A. A. S. degree, many students transfer to four-year colleges or universities to complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree.