Overview of Higher Education

A Brief Overview of Higher Education in the USA

Types of degrees

• Undergrad: Associate (2-years and Bachelors (4 years)
• Graduate: Master’s (executive – 1 year, regular – 2 year and PhD (4 – 8 years)

Undergraduate Degrees

In the United States, most common undergraduate degrees are B.A. (Bachelor of Arts degrees) and B.S. degrees (Bachelor of Science degrees). However, other degrees (such as those mentioned below) are also offered by many universities.

• Associate Degree (Arts/Science)
• Bachelor of Arts/Science (BA/BS)
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
• Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
• Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
• Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs (B.S.P.A)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
• Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.)
• Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.)
• Bachelor of Design (B.Des.)

Graduate Degrees – Master’s

• Master's of Arts (M.A.)
• Master's of Science (M.S.)
• Master of Laws (LL.M.)
• Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.),
• Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.),
• Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)

Graduate Degrees – Doctoral

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
• Juris Doctor (J.D.)
• Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
• Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S)
• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Types of institutions

• Community colleges (public)
• Liberal arts colleges (private/public)
• Polytechnic Institutes/universities
• Institutes of technology (private/public)
• Universities (private/public)

Common Fields of Study in the U.S.[1]

• Arts/Humanities
• Business Administration
• Social Sciences
• Physical/Mathematical Sciences
• Engineering
• Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
• Public health, Nursing, Dental Hygiene
• Journalism And Mass Communication
• Music
• Oceanography
• Pharmacy
• Photography
• Physical Therapy
• Statistics
• Urban Planning, Public Policy/Administration

Eligibility Requirements/Tests

Major Costs/Expenses

Institution/locality specific costs

• Application fees
• Tuition
• Living expenses
• Scholarships
• Assistantships/fellowships

Rankings

• College ranking (https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges)
• Graduate school rankings (https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools)
• Research focused rankings (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2022#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats)

First steps in getting started

1. Decide which programs (degrees and subjects or fields) you want to pursue
2. Make a list of universities you are interested in
3. Find the test (TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT, etc.) and other requirements of those programs
4. Start preparing for the tests
5. Start preparing the Statement of Purpose, application for scholarships/graduate assistantship.

Scholarship/Funding information

For scholarships/funding information, please visit this page.