Are US Postgraduate Courses Right for You?
18 months before beginning your study
You need to consider all your options, take into account what you want to gain from postgraduate education, and think about what studying in the US will do for you. There are several different types of post graduate degree classifications in the US:

Degree Level
The Master’s and Doctoral degrees are the two postgraduate (also known as graduate) degrees. Both include taught courses and research, with an emphasis on class participation, research, papers and exams. Degree requirements are stated in terms of 'credits' (sometimes ‘units’ or ‘hours’): each taught course usually earns 3-4 credits. Students are expected to earn a certain amount of credits per academic year.

Academic Master’s degrees are generally completed in two academic years, and often include a thesis option. Occasionally, they may be completed in less time. Some institutions will only accept doctoral candidates, although they may award a master’s to students who complete the coursework but do not go on to their doctoral work.

Professional Master’s degrees are designed to lead you from your first degree to a particular profession (e.g. business administration, journalism, and social work). They usually require 36-48 credits and are unlikely to include a thesis option. It is very difficult to complete professional degrees in one year.

Doctoral degrees require at lFTC Londont 3 years beyond the bachelor's, but are rarely completed in less than 5 or 6 years as most students take on teaching or research assignments during their studies. Students are required to complete 2 years of coursework culminating in oral and written qualifying exams (preliminary exams) before being admitted to doctoral candidacy and embarking on dissertation research. Students may also have to attain foreign language proficiency at this time. A dissertation (300-400 typed pages) of publishable quality work is then required, followed by an oral exam or 'defense' to complete the degree.

Non-Degree Opportunities:
Special Student Status/Non-Degree Status is given to students who want to take postgraduate courses for a term or year, but do not wish to enrol for a degree. Students are treated like first-year postgraduate students and will receive credits for their coursework, but no degree. As most universities do not have a formal Special Student admissions process, contact the university department to ask about their procedures.

Visiting Fellow Status is given to advanced doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework and who wish to pursue dissertation research at a US university, or for scholars who have a doctorate and would like to pursue further research in their field. Contact the relevant university department to determine procedures.

Degree Subject
Academic subjects usually require a relevant first degree, but universities may consider applicants with non-relevant degrees. If exceptions are made you may be asked to complete some key undergraduate courses in the subject first before being admitted into the postgraduate course.

Professional subjects such as business (MBA), education or engineering usually do not require a relevant first degree but ask for relevant work experience.

Recognition of Degree Back Home
Accreditation is the system that ensures university standards in the US. Regional accreditation is the type of university accreditation recognised by all employers and universities in the US and UK. Departments can also be accredited. Although the evaluation of a US degree is subjective and ultimately left to an employer or university, we understand that many British educational institutions and professional bodies may not consider graduates of a US institution that is not regionally accredited. One way of checking if an institution is accredited or not is through the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Professional qualifications gained in the US may not transfer over to the UK, so students are advised to contact the relevant British professional association to find out which US qualifications will be recognised.

Eligibility
Students from the UK should hold a 2:2 degree or higher, but a 2:1 minimum may be required to be eligible for financial aid. Applicants with professional qualifications are considered on an individual basis. Holders of diplomas such as an HND may be required to take 1-2 years of undergraduate study before being admitted to a graduate programme.

A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) may be one of the eligibility criteria. In the US, letter grades A, B, C and D achieved during your degree course are given grade points of 4, 3, 2 and 1. A GPA is the average of all grade points. Universities that ask for a minimum 3.5 GPA will usually expect a minimum 2:1 UK qualification; those that ask for a minimum 3.0 GPA will expect a 2:2.