US or UK? For students all around the globe, the United States and the United Kingdom are one of the top priorities, not only for their quality education, research opportunities but comfortable lifestyle and luxurious amenities as well. There is no questioning popularity of these countries since their reputation in high-caliber education in many leading fields is well-established.
Despite their respectability, US and UK differ in various aspects of degree courses including the duration of course, academic depth and breadth, grading system, athletic scholarships, and style of education. Let us interpret each of these factors and how these vary from UK to US.
BREADTH AND LENGTH
The academically US education system prioritizes extracurricular activities to a larger extent, while the UK focuses on the depth of subject chosen by the student. In the US, you have more control over your academic year and can decide your major subject by the end of the first year or sometimes the second year.
This also means that irrespective of your interests you have to study different subjects along with the subject of your concern which may sound like a drawback for a person with a committed career plan.
The UK does not support flexibility; hence you must be determined about the subject you are choosing. The UK’s universities prefer in-depth studies, not giving much hidden to extra-curricular activities dissimilar to the US where the breadth of academics is prominent.
LENGTH OF TIME
The table mentioned below clearly symbolizes a major difference in the length of time students will require pursuing their interests. The crucial element that causes this difference is depth and breadth of study which contrasts vastly between UK and US.
Time required for: | US | UK |
Bachelor degree | 4 years | 3 years |
Master’s degree | 2 years | 1 years |
PhD | 5-7 years | 3 years |
GRADE SYSTEMS
In the US, education is adopted to a broader way of learning, hence they employ small activities throughout the period of course. The final grade is based on the score obtained in all these activities along with the final exam result. These activities include assignments, minor and major projects, representations, etc.
The UK’s conventional method of assigning grades is more of a ‘final exam’ based. It hardly includes a score of any activities if any given in the first place.
COURSES
The US offers Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D., various vocational and professional degrees. Britain offers more diverse opportunities which include Higher National Diploma, Certificate of Higher Education, Diploma of Higher Education, Foundation Degree, Bachelors, Masters, PhD, variety of professional and vocational degrees. The UK also divides post-graduate degrees into learning processes and research.
UK or US?
The UK focuses more on refining in-depth knowledge of a concerned subject while the US seeks to nurture the overall abilities of a student. The US promotes athletes; the UK hardly does.
For a long time, the US and UK have been and will continue to be the center of attraction for international students. Both of these countries strive to bring excellence in the quality of education and inculcate the skill set required for the future of students and for a broader aspect, the world.
In a nutshell, you have to make your choice of where to study, but you’ll have an mesmerizing experience irrespective of what you choose. Make sure to thoroughly investigate your options and do not rush to any degree.
At CosmosImmigration, our consultants guide you find the golden destination for your career with experience and research. For more details on this, schedule a free consultation today!