American vs British (AU included) education (1 Viewer)

[ziggyboy]

Just something I typed to kill time...

Here are some differences between American and British education systems. Australia uses one closely related to the UK.

Passing marks
UK: 50%
US: 70 or 75%

Awards for high achieving students after graduation
UK: with Distinction, with High Distinction
US: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude

Degree lengths
UK: 3 years normal, 4 years for special degrees (like eng)
US: 4 years normal, 5 years for others

Final exams weight
UK: Normally 50-70% of final mark
US: Normally 25-40% of final mark
* It's actually easier to pass a subject in UK/AU if you cram before the exams. I hear there are more in-session requirements for American universities.

Honours year
UK: Yes
US: Non-existent, nearly all their degrees have a thesis component

Compulsory general subjects common to all university students
UK: No
US: Yes, sometimes up to 30% of subjects are common to all degrees in the university (Maths, History, Politics, etc...it's like high school all over again)

--

So what do you guys think? Are you satisfied with Australia's education system?

 

[SoCal]

I think our Pass mark should be more than 50%. That means someone could technically get a degree and only know half of what they were required.

 

[santaslayer]

I think our Pass mark should be more than 50%. That means someone could technically get a degree and only know half of what they were required.

They end up in the ''seeking employment'' section of the Good Unis Guide...

 

[jm1234567890]

in US you also have to do course work before PhD, which lengthens it

US: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude
is that latin?

 

[ziggyboy]

US: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude
is that latin?

Yes, they use it like this:

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Cum Laude)

 

[sHin]

Awards for high achieving students after graduation
UK: with Distinction, with High Distinction
US: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude

Man.. this stuff sounds pretty whacky.

 

[Smurfwow]

I think you are being extremely biased

Plenty of combined degrees here are 5 years long, and some uni's do have compulsory general education. and i think you just made the rest of it up

 

[jm1234567890]

I think you are being extremely biased

Plenty of combined degrees here are 5 years long, and some uni's do have compulsory general education. and i think you just made the rest of it up

also a short degree is good, you don't want to you couped up in uni for too long

 

[ziggyboy]

I think you are being extremely biased

Plenty of combined degrees here are 5 years long, and some uni's do have compulsory general education. and i think you just made the rest of it up

No I didn't. Most of their 5 year programs are single degrees. It's also not possible to enter law or medicine right after high school. One has to finish a degree before being admitted to law school. Law and medicine schools in the US are graduate schools.

Which part of my post did you think I made up? The latin honours? Check these out:

Cornell University
http://www.cals.cornell.edu/Latin_Honors.cfm

New York University
http://www.nyu.edu/registrar/04gradhonors.shtml

 

[Mambomeg]

i lived in america, and although their pass marks are higher, its a lot easier to get better marks. In high school i got straight A's without even trying. American uni's also cost heaps more, so i think the reason their degrees are longer is coz the uni's want to leech more money out of them. Besides.... if they have to teach all of those compulsory type subjects in uni to get everyone up to the same level, what does that say about their high school system?

 

[SoCal]

Awards for high achieving students after graduation
UK: with Distinction, with High Distinction
US: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude

I know about "Cum Laude" but not the other two. Do you know what average each award is equal to?

Compulsory general subjects common to all university students
UK: No
US: Yes, sometimes up to 30% of subjects are common to all degrees in the university (Maths, History, Politics, etc...it's like high school all over again)

Actually, I wouldn't mind doing compulsory general subjects. A bit of common knowledge never hurt anyone.

 

[asdf]

"Final exams weight
UK: Normally 50-70% of final mark
US: Normally 25-40% of final mark"

but then again, its alot easier to get good grades with assaignments then exams.

 

[SoCal]

"Final exams weight
UK: Normally 50-70% of final mark
US: Normally 25-40% of final mark"

but then again, its alot easier to get good grades with assaignments then exams.

I actually find it the opposite way around most of the time.

 

[Minai]

Yeah, theres compulsory General Education at UNSW

and not all final exams here are "50-70%"..look at the arts faculty for example

 

[hipsta_jess]

I actually find it the opposite way around most of the time.

Psyc 60%
Biol 60%
Phil 45%
Geog 40%

You're doing the wrong degree, boy-oh!

 

[SoCal]

Psyc 60%
Biol 60%
Phil 45%
Geog 40%

You're doing the wrong degree, boy-oh!

I was actually referring to this part of asdf post:

"but then again, its alot easier to get good grades with assaignments then exams."

My final exam wighting for each of my subjects are:

ACFI1020: Financial Management: 60-75%;
STAT1050: Statistics For Business: 55%;
IRHR1110: Introduction To Management and Organisational Behaviour: 40%; and
LEGL1001: Foundations Of Law: 70%.