Why USA ?
Known as ‘graduate degrees’ in the USA, around 1,000 colleges offer programmes in a variety of subjects.
There are two types of graduate degree, most courses take two or three years to complete although one-year options are available in some instances:
- Academic/research – academic graduate degrees generally lead to a career in academia or research.
- Professional – these are designed to prepare students for particular professions.
The most common types of Masters are Masters of Arts (M.A) and Masters of Science (M.S). Study at this level is self-directed and culminates in the submission of a thesis.
Unlike in the UK, there are no pure research graduate programmes on offer. Instead, students learn through a combination of taught and research components. Students are also assessed on a more regular basis in the USA. Instead of undertaking a small number of large assessments you’ll face more frequent, smaller assessments.
However, applying for an American Masters degree follows a similar process to the UK. You will need a minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate degree from a recognised institution. It is worth remembering that there is no official conversion rate between UK A-level/degree results and US grades. Most institutions will have their own policy so it’s vital to get in touch before you apply.
You can search for US Masters degrees by field of study and location at International Student School Search.