NationStates Jolt Archive

I always hear these 2 descriptions for higher education.
I was just wondering is there a difference between these 2?

my understanding of the isue is; university - ya get degrees and things college- is more practical based with BTEC's and NVQ's etc

my understanding of the isue is; university - ya get degrees and things college- is more practical based with BTEC's and NVQ's etc
And what are BTECS and NVQ's? And can't you get bachelor and master degrees from colleges as well?

At a University you can earn a master's or Ph.D., graduate studies. At a College the best you can get is a B.A. or B.S., undergraduate studies. I should mention you can get the undergrad ones at a univeristy as well.

Well...let me just straighten you guys out...

A "University" is a collection of colleges...for instance, the institute I will begin attending in two weeks is collectively known as "The University of Arkansas," however, mose specifically, I am enrolled in the "College of Engineering." There are about 5 or 6 colleges at the University of Arkansas.

Are you simply talking about the US?

College here (UK) can refer to 6-form (A Level) only schools. Universities are tertiary houses of education, where you get a degree from.

But I have also seen college used to describe places where qualifications are given out.

At a University you can earn a master's or Ph.D., graduate studies. At a College the best you can get is a B.A. or B.S., undergraduate studies.
And what is the difference between graduates and undergraduates degrees?

And what are BTECS and NVQ's? And can't you get bachelor and master degrees from colleges as well?
Not in the UK. Well, not highly valued ones.

BTEC and NVQ's are just another type of qualification but are more practical based where as a degree is very much sit down and learn the stuff.

Well...let me just straighten you guys out...

A "University" is a collection of colleges...for instance, the institute I will begin attending in two weeks is collectively known as "The University of Arkansas," however, mose specifically, I am enrolled in the "College of Engineering." There are about 5 or 6 colleges at the University of Arkansas.
Not all the time, the UK doesn't have too many Colligiate (sp?) Universities left (Oxford, Cambridge, Lancaster, Durham?).

And what is the difference between graduates and undergraduates degrees?
Undergraduate is your first four years. That's when you earn you Bachelor's degree. You can choose to stop here and enter the work force or you can continue to Graduate school and earn your Master's Degree and eventually a PhD if you choose.

Not in the UK. Well, not highly valued ones.
Golf Course management anyone?

Are you simply talking about the US?

College here (UK)
Yikes. I thought they had the same system.
can refer to 6-form (A Level) only schools. Universities are tertiary houses of education, where you get a degree from.

But I have also seen college used to describe places where qualifications are given out.
Yikes, again. :eek:
Could you put these into words I might even understand?

And what is the difference between graduates and undergraduates degrees?

An undergraduate is a college student who has yet to graduate. A graduate has graduated (BA, BS, etc) but is pursuing a higher degree.

Undergrad Studies are like the regular after highschool study. Graduate stuff is the more indepth stuff you do after the undergrad work if you want to teach in the area or become a doctor of it.

Not all the time, the UK doesn't have too many Colligiate (sp?) Universities left (Oxford, Cambridge, Lancaster, Durham?).
I was talking about the US. And are you implying that there are non-collegiate universities? How does that work?

Undergrad Studies are like the regular after highschool study. Graduate stuff is the more indepth stuff you do after the undergrad work if you want to teach in the area or become a doctor of it.
Or become better qualified in the area...

And those instituations that give out these BA and BS degrees don't give out Master degrees?

Or become better qualified in the area...

True.

I was talking about the US. And are you implying that there are non-collegiate universities? How does that work?
Umm yes, in fact I am at one ;) .

For me they work normally, but since I have never taken a course at a collegiate university I couldn't say.

For Von Witzleben:

There are three stages of education.
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary.

I think that in America it is Primary up to High School, and then Secondary up to College/Uni.

6 Form is the last two years of secondary, where at the end you (hopefully) get you A-levels, with them you can apply to Uni.

For Von Witzleben:

There are three stages of education.
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary.
Are those 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year?

I think that in America it is Primary up to High School, and then Secondary up to College/Uni.

*gets dizzy*

6 Form is the last two years of secondary, where at the end you (hopefully) get you A-levels, with them you can apply to Uni.
*faints*

I was talking about the US. And are you implying that there are non-collegiate universities? How does that work?
Most of the UK's 90-odd universities are campus universities.

Basically, most colleges are alternative to school sixth-forms where you can study 'A' levels, GNVQs, etc. However, there are also colleges that are vocational alternatives to universities.

Primary education: 5-11
Secondary: 11-18
Tertiary: 18+

In the UK, you usually only take 3 years to complete your undergraduate degree, unless you fail a year or take a year out to go abroad or work in industry. The main exceptions are in medicine (5 years, but it's the equivalent of a Batchelor's and a master's - I think) and architecture (7 years!).

And those instituations that give out these BA and BS degrees don't give out Master degrees?
Some do, some don't. I know there are tons of small schools (usually private schools) that are only colleges and don't have Masters programs, but bigger schools (Universities) have undergrad and grad programs. They also have PhD programs. However, I don't know of a school that does graduate programs but not undergrad... (meh, "Medicals schools" and "Law schools" are normally part of a university...)

Are those 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year?

*gets dizzy*

*faints*
Are you American? I think it's obvious you're not English so you can probably ignore the stuff about the UK schools. Most of it doesn't make sense to me either.

Are you American? I think it's obvious you're not English so you can probably ignore the stuff about the UK schools. Most of it doesn't make sense to me either.
No. I'm German living in the Netherlands. Since a year or to we have the Bachelor/Master system. And I'm still trying to figure out what is what now. And I heard lots of different versions from teachers and people from the ministry of education. So I guess no one realy knows.

Here (in Australia), once u have completed secondary (high school), you can(if u want to) go on to tertiary education. This is university (where u can get Bachelor's, and later on Master's and Ph.D.)
Here, college is just a place where students can live while they attend the uni, like boarding houses, if they live too far away to travel to the uni everyday. Some unis dont even have colleges - they have nothing to do with the actual education.

Here (in Australia), once u have completed secondary (high school), you can(if u want to) go on to tertiary education. This is university (where u can get Bachelor's, and later on Master's and Ph.D.)
Here, college is just a place where students can live while they attend the uni, like boarding houses, if they live too far away to travel to the uni everyday. Some unis dont even have colleges - they have nothing to do with the actual education.
So in Oz college is just a university with housing on campus?

So in Oz college is just a university with housing on campus?

In Aus (as far as i kno), colleges are just boarding houses, where ppl from out of town (or even ppl from in town, if they want to pay) can stay, while they attend the uni.
the uni i go to has 10 colleges, they are all seperate buildings/complexes within like a kilometre or two of the university campus, and they sometimes compete against each other in sport and stuff, but apart from that its just a place to stay so u dont have to travel far to the uni. That's all it is.

Aha, Thanks.

Well...let me just straighten you guys out...

A "University" is a collection of colleges...for instance, the institute I will begin attending in two weeks is collectively known as "The University of Arkansas," however, mose specifically, I am enrolled in the "College of Engineering." There are about 5 or 6 colleges at the University of Arkansas.


Wow good for you, but I have to salute Arkansas for finally getting electricity and running water, now all things are possible. First a University, then non-cousin marriage.

Just razzing ya, Arkansas is okay though, not like it's Mississippi.

It's the jazz baby!

vw-

In the U.S. the terms 'college' and 'university' are just about interchangable. Some universities are divided up into colleges, based on area of academic study, but some colleges are divided up into 'colleges' or 'schools' too. Many colleges have graduate programs, just like universities. One does not necessarily carry more prestige than the other.

We tend to call ourselves 'college students' when we are in our first four years of study, regardess of whether we attend NameBrand University or NameBrand College.

After getting a bachelors degree, we generally call ourselves graduate students. Then you have to get specific about whether you're working on a masters degree or a doctorate. (or whatever else, law degee, what have you...)

Community colleges tend to be two-year schools that grant associates degrees and generally lead students into the workforce, or towards additional study towards a bachelors degree ( 4 years of study) at a college or university.

Housing has nothing to do with any of it here. I think most campuses have some housing, but some (such as community colleges) may not.

Ah. Finally a response I could understand. Thank you. :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College has a pretty good discussion on the various usages of the terms