Lesson 3: British & American Universities
Task 1: Brainstorming. Can you name some famous British or American Universities? What do you know about them?
Task 2: Read the text on British University Qualifications and complete the chart
University degree	Length of die course	Abbreviation
		
		
		
Task 3: Every British University produces prospectuses. Look through your prospectus and answer the questions. Swap information with your neighbour.
1. What is the name and location of the University?
2. What is the official position of the head of the University?
3. What is the structure of the University? (faculties, colleges, schools)
4. What degrees does the University offer?
5. What and why would you like to study there?
6. How much will you have to pay as an overseas ("international") student.
7. How, when and where will you apply for admission?
8. Are there terms or semesters? When do they start?
Task 4: Admission to universities in Britain
Listen to the tape and then decide which of the statements are true and which are false (T/F)
1. Each university has a separate entrance exam. T/F
2. National school - leaving exams are called A levels in Britain? T/F
3. The students choose the universities and the courses they are interested in by looking at prospectuses. T/F
4. The prospectuses are available only in the school careers offices. T/F
5. UCCA stands for Universities Central Council on Admissions. T/F
6. The students apply directly to the universities themselves. T/F
7. You can apply for admission to more than 5 universities. T/F
8. The academic year starts in September. T/F
Task 5: Compare with the situation in the Czech Republic. Task 6: Foreign universities - matching exercise.
Task 7: What are the most famous British Universities? Read the text and choose the best answer.
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British University Qualifications
British universities offer a number of different undergraduate and postgraduate degree awards.
The commonest undergraduate degree is called a bachelor's degree. The best known bachelors' degrees are the BA (Bachelor of Arts) and the B.Sc (Bachelor of Science).
A bachelor's degree usually marks the completion of three or four years of undergraduate study.
There are four divisions of the bachelor's degree award:
• first class honours (I)
• upper second class honours (II i)
• lower second class honours (II ii)
• third class honours (III)
A postgraduate degree is called a master's degree or a doctorate (doctor's degree). The commonest masters' degrees are the MA (Master of Arts) and the M.Sc (Master of Science).
Master's degree programmes usually involve one or two years of postgraduate study. Most departments in British universities also offer the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D). This degree is usually granted after three or more years of postgraduate study (depending on the individual student), and involves some original research. People who have been awarded a doctor's degree can be called "Doctor" (instead of Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms).
Every British university produces undergraduate and postgraduate prospectuses with precise details of every degree awarded in every department. The name given to a degree award varies. For example, people who have been awarded a BA degree from Oxford or Cambridge University can obtain an MA degree simply by paving a fee. Some universities do not award any BA and MA degrees, and others do not award any B.Sc and M.Sc degrees. In some university departments the name of the degree gives a more precise indication of the subject specialism - an undergraduate degree in Music, for example, is sometimes called a B.Mus.
Arc \ou rcaJ> lor our quizzes?
We have prepared a couple of quizzes to test your knowledge of academic abbreviations
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