Accreditation
Schools in the United States are reviewed by private non-governmental agencies using criteria issued by the US Department of Education. Schools may be sanctioned by several agencies based on geographic location or field of study. All schools listed with the ELS Co-Operative Program are accredited.
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Academic Calendar
The academic year in the United States usually begins in September and ends in June the following year. There are four basic academic systems:
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Semester
Calendar of two terms in the nine-month academic year. Typically, each term consists of 15 weeks of classroom instruction.
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Trimester
Calendar of three 10-week terms in the academic year.
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Quarter
Calendar of four 10-week terms year-round; students generally attend three of the four sessions.
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4-1-4
Calendar of two 4-month semesters plus a 1-month intersession, during which students generally concentrate on a specialized project.
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Application Deadline
Date the application and all support materials are due to the school to be accepted for the following terms.
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Associate Degree
The Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) is primarily offered by two-year colleges. The Associate degree requires two academic years of full-time study. Many students who earn an Associate degree will continue their studies at a four-year institution in order to obtain a more advance degree.
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Bachelor Degree
This degree is normally the first degree earned at a four-year college or university and generally requires four academic years of full-time study.
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Co-Educational Institution
Open to male and female students.
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College
An institution of higher learning that offers B.A. and B.S. degrees but usually no or very few graduate degrees.
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Community College
A college offering two-year courses. A community college offers courses for people who do not wish to be in a full-time, four-year degree program. Community colleges are part of the state's university system.
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Conditional Letter of Acceptance
Students who qualify for university admissions but lack the required English proficiency may obtain a Conditional Letter of Acceptance. This letter, issued by the college or university, states the student will be enrolled once the institution's English requirement is fulfilled.
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Credit or Unit
An average class is worth three credits, roughly equal to the number of hours spent in class each week. A unit is the same as accredit. When you pass a class, you receive credit for the course.
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Deadline
The last possible day you can apply to a school.
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Doctorate
This is the highest degree offered at colleges and universities and requires two academic years of full-time study beyond the Master's degree, plus a dissertation based on original research.
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ELS Levels
There are 12 levels, three each from Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced to Masters Levels. In the Intensive Program, each level is composed of a 4-week session. Colleges and Universities who participate in the ELS Co-Operative Program accept ELS levels 109-112 in place of a TOEFL score.
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Enrollment
Number of students attending a school.
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Fees
Additional costs to attending the college or university beyond tuition or housing. These often include student activity, insurance, computer and other miscellaneous fees.
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Graduate
A Master's or Doctoral degree program or student
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Graduate Level
Masters or Doctoral level classes.
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Intensive English Program
The Intensive English Program is structured to accelerate your learning with thirty, 50-minute lessons per week. For more information about the ELS Intensive English Program visit www.els.com.
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Institution Type
There are four basic institution types:
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2-year Institution
Junior or community colleges that offer two-year Associate degree programs.
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4-year Institution
Colleges or universities that offer Bachelor's degrees. They may also offer Associate and/or Master degrees in some fields.
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Career Schools
Vocational schools that focus on specific areas of study including culinary, computers, and other vocational specific areas.
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Junior College
A two-year education institution offering courses that may be equal to the first two years at a college or university. A junior college also offers two-year degrees (A.A., A.B.A., A.E. for students who wish to begin working after two years.) Junior colleges are private institutions.
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Major
A student's primary area of study. Students normally declare their majors by the end of the sophomore year.
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Masters
This degree is the first postgraduate degree earned at a college or university and generally requires one to two academic years of full-time study beyond the Bachelor's degree.
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Private School
Private institutions may either be independent of have a specific religious affiliation. Private institutions charge the same tuition for all students. These schools do not receiving funding from the government.
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Public School
Most public institutions are supported by the state, county or city where the school resides. Most public institutions have two fee structures: one for students who are legal residents of the state and another for students from other states or countries.
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Rolling Admission
Schools with rolling admissions allow you to apply at any time. The schools evaluate applications as soon as they receive them.
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Semi-Intensive English Program
The Semi-Intensive English Program is structured to improve student's English skills while exploring their new surroundings. Students attend twenty, 50-minute lessons per week. ELS Co-Operative schools do not accept the Semi-Intensive Program for admission. For more information about the ELS Semi-Intensive English Program visit www.els.com.
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Tuition
Cost of the course instruction, this does not include housing, books or other fees.
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University
An institution of higher learning that includes teaching and research. A university can grant undergraduate degrees as well as graduate degrees.
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Undergraduate
A Bachelor's degree program or student. (A freshman, sophomore, junior or senior).
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