8.Degrees:

to confer a degree; thesis, paper, dissertation;

the Associates' degree ( e.g. the Associate of Arts (A.A.), the Associate of Science ( A.S.)) (Am.E) - is usually awarded at a community or junior college upon completion of 2 years of study;

the Bachelor's degree (the first degree that you get when you study at a university, it normally requires 3-4 years of academic study beyond the high school diploma): the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.),the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc); the Bachelor of Education(B.Ed.); the Bachelor of Fine Arts ( B.F.A.), the Bachelor of Divinity(B.D.);

The Master's degree (a higher degree in British and US universities, usually requiring 1 or 2 years of advanced study. It is between a bachelor's degree and doctorate. Frequently a thesis is required or a final oral or written examination. Master's degrees include: the Master of Arts (M.A.), the Master of Science (M.Sc), the Master of Business and Administration (M.B.A.), etc.);

doctorate (the Doctor's degree) - usually the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (equal to the Russian candidate of Science, Philology, etc) - the highest academic degree, it requires a minimum of 2 years of course work beyond the Master's degree level, success in qualifying examination, proficiency in one or two foreign languages and completion of a doctoral dissertation.

Cultural Note.

1. The Ivy League.

US universities and colleges organize themselves into conferences, groups of institutions that are near each other and do certain activities, such as sports, together. The most highly respected of these groups is the Ivy League in the northeastern US. Its most famous members are Harvard and Yale Universities, whose fierce rivalry in various sports is like that between Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Britain. The other members of the Ivy League are Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The name Ivy League comes from the ivy that grows on the old buildings of the colleges.

Ivy League institutions have a very rich academic reputation, and many more people want to attend them than are able to do so. They are very expensive, with tuition costing well over $20 000 at some universities, although scholarships are available to help students who cannot pay for themselves. People who are educated in the Ivy League have a good chance of finding a well-paid job, and many political leaders have been to Ivy League universities.

2.Oxbridge.

Oxbridge is a word made from the names Oxford and Cambridge and is used to refer informally to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge together; especially when they are being distinguished from other universities.

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities in Britain. They are also thought to be the best universities to get a place at. An Oxbridge degree makes a good impression with many employers, and graduates of these universities may have an advantage when applying for jobs. Many of the 14 000 undergraduates at each university have been educated at public schools. The upper class has traditionally sent their children to Oxbridge, and many prime ministers and politicians went there. To many people, Oxford and Cambridge seem very remote places where only the very privileged can go.

Students at Oxford and Cambridge must be accepted at one of the 30 semi-independent colleges. They used to have to sit an entrance exam and many still take an exam if they want to get a scholarship. Others have to sit special exams in addition to A levels. Each college has its own teaching and research staff, called fellows, and its own buildings, including hall (a dining hall), a library, a chapel, and rooms for students to live in during the term. Until the 1970s colleges were single-sex, but now almost all are mixed. The universities provide other facilities centrally, including laboratories, lecture rooms and libraries.

The teaching system is different from that at most universities. Students have tutorials, called supervisions at Cambridge, at which they read their essays to their tutor, a fellow who is a specialist in what they are studying. There are usually no more than two or three students at a tutorial. Students also go to lectures that are arranged by the university and open to all students. Final examinations at Oxford are called schools, and at Cambridge the tripos. Undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge study for a BA degree, but after a period of time graduates can convert their BA to an MA (Oxon) or an MA (Cantab) without doing any further study. Oxon is short for Oxoniensis, and Cantab for Cantabrigiensis, Latin for 'of Oxford and 'of Cambridge'.

At Oxford students sometimes have to wear gowns, e.g. when they go to see the college principal. When they sit examinations or go to a degree ceremony they have to wear academic dress. This consists of subfusc, a black suit or skirt, black shoes and socks or tights, a white shirt or blouse and a black tie. Women also have to wear a tie or ribbon. On top they wear their gown and a mortar board (a black hat with a flat, square top) and, when they graduate, a hood that shows their status. At Cambridge students only have to wear gowns when they matriculate (become members of the university) and at graduation.