6 Things You Need to Know About Studying in the USA as an International Student

They’re the same! A Masters/PhD in the USA is called a ‘graduate’ degree rather than a ‘postgraduate’ degree which is more common in other parts of the world. This is linked to the fact that Masters and PhD degrees are usually awarded by ‘graduate schools’ which exist as part of bigger universities

It is very common for universities in the USA to be part of university organisations, for example, the Ivy League, Public Ivies or the Association of American Universities. Membership to these organisations serve as a sign of quality and prestige making them an important factor to consider when deciding where to study in the US.

US universities assess students through continuous assessments and the weighted average of all these give your final scores, or Grade Point Average (GPA). This is different to some countries like the UK, where students are usually assessed at the end of each module.

This does mean that you’ll need to continuously get high scores to maintain a strong GPA. It might seem daunting if you did not use GPA in your home country, but we have a guide breaking down exactly how it is calculated in the US. You will also need to convert your existing scores to GPA when applying to study in the USA.

#4 A portion of your PhD is like a taught Masters

Unlike other parts of the world, PhDs in the USA are not pure research degrees. The first part of your PhD, or the ‘coursework stage’, is more like a taught Masters where you’ll be asked to complete taught classes and coursework. You’ll be allowed to move to the dissertation phase only after you have passed an examination at the end of your first phase

Even though the headline figures you’ll come across when searching for tuition fees at US universities seem prohibitively high, there are some factors that you must consider. These fees are usually for prestigious Ivy League universities which are more expensive than many other public and private universities in the country. There are also generous funding opportunities for international students that can help bring costs down. We’ve explained why study in the US may be cheaper than you expect in our blog.