Short-Term University Study
University Exchange Programs | Non-Degree
or "Special Student" Study | Summer
Session Study | Professional Short-Term
Study | Visiting Fellows and Scholars
Would you like to study at a U.S. university, but you cannot
commit to study for a full degree in the United States? University
exchange programs, non-degree or "special student"
study, and summer session study offer the opportunity to spend
a summer, a semester, or an academic year at a university
in the United States without enrolling in a degree program.
This study might be part of your degree program in your home
country, or you might take just a few courses at a U.S. university
— at the undergraduate or graduate level — for your personal
or professional enrichment.
University Exchange
Programs
Many U.S. universities have formal links with universities
outside the United States, and they have set up student exchange
programs with these universities. Under such programs, U.S.
students and students from another country trade places and
experience living in each other's countries and studying at
each other's universities. Usually, the courses studied count
toward the student's degree program in his or her home country.
Most of these programs run for either a semester or an academic
year. The advantage of this arrangement is that students from
outside the United States generally pay the amount of tuition
charged by their home university rather than the tuition and
fees of the U.S. university, which can be considerably higher.
Contact the office responsible for international programs
and linkages at your institution to ask if your school has
exchange agreements with any U.S. universities. If it does,
find out how the exchange program operates and whether you
are eligible to take part. Or, if you are applying to study
at universities and colleges in your home country and know
you would like to spend some time studying in the United States,
find out whether they operate any U.S. exchange programs.
Also, many U.S. universities list their exchange programs
on their Web sites.
You may be able to apply for funding for an undergraduate
exchange program from your home university or institute, even
if study abroad is not a requirement for your program of study.
Funding from U.S. institutions for short-term study of this
kind is very limited. If you are not eligible to receive funding
from your own school or from the U.S. institution, you might
try to obtain funding from social, welfare, or community organizations
like Rotary International; from multinational companies; or
from local businesses.
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Non-Degree or
"Special Student" Study
If you have completed secondary school or an undergraduate
degree or if you are in the process of studying toward an
undergraduate or graduate degree, many U.S. universities will
allow you to take degree-level courses without enrolling for
a full degree program. Under this arrangement, you may be
able to take classes in a specific department, in several
departments throughout a university, or, possibly, at several
universities in a local area.
Non-degree students who take degree-level classes may be
called special students. Many universities impose a specific
time limit on the number of semesters for which you can be
registered as a non-degree or special student. For detailed
information on how to choose and apply to U.S. universities,
see Undergraduate Study
or Graduate Study.
General information on the opportunities and requirements
for special student study should be available in most universities'
catalogs. For specific information and application procedures
for schools and programs that interest you, contact university
admissions offices directly as well as the individual departments
concerned, explaining that you wish to do short-term, degree-level
study as a special student.
Special students are usually, though not always, ineligible
to receive university-sponsored financial assistance such
as scholarships or assistantships. Funding may be available
from independent foundations and organizations, such as Fulbright
Commissions, that award scholarships for postgraduate study.
Further information can be found at U.S. educational information
and advising centers, your local university's study abroad
office or career placement center, or public libraries that
have funding directories such as Funding for United States
Study and The Grants Register. See the Bibliography
for a listing of these and other useful publications.
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Summer Session Study
Some universities in the United States offer classes during
the summer break between May and August. The school may offer
one or two "summer sessions," and each session usually
lasts between six and ten weeks.
Many universities open summer session classes to the outside
public, and they sometimes make available on-campus dormitory
accommodations. You may find that students who are enrolled
in a degree program at the university also take classes during
the summer in order to finish their degree faster than usual
or to catch up on classes they missed or in which they want
to improve their grades. This is a great way for you to experience
living and studying at a university in the United States while
improving your knowledge and skills in a specific subject
area.
Universities and colleges may offer you the option to take
classes for "credit" or to "audit" classes
without earning credits.
If you take classes for credit, each subject you study will
be worth a certain number of units or credits. You may choose
to receive an official transcript at the end of the session,
which will state the classes you took, how many credits they
were worth, and what grades you achieved.
Some international students who attend summer sessions are
able to use the credits they earn in the United States toward
their degree completion at home; you should ask your department
and university officials if they will allow you to do this
before you enroll. Likewise, if at some point later in your
studies you decide to enroll in a full degree program at a
U.S. university, you may be able to use the credits earned
during your summer session study as credit toward your degree
program. This is decided on a case-by-case basis, and you
will need to ask the university admissions office which courses
they will recognize and how much credit they will grant.
If you choose to audit courses, you will attend the class
meetings and usually will be expected to complete all assignments
and examinations, but no grades or credits will be awarded
at the end of the session. Audited classes usually cost less
than regular classes. To avoid any potential misunderstandings,
be sure to verify requirements and program costs for classes
you wish to audit with the admissions office of the U.S. institution
before enrolling.
Universities usually place certain restrictions on students
attending summer session classes. For example, some will not
accept students under 18 years of age or those who have not
finished secondary school. However, a few universities may
allow students who are in the final years of their high school
studies to attend. Deadlines for enrolling are often one to
two months in advance of the start date of the class. You
should check directly with the school's summer session brochure
or Web site for eligibility requirements and application procedures.
Many U.S. educational information and advising centers have
information on summer session programs at U.S. universities
and colleges. Also consult the listing of Related
Links and the Bibliography
for additional references.
Note that summer schools and institutes offer another way
to study in the United States during the summer months. While
summer sessions at U.S. universities offer degree-level courses,
summer schools and similar programs offer a broad range of
courses structured for personal enrichment and professional
development. Such programs can be found at certain English
language centers, as well as at institutes offering classes
in cooking, diving, fashion, music, the arts, and other topics.
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Professional Short-Term
Study
A number of public, and many private, training institutions
in the United States offer short-term, intensive training
programs designed for professionals; some are even specifically
designed to meet the needs of professionals from outside the
United States. Institutions that offer such programs include
departments within U.S. universities and colleges, as well
as public and private training organizations. These programs
do not lead to a degree, but they do provide you with professional
knowledge and help to improve your professional skills, and
many award a certificate to show that you have completed the
program.
Professional short-term programs last between a few days
and an academic year, and meet daily for six to eight hours.
They are practical and experiential in orientation, with an
emphasis on case studies and activities outside the classroom.
The program might include hands-on work experience, site visits,
opportunities to network with U.S. counterparts, and application
of theory to your own professional situation.
Professional short-term training is expensive but cost-effective.
For example, the number of classroom hours in a one-week,
short-term training program is approximately equal to the
number of classroom hours in a 14-week course that meets for
a few hours per week. Also, individuals in short-term training
programs are away from work and home for a shorter period
of time than if they were enrolled in a traditional academic
program. Because of the short duration and the relatively
high cost of these programs, it is extremely important to
identify the program that best meets your specific educational
needs and circumstances and your professional training objectives.
Primary factors to consider include:
Area of Interest and Specialization: Short-term training
programs are available in a wide range of areas. What is your
particular interest and, within that, what is your area of
specialization?
English Language Level: Although trainers try to communicate
clearly and simply, to participate effectively in an intensive
training program you will need to be proficient in English.
If you have limited English skills, there are a few programs
that are also available in other widely spoken languages such
as Arabic, French, or Spanish.
Sponsorship/Financial Resources: What level of sponsorship
is available from your employer or other sources? This will
affect which programs are open to you.
Length of Training Required: How long can you be away
from your home country? How long you are likely to need training
for?
Career Goals: Consider what type of work you would
like to be doing in the future; this may help to define the
type of training that is most suitable.
New Skills Needed: Consider the goals of the training
and any new responsibilities you will be expected to assume
when you return to your job at home. Then, look carefully
at the course information to see whether it will meet these
needs. Also look closely to see whom the course is intended
for. Some programs provide specific training geared toward
learning a particular skill, while others cover broad topics
such as management techniques. Some courses are designed for
experienced professionals, while others are oriented toward
beginners. Will you have to share your expertise on your return?
If so, you might consider programs that include training and
presentation skills, as this will maximize the benefit of
the program to both you and your employer.
Once you have identified programs that meet your circumstances
and needs, you should look at each one and ask these questions:
- How many hours per day of instruction are provided?
- What are the academic/professional backgrounds of the
trainers?
- What facilities and resources are used for training?
- What kinds of support, services, and activities are provided
beyond the training itself?
- What is the typical background of trainees?
- Is the program U.S. or internationally oriented?
- How flexible is the curriculum?
- How does equipment used in the training compare with what
is available at home?
- What follow-up support is available?
Because of the range of organizations that offer training
and the variety of programs offered, finding information about
professional training programs often requires more research
than for other types of short-term study. The U.S. educational
information or advising center near you may have information
on short-term professional training programs in the United
States. Other possible sources of information and advice include
your employer, professional associations, home country government
agencies, or U.S. training institutions, universities, and
colleges. Contact the Office of International Programming,
Office of Continuing Education, or similar office at individual
colleges or universities. Searches on the Web may help identify
appropriate training organizations and programs. As appropriate,
you also can contact suppliers of computer or technical equipment
for your field, teaching/research hospitals, or, for public
service fields, U.S. government organizations and offices.
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Visiting Fellows
and Scholars
Opportunities exist at many U.S. universities for those who
already hold a doctoral degree who wish to pursue further
research. Universities also may allow visiting fellows to
audit graduate-level courses (that is, take courses without
receiving a grade or any credit for them), while having use
of all academic facilities for personal research. General
requirements for visiting fellows can be found in a university's
catalog or on its Web site. For specific information and application
procedures, prospective fellows should contact the university
admissions office and the appropriate department directly.
Visiting fellows are expected to be self-funded or to have
financial assistance from an outside source. Funding directories
are available for reference at U.S. educational information
and advising centers. See the bibliography
at the end of this booklet for further details. In addition,
the sections on Graduate Study
or Specialized Professional
Study contain more detailed information on opportunities
for visiting scholars at U.S. universities and institutes.
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