Instead of a single class, a student usually enrolls in 4 or 5 subjects (classes) each
semester/term in the USA, and the bachelor’s degree will normally take 4 years to
complete. Some students are capable of graduating in less time by taking extra classes
during the semesters/summer, or by giving them credit for previous work at high
school/university at home. Each university and college has several different departments
that handle the various subject areas, such as Communication, Management, Business,
Science, Humanities, Education, Arts, etc.
It usually requires 120 credits to complete a bachelor’s degree. Normally, each course
provides 3 credits. The student will, each semester, plan their studies together with a
student advisor and register for the courses they need.
The courses can generally be divided into four categories:
- Core/General Education courses - these are required courses for Americans as well as
international students.
- Major courses - courses in your subject area/major. Should contain approx. 50% or
more of the total number of courses required. Some schools offer the opportunity to
take a double major. (Two areas of study – usually similar or linked).
- Minor courses - second choice when it comes to the student's chosen major focus. The
number of courses is usually half the number of courses that constitute a major.
- Elective courses - optional courses which usually can be selected from all course
areas. Often, students choose courses here to gather enough credits for a minor or
study random subjects they are interested in.
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