University Education in Britain

Not all universities in Britain are equal. They differ from one another in history, tradition, and academic organization. Oxford and Cambridge, the oldest universities, are world-known for their academic excellence. The University of London has the size and breadth to rank among the UK’s top universities. A university usually consists of colleges. The departments of the colleges are organized into faculties. A university programme consists of a series of lectures, seminars and laboratory classes, which in total account for about 15 hours per week.

Lectures are given to large groups of students (from 20 to 200). Seminars are much smaller than lecture classes and in some departments can be on a one-to-one basis (one member of staff and one student).

Students prepare work in advance for seminars. And this can take the form of a topic for discussion by writing essays or by solving problems.

Lectures, seminars are one hour in length, laboratory classes last two or three hours. The academic year is split into three terms. The first two terms last for twenty four weeks in total. The third term lasts for six weeks.

WRITING TASK

Write about your university programme. In what form do you prepare work for seminars?

TRANSLATION

Colleges, Faculties and Departments

All universities usually have both faculties and departments (кафедра). The faculties are arts, law, medicine, science and theology. The departments include engineering, economics, commerce, agriculture, music and technology.

At the head of each faculty there is a professor. A staff of teachers called lecturers (преподаватель университета) gives lectures to large numbers of students or study with small groups.

There are many types of colleges in England. There are colleges within universities. There are teachers’ training colleges, technical colleges of various types, colleges of arts and commerce. Colleges give a specialized training. Those who wish to become teachers spend three years at a teachers’ training college. They study various subjects and learn how to teach, and after that they have practice teaching at schools.

The University of Oxford was the first university in Britain. It was organized in the 12th century as a federation of colleges. They are governed by their own teaching staff known as “Fellows”. The oldest college, University College, was founded in 1249. Today, Oxford University consists of 35 separate colleges.

Cambridge University is also organized as a federation of colleges. Cambridge was established by scholars from Oxford in 1208. The oldest college Peterhouse, was founded in 1284. The largest college, Trinity, was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546.

WRITING TASK

Write about the first university in Russia (Moscow University). When was it founded?

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Us Universities

Harvard University is a private coeducational institution of higher education, the oldest in the United States. In 1636 a college was founded. It was named in 1639 for English clergyman John Harvard, its first sponsor. From its earliest days Harvard established and maintained a tradition of academic excellence and the training of citizens for national public services. Many US presidents attended Harvard: John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy.

Yale University is a private coeducational institution of higher education in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale is the third oldest institution in the United States. It was founded in 1701. Each of the 12 colleges accommodates approximately 250 students and has its own library, living and dining facilities. It is headed by a master and dean, who are both university faculty members. The first professional school established at Yale was the School of Medicine; other graduate divisions are the schools of architecture, art, divinity, drama, engineering, forestry and environmental studies, law, music, and organization and management.

WRITING TASK

Write about graduate divisions at you faculty. What graduate division do you prefer?

TRANSLATION