Bridging the Linguistic Divide in Higher Education
Despite many shared similarities, the US and the UK are often divided by their distinct terminologies in higher education. Here are the essentials.
It has often been quipped that the US and the UK are two countries separated by a common language. This is certainly true when it comes to talking about higher education, so make sure you have the essentials under your belt as you look through university websites.
University vs. College
In the UK, “university” describes institutions that offer undergraduate and postgraduate education. A “college” may refer to a vocational training center or one of the constituent institutions within an older university like Oxford or Cambridge. In the US, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Year Designations
American students use “freshman,” “sophomore,” “junior,” and “senior.” In the UK, students simply refer to their “first year,” “second year,” and so on.
Courses vs. Modules
In the US, a “course” refers to a specific class. In the UK, “course” usually refers to the entire program of study, and the individual classes are called “modules.”
Grades and Marks
American students receive letter grades with a GPA on a 4.0 scale. In the UK, students receive percentages with degree classifications: First (70%+), Upper Second or 2:1 (60–69%), Lower Second or 2:2 (50–59%), and Third (40–49%).
Professors and Lecturers
In the US, “professor” is used broadly. In the UK, “lecturer” is the common term for university teachers, with “professor” reserved for the highest academic rank.
Departments vs. Faculties
In the US, universities are divided into “departments.” In the UK, “faculty” describes a division comprising related departments. “Faculty” does not generally refer to individual teaching staff in the UK.
Majors vs. Programmes
In the US, students choose a “major.” In the UK, students enroll in a “programme” of study, which often implies a more structured and predetermined course compared to the more flexible US major.
This only scratches the surface of the differences between higher education in the US and the UK, but these are important distinctions to keep in mind.