Une maîtrise d’anglais constitue un a priori pour s’engager dans des études universitaires aux USA. La plupart des programmes diplômants exigent un score minimum au TOEFL iBT se situant entre  79 et 90, ou une preuve équivalente d’un niveau avancé en anglais. En général, même quand il s’agit d’accorder une admission conditionnée par des  études complémentaires d’anglais, les universités américaines exigent que le candidat démontre un niveau d’anglais d’au moins « intermédiaire fort ».

• Diplôme rapide et facile? Méfiez-vous.
• Evaluer un Programme d’Enseignement à Distance
• Comment améliorer votre anglais avant de commencer vos études aux USA

Alors qu’il y a une abondance d’information disponible sur  des  programmes académiques traditionnels, les étudiants qui   voudraient  choisir un programme d’enseignement à distance en trouvent beaucoup moins. De plus, il leur faut tenir compte de facteurs qui sont particuliers aux méthodes d’enseignement à distance. Parmi les points importants à examiner on peut citer  les logistiques d’une inscription à partir de l’étranger,   l’utilité et la reconnaissance du diplôme  obtenu.  Comme pour tout programme, il faudra considérer sa qualité, les services offerts, et à quel point il répond à vos besoins.

Considérations pratiques

• Quelles technologies seront utilisées pour acheminer le contenu pédagogique ? Disposez-vous du matériel informatique nécessaire et d’une connexion   Internet au débit requis  pour accéder au  programme?  Les spécifications  peuvent varier d’un programme à un autre.

• Est-ce que le programme  prévoit  la participation des étudiants aux discussions en temps réel,  ou d’autres activités synchrones « en direct ». Si c’est le cas, comment sont programmées ces séances ?  Ce genre d’activité peut apporter  beaucoup aux étudiants, mais leur participation  peut aussi s’avérer difficile  pour des personnes habitant des fuseaux horaires  très différents.

• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. U.S. Department of State recognized accreditor for short-term programs.
  
   
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation. Includes a directory of accredited programs.

• Intensive English USA OnlineDatabase searchable for particular locations or special purpose programs.

• The Chronicle of Higher Education. Includes listings of postdoctoral positions as well as news on trends related to postdoctoral study and other higher education news (some of it publicly available, some only to subscribers).
  
   
• PostdocJobs.com. A resource guide for fresh Ph.D.s, this site includes postdoctoral research position openings, scholarships and fellowships, career advice, and a résumé bank. Owned by the Higher Education and Career Information Network.
  
   
• Science Magazine, Career Development. sIncludes a section with articles, advice, and job listings specifically for scientists seeking postdoctoral positions.
  
   
• Scholarly Society Project. Sponsored by the University of Waterloo, this site provides information on over 4,100 scholarly societies worldwide (including over 600 U.S. societies).
  
   
• National Academies. Includes a section on postdoctoral and fellowship positions as well as an online version of the career guide, Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers.

U.S. public education is designed to offer instruction for all children of U.S. residents, regardless of race, gender, religion, handicaps, or family income. U.S. private schools offer a variety of additional choices, from religious instruction to environments that focus specifically on collegiate preparation, building self-discipline, providing support to children with learning disabilities, or other special goals.

U.S. elementary and secondary education can have much to offer young international students, whether they are coming to the United States with their families or seeking an independent educational experience at a boarding school.

School Organization and Instruction

In the United States, children start their formal education around the age of six. (They may prepare for this beginning, the first grade, by attending a kindergarten program at age five or a nursery school program even earlier.) Twelve years of instruction follow, with the student typically completing grades one through twelve and graduating at age eighteen to go on to college or employment. All U.S. states require that children attend school until at least age sixteen.

School years most commonly run from September to June, though an increasing number of U.S. schools are now holding classes year-round with several short breaks rather than the traditional long summer vacation. Instruction generally begins with elementary or primary school (grades one through six or one through eight), followed by secondary or high school (most commonly including grades nine through twelve), with a middle or junior high school (which might include grades six through eight or seven through nine) sometimes taking up the in-between years. Exactly which grades are included in which school level varies from one school to another.

An increasing number of Ph.D. candidates, especially in scientific fields, find that they need still more education and practical experience before entering the work force. To meet that need, many institutions have created postdoctoral research positions, which offer further training in such areas as research, writing, and teaching in preparation for research careers in academia, government, and industry. In the United States, over half of these postdoctoral scholars are international visitors.

Postdoc positions provide scholars with an intense research experience under the direction of an experienced mentor in the field. The scholar is essentially apprenticed to this mentor, and together mentor and scholar agree upon a schedule of collaborative and independent research and publication of findings.

To qualify to become a postdoctoral scholar (commonly referred to as a postdoc), an individual must have completed the requirements for a doctoral degree (e.g, the Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., Pharm.D., D.V.M., D.P.H., D.N.S.), or in some cases a terminal master’s degree. For many positions, applicants are expected to have completed their degree work fairly recently (at least within the past seven years) though some midcareer opportunities are also available. Most postdocs work in the fields of biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, and earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences, as well as in engineering, medicine, mathematics and computer sciences, and psychology. In some cases, postdoc appointments are available in other social sciences and the humanities, but these are more rare. While a more common option than in the past, postdoctoral positions are not available in every field of study.

There’s an old saying that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Getting a diploma saying that you’ve earned a Ph.D. for a few hundred dollars, within thirty days, and with little or no work on your part may sound great—but such a diploma is a worthless piece of paper that could cost you your career.

Any degree-granting U.S. institution of higher education that you are considering attending should be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the U.S. Department of Education. You can find a free, searchable database listing all institutions with recognized accreditation here.

(You will also want to check with the ministry of education, licensing authorities, etc. in the country where you plan to work regarding any additional requirements that they may have for degree recognition.)

Accept no substitutes for CHEA/U.S. Department of Education recognized accreditation. “Incorporated,” “legally operating,” “approved,” “state-approved,” “authorized,” “registered,” or “member of” are not the same and are not sufficient to ensure minimum educational quality. Being “accredited” by an organization that is not recognized by CHEA or the Department of Education may prove to be completely meaningless.

Don’t trust a beautiful Web site, misleading advertising, or persuasive salespeople. Legitimate degree-granting institutions that are not accredited are rare. Fake universities that will provide “degrees” for a summary of life experience, review of your resume, completion of a test or research paper, or even simply for a credit card payment….these are common, because running such a “diploma mill” is a profitable if fraudulent business.

Often graduate students need to have a résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) when applying to graduate programs. Although résumés are traditionally used for employment purposes, some graduate schools now require them as part of the application process. We’ve also heard of CVs or résumés being requested during some visa interviews.

The term “CV” will be most commonly used when you are being asked to outline your experience specifically for academic purposes. Unlike résumés, which are usually 1 to 2 pages in length, CVs are generally 2 to 4 pages long and include details on your publications, scholarly activities, and the like. With a CV you may also consider submitting such materials as a dissertation abstract, a statement of research interests, and/or a statement of teaching interests.

Résumés are typically focused on work experience and are most often requested by business schools and other professionally oriented programs. Look at specific application requirements and what fits with your own background best in deciding what you should send.

When sending a curriculum vita or résumé to a U.S. university, do not include information such as your weight, height, or marital status.  In the United States this information is considered private and is strange to mention in this context.  Your birth date is also not needed here—it is not considered in U.S. admissions decisions.

A few websites that provide more tips on how to create CVs/résumés specifically for application purposes are listed below—