Master's in the USA: how I entered and how much it costs. Top US Universities for Master's Degrees. A small excerpt from the description of educational institutions in this section

Educational institutions with a master's degree (English) in the USA. We ask you to familiarize yourself with the educational institutions verified by our experts, offering unsurpassed quality in the field of education and education of character, student discipline. This section offers comprehensive information about schools, international study programs, prices and reviews. If you have any questions, you can always consult our specialists. FREE enrollment services at partner institutions, places are limited. Assistance in the selection of institutions, advice on what documents you need to collect, what are the requirements for filing and enrollment deadlines.

Check the information on the training program on the official website of the educational institution.

A small excerpt from the description of educational institutions in this section:

1947 was the year of the beginning of the pedagogical and scientific work of the University of California at Los Angeles (California State University Los Angeles). The abbreviated name of the university is SCULA. The central building of the university is located in Los Angeles.

For many decades, SCULA has not left five percent of the world's top universities.

SCULA is a large university. About 29 thousand students study here. The admissions committee receives not only applications from US residents, but also from citizens of other countries. More than 2,500 specialists work at the university, among which there are also foreign ones. For successful students, there is a chance to participate in the exchange program and try their hand at another university.

The rating of an educational institution when choosing a master's degree in the USA is important, but should not become an end in itself. You don't have to go to an Ivy League college to get a good education. The School of Film, Drama and Television at UCLA is ranked third in the ranking of American film universities (The Hollywood Reporter, 2017), but Steven Spielberg and George Lucas studied at California State University, which is not in this ranking at all.

Daria Yudintseva,
specialist in higher education in the USA IQ Consultancy

Start with what problem you want to solve with a master's degree in the USA. Choose 5-7 universities that match your interests and goals and compare terms of study, internships, career prospects - everything that will lead you to your dream profession. It is likely that in order to enter the chosen university, you will have to work hard: improve your language, take preparatory courses, and pass additional exams.

You can go the other way and start from the education you already have, work experience and the time you are willing to spend on training and education. In this case, you choose from those directions that you can enter with a greater probability.

When choosing, it is worth considering that the US master's degree allows you to change your specialty. If you are a literary critic in your first Russian education, but want to study law, then preparatory courses at American universities will help you understand a new specialty before entering. Among universities with such programs:

The University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is ranked 53rd in the ranking of the best public universities in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2018). Of the 28,000 students, 4,200 are foreigners. Brian McClendon, Vice President of Engineering at Google Earth, studied here.

Along with Harvard University and Yale University, the university is a member of the Association of American Universities - 62 institutions of higher education that have produced 72% of US Nobel laureates.

The University of Dayton

Within six months after graduation from the University of Dayton, 95% of graduates find a job. The university stands out for its scientific base - in 2017 it entered the top 8 most sponsored universities in the United States, and GE Aviation and Emerson built their research centers on its campus.

The university ranks 99th in the list of the 1000 best private universities in the United States (Niche, 2018). 95% of students get a job within 6 months of graduation.

Auburn University

Auburn University trains NASA scientists and astronauts, as well as specialists in medicine, biochemistry, business, design, architecture and urban planning. The Princeton Review ranked the university 17th in its "Universities with the Happiest Students" ranking.

The university has produced three presidents of the Kennedy Space Center and Wiki creator Tim Cook. Auburn University is one of only three universities in the world with a degree in Wireless Engineering.

IQ Consultancy is the official representative of 12 leading US universities in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. We arrange an interview with a university representative and help you write a motivation letter that will allow you to apply for a scholarship. Our admissions services for these universities are free.

The USA is the country hosting a record number of international students. Every year, about 750 thousand foreigners enter the higher educational institutions of this country. About half of them receive financial assistance from universities, foundations, and the government.

Such attention to American universities is due to the high standards of education, the excellent reputation of educational institutions, the career prospects of graduates, and simply the attractiveness of the country in cultural and social terms.

Obtaining a master's degree from an American university within a year or two is a very common practice among successful and ambitious young people around the world. Russia is no exception. Whatever area of expertise you specialize in, and whatever resources you have, there is sure to be a suitable master's program in the USA.

Where to start looking for a master's degree in the USA?

Searching for and preparing for a master's degree in the United States should begin well in advance, at least one year before the date of intended admission. The procedure for admission to a master's program in America can be started even in the last year of the institute. To do this, you need to take the dean's office, translate and certify an academic certificate, the so-called School Transcript.

You can use online directories such as the Directory of Graduated Programs or Peterson's Guide to find the right university. Make a list of those universities that will attract your attention. The selection criteria should be the following:

The reputation of the program in the chosen specialty and the faculty as a whole;
Cost of education;
The possibility of obtaining grants, scholarships and, in general, additional funding;
How satisfied are you with the training program, its format, teaching methods, etc.;
Availability and price of housing.

The issue of funding

The cost of a master's degree in universities in the United States depends on the location, prestige, and ownership of the university. For local residents (living in the same state), the cost of education is three times lower than for foreigners. It can be expected that the amount that will have to be paid for a year of master's degree in America will not exceed 35 thousand dollars (excluding the cost of housing, food, flights, etc.).

A lot of foreign students use various forms of financial assistance from the university itself. It may look like this:

Fellowship - an amount that fully covers all necessary expenses: tuition, medical insurance and a scholarship sufficient to live in this area of the United States.
Teaching Assistantship (TA) is about the same amount of funding as in the previous case, but the student in return must teach junior courses in the amount of 15 - 20 academic hours per week.
Research Assistantship (RA) - full allowance in exchange for assisting the supervisor in his research. Master's students are rarely given: only in case of outstanding academic success.
Administrative Assistantship (AA) - Scholarship and tuition discount in exchange for 20 hours of administrative work per week on campus or university.
Tuition Scholarships are the most common type of financial aid for master's degree applicants. It offers a discount on tuition fees. The missing amount, as well as living expenses, etc., the student covers from his own pocket.

If you need additional financial assistance, it makes sense to look for grants and scholarships offered by governments and various foundations. The most famous of these in the United States is the Fulbright program. As part of this program, 6,000 one-year and two-year grants are distributed annually, most of them for free master's programs in the United States in a variety of fields. Another popular scholarship program for future masters is the Edmund Muskie program.

From the abundance of opportunities, you need to choose approximately seven educational programs. You need to soberly assess whether the chosen university and faculty suits you, and how great your chances of being enrolled there are. This is important for the following reasons:

Submission of documents

The requirements of universities regarding the submission of documents are different. Just like in Russia, it is more difficult to enter some universities, while others are easier. The list of documents for admission in one place may be limited to a translated diploma, TOEFL test and application form, while others require a GMAT test, a lot of recommendations and much more.

Application Forms

Almost all US universities accept documents online. You can fill out your registration forms in several steps by registering an account on the university website.
In the application form and other documents, you must indicate your data exactly as in the passport.
You cannot leave empty fields. For example, if you have not been to the United States before, then you have nothing to enter in the SSN (Social Security Number / Social Security Number) column. Write "Not Applicable".
Sometimes it is necessary to send documents by mail. Download forms to fill out from the same university website.

What's next?

Wait for answers from universities. Letters will come with both positive and negative answers. Make your final choice and carefully pay the required deposit so that the seat is reserved for you.

Be sure to pass a Health Statement medical examination, do tests and vaccinations.

Get a student visa. To do this, you need to send completed documents upon request from the SEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System) service, receive confirmation, and then apply for a visa at the embassy.

It seems that by the time a positive answer is received, the question “What to do next?” will no longer be relevant. Before you is a well-trodden road to obtaining a high-quality master's education in the USA, which will certainly open up excellent career and personal prospects for you.

The USA is a country not only with very different cultures and geography, but also with a reputation for first-class higher education. It is in the United States that the most foreign students in the world come to study every year, including master's programs. More than 750,000 foreign students enter US universities every year.

A melting pot of ethnicities, nationalities, races, classes, opinions, the United States is a great place to get additional education. No matter what field you specialize in, in the USA you can find exactly the master's program that you need. In addition to full-time education, master's programs in the United States are represented by part-time format and even completely distance education.

US universities

A master's degree in the United States lasts one or (more often) two years and usually combines study with research work or a project.

The USA is famous for its heavyweight universities - Harvard, Stanford, MIT and others. However, across the country, the choice of excellent universities is by no means limited to those that are in the Ivy League. There are 1,700 public and 2,500 private universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Master's programs exist only at universities, while colleges usually only offer bachelor's degrees.

An important advantage of master's programs in the United States is their relatively narrow specialization and practical focus, while undergraduate programs are usually much less specialized and specific.

Applying for a Masters in the USA

As in many other countries, admission to a master's program in the United States can be very difficult or quite simple, depending on the university and the specific program. Sometimes it is enough for applicants to provide only a translation of a diploma of first higher education, an application and a certificate of passing an English language proficiency exam (IELTS or TOEFL), and sometimes it is necessary to add a letter of recommendation to this and pass the GMAT test.

The cost of studying in the USA

Tuition fees for master's programs also vary depending on the university (private or public), the program of study, and even sometimes the student's nationality (more precisely, citizenship). If, for example, a resident of the state where the university is located pays an average of $12,000 per year, then a resident of another state or a foreign student has to pay $30,000. Typically, the cost of education for foreign students does not exceed $35,000 per year, but there are exceptions. Add to this the cost of living, which in some areas and cities of the United States can result in a round sum. In this regard, it is most profitable to live in small student cities, of which there are a lot in the USA.

Scholarships and grants for studying in the USA

Despite the rather high cost of studying in a master's program in the United States, there are many opportunities for scholarships, grants and educational loans.

The Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program is one of the largest scholarship programs for studying in the United States. Here, both university graduates and graduate students, as well as scientists, university professors and even artists can find funding. You can also get a grant for studying at a master's degree in US universities under the Edmund Muskie program.

Employment after a master's degree in the USA

A master's degree in the USA is highly valued by employers. Graduates of such programs rarely experience difficulties with work both in the US itself and in other countries.

An education received in the United States of America opens up the opportunity for graduates to work in almost any organization in the world, especially when it comes to master's programs. A graduate from any country with a high level of knowledge in specialized subjects, as well as fluent in a foreign language, can enter an American university.

What do you need to apply for a master's degree in the US?

It is important to understand that the diploma of an American university is, first of all, prestige. A diploma from a foreign university allows you to:

- get a job abroad;
— to return after training to Russia and take a leadership position in a large company. Most often, employers are interested in such candidates.

In addition, studying at a university provides an opportunity to get to know another country, to understand how suitable it is for permanent life, in order to plan a move there in the future.

We collect a package of documents

Each university in the country has its own admission rules for foreign students. However, most educational institutions recruiting foreign students to master's programs require the following documents to be submitted:

bachelor's degree in any specialty. Very often in American universities, students change the profile of education already in the process of studying. However, it is better for foreign tourists to apply for continuing education in specialized education;
an appendix to the diploma, which indicates the number of hours for the subjects passed and an extract on academic performance;
an essay stating the reason why the student should continue their studies at an American university;
letters of recommendation from university staff (these can be the heads of graduation projects, mentors) or from the place of work, characterizing the student as a hardworking and inquisitive person.

Admission to a foreign university requires knowledge of the English language. Level confirmation is the presence of a TOEFL or IELTS certificate.

Prior to admission, the student will be tested in specialized subjects, where they will need to demonstrate a high level of knowledge.

Submit documents

Documents are accepted by American universities twice a year. The process of collecting all the necessary information and coordinating with various authorities takes about a year.

First you need to select several educational institutions where you plan to continue your studies. In this case, one should take into account the rating of the university, its reputation, and the conditions for admission. When submitting documents for studying at any university, it will be necessary to pay about eighty dollars, regardless of whether the applicant becomes a student or not.

Already at the initial stage, the issue of financing should be resolved. You can pay for your studies on your own or use support from the university or the state.

The next step is filling out the questionnaire. Most educational institutions allow you to do this on the official website. After that, you can send documents for consideration by e-mail, and then by letter.

The testing schedule is formed several months in advance. Pre-registration for entrance examinations is required. The results will be known no earlier than in a month. The university will inform about the decision made, as well as about the possibility of obtaining a scholarship.

The university will send a special form that you will need to fill out and send back. At the same time, you should go through a medical commission.

Having received a certificate for the right to study, you can open a student visa.

Cost of education

Higher education in American universities is quite expensive. The price is affected by the rating of the university, the specialty, as well as its location. The most popular and expensive specialties are law, architecture, marketing, information technology. The price for a year of study can exceed thirty thousand dollars.

However, there are funding programs that allow you to get education for free or at a significant discount. This is about:

Fellowships is a program that fully compensates for tuition and provides for the payment of scholarships. As a rule, its validity period does not exceed one year;
Teaching Assistantship (TA) - similar to the first, only the student needs to do at least twenty hours a week in laboratory classes or teach undergraduate courses;
students interested in conducting scientific research may apply for Research Assistantship (RA);
the most common program, Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Waivers, covers the cost of education. Accommodation must be paid for by yourself. The scholarship is not provided;
Administrative Assistantship involves mandatory weekly work on campus.

There are also funding programs that operate at the state level.

What are the prospects?

Getting an education abroad is a dream that can become a reality if you make an effort. After graduating from the master's program, the graduate will have great prospects. It:

- a guarantee to get a prestigious job with a decent salary;
– the opportunity to communicate with new people with common interests;
- the opportunity to undergo an annual paid practice in the specialty, after which there is a high probability of concluding a profitable cooperation contract.

After analyzing your capabilities, you need to carefully prepare for admission to the US master's program and submit documents.