AJ-1-Studying-at-university

DEGREE COURSES

At UK and US universities the individual courses that make up the degree program can be divided into the following types:

• Core courses: These provide the foundation of the degree program and are required of all students. Some colleges require students to take many core courses, while other schools require only a few.

• Major courses: A major is the subject in which a student chooses to concentrate. Most students major in one subject; however, some colleges offer the option of pursuing a double major with a related subject. Your major courses represent one-quarter to one-half of the total number of courses required to complete a degree.

• Minor courses: A minor is a subject in which a student may choose to take the second greatest concentration of courses. The number of courses required for a minor tends to be half the number of major courses.

• Elective courses: These courses may be chosen from any department. They offer opportunities to explore other topics or subjects you may be interested in and help make up the total number of credits required to graduate.

FORMS OF ASSESSMENT AND GRADING

• Examination is a graded form of assessment to check students' knowledge in the given subject and their ability to evaluate problems and phenomena by independent thinking. Examination may be written, oral, or combined. It is graded "excellent", "very good", "good" and "failed". Students may sit for an examination a maximum of three times. No extra dates apart from the one ordinary attempt and the two re-sits are permissible.

• Credit (coursework) is an ungraded form of assessment, granted for fulfilling the tasks set by the educator for the given course. It is usually conditional upon regular attendance, a test, a presentation, practical demonstration, etc. It is acknowledged as "passed". The educator confirms that students have passed the various forms of assessment by signing and dating the student's personal credit-book ('index') and enters the data into the student electronic system, which is finally checked by the Registrar’s Office.

GRADUATION

A thesis (dissertation) defense, also known as "defending one's thesis," or viva voce, is a part of the final state examination for a master’s or Ph.D. candidate. Questions are typically about the content of the thesis/dissertation. Examiners may need clarification on a point or points, or may ask the candidate to explain his or her reasoning further. Questions may also challenge the candidate's views, methods, or conclusions. Part of the evaluation is based on how well the candidate can defend his or her work. Passing the master’s defense successfully is prerequisite to be accepted for the final state examination.

Final B.A. (B.Sc.)/ M.A. (M.Sc.) Examinations held at the end of the entire degree programme, are usually oral in the Czech academic area, although some may be practical or have practical components. Those who pass all components successfully are awarded the corresponding academic degree and receive their diploma at the associated ceremony.