College
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225940567
2008-07-16T03:10:00Z
Sephiroth BCR
621952
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/207.233.86.103|207.233.86.103]] to last version by ClueBot (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Expert-subject|Universities}}
{{otheruses}}
'''''College''''' ([[Latin]] '''[[collegium (disambiguation)|collegium]]''') is a term most often used today to denote an [[educational]] [[institution]]. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of [[colleague]]s (see, for example [[electoral college]], [[College of Arms]], [[College of Cardinals]]). Originally, it meant a group of [[person]]s living together under a common set of [[law|rules]] (''con-'' = "together" + ''leg-'' = "law" or ''lego'' = "I choose"); indeed, some colleges call their members "[[fellow]]s". The precise usage of the term varies among [[English language|English]]-speaking countries.
[[Image:KingsCollegeChapel.jpg|thumb|300px|KingsCollegeChapel.jpg|King's College, a [[Colleges of the University of Cambridge|constituent college]] of the University of Cambridge]]
== United Kingdom ==
[[United Kingdom|British]] usage of the word "college" remains the loosest, encompassing a range of institutions:
====Schools====
* Certain [[independent schools|private schools]], known as "Public" schools in England, for children such as [[Eton College]] and [[Malvern College]].<ref name="Eaton">[http://www.etoncollege.com/eton.asp?di=389 Eton College website] using school as the educational institute but College as the name</ref>
* In Cambridgeshire, there are certain secondary schools called [[Village College]]s, which aim to be a centre for the community as well as for their students
====Further Education====
In general use, a ''college'' is an institution between secondary school and university, either a sixth form college or a college of further education and adult education which were usually called ''technical colleges''. Recently, however, with the phasing out of [[polytechnical colleges]] the term has become less clear-cut.
* Colleges of [[further education]] and [[adult education]].
* "[[Sixth form college]]s", where students study for [[Advanced Level (UK)|A Levels]]
====Higher Education====
In relation to universities, the term ''college'' normally refers to a part of the university which does not have degree-awarding powers in itself. Degrees are always awarded by ''universities'' whereas ''colleges'' are institutions or organisations which prepare students for the degree.
In some cases, colleges prepare students for the degree of a university of which the college is a part (eg colleges of the [[University of London]], [[University of Cambridge]], etc.) In other cases, colleges are independent institutions which prepare students to sit as external candidates at other universities or have authority to run courses that lead to the degrees of those universities (e.g. many higher education colleges and [[university college]]s).
* The constituent parts of [[collegiate university|collegiate universities]], especially referring to the independent colleges that make up the Universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[University of London|London]]
* The constituent parts of [[collegiate university|collegiate universities]] which provide accommodation and pastoral services at [[University of St Andrews|St Andrews]] and [[Durham University|Durham]].
* The constituent parts of [[collegiate university|collegiate universities]], such as [[Lancaster University|Lancaster]] and [[University of York|York]] and [[University of Kent|Kent]].
* Some universities, such as [[Imperial College London]], which is a university in its own right. Also [[University College London]] and [[King's College London]], which are federal colleges of the [[University of London]] but are also de facto universities in their own right as they can award their own degrees.
* A name given to large groupings of [[faculty (university)|faculties]] or departments, notably in the [[University of Edinburgh]], and in the future, under restructuring plans, the [[University of Birmingham]].
* [[University college]]s — independent higher education institutions that have the power to award degrees, but are not actually universities.
====Professional Bodies====
* Professional associations such as the [[Royal College of Organists]], the [[Royal College of Surgeons]] and other various [[Royal College]]s.
====Law Courts====
* The [[College of Justice]] or [[Court of Session]] of [[Scotland]]
== United States==
[[Image:Agnes Scott College - Buttrick Hall.jpg|200px|left|thumb|[[Agnes Scott College]]]]
{{main|Higher education in the United States}}
In [[American English]], the word, in contrast to its many and varied British meanings, often refers to [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts colleges]] that provide education primarily at the [[Undergraduate education|undergraduate level]]. It can also refer to schools which offer a [[vocational]], [[business]], [[engineering]], or technical curriculum. The term can either refer to both a self-contained institution that has no graduate studies or to the undergraduate school of a full university (i.e., that also has a graduate school). In popular American usage, the word "college" is the generic term for any post-secondary undergraduate education. Americans go to "college" after high school, regardless of whether the specific institution is formally a college or a university, and the word and its derivatives are the standard terms used to describe the institutions and experiences associated with American post-secondary undergraduate education.
[[Image:Johnson Student Center and Freeman College Union.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Occidental College]]]]
Colleges vary in terms of size, degree, and length of stay. Two-year [[colleges]] offer the [[Associates degree]] (A.A.) and four-year colleges offer the [[Bachelor of Arts]] (B.A.) or [[Bachelor of Sciences]] (B.S.) degree. These are usually primarily [[undergraduate]] institutions, although some might have limited programs at the [[Graduate school|graduate]] level.
Four-year institutions in the U.S. which emphasize the [[liberal arts]] are [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]s. These colleges traditionally emphasize interactive instruction (although research is still a component of these institutions). If not associated with a university, they are often categorized as [[Residential college|residential]] and generally have smaller enrollment, class size, and teacher-student ratios than [[universities]]. These colleges often encourage a high level of teacher-student interaction at the center of which are classes taught by full-time faculty rather than [[teaching assistants|graduate student TAs]] (who sometimes teach the classes at [[Research I university|Research I]] and other [[universities]]). The colleges are either [[coeducational]], [[Women's colleges in the United States|women's colleges]], or [[Men's colleges in the United States|men's colleges]]. Some are [[historically black colleges and universities|historically black colleges]]. Some are also [[Secularity (non-religiosity)|secular (or not affiliated with a particular religion)]] while others are involved in [[religious education]]. Many are [[private school|private]]. Some are [[Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges|public liberal arts colleges]]. In addition, colleges such as [[Hampshire College]], [[Pitzer College]], [[Sarah Lawrence College]], [[Bennington College]], [[Marlboro College]] and [[New College of Florida]] offer [[alternative school|experimental curricula]].
[[Image:BCburnslawnsunset.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Boston College]]]]
On the other hand, [[Public university|public]] and [[private university|private universities]] are research-oriented institutions which service both an [[undergraduate]] and [[Graduate school|graduate]] student body. [[Graduate school|Graduate programs]] grant a variety of [[Master's degree]]s including [[M.B.A.]]s or [[Master of Fine Arts|M.F.A.]]s. The [[doctorate]] is the highest academic degree, and the [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] is given in most fields. [[Medical school]]s award [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]]s while [[law school]]s award the [[J.S.D.]] as the highest academic achievement. These institutions usually have a large student body. Introductory seminars can have a class size in the hundreds in some of the larger schools. The interaction between students and full-time faculty can be limited as compared to some liberal arts colleges. At some of the larger universities some undergraduate classes are taught by [[teaching assistants|graduate student TAs]].
At the same time, some American universities, such as [[Boston College]], [[Dartmouth College]], the [[College of Charleston]] and [[The College of William & Mary]], have retained the term "college" in their names for historical reasons or because of an undergraduate focus, although they offer higher degrees. This problem led, in part, to the threatened lawsuit between [[Yale College Wrexham]] (equivalent to an American "[[high school]]") and [[Yale University]], the latter claiming trademark infringement.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} As of 2003, there were 2,474 four-year colleges and universities in the United States.<ref name="numberofcolleges">[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908742.html Number of U.S. Colleges and Universities and Degrees Awarded, 2003], infoplease.com</ref><ref name="listofcolleges">[http://www.freecollegekit.com Complete list of U.S. Colleges and Universities and Institution information, 2008], freecollegekit.com</ref>
Usage of the terms varies among the [[U.S. state|states]], each of which operates its own institutions and licenses private ones. In 1996 for example, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] changed all of its four-year colleges to universities, and all of its [[vocational]] [[technology]] [[school]]s to [[technical college]]s. (Previously, only the four-year [[research]] institutions were called universities.) Other states have changed the [[name]]s of individual colleges, many having started as a [[teacher]]s' college or [[vocational school]] (such as an A&M — an [[agricultural]] and [[Mechanics|mechanical]] school) that ended up as a full-fledged [[state university]].
It should be noted, too, that "university" and "college" do not exhaust all possible titles for an American institution of higher education. Other options include "institute" ([[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]), "academy" ([[United States Military Academy]]), "union" ([[Cooper Union]]), "conservatory" ([[New England Conservatory of Music|New England Conservatory]]), and "school" ([[Juilliard School]]), although these titles are only for their official names. In colloquial use, they are still referred to as "college" when referring to their undergraduate studies.
The term ''college'' is also, as in the United Kingdom, used for a constituent semi-autonomous part of a larger university but generally organized on academic rather than residential lines. For example, at many institutions, the undergraduate portion of the university can be briefly referred to as '''the college''' (such as The [[College of the University of Chicago]], [[Harvard College]] at [[Harvard University|Harvard]], or [[Columbia College of Columbia University|Columbia College]] at [[Columbia University|Columbia]]) while at others each of the faculties may be called a "college" (the "college of engineering", the "college of nursing", and so forth). There exist other variants for historical reasons; for example, [[Duke University]], which was called Trinity College until the 1920s, still calls its main undergraduate subdivision [[Trinity College of Arts and Sciences]]. Some American universities, such as [[Princeton University|Princeton]], [[Rice University|Rice]], and [[Yale University|Yale]] do have [[residential college]]s along the lines of Oxford or Cambridge, but the name was clearly adopted in homage to the British system.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Unlike the Oxbridge colleges, these residential colleges are not autonomous legal entities nor are they typically much involved in education itself, being primarily concerned with room, board, and social life. At the [[University of California, San Diego]] and the [[University of California, Santa Cruz]], however, each of the residential colleges do teach its own core writing courses and has its own distinctive set of graduation requirements.
===The origin of the U.S. usage===
The founders of the first institutions of higher education in the [[United States]] were graduates of the [[University of Oxford]] and the [[University of Cambridge]]. The small institutions they founded would not have seemed to them like universities — they were tiny and did not offer the higher degrees in medicine and theology. Furthermore, they were not composed of several small colleges. Instead, the new institutions felt like the Oxford and Cambridge colleges they were used to — small communities, housing and feeding their students, with instruction from residential tutors (as in the United Kingdom, described above). When the first students came to be graduated, these "colleges" assumed the right to confer degrees upon them, usually with authority -- for example, the [[College of William and Mary]] has a [[Royal Charter]] from the British monarchy allowing it to confer degrees while [[Dartmouth College]] has a charter permitting it to award degrees "as are usually granted in either of the universities, or any other college in our realm of Great Britain."
Contrast this with [[Europe]], where only universities could grant degrees. The leaders of [[Harvard College]] (which granted America's first degrees in 1642) might have thought of their college as the first of many residential colleges which would grow up into a New Cambridge university. However, over time, few new colleges were founded there, and Harvard grew and added higher faculties. Eventually, it changed its title to university, but the term "college" had stuck and "colleges" have arisen across the [[United States]].
Eventually, several prominent colleges/universities were started to train Christian ministers. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown all started to train preachers in the subjects of Bible and theology. However, now these universities teach theology as a more academic than ministerial discipline.
With the rise of Christian education, renowned seminaries and Bible colleges have continued the original purpose of these universities. [[Criswell College]] and [[Dallas Theological Seminary]] in Dallas; [[Southern Baptist Theological Seminary|Southern Seminary]] in Louisville; [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]] in Deerfield, Illinois; and [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College and Graduate School]] in Wheaton, Illinois are just a few of the institutions that have influenced higher education in Theology in Philosophy to this day.
In U.S. usage, the word "college" embodies not only a particular type of school, but has historically been used to refer to the general concept of higher education when it is not necessary to specify a school, as in "going to college" or "college savings accounts" offered by banks. "University" is sometimes used in such contexts by Americans who wish to avoid ambiguity, for example in the context of Internet message boards where the reader hail from a different English speaking country.
===Origin of U.S. State Colleges: The Morrill Act===
In addition to private colleges and universities, the U.S. also has a system of government funded, [[public university|public universities]], also, in many cases, known as State Colleges. This system arose in order to make higher education more easily accessible to the citizenry of the country, specifically to improve agricultural systems by providing training and scholarship in the production and sales of agricultural products,<ref>[http://www.dafvm.msstate.edu/laws/history.html A Land-Grant Institution<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and to provide formal education in “…agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other professions that seemed practical at the time.”<ref name = "enbkii">Lightcap, Brad. The Morrill Act of 1862.
http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/morrill.html</ref>
In the 1860s, when this act was established, the original colleges on the east coast, primarily those of the [[Ivy League]] and several religious based colleges, were the only form of higher education available, and were often confined only to the children of the elite. A movement arose to bring a form of more practical higher education to the masses, as “…many politicians and educators wanted to make it possible for all young Americans to receive some sort of advanced education.”<ref name = "enbkii"/> In 1862 [[Congress]] passed a measure that “…made it possible for the new western states to establish colleges for the citizens.”.<ref name = "enbkii"/> This was extended to allow all states that had remained with the union during the [[American Civil War]], and eventually all states, to establish such institutions.
Most of the colleges established under the [[Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act]] have since gone on to become full universities. Some are amongst the elite of the world.
==The rest of the English-speaking world==
Influenced by their origins in the [[British Empire]], by contact with and sometimes imitation of U.S. academia, and even by modern American [[pop culture]], the rest of the English-speaking world seems to have adopted a mix of the U.S. and British practices.
=== Australia ===
In [[Australia]], the term "college" can refer to an institution of [[tertiary education]] that is smaller than a university, run independently or as part of a university. Following a reform in the 1980s many of the formerly independent colleges now belong to a larger university. Many private [[high school]]s that provide [[secondary education]] are called "colleges" in Australia. The term can also be used to refer to parts of a university, that provide residence for students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, called [[University college#Australia|university colleges]], as in the United Kingdom. These Colleges often provide additional tutorial assistance and some host [[theology|theological]] study. In the state of [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], many public schools providing secondary education are known as ''secondary colleges'', though most Victorians still refer to this level of education as "high school".
Additionally, in [[Tasmania]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]], "college" refers to the final two years of high school (years eleven and twelve), and the institutions which provide this. In this context, "college" is a system independent of the other years of high school. Here, the expression is a shorter version of ''matriculation'' college.
In the state of [[South Australia]] nearly all private schools, including those with year levels from Reception (5 year olds) through to year 12 and 13 are called Colleges.
=== Canada ===
[[Image:Trinity College, UofT.jpg|right|thumb|[[University of Trinity College|Trinity College]] main building in Toronto, Canada.]]
In [[Canada]], the term "college" usually refers to a [[community college]] or a technical, applied arts, or applied science school. These are [[post-secondary education|post-secondary]] diploma-granting institutions, but they are not universities and typically do not grant degrees, except in [[British Columbia]] where some have university status.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In [[Quebec]], it can refer in particular to [[CEGEP]] (''Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel'', "college of general and professional education"), a form of post-secondary education specific to the [[Quebec education system]] that is required in order to continue onto university (unless one applies as a 'mature' student, meaning 21 years of age or over, and out of the educational system for at least 2 years), or to learn a trade. In [[Ontario]], British Columbia and Alberta there are also institutions which are designated [[university college]] as they only grant under-graduate degrees. This is to differentiate between universities which have both under-graduate and graduate programs and those that do not.
The [[Royal Military College of Canada]], a full-fledged degree-granting university, does not follow the naming convention used by the rest of the country, nor does its sister school [[Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean]] or the now closed [[Royal Roads Military College]].
The term "college" also applies to distinct entities within a university (usually referred to as "[[federated school|federated colleges]]" or "affiliated colleges"), akin to the residential colleges in the United Kingdom. These colleges act independently, but in affiliation or federation with the university that actually grants the degrees. For example, [[University of Trinity College|Trinity College]] was once an independent institution, but later became federated with the [[University of Toronto]], and is now one of its residential colleges. In the case of [[Memorial University of Newfoundland]], located in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], the [[Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador|Corner Brook]] campus is called [[Sir Wilfred Grenfell College]]. Occasionally, "college" refers to a subject specific faculty within a university that, while distinct, are neither ''federated'' nor ''affiliated''—College of Education, College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, among others.
There are also universities referred to as art colleges, empowered to grant academic degrees of BFA, Bdes, MFA, Mdes and sometimes collaborative PhD degrees. Some of them have "university" in their name ([[Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University]]) and others do not ([[Ontario College of Art & Design]] and [[Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design]]).
Unlike in the United States, there is a strong distinction between "college" and "university" in Canada. In conversation, one specifically would say either "I'm going to university" (i.e., studying for a three- or four-year degree at a university) or "I'm going to college" (suggesting a technical or career college). Due to this distinction, the cultural phenomenon known as [[Campus radio|college radio]] in the United States is more properly called "campus radio" in Canada.
In a number of Canadian cities, many government-run secondary schools are called "collegiates" or "collegiate institutes" (C.I.), a complicated form of the word "college" which avoids the usual "post-secondary" connotation. This is because these secondary schools have traditionally focused on academic, rather than vocational, subjects and ability levels (for example, collegiates offered Latin while vocational schools offered technical courses). Some private secondary schools in Toronto (such as [[Upper Canada College]]) choose to use the word "college" in their names nevertheless.<ref>[http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/privsch/search.asp Private Elementary and Secondary Schools] search form on the Ministry of Education of Ontario web site—enter "college" in the "name contains" field and check the "secondary" checkbox</ref> Some secondary schools elsewhere in the country, particularly ones within the [[separate school]] system, may also use the word "college" or "collegiate" in their names.<ref>[http://sbinfo.edu.gov.on.ca/schadv.asp Find a School or School Board] search form on the Ministry of Education of Ontario web site—click “Secondary” and “Separate”</ref>
A small number of the oldest professional associations use "college" in the name in the British sense, such as the [[Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada]].
===Ireland ===
[[Image:Trinity college front square cropped.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Parliament Square, Trinity College, Dublin.]]
{{seealso|List of universities in the Republic of Ireland}}
In the [[Republic of Ireland]], the term "college" is usually limited to an institution of [[tertiary education]], but the term is quite generic within this field. University students often say they attend "college" rather than "university", with the term college being more popular in wider society. This is possibly due to the fact that, until 1989, no university provided teaching or research directly. Instead, these were offered by a constituent college of the university, in the case of the [[National University of Ireland]] and [[University of Dublin]] — or at least in strict legal terms. There are many [[secondary education]] institutions that use the word college. Many secondary schools formerly known as technical colleges, were renamed as community colleges. These are secondary institutions in contrast to the American [[community college]].
The state's only [[ancient university]], the [[University of Dublin]], is really English in its origins and, until recently, its outlook. Created during the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], it is modelled on the universities of [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]. However, only one ''constituent college'' was ever founded, hence the curious position of [[Trinity College, Dublin]] today. For a time, degrees in [[Dublin Institute of Technology]] were also conferred by the university. However, that institution now has its own degree awarding powers and is considering applying for full university status.
Among more modern foundations, the [[National University of Ireland]], founded in 1908, consisted of constituent colleges and recognised colleges until 1997. The former are now referred to as ''constituent universities'' — institutions that are essentially universities in their own right. The National University can trace its existence back to 1850 and the creation of the ''[[Queen's University of Ireland]]'' and the creation of the ''[[Catholic University of Ireland]]'' in 1854. From 1880, the degree awarding roles of these two universities was taken over by the ''[[Royal University of Ireland]]'', which remained until the creation of the National University in 1908 and the [[Queen's University of Belfast]].
The state's two new universities [[Dublin City University]] and [[University of Limerick]] were initially [[National Institute for Higher Education]] institutions. These institutions offered university level [[academic degree]]s and [[research]] from the start of their existence and were awarded university status in 1989 in recognition of this. These two universities now follow the general trend of universities having associated colleges offering their degrees.
Third level technical education in the state has been carried out in the [[Regional Technical College]] network since 1970. These institutions are now referred to as ''Institutes of Technology'', and some have ''delegated authority'' that entitles them to give degrees and diplomas in their own name. Initially these institutions offered only [[National Certificate]] and [[National Diploma]] courses. Now they also offer [[academic degree]]s at [[undergraduate]] and [[postgraduate]] level.
A number of Private Colleges exist such as [[Griffith College]], providing [[undergraduate]] and [[postgraduate]] courses validated by [[HETAC]] and in some cases by other Universities.
Other types of college include ''Colleges of Education'', such as [[National College of Ireland]]. These are specialist institutions, often linked to a university, which provide both [[undergraduate]] and [[postgraduate]] [[academic degrees]] for people who want to train as teachers.
=== Hong Kong ===
{{seealso|Education in Hong Kong}}
In [[Hong Kong]], the term "college" has a range of meanings, as in the British case. In the first case it can refer to a [[secondary school]]. It is also used by tertiary institutions as either part of their names or to refer to a constituent part of the university, such as the colleges in the collegiate [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]]; or to a residence hall of a university, such as [[St. John's College, University of Hong Kong]].
=== India ===
{{seealso|Colleges and institutes in India|Indian Institute of Management|Indian Statistical Institute}}
The term university is more common than college in [[India]]. Generally, colleges are located in different parts of a state and all of them are affiliated to a regional university. The colleges offer programmes under that university. Examinations are conducted by the university at the same time for all colleges under its affiliation. There are several hundred universities and each university has affiliated colleges.
The first liberal arts and sciences college in India was the [[Presidency College, Kolkata]] (estd. 1817) (initially known as Hindu College). The first commerce and economics college in India was the [[Sydenham College]], [[Mumbai]] which was established in the year 1913. The first Missionary institution to impart Western style education in India was the [[Scottish Church College, Calcutta]] (estd. 1830). The first modern university in India was the [[University of Calcutta]] (est. January 1857). The first research institution for the study of the social sciences and ushering the spirit of [[Oriental]] research was the [[Asiatic Society]], (est. 1784). The first college for the study of Christian theology and ecumenical enquiry has been the [[Serampore College]] (est. 1818).
The [[Indian Institutes of Technology]] (IITs) are specialized institutions that award their own degrees. They are premier institutes in India. There are only seven of them at present.
=== New Zealand ===
[[Image:universityofotagoclocktower small.jpg|right|frame|The University of Otago.]]
In [[New Zealand]] the word "college" normally refers to a [[Secondary education|secondary]] school for ages 13 to 17. In contrast, most older schools of the same type are "high schools". Also, single-sex schools are more likely to be "Someplace Boys/Girls High School", but there are also very many coeducational "high schools". The difference between "high schools" and "colleges" is usually only one of terminology. However, many private or integrated schools are known as "such and such college" There does seem to be a geographical difference in terminology: "colleges" most frequently appear in the North Island, whereas "high schools" are more common in the South Island.
The constituent colleges of the former [[University of New Zealand]] (such as Canterbury University College) have become independent universities. Some halls of residence associated with New Zealand universities retain the name of "college", particularly at the [[University of Otago]] (which although brought under the umbrella of the University of New Zealand, already possessed university status and degree awarding powers). The institutions formerly known as "Teacher-training colleges" now style themselves "College of education".
Some universities, such as the [[University of Canterbury]], have divided their University into constituent administrative "Colleges" - the College of Arts containing departments that teach Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science containing Science departments, and so on. This is largely modelled on the Cambridge model, discussed above.
Like the United Kingdom some professional bodies in New Zealand style themselves as "colleges", for example, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the R.A.C. of Physicians
=== Philippines ===
The Philippines is heavily influenced by American educational system. Colleges are institutions of learning that grant degrees.
=== Singapore ===
The term "college" in [[Singapore]] is generally only used for pre-university educational institutions called "Junior Colleges", which provide the final two years of [[secondary education]] (equivalent to sixth form in British terms or grades 11-12 in the American system). Since [[1 January]] [[2005]], the term also refers to the three campuses of the [[Institute of Technical Education]] with the introduction of the "collegiate system", in which the three institutions are called [[ITE College East]], [[ITE College Central]], and [[ITE College West]] respectively.
The term "[[university]]" is used to describe higher-education institutions offering locally-conferred degrees. Institutions offering diplomas are called "[[polytechnic]]s", while other institutions are often referred to as "institutes" and so forth.
=== Sri Lanka ===
In Sri Lanka the word "college" normally refers to a [[Secondary education|secondary]] school, however not always. A limited number of exclusive secondary schools that were established during the colonial period based on English public school model and several catholic schools were named colleges. Many post-independence adapted the term college too.
There are several professional higher-education institutions that offer higher-education without granting degrees that are referred to as "colleges". This may include [[Sri Lanka Law College]].
=== South Africa ===
[[Image:St Johns College Johannesburg.jpg|thumb|St. John's College, Johannesburg]]
Similar to New Zealand, in South Africa the word "college" normally refers to a [[Secondary education|secondary]] school. Nevertheless, most secondary schools are called "Someplace High (School)". The word "college" in South Africa generally implies that the school is private. In many cases the high school is exclusive and follows the English public school model. Thus no less than six of South Africa's [[Elite Seven]] high schools call themselves "college" and fit this description. A typical example of this category would be [[St John's College (Johannesburg, South Africa)|St John's College]].
Another category of private high schools also use the "college" term. However, these schools do not follow the English public school model, but rather are more informal in character and specialize in improving children's marks through intensive focus on examination needs. These "colleges" are thus often nick-named "cram-colleges"
Although the term "college" is hardly used in any context at any university in South Africa, some non-university tertiary institutions call themselves colleges. These include teacher training colleges, business colleges and wildlife management colleges to name a few.
== The non-English-speaking world ==
Some languages beyond English use words similar to "college". (French, for example, has the [[Collège de France]].) However, in other languages, confusion is most likely to arise when an American is reading something translated by someone using British conventions, or ''vice versa''.
===Belgium===
In [[Belgium]], the term '''college''' is used for some catholic [[High school|secondary schools]] (public secondary schools are often called ''[[atheneum]]''). For [[higher education]], there are two types of institutions: the ''Hogeschool (Dutch) / Haute Ecole (French)'' (which literally means ''high school'' but can be translated as ''[[university college]]'' or as ''[[vocational university]]'') and the [[university]]. With the current reform of higher education under the [[Bologna process]], the ''Hogescholen / Hautes Ecoles'' offer [[professional]] [[bachelor's degree]]s (3 years study in one cycle) or [[academic]] [[bachelor's degree]]s (first cycle of 3 years study) and [[master's degree]]s (second cycle of 1 or 2 years in addition to the academic bachelor's degree). ''Universities'' offer academic bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and [[doctorate|doctorate's degree]]s (minimum 3 years). More information about the higher education system can be found in the Higher Education Registers<ref>[http://www.highereducation.be The Higher Education Register: official register of higher education in Flanders/Belgium]</ref><ref>[http://www.enseignement.be/citoyens/annuaires/sup/index.asp Enseignement supérieur en Communauté française de Belgique]</ref>
===Brazil===
[[Image:Mackenzie University (1).jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie]] in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]].]]
In [[Brazil]] the term '''colégio''' (college) is normally used to refer to primary and secondary education institutions and mainly limited to private schools. It is more common to call a primary or secondary [[public school]] '''escola''' (school). '''Colégio''' is never used to refer to tertiary education institutions, which are called either '''universidade''' (university) or '''faculdade''' (faculty or college in US terminology).
===East Asia===
In the [[People's Republic of China]], [[Japan]], [[South Korea]] and other [[East Asia]]n states, colleges and universities are collectively named 大學 or in simplified writing 大学, which is a word originally introduced by [[Confucius]] with his influential book of the same name. The original word and subsequently the book's title is most frequently translated to "[[Great Learning|The Great Learning]]". Today's pronunciation of this word is country- and sometimes region- specific and includes ''daxue'' (Chinese), ''daigaku'' (Japanese), and ''daehak'' (Korean). In Japan, ''daigaku'' is usually considered distinct from ''senmon gakkou'' (専門学校), which is more of a [[Post-secondary education|post-secondary]] ''[[Vocational education|vocational school]]''. In the [[People's Republic of China]], the college students are selected through the annual [[National College Entrance Examination]]. The meaning of 大學 is clear, but in the case of smaller institutions, the term 學院 ("xueyuan" in Chinese) is often used and, like "college" in English, can refer to either an institution of tertiary or secondary education.
===Denmark===
In [[Denmark]] the term '''kollegium''' means [[dormitory]]. A university is called a ''universitet''. Some institutes of higher education call themselves ''[[højskole]]'' which literally means "high school" e.g. [[Copenhagen Business School|''Handelshøjskolen i København'' (Copenhagen Business School)]] .
===Finland===
In [[Finland]] the term ''college'' has no single counterpart. A general university is called ''yliopisto'' (in Swedish, ''universitet''). A university on a specific field of study is ''korkeakoulu'' (literally, ''high school''). The Swedish term is ''högskola''. In translation they use "university", "school", or "academy". An institute of the more practically oriented branch of tertiary education is ''ammattikorkeakoulu'', in Swedish ''yrkeshögskola''. Some of them translate their name as "polytechnic", some as "university of applied science".
===France===
In [[France]], '''collège''' generally refers to a [[middle school]] or junior high school. However, it can also be used in a manner more similar to that of English, such as in the term [[electoral college]] or the [[Collège de France]]. The latter use, though, is not as common.[[Image:College de france.jpg|thumb|300px|Courtyard of the Collège de France.]]
===Germany and Austria===
In [[Germany]] and [[Austria]] a ''[[Hochschule]]'' or ''Universität'' is an institute of [[tertiary education]]. "University" is a more proper term to use than a direct translation: ''Hochschule'' literally means "high school". German [[secondary education]] often takes place in an institution called in [[German language|German]] an ''[[Oberschule]]'', with its specific forms ''[[Hauptschule]]'', ''[[Realschule]]'', ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]'', and in some [[States of Germany|states]] also ''[[Gesamtschule]]'', together with vocational secondary education in the ''[[Berufsschule]]'' (in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] called ''Berufskolleg''). The term ''Kolleg'' (literally: college) is used in some [[States of Germany|states]] for institutions of [[adult education]] where graduates of a ''Berufsschule'' can graduate with an [[Abitur]] (which one will otherwise only achieve by graduating successfully from the ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]''). College is the equivalent of the German ''[[Oberstufe]]'' (12th and 13th grade) in the ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]''. Having graduated from the ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]'' with an ''[[Abitur]]'' (''[[Matura]]'' in Austria)enables one to go to university. A ''Graduiertenkolleg'' is a German [[Graduate school]] and a ''Studienkolleg'' is a special university-preparatory school for foreign students whose foreign high school diploma is not recognised to be equivalent to a German Abitur.
===Greece===
In [[Greece]] the term college is mainly used to refer to private secondary education institutions (high schools and junior high schools), while Πανεπιστήμιο (University) is the term utilized for Higher Education.
===Hungary===
In [[Hungary]] the term '''kollégium''' refers to a [[dormitory]] that may or may not be independent from an educational institution; it can also refer to a university's autonomous student organisation, dedicated to the advanced study of a certain science, topic etc, for example the "College for Social Theory".
===Indonesia===
In [[Indonesia]] the term ''kolese'' refers to a school that be organized by [[Jesuits]]. For example, [[Kanisius|Kolese Kanisius]], [[Jakarta]].
===Israel===
In [[Israel]] [[tertiary education| tertiary institutions]] accredited to confer a Bachelor's (and in some cases also a Master's) degree, which are not universities, are called Colleges (Hebrew: מכללות, Mikhlalot); the primary distinction is that only universities may award [[doctorate degree]]s. There are over twenty colleges as well as a similar number of teacher training colleges, most of which can award only a [[Bachelor of Education]] (B.Ed.) degree; see [[List of universities and colleges in Israel#Colleges| the full list]] of colleges, as well as of
[[List of universities and colleges in Israel|universities in Israel]].
===Italy===
In Republican Rome, a ''collegium'' could be a voluntary association of men who met at a particular tavern at a major crossroads. A crossroads college was a social club, not a school. Business deals and even assassinations could be planned there, quietly, over a carafe of wine. (Source: Colleen McCullough, "The First Man in Rome,"1990.)
In [[Italy]] the term ''collegio'', in school contest, refers to a particular school (with elite, alternative or stricter education; a ''collegio'' offered by the State to the children of some of its civil employee, or a ''collegio'' related to a military education, is more commonly called ''convitto''), with possibility of passing here the night or most of the day.
===Netherlands===
In [[the Netherlands]] the term '''college''' is used for institutes of [[secondary education]]. The term '''college''' is also used for classes or lectures at university. Confusingly, '''college''' is also used to refer to both the [[mayor]] and [[alderman|aldermen]] of a municipality, who form the municipal government.
===Norway===
In [[Norway]] the term "[[university college]]" is used as an official English translation for ''[[høgskole]]'' (alternatively spelt ''høyskole'' and ''høgskule''), a term used for independent [[List of universities in Norway|educational institutions]] providing [[tertiary education|tertiary]], but not [[quaternary education]]. Similarly to the situation in Germany, Sweden and Denmark, the [[Norwegian (language)|Norwegian]] term ''høgskole'' literally means "high school".
===Portugal===
In [[Portugal]] the term college (''colégio'') is mainly used to refer to private [[secondary education]] institutions, while ''Universidade'' (University), ''Faculdade'', ''Instituto'' or ''Escola Superior'' are the terms generally used for several kind of higher education institutions.
===Romania===
In [[Romania]], college is a middle educational institution. It is the same as high school in U.S.A.
===Russia===
In [[Russia]], upon finishing 9th grade students can choose to either continue attending [[high school]] and then go on to universities, or go to college. Colleges provide high school and [[technical education]]. After graduating from college students can continue their education in universities.
===Spain, Spanish-speaking countries (Latin America)===
In [[Spain]] and the [[Spanish (language)|Spanish]] speaking countries of [[Latin America]] the term '''colegio''' (school) refers to either institutions for primary and secondary education or some [[wiktionary:Homogeneous|homogeneous]] grouping of people who refer to themselves as a ''colegio'' inasmuch as they are colleagues. For example, in [[Peru]] the professional organizations that group the [[lawyers]] of [[Lima]] or the biologists of Peru are called "Colegio de Abogados de Lima" (or College of Lawyers of Lima) and [[Colegio de Biologos del Peru]]; in [[Colombia]], an example of professional body is the "Colegio Colombiano de Archivistas - CCA", called in English [[Colombian College of Archivists - CCA]]. An exception is [[Puerto Rico]]. On the island the word "colegio" usually refers to elementary to secondary private schools, while the word "escuela" is used to refer to elementary to secondary public schools. A unit of the [[University of Puerto Rico]] system is called El Colegio ( the [[University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez]] ) for traditional reasons. The University of Puerto Rico was founded during the American sovereignty. Therefore, the graduates of this unit even at the Ph.D. level are Colegiales.
===Sweden===
In [[Sweden]] the term "[[university college]]" is used as an official English translation for ''[[högskola]]'', a term used for independent [[List of universities in Sweden|educational institutions]] providing [[tertiary education|tertiary]], but not [[quaternary education]]. Similarly to the situation in Norway, the [[Swedish (language)|Swedish]] term ''högskola'' literally means "high school". The same term is also used for a number of institutions which function as specialized [[university|universities]] rather than university colleges, providing quaternary education and conducting [[research]].
Before studying at a "högskola" or university (universitet), you must have fulfilled the [[Gymnasium (school)]], being the grades from 10 to 12. That means that the common högskola/university student is 19 years old and above.
Examples of Swedish universities are found at [[List of universities in Sweden]]
===Switzerland===
In some [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] of the French speaking part of [[Switzerland]] and also on the border to the [[Swiss German (linguistics)|Swiss German]] speaking part (i.e. in [[Fribourg]]) the French term “Collège” (German: Kollegium) is used for middle school or junior high school and sometimes for the [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]] (10th to 13th grade) which lends to the [[matura]]. It is also used as a name for the physical building in which obligatory education takes place (e.g., ''Le Collège de La Planta'').
===Turkey===
In [[Turkey]], the term college (''kolej'' in Turkish) refers to private high schools. The name originates from [[Robert College]], the first American educational institution founded outside the [[United States]]. Though founded as a college, the school also had middle and secondary sections over the years after its foundation in 1863. Since 1971, [[Robert College]] operates as a private high school; however, the term ''[[kolej]]'' (college) is widely used by the private high schools that flourished over the last few decades, as an imitation of foreign schools, like [[Robert College]], in [[Turkey]]. According to the [[Turkish education system]], official name for a private high school is the direct translation, ''özel lise'', not ''[[kolej]]''.
=== Vietnam ===
In Vietnam there are 2 ways to use the word "college".
Vietnamese usually say "college" refers to "cao đẳng". "Cao đẳng" is a higher education institute in Vietnam. The courses last for 3 years, 1 year shorter than "đại học" (Vietnamese, means "university"). After graduation from a college, students are awarded a degree. This degree is evaluated below a degree from a university. If necessary, the student with a colleges' degree can transfer to a university and study in one year or more to complete their course at a suitable university. Vietnamese students would rather attend a university than a college. The university enjoys more prestige and popularity than colleges.
The second usage is not common. "College" refer to a school in a university, like some in the US. Vietnam National University, Hanoi has 5 colleges in its divisions.
==See also==
{{Wiktionary}}
*[[Career college]]
*[[Collegiate church]]
*[[Community college]]
*[[Historically black colleges]]
*[[Junior college]]
*[[Residential college]]
*[[Sixth form college]]
*[[University college]]
*[[University]]
*[[List of colleges and universities]]
*[[Electoral college]]
*[[College of Cardinals]]
*[[House system]]
*[[Colleges within UK Universities]]
*[[List of Art Colleges in Europe]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Schools}}
[[Category:Educational stages]]
[[Category:School types]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges| ]]
[[Category:Youth]]
[[bg:Колеж]]
[[da:Seminarium]]
[[de:Hochschule]]
[[es:Colegio]]
[[es:College]]
[[es:Facultad]]
[[fr:Collège]]
[[id:Kolese]]
[[it:College]]
[[it:Collegio]]
[[it:Facoltà universitaria]]
[[he:מכללות אקדמיות בישראל]]
[[ka:კოლეჯი]]
[[nl:Hogeschool]]
[[ja:単科大学]]
[[pl:College]]
[[pt:Faculdade]]
[[ru:Колледж]]
[[simple:College]]
[[fi:College]]
[[sv:College]]
[[tl:Dalubhasaan]]
[[th:วิทยาลัย]]
[[uk:Коледж]]
[[yi:קאלעדזש]]
[[zh:學院]]