Post secondary education refers to any formal coursework that extends past high school. This includes undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, professional degrees, and vocational training.
In UK, There post-secondary education scheme are called as “Further Education” or FE in short.
In the United States, it’s known as college while in Canada, university. The term higher education can be used for both types of institutions.
The main purpose of a post-secondary institution is to provide students with learning opportunities that will help them grow into mature adults who contribute meaningfully to their communities through work, civic engagement and lifelong learning.
Post-secondary institutions also offer more specialized courses of study such as nursing, engineering, law, medicine, business administration, architecture, etc.
Which may not necessarily lead directly toward employment but serve other purposes like personal development, self fulfillment, cultural enrichment, etc.
These schools often have specific names depending on what they specialize in; e.g. School of Law, College of Architecture.
Post-Secondary Institutions
In the United Kingdom, plenty of high school students opt to take post-secondary education, with over 21 million students attending after high school.
For example, if you want to become a medical doctor, you cannot enter medical school until you earn a Bachelor’s degree by attending four years of college under an appropriate pre-med program.
Image by Jens Kalaene from Pixabay The term “post-secondary” refers to institutions where one receives further training beyond what was received during secondary schooling.
In other words, it means that you’re getting additional knowledge about something.
Pixabay Post-secondary education is a broad category which encompasses all levels of tertiary education and non-tertiary education.
It covers academic programs at every stage of life: primary, secondary, post-secondary, continuing education, adult education, apprenticeship, and others.
There are two types: vocational schools and universities.
Vocational schools focus on preparing individuals for specific careers such as nursing, teaching, engineering, etc., whereas university focuses on providing general education.
Vocational schools and its education levels are defined according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers which defines Vocational Schools as follows:
Level 1 – Associate Degree Programs
Level 2 – Two Year Diploma Programs
Level 3 – Four year programs leading to bachelor’s degrees
Universities are classified based upon Carnegie Classification System. It classifies Universities as per the following categories:
Type I – University with primarily research activities
Type II – University without primarily research activities
These education pathways can vary widely across countries. For instance, some countries do not require any form of formal qualification before entering a job market.
However, most countries require a minimum level of qualifications before being able to apply for certain jobs.
is graduate school post secondary education?
Graduate school is an advanced degree. It is the final step before getting a job or going into business.
Graduates get training to be leaders in their field. Academic degree programs usually last three to five years.
They include classes, tests, projects, papers, presentations, exams, and sometimes internships.
The first part of your studies will prepare you for the next phase of learning. You’ll learn how to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, work independently, collaborate with peers, and manage time well.
You might even meet people who share similar interests and goals. This could help you decide whether this career path is right for you.
The community college students in UK, are also known as “Access College Students”. These colleges offer courses for those who have failed to pass grade 12 examinations.
They provide free tuition and accommodation to these students. In addition, they give them financial aid so that they don’t need to borrow money while studying there.
This type of course is offered only after passing grade 11. However, many high schools now offer access courses too.
Education requirements for post-secondary education institutions
The minimum standards that must be met in order for an institution to award a degree or diploma; these may include general requirements
(e.g., courses in English, mathematics, and science), specific requirements (e.g. courses in arts, social sciences, and humanities) and institutional requirements (e.g.: certain faculty positions).
The requirements will also depend on what types of courses you take such as:
- Vocational courses
Vocational courses are designed to train workers for particular occupations. The curriculum includes both theoretical knowledge about the occupation and practical skills required by employers.
For example, if you want to become a nurse, then you would study biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, medical terminology, ethics, law, psychology, sociology, nutrition, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, dentistry, among others.
- Carpentry courses
Carpentry courses are vocational courses which teach individuals how to build furniture using woodworking techniques.
Carpentry courses often focus on one aspect of carpentry like cabinet making, millwork, joinery, etc.
- College degree courses
This degrees for college students are more focused than vocational ones. Most of the subjects taught at universities are related to academic research.
In- Conclusion
Post-secondary education are very important because it helps us achieve our dreams. If we can complete our higher education successfully, we can earn good jobs and live better lives.
However, not all countries allow everyone to go to university. Some countries limit the number of places available per year.
Others require applicants to pay fees upfront.
If you’re interested in pursuing further education, make sure you check out the different options available to you.
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