与同样采用大学四年制的其它国家不同，在美国，四年制大学被称为“学院”(College)而不是“大学”(University)。其实二者在美国没有区别，在排名里都统称为大学。如果你是在中国上的本科，无论文理，学校名字应该都是XX大学，而在美国，不少能授予本科学位的学校名字直译过来可能是XX学院。

　　Unlike four-year degree granting colleges anywhere else in the world, Americans use the word “college” to mean the same four-year degree- granting program as the word “university.” One is not better than the other. They both have #1 rankings. If you study for a bachelor’s degree, that is, a B.A. degree or B.S. degree in China or the UK or France, or Japan or Australia, you will be studying at a university. If you study for a B.A. or B. S. degree in America, you may be in a college or a university.

　　一般情况下学院规模要小于大学—但并不绝对。比如达特茅斯学院(常青藤联盟成员之一)的学生总数超过了5000人;而卫斯理大学的学生人数只有3000。通常一所学院，比如文理学院，只有一个院系，名为文理系。而一所大学基本上有N个学院，比如文理学院，工程学院，护理学院，商学院，音乐学院等。但是这也不是绝对情况，比如Denison University就只有一个文理学院。我想说的是，当你在选择一所学校进行申请时，至少要到学校的网站上好好看看，因为只看学校的名字，你是看不出什么区别的。

　　Usually a college is smaller than a university – but not always. For example Dartmouth College (Ivy League) has more than 5,000 students and is a college; Wesleyan University with only 3000 students is called a university. Usually a college has one school or college of study such as the College of Liberal Arts, often called the School or Arts and Science. A university usually has several colleges of study such as a college of arts and sciences, a college of engineering, a school of nursing, a school of business, a music school and those schools or colleges make up one university. Not always. Denison University, for example, has only one school: liberal arts. The point is that you must research both the colleges and universities in America to know where to apply because you cannot tell the difference between a college and a university by their name.

　　那什么是文理学院呢?一所文理学院，有时又被称作人文学院，通常可以授予下列专业的本科学位：英语和英语文学;外语;生物;化学;地理;体育;人文科学;哲学;历史;偶尔也会有视觉或表演艺术;经济;历史;神会学;人类学;心理学;政治学等。大部分美国学生选择在文理学院攻读本科文凭，他们可以在攻读了上述某个专业两年后再次选择新的专业。是的，美国学生可以半途更换专业，也可以同时攻读两个专业。

　　What is a college of liberal arts? A college of liberal arts, also called a college of arts and sciences is an undergraduate program leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree in English language or literature; foreign languages; sciences such as biology, chemistry, geology, physics; humanities such as the classics (Latin and Greek), religion and philosophy, history, and sometimes the visual and performing arts; social sciences such as economics, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political sciences. Most American undergraduate students start off in the liberal arts college. They can major in any subject mentioned above, they can choose their major after they have studied many of these subject areas for two years . Students can change majors. Students can have a double major.

　　美国人认为上大学绝不仅仅是为了接受职业训练或者单单为了找工作。我们希望即使专业是文学或者心理学的学生，一样能在数学方面有所造诣;而专业是物理或者化学的学生也能写出一首好文章，讲述一段古老的历史。所以，文理学院的学生在学业初期并不被要求专门攻读哪个专业的课。每个学生都需要学习文学，历史，数学，科学和社科类的课程，以求打下一个全面的基础。文理学院毕业的学生在哪个行业求职都会受到欢迎。相比专门毕业于某专业的学生，医学院，法学院，商学院，银行，金融公司和市场营销公司的实习项目都更喜欢文理学院的毕业生，因为他们的知识更广泛，思维更灵活。

　　Americans believe that the purpose of college is more than vocational training or training for a job. We expect college graduates to understand mathematics even if they are a literature or psychology major. We expect that chemistry or physics majors to have studied literature and history as well as science in order to be well educated. For that reason, undergraduates in a liberal arts college do not specialize in the early years of college or university in the college of arts and science. Each student must take courses in literature, history, mathematics, science, and social science because they come to college to learn how to read, write, and think. A liberal arts degree does not close any doors for your future career. Medical schools, law schools, business schools, training programs with banks, finance companies, marketing companies choose students from a liberal arts program rather than from a specialized program because they are students who can think creatively from a broad education.

　　美国的小型本科文理学院名扬四海。一般每个学校学生人数都在2500人以内，采用小班教学，课堂讨论气氛热烈，师生关系非常融洽。建议大家上网搜几所美国各地的文理学院，比如Williams College, Kalamazoo College, Colgate University, Carleton College, 和 Harvey Mudd College。

　　America is known best for their small, undergraduate colleges of liberal arts. Usually under 2,500 students, classes are small, class discussion is important, and student- faculty relationships are common. Google a few liberal arts colleges in different parts of the USA to learn more about the liberal arts colleges. Check out Williams College, Kalamazoo College, Colgate University, Carleton College, and Harvey Mudd College.

　　但是别忘了哥伦比亚，哈佛和耶鲁这样的综合性名校下属的美国文理学院也一样知名。如果你是一个高中申请者，那么你申请的对象就是这些学院，而不是代表研究生院的大学。虽然这些学院只是这几所常青藤大学的一部分，但是你将在这里度过你的本科岁月。

　　You should also know that Columbia, Harvard, and Yaleare known for their undergraduate, liberal arts college. If you go from high school you will apply to the college, not to the university which is for graduate schools. These Ivies are liberal arts colleges and part of a university. But it’s Harvard College and Columbia and Yale College, the liberal arts colleges where you will be studying for your degree.

　　澳际提示：有问题？澳际留学在线专家帮您解决！　

　　2012年美国文理学院排名前50

　　美国文理学院本科教育质量高

　　我在美国文理学院读本科

更多出国留学最新动态，敬请关注澳际教育手机端网站，并可拨打咨询热线：400-601-0022