<p>Can someone elaborately explain to me how the US college education system works? Courses, credits, majors, minors etc.</p>
<p>Links will be appreciated as well.</p>
<p>So this is how I understand it. I would share secifically for NYU because my D is a Business Studies Major there.</p>
<p>The Course is the The subject. For a Business degree one would need to courses Finance, Accounting, Management, Marketing, Accounting…and so on. To do a major in BS you would be required to certain number of credits in each course every semester. </p>
<p>Now each course would be worth certain credits. Usually a 4 credit course would require at least 2 lectures a week of 1 hour 15 minutes each. And then there would be 3 credit course as well.</p>
<p>At Stern, NYU all students are Business Studies Majors. Along with this major they are allowed 2 Concentrations and 2 Minors. Concentration and minors just means further specialisation with extra course work.</p>
<p>So if my D is pursuing a Business Major with a Marketing Concentration and a BEMT Minor + an MCC Minor, It would just mean if she would need to take additional 16 credits worth of course work related to Marketing
courses only. A Minor would require additional 12 credits of course work of BEMT and MCC related courses each. </p>
<p>So if 16 additional credits are required for a Marketing Concentration, those 16 could be a combination 4 courses of 4 credits each. Or it could be a combination of 2 courses of 4 Credits and 4 Courses of 2 credits each. Or it could be one course of 4 credits and 4 courses of 3 credits each. All these combinations would add up to 16 credits of course work in Marketing subjects only.</p>
<p>And same for each Minor. But course work required is 12 credits only.</p>
<p>Thank you for your helpful reply, anialways.</p>
<p>Please have a look here: [::</a> Prospective Students :: Undergraduate Studies - CS Degree Requirements :: Department of Computer Science and Engineering :: Mississippi State University](<a href=“http://cse.msstate.edu/prospective/undergrad/degreq/degReq08_09.php]::”>http://cse.msstate.edu/prospective/undergrad/degreq/degReq08_09.php)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I can take any courses out of the ones mentioned there, so long that the credits I receive per semester is between the minimum and maximum limit, right? Since I’ll be majoring in CS, is there is a set limit that I need to get atleast x credits from CS in a semester?</p></li>
<li><p>Will I be receiving Minors in Communication Skills, Natural Sciences and Mathematics since I’ll be getting more than 12 credits in those fields?</p></li>
<li><p>What if I want to Minor in some other field not mentioned there? Like Psychology or something?</p></li>
<li><p>Will I have to take the courses that are particularly mentioned there compulsorily? eg. Some other course instead of Chemistry in Natural Sciences, some other undergrad CS course instead of the ones mentioned there.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Disregard the 2nd and 3rd points. Can’t edit the post for some reason. Got it. Minors are basically just additional coursework that aren’t a part of your major’s curriculum but can be pursued otherwise to improve your academic profile…</p>
<p>You are correct about Minors being additional coursework. But they could be related to your Major or could be outside of your Major. For example the courses for BEMT Minor, I mentioned above, are part of Marketing which is part of Business Major. But the MCC Minor is from a Non Stern School.</p>
<p>At NYU one can take maximum of 18credits course load per semester.</p>
<p>Also do not worry about course selection. First semester as a Freshman you will have advisors guiding and helping you. And once you get there you will begin to understand the system and figure it out on your own. It just looks complicated from the outside. It is really simple. In fact ‘simple’ is the word I will use to define the entire American way of life, in a complimentary way, of course.</p>