If you’re considering doing a master’s in the US, it’s important that you understand how the credit system works because the credit system determines: 

1. How many courses you enroll in 
2. How much tuition you pay 

Credits are basically a unit of measurement that determines the length, depth and difficulty level of a course. Each degree in the US has certain credit requirements attached to it. You enroll yourself in different courses to fulfill the credit requirement of your degree. Each of these courses also has certain credits assigned to them. 

A typical Master’s degree in the US can be of 30 to 60 credits. While the courses you enroll in are typical of 3 credits each. Courses of 1 or 2 credits may also be available but are relatively rare. Remember that the credits determine course load. So, a 3 credit course will have more workload compared to a 1 credit course.

Let’s look at an example to understand all of this better. In this example, you will also see how credits determine how many courses you will enroll in as well as how much tuition you will pay. Let’s say you’re doing an M.S in Data Science degree at Columbia University. The total degree requirements are 30 credits. Most of their courses are of 3 credits each. This means that you will be taking 10 courses of 3 credits each to complete your 30 credit degree requirement. The credit system also provides flexibility in deciding when you finish your degree. Some people choose to only study in the Fall and Spring semesters. Some decide to be enrolled in the Summer semester and finish their credits sooner, hence graduate early. 

Now, let’s look at how much tuition you’d have to pay. We saw that the M.S in Data Science program at Columbia is of 30 credits. Their tuition fees per credit is $2104. This means that for your entire degree, the tuition you would be paying will be 2104 dollars multiplied by 30 which comes to $63,120 dollars ($2104 * 30 credits = $63120).

Note that this is just your tuition fees. There will be additional academic and living expenses to pay when you do your degree. But we wanted to show how understanding the credit system is so important for understanding course enrollment and calculating tuition fees. 

If you have any questions regarding the credit system, get in touch with our university-specific mentors at UniRely. To get more information about how to apply to universities abroad for your master’s degree, please visit our website – www.unirely.com.