Difference between Colleges and Universities in the Caribbean
Over the years before attending higher education, I always wonder why individuals who attended universities were more hyped by saying “I am in university not college”. Well, I attended both community college and university and to be honest I did not see much difference in my academic records. The only main thing that really stand out to me was that Universities are bigger in size and attendance and also employers were more impressed with the University name or brand that one attends, for example the University of the West Indies (UWI). UWI over the years have produced a number of successful doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs etc so I guess with a name like UWI on your resume employers will naturally say “hey lets shortlist this candidate for an interview”. But lets dig a little deeper into University vs. College.
What is College?
According to the oxford dictionary, College an educational institution or establishment, in particular one providing higher education or specialized professional or vocational training
What is University?
University is a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done.
Overview:
Based on the above definitions in my opinion, I don’t see a big difference. In many countries including the Caribbean, schools of higher education are named different or have different extension names at the end. The word “college” does not necessarily have the same meaning in every country, which can create confusion for prospective international students interested in studying locally or overseas. In some countries, students begin their education at a community college after leaving high school and then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree and upwards. Many schools with “university” in their name are generally larger institutions that offer a variety of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Also a number of schools were once colleges before the names were changed to universities and for this to happen, it must meet a few requirements over a period of time.
Examples of requirements
- There must be a staff primarily responsible for administering the graduate and professional programs
- They must have an undergraduate studies program that leads to a bachelor’s degree and higher in a wide range of academic subject areas
- The school must be able to financially support its graduate and professional programs and have the facilities and equipment required to exhibit the level of work needed
- It must be accredited and depending on the location, possibly licensed and incorporated within that area.
Choosing a College or University
Well which school of higher education should I attend? It depends mainly on your own vocational goals. College is more suitable for those interested in more technical and vocational expertise, while university is better for those who are research-oriented and want graduate opportunities especially masters and doctorial degrees. In my opinion, the name of the school is less important than whether the school is a good fit for you personally. Decide what you want from your college experience and then choose a college or university that fits that ideal. Also I have seen university graduates with low work performance and vice versa with college graduates because many believe that the bigger the name of the school the more successful you will become and this is definitely nonsense.
