The Academic Year
The academic year consists of 2 semesters, approximately 15 weeks each, and a summer session which consists of 8 weeks. During some academic years the American College offers 3 summer sessions. (Summer Session I, Summer Session II & Summer Session III).
By making use of the summer sessions students are able to earn their necessary credits faster and consequently finish their degree in 3 years instead of the usual 4 years.
The American College commences the Spring Semester in January, Summer Session I in May, Summer Session II in June, Summer Session III in July and the Fall semester in September, and students may enroll during any of these semesters.
How to Plan Your Courses
American education is so versatile that it gives everyone the opportunity to experience subjects in a variety of disciplines. Your major may be science, business, engineering, computer science or even hospitality management, but you are required to fulfill certain other education requirements in areas such as the humanities, social science, natural science, mathematics, English, foreign languages, etc. This in turn realizes the American concept that people should have some knowledge of the world around them in order to call themselves educated.
In the first two years (45-60 credits), students fulfill their general education requirements. Then they specialize in their chosen majors during the final two years. Students who wish to earn their degrees in a specific discipline should choose their lower division credits with their chosen area of specialization in mind.
The Fast Track Program
The American degree usually takes 4 years to complete. However, most of the students at the American College of Higher Education, Sri Lanka complete their degrees in 3 years by taking advantage of the large number of course offerings each semester and by taking around 12 credits in the summer semester as well. Also students who join the American College after their O'Levels at 16 years of age have an added advantage of obtaining their degree by the time they are 19 years old and starting their careers early.