In France there are three levels (these are the same for most countries in Europe I think):
- Licence (3 years)
- Master (2 years)
- Doctorat (about 3 years)
In the U.S. I believe there are three levels:
- Undergraduate (4 years) after which we earn a "Bachelor's degree"
- Graduate (about 2-3 years I think) after which we earn a "Master's degree" maybe (I'm not sure at all)
- Doctorate (or maybe this is included in the "Graduate" part? I don't know)
I'm a French student and I'm planning to arrive in the U.S. for the beginning of the Graduate part (I'm going to study astronomy).
I know I should begin the application process at least 7-8 months before leaving France, but should I be leaving right after I finish the 3rd year of Licence or right after I finish the 1st year of Master?
In other words... Which one is generally considered to be equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree: the 3rd year of Licence or the 1st year of Master?
Does it depends on the quality of the universities?
Maybe second-rate universities accept students who have the 3rd year of Licence to their Graduate programs ; while first-rate universities only accept students who have the 1st year of Master to their Graduate programs?
