MC vs. KIU: Identifying Academic Differences

□    ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES: 

o    One of the main differences from the Maryville College workload from the workload given at Karlshochschule is the fact that for the most part, a majority of the grading at Karlshochschule comes from final exams and presentations. At MC, grades are compiled of various assignments, quizzes, exams, and even sometimes participation throughout the course. This is not true for KIU students who spend the entire semester attending lectures and preparing for these final exams and presentations. 

o   As for classroom culture, Maryville College and Karlshochschule International University are very similar. Both of these schools promote interaction and participation from the students during classes, and strongly encourage discussion. Both KIU and MC believe in a strong professor-student relationship, and both schools offer office hours to have the opportunity to ask questions about the class or receive advising from any of the professors. 

o   At KIU, the equivalent to "spring semester" in the USA begins at the beginning of March, whereas the spring semester at MC begins at the beginning of February. This means that the end of the semester at KIU is much later than at MC, where the final exams/presentations are held around mid-June. There is no spring break offered for KIU students, unlike MC students who have a set number of days allotted in the middle of the semester for a break. 

o   Students at MC and KIU are required to meet similar expectations academically. They are encouraged to be punctual in their attendance to lectures, and to communicate properly with the professors if there is a conflict in scheduling where the student will be unable to attend class. Also, similar to MC's required senior thesis, KIU students are required to fulfill a large task. Instead of completing a thesis, KIU students are required to participate in an internship in their designated fields. 

□    CREDITS:

o   At MC, classes are normally worth around 3-4 credits. At KIU, however, classes are worth much more. The average class is worth at least 6 ECTS. 

o   Credits and workload are also valued differently between these schools. At MC, a student normally takes around 16 credit hours (I am currently enrolled in 18 credit hours--the maximum allowed for a MC student), whereas at KIU, students normally take around 4 classes with a much lesser workload. Although the workload throughout the entire semester at KIU is much lighter, it is still vital that the student remain on top of their studies and attend lectures, take descriptive notes, and study in order to avoid falling behind and not being prepared to the final exam/presentation. A study abroad student should not take more than 30 ECTS. 

o   In order to find out how many hours/times a week classes meet at either university, the student can either email the professor or try to find it on the school's website. 

o To receive credit for 15 hours of school work, a Maryville College student should prepare to register for a 30 ECTS semester course load.  

□    GRADES:

o   Instead of lettering grades, KIU's grading system is composed of 5 levels: 

      1.0 - 1.5 very good (outstanding performance)

      1.6 - 2.5 good (performance that is significantly above average)

      2.6 - 3.5 satisfactory (average performance)

      3.6 - 4.0 sufficient (performance that complies with requirements in spite of shortcomings

      4.1 - 5.0 insufficient (performance that does not comply with requirements due to significant shortcomings)

□    SUPPORT:

o   Maryville College and Karlshochschule International University both offer academic support for their students through peer mentors, academic tutors, academic advisors, and academic support centers where students can go and seek out the specified help needed to survive their academic career. 

□    FULL-TIME STATUS:

o    To be considered a full time student at KIU, you must take at least 30 ECTs which is equivalent to the requirement at MC of 15 credit hours.