Qualification of a graduate of an educational institution. Bachelor? Master? Specialist? Qualification differences. What is the difference between Bachelor's, Specialist's, Master's and PhD

Higher education can be obtained in full-time, part-time, part-time, evening or free forms of education, as well as in the form of an external student. Moreover, in some countries, depending on the form and objectives of education, the number of disciplines studied, the level of training, etc., students are divided into “regular”, “conditional”, “special”, “casual”, “free” and etc.

Depending on the form of study, country, system and profile, the period of study for higher education ranges from 4 to 9 years.

Story

The separation of the highest level of education occurred in the countries of the Ancient East more than a thousand years BC. e. Then, at this stage, young people studied philosophy, poetry, as well as the laws of nature known at that time, received information about minerals, celestial bodies, plants and animals.

Medieval higher education primarily pursued the goal of substantiating theological dogmas. Only in the XIV-XVI centuries. there is a gradual liberation of science and education from scholasticism. This was facilitated by major scientific discoveries and advances in medicine during the Renaissance in Italy. Among the prominent representatives of science of that time were Leonardo da Vinci, N. Copernicus, I. Kepler, G. Galileo, R. Descartes, I. Newton, G. Leibniz. The scholastic school was sharply criticized by the English philosopher F. Bacon. Humanist writers and teachers of that time - Vittorino da Feltre, Erasmus of Rotterdam, L. Vives, F. Rabelais, M. Montaigne - opposed the Catholic Church's monopolization of the field of education. They proposed new teaching methods based on the development of independent critical thinking.

Of exceptional importance for the development of higher education and education as a whole was the invention of printing in the c.

Mikhailovsky - Engineering castle. Where, since 1823, one of the first higher engineering educational institutions in Russia, the Nikolaev Engineering School, was located, now the Military Engineering and Technical University is located near it at the site of its foundation.

The first higher engineering educational institutions began to be created only after the radical innovative turning point of 1810, which occurred at the Main Engineering School of the Russian Empire, when officers began to continue to finish their education for an additional two years. The first higher engineering educational institution in Russia, after the addition of senior officer classes, unlike all other cadet corps, was in 1810 the Main Engineering School, and now the Military Engineering and Technical University, which made the training program for engineers a five-year one and gave rise to the system that still exists two-stage division of engineering education between senior and junior courses. As the famous mechanical scientist Stepan Timoshenko wrote in his book “Engineering Education in Russia”, it was this system of the Main Engineering School that made it possible to provide high-quality theoretical training during junior years in order to later proceed to a deeper study of engineering disciplines in senior courses. Later, throughout the nineteenth century, the transition of the most advanced engineering and technical educational institutions of the Russian Empire to the system of higher engineering education continued, accompanied by its further qualitative development, primarily due to the fact that almost every educational institution created a program of its own new one that did not exist before. directions or specializations of higher engineering education, positively borrowing the best practices of others, fraternally cooperating, exchanging innovations and mutually enriching each other. The outstanding organizer and symbol of this process was Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev.

Main building of Kazan University

On November 17, 1804 Kazan University was established in Kazan. Already in the first decades of its existence, it became a major center of education and science. It formed a number of scientific directions and schools (mathematical, chemical, medical, linguistic, geological, geobotanical, etc.). The university is especially proud of its outstanding scientific discoveries and achievements: the creation of non-Euclidean geometry (N.I. Lobachevsky), the discovery of the chemical element ruthenium (K.K. Klaus), the creation of the theory of the structure of organic compounds (A.M. Butlerov), the discovery of the electronic paramagnetic resonance (E. K. Zavoisky), the discovery of acoustic paramagnetic resonance (S. A. Altshuler) and many others.

In 1861, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a charter by William Burton Rogers to establish "the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Boston Society of Natural History" (now ). William Burton Rogers wanted to create a new form of higher education that would meet the challenges of the rapidly developing science in the middle of the 19th century, to which classical education was pathologically unable to adequately respond. After the adoption of the charter, Rogers began to seek funds, develop the curriculum and select a suitable location for the institute. Rogers' plan, as it is now known, was based on three principles: the educational value of useful knowledge, the need for learning through action, and the integration of professional and human sciences. MIT pioneered the use of instructions for laboratory work. His philosophy is "learning not in the manipulations and instantaneous details of science, which can only be applied in practice, but in the knowledge and understanding of all basic scientific principles with their explanations." Due to the civil war that began a few months later, the first classes at MIT took place only in 1865 in a rented premises of a trading house in the suburbs of Boston.

A big impetus to the development, convergence and harmonization of higher education in Europe was given by the so-called. Bologna process. Its beginning can be traced back to the mid-1970s, when the EU Council of Ministers adopted a Resolution on the first cooperation program in the field of education. The official start date of the process is considered to be June 19, 1999, when in the city of Bologna, at a special conference, the Ministers of Education of 29 European states adopted the declaration "European Higher Education Area", or "Bologna Declaration". Subsequently, intergovernmental meetings were held in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007) and Louvain (2009). Currently, the Bologna Process brings together 46 countries.

Russia joined the Bologna process in September 2003 at the Berlin meeting of European ministers of education. In 2005, the Minister of Education of Ukraine signed the Bologna Declaration in Bergen. Universities of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and all CIS countries and Europe are participating in the implementation of the main directions of the Bologna Process.

Higher education by country

Russia

Austria

Main article: Higher education in Austria

Higher education in Austria has three levels and lasts from 3 to 9 years.

The University Education Act 1966 and the Universities Act 1975 laid the foundation for higher education. The Federal Ministry of Science and Research finances and supervises university education. 23 public and 11 private universities have a high degree of freedom and offer a wide range of educational programs. Studying at universities in Austria is free. But there are also paid educational institutions.

University graduates can continue their education and receive postgraduate education by enrolling in graduate school and then in doctoral studies. In addition, it is possible to take retraining courses and receive a second higher education. Education is free.

Bulgaria

Higher education is based on the Higher Education Act 1995 and consists of four levels. The network of higher schools in Bulgaria includes universities, specialized higher schools and colleges.

Great Britain

After completing a two-year A-levels course, students can receive either professional or higher education.

Vocational education (Further education - FE) includes vocational training courses and some courses for higher education (bachelor's degrees). The term "vocational education" is used to refer to courses for those who left school at the age of 16. There are over 600 public and private further education colleges in the UK. These institutions offer various programs of study, including English language courses, General Certificate of Secondary Education and A-levels, professional courses.

Higher education (HE) includes undergraduate degree programs, postgraduate programs (master's degree, doctoral degree) and MBA. The term "tertiary education" refers to studies at universities, colleges and institutes that offer academic or doctoral degrees.

Germany

The German system of higher education is distinguished by the variety of types of universities. In total, there are 409 universities in Germany, of which 104 are universities and 203 universities of applied sciences. Getting the first higher education in almost all universities until recently was free for both Germans and foreigners. The tuition fee and its amount are set by the federal state, for example, in Bavaria even the first higher education is paid, and in Berlin higher education is free. In other states, fees may be charged for students who exceed the prescribed period of study by several semesters ("several" again, in each state differently) or who make a second higher education. The total number of students in Germany is almost 2 million, of which 48% are women, 250,000 are foreign students. The teaching staff is about 110 thousand people. Approximately 69,000 Germans study abroad. Until 2010, in the course of the Bologna process, German universities had to restructure their curricula according to a new model.

A significant number of universities are state-owned and are subsidized by the government. There are relatively few private universities - 69.

Egypt

Egypt has both private and public institutions of higher education. Public higher education in Egypt is free, students pay only the registration fee. Private education is more expensive.

The main universities in Egypt: Cairo University (100,000 students), Alexandria University, Ain Shams University, Al-Azhar University (the oldest university in Egypt with 1000 years of history).

Leading private universities in Egypt: American University in Cairo, German University in Cairo, French University of Egypt.

Ireland

Higher education in Ireland is called Third Level education. Upon graduation from the university, the graduate is awarded a bachelor's degree (Bachelor Degree). Higher education is possible at state universities, various colleges.

Italy

The Italian higher education system is represented by universities, technical universities, university colleges and academies. The education system is three-tiered.

Cyprus

Young people attend universities, other public institutions of higher education and colleges offering various programs of study.

Malta

Higher education in Malta is provided only by the University of Malta, which has a huge number of branches, branches and representative offices.

Monaco

There is only one institution of higher education in Monaco, the International Institute of Monaco.

The Republic of Korea

High schools (고등학교, 高等學校) of the Republic of Korea enter at the age of 17 and graduate after the third grade at 19. Schools can be divided into specialized departments that correspond to the interests of a particular student and coincide with his career path. For example, there are “scientific” higher schools (Science high school), schools for studying foreign languages ​​and art history schools. All of them require quite difficult exams for admission. Higher schools can also be divided into public (public) and private. Such schools do not give any specialty, but simply prepare their students for college. For students who, for whatever reason, do not want to go to college, there are vocational schools that specialize in technology, agriculture or finance, where students can enroll immediately after graduation. High school schedules are often designed so that after an intense session of "self-study" at such a school, students return home after midnight. The curriculum, which includes about eleven subjects, is often considered very difficult, so some students choose to enroll in private academies called "hagwons" (학원, 學院 ) to increase their academic knowledge. The list of core subjects includes Korean and English, mathematics, various social and natural sciences. Specific subjects and the level of their teaching may vary from school to school, depending on the specialization of such educational institutions.

Unlike secondary school, higher education is not compulsory. However, the OECD estimated that in 2005, 97% of young Koreans graduated from high school. Obviously, this is the highest percentage among all countries.

USA

Despite many problems in the field of secondary education, higher education in the United States is considered one of the best in the world. There are more than 3,000 institutions of higher education of various types in the United States. They had 515,000 international students out of a total of 17.5 million, of which 60% were from Asia. Recently, however, education in universities, both private and public, is becoming more and more expensive. Fees for a year of tuition range from $5,000 at State University to $40,000 at Harvard, and while generous scholarships are given to poor students, these are often insufficient for middle-class students whose families lose proportionately the most of their income. From the 2002-2003 to the 2003-2004 academic year, tuition in state universities increased by 14%, and in private universities by 6%, which is still more than the inflation rate at the same time.

In American colloquial speech, all universities are usually called college, even if they are not colleges, but universities.

Currently, in the generally accepted system of Russian higher education, there is a division of graduates into bachelors, specialists and masters. It turns out that between these three academic titles there is a tangible difference. It lies primarily in the duration of training.

It is generally accepted that students study for exactly 5 years. This is true for professional graduates. For bachelors, the duration of study is only 4 years. The master must study at a higher educational institution for 6 years.

Not for every specialty there is a choice of the duration of study and, accordingly, the academic title. To find out which method of study you can choose for the specialty of interest at the selected university, you need to contact the dean's office. There you can find out for yourself all the questions of interest.

When entering an educational institution, a student is not obliged to immediately determine the duration of training and its focus. A final decision will need to be made at the end of the 4th course. It is at this time that a student can either graduate with a bachelor's degree, or continue to study at a university. If a student wants to study as a specialist, then he will have to study for another 1 year. If he wants to become a master, then within the walls of his native university he will have to spend another 2 years.

The quality and specificity of knowledge of bachelors, masters and specialists

A bachelor cannot be considered a person who has received a higher education. Most likely, the completion of a bachelor's degree will be equated to an incomplete higher education. Despite this, some students prefer to get a bachelor's degree and complete their studies there.

A specialist is a person with a completed higher education. He is in his specialty, but at the same time his knowledge is not enough to carry out scientific work. The duration of training for a specialist is shorter than for a master's, but the quality of knowledge is no worse. Such graduates are more adapted to work in production. The knowledge gained in the magistracy will be useful for further work in the field of science. As a rule, master's degree graduates go on to graduate school.

A master's degree is useful for admission to some foreign educational institutions. In accordance with the laws of a number of other states, only the completion of a master's degree is counted as higher education.

Bachelor's, specialist's and master's programs are levels of professional higher education that differ in content and duration of study. For the development of bachelor's or specialist's programs, it is necessary to have a secondary general education, for master's programs - higher education. In the future, the bachelor can continue his studies and get a master's degree.

Bachelor's, Specialist's and Master's Degrees as Levels of Professional Higher Education

Currently, the Russian Federation has established, in particular, the following levels of professional higher education (clauses 2, 3, part 5, article 10 of the Law of December 29, 2012 N 273-FZ):

Undergraduate;

Specialist, magistracy.

At the same time, each of the bachelor's, specialist's and master's programs belongs to an independent type of the main professional educational program of higher education. Admission to training is carried out separately for each of these programs (clause "b", clause 2, part 3, article 12, part 5, article 69 of Law N 273-FZ).

Persons with the appropriate education are allowed to master these programs. So, for bachelor's or specialist's programs, it is necessary to have a secondary general education, for master's programs - higher education of any level (parts 2, 3 of article 69 of Law N 273-FZ).

Features of the specialty, bachelor's and master's programs

A specialty is a system of education familiar to the Russian Federation. Specialists are trained for professional activities in a particular industry. The term for obtaining the first higher education is, as a rule, five years. However, many universities have switched to the Bologna (two-level) system of education, which involves the preparation and graduation of bachelors and masters.

A person who intends to get the first higher education at a university that has switched to the Bologna system of education enters the bachelor's degree. Subject to successful completion of the final certification, he is awarded the qualification "bachelor" and a diploma is issued indicating that he has a higher education (clause 2, part 5, article 10 of Law N 273-FZ).

Bachelors can continue their education and get a master's degree. It is not necessary to enroll in a master's program at the same university. Admission to study in master's programs is carried out on a competitive basis based on the results of entrance examinations. Conventionally, a bachelor's degree can be described as a basic higher education, and a master's degree as a further specialization (parts 3, 5, 6 of article 69 of Law N 273-FZ).

Unlike bachelor's and specialist's programs, not only universities, but also scientific organizations can provide training in master's programs (clause 4 of the Procedure, approved by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 05.04.2017 N 301).

The essential difference between a bachelor, a specialist and a master is the duration of study, which is set by federal state educational standards. As a rule, students study for five years to obtain a specialist diploma, four years for a bachelor's degree, two years for a master's degree (part 4 of article 11 of Law N 273-FZ; clause 3.3 of the Standard, approved by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated September 12, 2016 N 1173; clause 3.3 of the Standard, approved by Order of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science dated August 7, 2014 N 943; clause 3.3 of the Standard, approved by Order of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science dated August 17, 2015 N 827).

Over the past 15 years, the wind of change has swept away many stable concepts in the Russian expanses. Soviet higher education, so solid and understandable, gradually faded away and now a new system is being built with difficulty. We are gradually getting used to the new names: bachelor's and master's degrees.

A bit of history

For Russian students, it all started in 1996. A two-level training system was introduced in universities. The purpose of the innovation was to join the Bologna Process - a voluntary association of higher education systems in European countries, which by that time had been about two decades old.

The process of accession to European standards was formalized legally in 2003, when Russia signed the Bologna Declaration. And since the beginning of 2011, the two-level system has become the main one in Russian higher education.

In fairness, it must be said that students who entered before 2010 still have the opportunity to receive the degree of "graduate". This is an intermediate level between a bachelor's and a master's degree. But today the system of climbing the rock of science granite is as follows:

1. Bachelor;
2. Master.

What is the difference between bachelor and master

These two words, so unusual for our hearing, mean the degree of preparation of a university graduate. To understand the difference between a bachelor and a master, you need to know the goals of training at these two levels.

Undergraduate - Practitioner Training

After graduating from school, young people enter the bachelor's degree. This is the beginning of higher education. After studying for 2 years, each of them can receive a diploma of incomplete higher education. That is, a diploma is issued stating that you have mastered half of the first stage of higher professional education, the volume and content of which is indicated in the appendix to this diploma.

But almost no one stops there. Having continued your studies for 2 more training courses, and having passed the final certification, you receive a bachelor's degree. By this time, you are going through not only general education sciences, but also special disciplines and professional practice. This diploma is a certificate of full and completed higher professional education. You have the right to apply for positions whose qualification requirements include the need to have a higher education.

Master's degree - focus on scientific work

If you want to further conquer scientific heights or engage in teaching activities at universities, you need to enter the magistracy. A master's degree is necessary for students who want or have the opportunity to continue to engage in scientific activities or teach at a university.

But those who want to study further after 4 years of study at the university today, according to statistics, are approximately 25-30% of the total number of students. The explanation should be sought in the realities of our life. Not every student can afford to continue their studies.

The downside is that they prefer to take bachelors to work - more is not needed for office work. A person must be able to work with information, process documents, work in a team. In a word, to be a competent and executive employee of the company. And there is no need for special studies in scientific activity. That is why most students prefer to spend 4 courses to gain basic knowledge, some practical experience and then seriously pursue a career.

There are a few other things that keep me from going to graduate school:

• The need to retake entrance examinations. Even at your own university, you again find yourself as an applicant and on a par with applicants from other universities.
• It is even more difficult to enter free education in a master's program than when mastering the first stage. Approximately one-third of applicants pass the test. But for those who are passionate about enrolling, there is paid training.
• It can be considered a fact that the starting salary of masters is higher than that of bachelors. This is especially confirmed by foreign studies (for example, in the USA and Canada). More details can be found in another material: salary statistics for masters and bachelors.

Pros and cons of two-tier training

The new system of levels of higher education has not yet taken root in the expanses of the former USSR and causes many difficulties in understanding. For personnel officers, it is sometimes sometimes difficult to determine the degree of preparedness of a newly minted specialist. Moreover, both those and others write “higher education” when filling out the questionnaire. The older generation perceives the graduate of the first stage rather as a "drop-out". In addition, there are areas where a bachelor's degree is clearly not a winning moment: law, economics, high technology. The first stage is sometimes equated with a technical school (according to the personnel officers of the old school).

But there are also pluses. Large companies will quickly hire a graduate of the first stage. Especially those structures that have their own personnel training system. After all, it is easier to teach than to retrain. And it is much easier to finish teaching a person who has mastered the practice of teaching at a university - training for 4 years gives the skills of readiness for learning.

And his focus on practice is more than that of the master. After all, during the continuation of studies in the magistracy, an orientation is created more on scientific and theoretical activity than on practical.

If a student dreams of engaging in scientific activities, promoting scientific and technological progress in laboratories or subsequently teaching students, he cannot do without a master's degree.

But before entering to continue your studies, you need to find out if your university has a license to issue masters and its validity period. It is undesirable that the license ends in the year of your graduation from the master's program. Everything happens in life…

Back in 1997, Russia joined the single European educational space. This happened after the signing of the Bologna Convention, which involves the transition to the so-called two-level educational system. Starting this year, all universities in the country offer bachelor's and master's programs of study and training of specialists to future students. At the first level there is a bachelor's degree and its "basic" knowledge, at the second level a master's degree and a specialist. What is the difference between these levels of education?

Definition of degrees of education

Modern students after graduation from school (or technical school) have a very difficult time. Not only are they more often required to decide on their future profession “here and now” and pass the appropriate number of exams, there is also some kind of confusion with educational programs. Someone shouts that a bachelor's degree is an unfinished higher education and it is imperative to complete a master's degree, someone claims that a specialty as a training program has long been excluded, someone does not understand all these educational levels at all and carries his cherished documents with his eyes closed to the first university you come across.

In order to prevent this from happening to you, let's try to figure out what is the difference between these mysterious educational levels.

Undergraduate

Initially, the academic cap was intended for undergraduates, but then bachelors began to use it as well.

Let's start with the simplest (and for some the most difficult) - with a bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degree is the initial stage of higher education. A bachelor's degree is a full-fledged higher education with all the ensuing consequences.

Bachelor degree:

• the degree (qualification) of the bachelor confirms the receipt of higher professional education;
• the program is designed for four years of study;
• upon graduation, the student must pass the final certification (pass state exams) and / or defend a diploma;
• after completing the undergraduate studies, the student has the right to enter the master's program.

Now let's look at all the provisions in more detail.

Graduates of schools, colleges, technical schools and colleges can apply for a bachelor's degree. Of course, for this you need to pass the relevant USE exams (they will depend on the specialty that you would like to get).

A bachelor's degree means that a university graduate has completed four years of study and received a basic higher education. Employers around the world understand this statement because the undergraduate degree is part of a two-tier European education.

After graduation, a student applying for a bachelor's degree must pass a final certification and / or defend a final qualifying work (popularly a “diploma”). Having adopted European standards of education, Russia did not trouble itself with rewriting educational programs and revising the certification of future university graduates. In fact, many students are now studying in the same programs that were successfully operating until 1997 and were designed for 5 years of study.

This system does not work in all specialties. Some still assume only examination certification without any written confirmation.

For those who do not want to be limited to basic knowledge, a master's degree is provided. After completing a bachelor's degree, a graduate can, with a clear conscience, apply to a master's program. Moreover, it is not necessary to choose a master's degree in your own specialty, you can choose something completely different and end up with two different specialties.

Let's highlight the advantages and disadvantages of a bachelor's degree.

• short period of study;
• the degree gives the right to employment both in Russia and abroad;
• the degree gives the right to continue education;
• after a bachelor's degree, it is possible to enter a master's program even in another university and in another specialty.

• low demand for bachelors among leading employers in the Russian Federation (the whole point here is confusion due to the simultaneous existence of bachelor's and specialist's degrees in our country, because of this, many employers think that a bachelor has a more limited set of knowledge than a specialist, although this the same curriculum)
• a limited number of state-funded places in the master's program (due to the transition to a two-level education system, the number of free places in the master's program was significantly reduced, and the competition was tightened).

Many people also mistakenly think that the level of knowledge and the rigidity of the requirements at the bachelor's degree is much lower than at the specialist's and master's programs. Most often this is not the case. It depends on the university where you will study, on the specialty you have chosen, as well as on the teaching staff of the educational institution.

Master's degree

A master's degree is an obvious plus on a resume

People who have a bachelor's or specialist's degree can go to the magistracy.

Obtaining a master's degree involves six years of study at a university. These six years include undergraduate studies (four years) and directly the master's program of study (two years). It is assumed that this degree is chosen by those students who plan to continue their scientific activities.

Education in the magistracy involves a narrower educational focus. If the bachelor's degree is considered the basic level of education, studying at which students receive general (initial) knowledge about the specialty, then the master's degree is designed for a more conscious attitude to the subject of study (the student must clearly know what he is interested in and direct his efforts to a deeper study of the subject of scientific research).

During two years of study in the magistracy, the undergraduate student is obliged to work on a master's thesis. Upon graduation, he will have to defend his master's degree, which will allow him to receive a “crust” corresponding to his scientific degree.

Let's highlight the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining a master's degree.

• After graduating from a bachelor's degree, it is not necessary to immediately enter a master's program. You have time to relax a little and think about your future;
• master's degree allows you to dramatically change your specialty. If, for example, you have a bachelor's degree in one specialty, but you have always dreamed of another, then a master's degree is a great tool to fulfill your dream;
• A bachelor's degree and a master's degree can be obtained at different universities. And this applies not only to domestic educational institutions. You can enroll in a master's program abroad.

• tougher competition for budget places. In connection with the transition to a two-level education system, the competition for state-funded places has become much tougher, students are selected according to certain criteria and merits;
• employment problem. If you are a poor student who has financial problems, then know that you can only get a job that is combined with the study schedule. The modern dominance of students who want to study and work (read “enroll at the university, but not attend it”) is very large, therefore, for absenteeism, even because you are busy at work, you can easily be expelled and find a replacement for you on the same day;
• short learning period. This is not about the fact that those who are thirsty for knowledge are given a small amount of time to obtain this knowledge, but about the fact that in two years you have to write a rather voluminous scientific work. If you have not encountered this at the undergraduate level (did not defend your diploma, but only passed state exams), then it will be very difficult for you to adapt to this certification format in such a short time. Especially if you work and study at the same time.

Specialty

In many CIS countries, the specialty has already been canceled

Let's move on to the most incomprehensible educational course - the specialty. This direction is a dying stage of higher education, because after the transition to the European system in our country (for some reason) they did not want to abandon this format of higher education.

These days it's hard enough to find an institution that allows students to choose a major as their program of study, but some universities (especially in the provinces) provide such an opportunity, which causes even more confusion among already frightened would-be students.

The qualification of a specialist is also a higher professional education. The confusion begins at the moment of the final certification. Here, many people begin to confuse bachelor's and specialist's degrees, and comparing them, they find that studying at a bachelor's degree takes only four years, and five years at a specialist's (provided that everything else for these qualifications is the same). Such a discovery makes many people think that a bachelor's degree is an incomplete higher education, while a specialist's degree is full and complete.

Let's dispel the myths: both the bachelor's degree and the qualification of a specialist are higher professional education. The only problem is that in Russia they did not bother to rework the curricula and the certification system for university graduates, so they left everything as it was and added a two-level education system to this.

Ideally, we should not have a specialty at all, students should immediately enter the bachelor's program, and then, if they wish, continue their studies in the master's and postgraduate programs. At the same time, future bachelors must pass only state exams at the end of their studies (without protection of scientific work).

In reality, we still have two almost identical stages of higher education, one of which was simply taken away from one year of study (which, by the way, is most often not “scattered” in terms of the curriculum for the remaining 4 years, but included in Last year). Therefore, bachelor students are required to master everything that specialist students master in four years and during this time manage to write a qualifying scientific work and prepare for state exams.

The only significant advantage and difference between a specialty and a bachelor's degree is the fact that after completing a specialist's degree, a student can immediately apply to graduate school. This is very convenient for those who intend to build a scientific career.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the specialty.

• advantage when applying for a job within the Russian Federation. The new system of higher education has not yet been fully adopted in Russia, so many employers believe that a specialist degree is a full-fledged higher education, while a bachelor's degree is incomplete or insufficient;
• opportunity to go directly to graduate school. The good news for those who are going to connect their lives with science is that obtaining a specialist qualification will allow you to immediately enter graduate school;
• magistracy is considered the second higher education. For those who want to learn something new, the specialty will also be very convenient - after completing the specialty, you can enroll in a master's program in another specialty. Upon completion of the master's program, you will be considered the owner of two higher educations.

• a specialist diploma is not quoted abroad. Foreign employers do not know who a specialist is and what he eats with. They are accustomed to a two-tier education system, and something similar to a bachelor's degree, but at the same time different from it in some criteria, does not suit them;
• many universities have already practically got rid of the specialty. Although the phenomenon of specialist qualification still exists in our country, it is difficult to quickly find a university that provides a five-year study opportunity;
• a bachelor's degree and a specialist's degree are equated. This should have become clear even at the time of comparing bachelor's and specialist's degrees. These two levels provide one curriculum, the same certification, so that the diplomas here will be the same in terms of weight.

PhD

In some countries, graduate school is already considered a full-time job, not a study.

Postgraduate study is the first step on the way to a scientific career. It is not a mandatory element in obtaining higher education and is considered as a separate educational block.

PhD degree (postgraduate student):

• the time of study in full-time postgraduate study is 3 years, in correspondence 4 years;
• upon completion of postgraduate studies, a postgraduate student is obliged to defend a dissertation, which will allow him to receive a Ph.D. degree;
• for the entire period of postgraduate studies, the future candidate of sciences must pass three candidate exams, as well as prepare several scientific publications;
• graduate school gives the right to conduct classes at universities, as well as take exams;
• After completing the postgraduate studies, you can enter the doctoral program.

Postgraduate study provides for the student's desire to engage in scientific activities, as well as to teach in higher educational institutions.

What is the difference between Bachelor's, Specialist's, Master's and PhD

The difference can be seen in the comparison table below.

Table: differences in educational levels

Summing up what has been said, I would like to note once again: despite the fact that the system of higher education in Russia is rather complicated, it is not so complicated. All three levels of the two-tier system of European education are full-fledged higher education. Bachelor's and specialist's degrees are almost identical levels, so they are very often confused or not distinguished. Both bachelor's and specialist's degrees are the first (basic) level of the higher education system. The specialty is almost completely excluded from the proposed options for obtaining higher education, its place is taken by the bachelor's degree.

Master's degree is the second optional stage of higher education and is designed for those students who want to study their specialty in more detail.

Postgraduate studies, in turn, are the first stage of a research career. A student can enroll by completing the first two levels of higher education.