Whether a bachelor’s degree is higher education or not, what’s the difference from a specialist? Master's and bachelor's degrees compared to specialists

Sooner or later, every 11th grade graduate planning to enter a university in our country faces the difficult question of which form of higher education to choose: bachelor’s degree or specialty? Our blogger tells how higher education works in Russia and what is better to choose.

For those preparing for the main school exam

I am the mother of two twin sons. Egor was preparing to enter the journalism department, Vanya was preparing to enter applied computer science or information security. As you understand, a lot of money was spent on preparing for the Unified State Exam, so when it comes to the question of what is better - a bachelor's degree or a specialist's degree, we generally chose the third - the budget, that is, free education. This was our financial strategy.

I understand that now I have confused you even more, but when I explain everything in detail, it will become clear what I mean. At the family council, we decided that, first of all, we strive to obtain budget places, so we put the choice in favor of a bachelor’s degree or specialty in second place.

In Russian, it’s quite simple, the logic was this: it doesn’t matter whether you have a bachelor’s degree or a specialty degree, as long as you get into budget places. Paying for the education of two students at once is costly for any family, with any income.

As a result, it turned out that all journalists in Moscow are already trained according to the Bologna system of bachelor's + master's degrees. Egor entered a bachelor's degree at RANEPA. With Vanya’s faculty, “information security” was more complicated: in some places there were specialty programs (5 or 5.5 years), in others there was a two-level system - bachelor’s degree (4 years) plus master’s degree (2 years). But for us, when choosing a university, this fact was not the main one.

Your priorities may be set differently, so I will objectively try to present all the intricacies of this situation. Knowing all the differences, it is easier to make a decision, and it should be balanced, since these two forms of higher education, accepted today in Russian universities, are mutually exclusive in some situations. For example, if you want to transfer from one form of study to another, you may have problems. You don't have to look far for examples. Our relative recently wanted to transfer from a specialty to a bachelor’s degree, and was decisively refused by her home university. Not provided for by the Charter.

Bologna higher education system

So, since 2003, Russian universities began to participate in large-scale reforms of higher education, namely, they began to smoothly move from one education system to another, more modern and, most importantly, accepted in the European world. This system is called Bolognese, after the name of the famous city of Bologna in northern Italy. Bachelors have been issued before, but it was in 2003 that this became, so to speak, widespread.

History of occurrence, all the advantages and disadvantages of this system. I will not retell all this, I will only say briefly that in 1999, on the eve of the beginning of the new millennium, participants in the Bologna process, namely 29 European countries, signed a declaration that higher education in the European Union should be unified and two-level: bachelor's and master's degrees. Almost immediately, the list of countries wishing to join the Bologna process began to grow. In 2003, Russia also joined this process. In 2009, such a “bachelor’s + master’s” system began to operate officially in Russia. The duration of training in all countries is different, but in our country it is usually 4 + 2 years, respectively. By the way, it was in 2009 that the Unified State Exam became mandatory for everyone. Before this there was an experimental period.

Today, most Russian universities have switched to a new education system, but the classic Russian one-level system, called “specialty,” remains. Thus, old and new higher education exist in parallel in our country, without canceling one another. As always, everything takes root with us, adjusted for Russian originality, so we went our own way. Therefore, today's graduates, as well as their parents (pa-pa-ra-ra-ram), have another additional dilemma: what to choose - a bachelor's degree or a specialty?

Specialty

Let's start from the end - it will be easier. A specialty is a familiar system of five or six years of continuous education at a university, which was adopted in our country in the USSR until the beginning of the 2000s as the main and only possible one. The person studied and eventually received a specialist diploma. In it, if you remember, it was written: “specialty such and such.” The concept of “certified specialist” is just about this.

Bachelor's and Master's degrees

Who are Bachelor and Master? For some reason, Harry Potter and Master Yoda immediately come to mind.

Everything here is quite simple: higher education is structured in two stages. First you enroll in a bachelor's degree. The conditions for admission are absolutely identical to those for the specialty: bring your Unified State Examination scores along with all the documents, and if necessary, take additional creative exams. After four years, you receive a higher education diploma that says “bachelor.”

If you want to continue your studies, you must pass the entrance exams to the master's program. By the way, at the second stage you can choose any university, not necessarily the same one where you studied for your bachelor’s degree! Upon completion of your master's degree, you will have a master's degree.

A common misconception is that a bachelor’s degree is some kind of unfinished higher education, that they won’t get hired, and so on.

A bachelor's degree indicates that you have a higher education, period! (clause 2, part 5, article 10 of the Law of December 29, 2012 N 273-FZ). The difference between two students who left point A at the same time, but are taking different paths, will, of course, be knowledge. A bachelor studies for four years, and a specialist for at least five years (sometimes 5.5 or even 6). Of course, their program will be different.

It is generally accepted that a bachelor’s degree provides broader knowledge with a vague specialization, and a master’s degree provides a more narrowly focused education. There is also a stereotype that a specialty is a higher-quality education, since all five or six years of study at a university prepare narrow practitioners. All this is controversial, in my opinion. Too little time has passed to have a substantive conversation on this topic. The process of developing undergraduate curricula at each university is still in its infancy. The era of change in higher education in Russia has just begun.

9 distinctive features of the Russian bachelor's degree

1. After receiving your bachelor's degree, you can immediately go to work. You have a higher education in your pocket. And period. The period of study is four years.
2. Some specialties do not provide for two-stage training in Russia. This list includes medical specialties, customs affairs, military specialties and others. It’s impossible to become a good doctor in four years, that’s a no brainer.
3. After a bachelor's degree, you will be able to apply for a budget-funded place in a master's program, but after a specialty, you will not. True, it is not entirely clear why after a specialty you need to go to a master’s program. In any case, if the need arises, it will be considered a second higher education, which means it will be 100% paid (this is the law). The only exceptions are “certified specialists” (those who entered training before 2008 inclusive). There will be no deferment from the army either.
4. For the entire period of studying “bachelor’s + master’s” in the full-time department, you receive a deferment from the army. The specialty also guarantees deferment for the entire period of full-time study. There is not much difference here.
5. What about graduate school? After a specialty you can safely go, after a bachelor’s degree - no, bypassing a master’s program is impossible. From the magistracy - please.
6. In most cases, a specialist’s diploma cannot be confirmed abroad, but bachelor’s and master’s diplomas can.
7. You can complete a bachelor's degree in one profession, and a master's degree in another. For example, during four years of study it became clear that you are interested not only in technical subjects, but also in the humanities. A master's degree in the humanities is quite possible. Variability is an advantage, of course. In fact, you receive two diplomas of higher education: “bachelor” + “master”. Once again: “bachelor’s degree + master’s degree” are two diplomas of higher education, only they are of different levels.
8. Studying for a master's degree is possible at foreign universities. Here, of course, you will need knowledge of a foreign language, but today this is not a problem.
9. If you entered a specialty program on a budget place, then you will not pay anything for all years of study. If after your bachelor's degree you decide to go to a master's program, then know that the chances of entering on a budget are minimal (the competition is too high). It is possible that you will have to pay tuition fees during these two years. The percentage of budget places is almost everywhere less than for a bachelor’s degree. Each university has individual statistics.

Disadvantages of the two-stage system in Russia

1. Again an experiment on our students and teachers. It will take a long time for everything to settle down.

2. Of course, one can guess that there is a “pandemonium” with bachelor’s and master’s degree curricula, because universities were given the freedom to form them independently, based on state standards. Our practice of obtaining higher education under the Bologna system actually began in 2009, that is, not even ten years have passed since the start of the experiment. Of course, all this requires manual adjustment for a long time, so the ideal is still only looming on the horizon.

In order to turn an applicant into a full-fledged bachelor in four years, that is, a professional ready to go to work, you need to very competently and clearly build a training system. Agree that four years is not a very long time.

In the case of a specialty, as you understand, there are no problems with the curriculum, since they were inherited, as they say, from past times. Everything here is more stable and based on classical teaching. How relevant classical education is in modern realities is not for me to judge, of course. Only time will tell. I am glad that, existing in parallel, both systems involuntarily compete with each other. This way all the pros and cons become more obvious.

3. Not all universities, when transitioning to the Bologna system, understood what exactly needed to be changed. For example, in few places in Russia the Bologna 100-point knowledge assessment system is used in full force. Nominally it exists, but it acts somewhat strangely, in my opinion.

Today we’ll talk about the principles by which students choose between a bachelor’s degree or a specialty and what advantages each of these training programs has.

Modern Russian system higher professional education provides the opportunity to obtain several qualification degrees. If previously in our country only certified specialists graduated from universities, today young people have the right to choose between bachelor’s, specialist’s, master’s and postgraduate degrees.

Let us note that if master's and postgraduate programs do not raise questions, since without further ado it is clear that this is a certain academic degree, then not everyone knows how a bachelor's degree differs from a specialist's degree. That is why today we will talk about the principles by which students choose between a bachelor’s degree or a specialty and what advantages each of these training programs has.

What are bachelor's and specialty degrees?

A specialty is a traditional form of higher education for Russia. Upon completion of training, a university graduate receives the qualification “certified specialist”. At the same time, he has the opportunity to go to study both in master's and graduate school.

Bachelor's degree is the first stage of higher education. The student chooses a direction in advance and studies according to it. Such education provides precisely the basics of a specialty, that is, the base of necessary knowledge for obtaining a profession. After graduating from a university, a student acquires a bachelor's degree qualification and has the opportunity to go to master's programs.

And on bachelor's degree, and people who have completed secondary or secondary vocational education (that is, after graduating from college or technical school) can enter the specialty. It is believed that a specialty includes a bachelor's and master's degree program.

The difference between a bachelor's degree and a specialty degree

If you are planning to enter a higher education institution, then first you need to decide which qualification is more important for you: specialist, bachelor or master. This will greatly influence which company you go to work for. Employers react differently to bachelor's and specialist degrees. Also, Russian enterprises have the same requirements, while international companies may put forward completely different ones.

Previously, all Russian students studied only at the specialty level. Accordingly, after graduation they were awarded the qualification “certified specialist”. At that time, two-level systems were already in full use abroad. education system. After some time, such a system was introduced in our country. Nowadays in domestic universities you can find both the old and the new system.

What are their differences? Let's get a look:

• at a bachelor's degree you will study for 4 years, and at a specialty for 5 or 5.5 years (depending on the specialty);
• A bachelor studies the basics of the profession and general disciplines. A specialty, on the contrary, involves studying a narrow specialty in a profile chosen by the student;
• In the first 2 years of both qualifications I study general education subjects. Then the division begins.
• with a bachelor's degree you can get the basics of a profession and then go into any field; with a specialty, you most often gain knowledge in a specific narrow area;
• Having received a bachelor's degree, a student can only go to a master's degree. A specialist can immediately go to graduate school, bypassing the master's program;
• Bachelors can apply for free master's studies, since this level of qualification allows them to participate in the competition. For specialists, the master's degree will be paid, as it will be considered a second higher education. According to the law, a second higher education can only be obtained for money.
• A bachelor can only get into graduate school if he completes a master's degree.

As mentioned above, many employers understand that graduates specialists study longer and, accordingly, gain more knowledge in narrow areas. Therefore, a bachelor’s degree in the modern labor market is less in demand than a specialist’s degree. However, employers are very mistaken when they believe that a bachelor’s degree cannot be called a completed higher education. By graduating with this qualification, the student receives all the necessary professional knowledge and skills.

Advantages and disadvantages of a bachelor's degree

Oddly enough, bachelor's degrees in Russia are now very popular. In modern Russian universities it is much more common than a specialty. What is the reason for such popularity of bachelor's degrees? Of course, the benefits it provides:

• Bachelor's degree is considered international education system. Therefore, after graduation, the student can safely go abroad to work there. Europe has the same two-tier system.
• The student has a wide choice of places to work. Due to the practice-oriented nature of the training without being tied to any one narrow specialization, a bachelor can apply for many vacancies that require higher education.
• the training lasts only 4 years (that is, you “save” at least one year).
• Already during the learning process, a student can decide on a further choice of profession and enroll in a master’s program in a narrower specialty (at the same time, he can continue his studies at the expense of the budget).
• During their studies, future bachelors are given a deferment from the army.

Now let's say a few words about the shortcomings of this training program.

As mentioned above, employers often do not value bachelors because they are convinced that four years of study is not enough to acquire a high level of professional knowledge and skills. Another serious drawback is go to the budget Although it is possible to get a master's degree, it is very difficult. And a paid master's degree can be very expensive. At the same time, a deferment from the army will be granted only if the student is studying full-time in a master's program.

Advantages and disadvantages of specialty

A specialist has many advantages over a bachelor:

firstly, employers value students who have completed a specialty degree, which makes it easier for certified specialists to find a job;

• secondly, after a specialty, you can immediately go to graduate school without wasting time studying for a master’s degree;
• thirdly, it is easier to start doing scientific work;
• fourthly, students are given a deferment from the army;
• fifthly, future specialists have the opportunity to enjoy student life one year longer.

If we talk about the shortcomings specialty, then, first of all, it is necessary to note:

• inability to go to master's programs on a budget basis, since this will be considered a second higher education;
• Such education is not valued abroad. They only have a two-tier system and they have no secondary qualifications;
• If you want to study further, then there will be no deferment from the army.

If you are striving for rapid economic independence, then studying for a specialty may seem too long to you (up to 6 years).

Let's sum it up

Choosing a training program depends on your future goals. If you are studying a specialty, then you are not so much getting an education as mastering a certain profession. While at a bachelor's degree, you will receive a general education of a certain focus rather than a specific specialty. It is also important to evaluate how long you are willing to study. If you need to get your education as soon as possible, then it is better to choose a bachelor's degree.

Assess for yourself whether you need a master's degree and whether you can afford it from a financial point of view. If you want to continue your education, but cannot pay for it, then it is better to go for a bachelor's degree. Then there will be a chance to get into a budget place. According to statistics, 20% of bachelor's graduates get into the budget department of the master's program.

If you are going to engage in scientific activities, then it is better to go for a specialty. This way you will save 1-1.5 years.

Pay attention to what company you want to work for. If international is preferable, then it is better to choose a bachelor's degree. If it’s Russian, then it’s a specialty.

Bachelor's degree
Specialty
Master's degree
Postgraduate studies

(Chapter 8, Article 69 of the Law “On Education”)

1. Higher education has the goal of ensuring the training of highly qualified personnel in all main areas of socially useful activities in accordance with the needs of society and the state, satisfying the needs of the individual in intellectual, cultural and moral development, deepening and expanding education, scientific and pedagogical qualifications.

Persons with secondary general education are allowed to study bachelor's or specialty programs.

3. Persons with higher education of any level are allowed to study master's programs.

What is “bachelor”, “master”, “specialist”?

Bachelor(English) bachelor‘ sdegree) - an academic degree or qualification awarded to persons who have completed the relevant educational programs of higher education. Completed higher education in countries that participate in the Bologna process (incl.

Bachelor's degree- higher education, confirmed by a bachelor's diploma with the award of an academic bachelor's degree or bachelor's qualification.

Bachelor's degree when applying for a job, it gives the right to occupy a position for which the qualification requirements include higher education.

A bachelor's degree also gives you the right to continue your studies in a master's program at places financed from the federal budget.

A bachelor's diploma is a document that confirms completion of higher education.

In Russia, this level of training was introduced in 1996. The standard period of study for obtaining a bachelor's degree is no less than 4 years. The qualification is assigned based on the results of defending the final work at a meeting of the State Certification Commission. A bachelor's degree in Russia is a higher education. Persons with a bachelor's degree may also be allowed to defend a dissertation for the degree of candidate of science.

After December 31, 2010, bachelor's and master's qualifications (degrees) became the main ones for graduates of Russian higher educational institutions.

Master(from lat. magister- mentor, teacher) - an academic degree, qualification (in some countries - an academic degree) acquired by a student after completing a master's degree.

Master's degree(in some countries called master's degree) - a level of higher education, following the bachelor's degree, which allows you to deepen your specialization in a certain area.

The Master's degree provides for a more in-depth development of theory in the chosen field and prepares the student for research activities in the chosen field.

In North America and the European Union, most graduates of higher education institutions do not continue their studies after a bachelor's degree, because a bachelor's degree is a confirmation of a full-fledged higher education.

More often, students who plan to engage in scientific research or teaching activities at a university continue their studies in master's programs.

Specialist(certified specialist) - a qualification acquired by a student after completing a special training program.

The standard duration of the training program for obtaining a “specialist” degree in Russia is at least five years. The qualification is awarded based on the results of defending a diploma project or thesis at a meeting of the State Certification Commission and gives the right to enter master's and postgraduate programs.

Levelshigher education: where did they come from?

The introduction of new educational standards is related to Russia’s international obligations to participate in the Bologna process.

In 2003, Russia ratified the Bologna Convention, an agreement that higher education diplomas obtained in a country party to the convention will be recognized in all other member countries. Such standards in education have been adopted in more than 50 countries, primarily European. For Europe, the two-stage higher education system is traditional; the bachelor's program lasts 3-4 years, and the master's program lasts 1-3 years. Both are considered full-fledged higher education. If desired, bachelor's students can continue their studies in a master's program, or they may not continue, but immediately go to get a job.

In Russia there are the following levels of higher education:

1. higher education confirmed by awarding degrees " bachelor" And " master»
2. qualification " certified specialist».

We can say that the new system is called a two-level system, because the “old” one-level system of training specialists also fits into it. The latter was not canceled, since it is necessary in medical, military And technical universities. The following terms of education are provided:

• at least 4 years for a bachelor's degree,
• at least 5 years for a certified specialist,
• at least 6 years for a master's degree.

Apply to study on specialist and bachelor's possible based on the results of the Unified State Exam or Olympiads included in the official list of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Degree bachelor's the student acquires after mastering the basic educational program. He is given full-fledged diploma general higher education. After five years of study, the specialist is also issued a diploma, but not of general higher education, but By chosen specialty. Master - expert in specific scientific field. A master's degree can be obtained by both a bachelor and a specialist. To continue studying at a master's program, a bachelor must enroll there after passing exams in specialized subjects. At the same time, a bachelor can go to a master’s program both at his own university and at any other. Both specialists and masters can continue to graduate school. Difference between specialist And master's degree is that the first one is cooked for practical work in industry by chosen direction, and the second - for scientific work. The master's program includes a bachelor's program plus two years of specialized training, including practice, which involves research or scientific and teaching activities.

NovoCNIT, 2017

Bachelor

Summer is coming soon. And school graduates will have to pass entrance tests to the chosen university and obtain a profession that will accompany them on their life path. If before 2011 everything was clear about this, in principle, now higher education is divided into “bachelor’s” and “master’s” degrees.

Who are bachelors? Is a bachelor's degree a completed higher education? What benefits does this degree provide when applying for a job? These moments confuse parents and applicants, and, coupled with pre-exam jitters, can lead to mild panic. The reader can find answers to these and some other questions in this article.

Bologna system

First, you need to figure out where the idea of ​​two-level education came from.

This model was approved at a conference in Bologna in 1999. Russia signed the “Bologna Declaration on Education,” which sets out the standards, in 2003, becoming the fortieth country.

The Bologna two-level system works successfully in Canada, the USA and a number of other countries, providing not only a high level of education, but also helping young professionals more easily adapt to market mobility and conditions of uncertainty.

The meaning of the word "bachelor"

The word “bachelor” itself can be translated as a young legionary knight, a bachelor. In fact, this quite correctly describes young boys and girls who are at the beginning of their professional journey and searching for their place in the sun.

System and conditions

A student receives a bachelor's degree after four years of successful study at a higher educational institution. The focus can be very different: Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Economics. Not all universities have switched to a two-tier system. The exception is medical universities and art institutes.

While studying at a bachelor's degree, a student receives fundamental knowledge in basic general education disciplines and special subjects.

There are advantages to this. The narrow specialization, which is now studied in the master's program, was previously integrated into the general program. This made it difficult for university graduates to obtain another profession and retrain.

Choosing a path

After completing a bachelor's degree, the newly minted bachelor has a choice.

1. He can get a job, and a bachelor's degree is equivalent to receiving a full higher education. Therefore, in the competition for a position of interest, a bachelor can participate on an equal basis with masters.
2. Second option: enrolling in a master's program.

   A master's degree is essentially an intermediate link between a university graduate and an academic degree.

   To obtain a master's degree you must pass exams. The duration of training will be 2 years. A master's degree can hypothetically be completed at any university in the country or abroad. The difficulty here arises when taking into account the quality of knowledge acquired during undergraduate studies. The fact is that a bachelor's degree can be completed at a non-state university, the quality of education in which, in some cases, leaves much to be desired. Moreover, there are no master's programs at these educational institutions. This may become an obstacle to passing exams to continue studying and obtain a second level of higher education.

3. The third option: a bachelor can get a job in his specialty, gain experience, become convinced of the correct choice of profession, and only after that enter a master’s program and graduate from it consciously.

Upon completion of a bachelor's degree, it issues a diploma of higher education, upon completion of a master's degree - another diploma, but this time about the completion of a master's degree.

Those who wish can continue their career by enrolling in graduate school and defending their candidate and doctoral dissertations.

A little bit of Russian history

Everything new is well forgotten old.

Few people know that a two-level education system existed in Russia back in the 18th century. There was a division into candidates and masters of science. Candidates are graduates who graduated with honors from a higher educational institution. If they wished and strived for science, they had the right to enter the master's program. Preparation for passing the exam took a fairly serious period of time - about four years. The level of students who passed the master's exam was equal in qualification to the level of European doctors of philosophy. In fact, the master of that time was a candidate of science of the present time. The system did not last long and was abolished at the beginning of the 20th century, like all scientific degrees. The hierarchy among pundits was restored only in 1934.

Controversy surrounding bachelors

The bachelor's degree generates controversy among employers, parents and applicants.

Incomplete higher education is two years of study at a higher educational institution, four successfully passed sessions in a row and a certificate from the dean’s office confirming the terms of study and the disciplines studied by the student. A certificate of incomplete higher education is a document that can be presented to a potential employer. In addition, if a student, after two years of study, has come to the conclusion that the chosen university or profession has lost all its charm and charm for him, does not motivate him to achieve feats and is burdensome, then with this certificate he can apply to another university. Thus, significantly reducing the training time and avoiding re-studying the completed disciplines.

In the case of a bachelor's degree, the learning process at this stage is considered completed, the diploma is valid.

Differences between masters and bachelors

Bachelors differ from masters in the level of theoretical and specialized knowledge. A bachelor's degree is primarily focused on skills that have practical application in the chosen profession. The master's program immerses students deeper into theoretical aspects and scientific hypotheses.

It should be remembered that a person acquires basic professional knowledge and skills with experience in a specific field. Theoretical dogmas are good in sterile conditions, subject to all parameters. In practice, everything is different. Therefore, when you find yourself face to face with a specific practical problem at work, you will have to not only rely on the knowledge acquired at the institute, but also rely on your inner personal qualities. Employers take this into account when selecting candidates. Since such traits as sociability, responsibility, empathy, stress resistance depend only indirectly on the degree of education, and are character traits of the candidate, instilled by parents, developed in the process of self-improvement, or received at birth.

Two-tier education system: pros and cons

A bachelor's degree is convenient. Reducing the time spent on higher education, the ability to choose a future path, mobility. These are additional opportunities for successful self-realization and a conscious path, not imposed by society or internal authorities. Streams of information are falling on the world, new technologies are appearing, professions are emerging that people did not even know existed. And here the bachelor’s degree gives a head start to the specialty, which today is becoming a fragment of the past.

Today, when the system is still in its infancy, there are doubts and hesitations.

Parents who want a successful career and the best for their children still call a bachelor's degree a technical school.

Employers whose HR departments employ HR directors who remember Lenin are wary of accepting bachelors for leading positions. But this is the stage of introducing changes, the uncertainty of which will disappear in the near future. As are the disadvantages of a bachelor's degree in general. Although it is worth noting that it will not be easy for a bachelor to apply for leadership positions related to highly specialized issues. Most likely, in this case, during a competitive selection, this position will be given to a master.

The education system, standardized according to the Western model, opens up the opportunity for graduates to continue their master's studies outside their homeland.

It should also be remembered that a bachelor who has not completed a master’s program cannot enroll in graduate school.

A bachelor is a young specialist with an open path to self-realization and building an excellent career. Whether to enroll in a master's program or not is everyone's choice. The main thing is to be and feel like a competent specialist in your chosen field. Confidence and openness to new knowledge, the desire for success and readiness for change are the qualities of people who achieve success not only in their careers, but also in life in general.

How to write a bachelor's thesis

Many students entering a university without thinking about what they are going to study for, what they will be at the end: bachelors or masters. Most will most likely stop at the undergraduate level, completing a Bachelor of Science degree and obtaining a higher education. The bachelor's final work (BFA) can be considered as the first part of a specialist's thesis (master's thesis) for those students who plan to continue their studies after completing their bachelor's degree.

The bachelor's thesis is defended by students at the end of the fourth year. An applicant for a bachelor's degree must demonstrate the ability to analyze current scientific problems, solve problems assigned to him and master the basics of the disciplines studied during his studies.

A bachelor's degree must have internal unity and completeness, it must reflect all stages of research activity, the topic of the work must necessarily be relevant at the present stage of development of science and technology.

For research VRB it is necessary:

• Formulate a problem statement;
• Collect the necessary theoretical base (often students are allowed to submit the collected material in the form of an abstract);
• Analyze existing analogues and solution methods;
• Provide mathematical apparatus (models, algorithms, methods, formulas, calculations);
• Conduct a detailed analysis of the results of the first stage of the study;
• Decompose the main goal into several subgoals.

The result of the research is algorithms, models, research methods, and analysis results developed by the student.

Based on the analysis of systematized information, a certificate of analysis of patent literature is compiled. If a student proposes a solution that is significantly different from the analogues found, then he fills out an application for the alleged invention to register his intellectual property.

The bachelor's thesis must contain:

• Justification of relevance;
• Elements of analysis (is an integral part, lack of analysis is unacceptable);
• Justification for the choice of design solutions;

The bachelor's thesis does not necessarily have to have scientific and technical novelty.

In other words, the work may contain research into ways to solve a problem for which there is at least one ready-made solution.

Persons who have fully and successfully completed their studies at a university are issued a diploma of the appropriate level of professional education: a bachelor's, specialist or master's diploma.

The fact of non-completion of education at a university is confirmed by other documents depending on the year of completion of studies.

1. Documents issued for incomplete and incomplete higher education before October 24, 2007

According to the previously existing legislation on higher and postgraduate professional education, persons who did not complete their education in the main educational program of higher professional education before October 24, 2007, could receive one of the following documents:

• diploma of incomplete higher education. It was issued to persons who successfully passed the intermediate certification (for at least two years of study);
• academic certificate of unfinished higher professional education. It was issued to persons who had not completed the basic educational program of higher professional education.

The academic certificate indicated: the period of study, information about tests passed, intermediate and final exams, and internships completed (Appendix No. 6 to Resolution of the State Committee for Higher Education of Russia dated November 30, 1994 No. 9).

To obtain these documents, it was necessary to contact the educational institution where the training was conducted.

Note: Incomplete higher education is not considered as a level of higher professional education (Definition of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated July 26, 2012 N APL12-398).

When an employee presented a diploma of incomplete higher education, the employer entered into the information about the employee indicated on the first page of the work book an entry about incomplete higher education, since the training did not continue, but was interrupted (clause 2.1 of the Instructions for filling out work books, approved by the Resolution Ministry of Labor of Russia dated October 10, 2003 N 69).

For an employee with an academic certificate, the employer made a note in the work book about incomplete higher education, since the citizen had the right to continue studying at an educational institution (clause 2.1 of the Instructions for filling out work books).

2. Documents issued for incomplete higher education from 10/27/2007 to 09/01/2013

In October 2007, the concepts of incomplete and incomplete higher education were abolished.

All persons, regardless of the length of study and the number of intermediate certifications passed, who have not completed the main educational program of higher professional education, from October 27, 2007 to September 1, 2013, could only receive an academic certificate.

In the period from 10.27.2007 to 09.01.2013, before receiving a diploma of higher education, upon entering a job, an entry was made in the employee’s work book about incomplete higher professional education (clause 2.1 of the Instructions for filling out work books).

Documents issued for incomplete higher education from 09/01/2013

Since 09/01/2013, higher educational institutions, instead of academic certificates, issue certificates of study or the period of study to the following persons (Part 12 of Article 60 of the Law of December 29, 2012 N 273-FZ):

• did not pass the final certification;
• those who received unsatisfactory results at the final certification;
• have mastered part of the educational program;
• expelled from an organization engaged in educational activities.

These certificates are issued according to the model established by the organization conducting educational activities (Part 12, Article 60 of Law No. 273-FZ).

Areas of training for masters at RosNOU

What is a master's degree?

A master's degree is part of higher education, its second level. Previously, higher education was “continuous”: 5 years - and you are a certified specialist.

Since 2011, Russia has switched to the Bologna system: 4 years of bachelor's degree plus 2 years of master's degree.

In short, a master's degree is:

• opportunity to extend student life for another two years;
• the opportunity to obtain another profession/qualification, or to deepen knowledge and improve training in an already acquired profession.

And, if you pass the competition, you will be able to study at the expense of the state budget, since a master’s degree is not considered the second higher education, it is a continuation of the first higher education.

Important! Only 1) bachelors and 2) certified specialists who entered the specialty before the start of the two-level “bachelor’s - master’s” system can apply for budget-funded master’s degree places.

What is the difference between bachelors and masters?

Bachelor's degree is the first, basic level of higher education, master's degree is the second (a special case is a modern specialty, which begins as the first level, while a specialist graduate is rated as a master's graduate). In addition to the fact that a master's degree is a more systematic approach to the chosen field of activity, it also offers other career prospects. There are already positions for which a bachelor's degree is sufficient, and positions for which only a specialist or master's degree will be appointed.

As an example, we will give the minimum level of professional education, the presence of which is necessary for a candidate applying for a civil service position.

Often, people who want to start working abroad are faced with a problem related to the acquired education, namely, they have to go through a tedious procedure to confirm it or completely retrain.

Although the Lisbon Convention is now in force, stating that all countries included in it must accept specialists with diplomas from the countries in which they studied, but in fact, everything is happening completely the opposite.

Due to the fact that such concepts as “doctor of science” or “engineer” do not exist abroad, some changes had to be made in our education system. This became necessary so that our specialists could find employment in foreign countries without difficulties and extra costs.

Based on this, in 1999 the Bologna Declaration was signed, stating that the process of obtaining higher education in all countries should be the same and have two levels, that is, after completing four years of study, the student receives a bachelor's degree, and after completing the remaining two years - postgraduate degree. Russia and Ukraine joined this declaration. In Russia, this system officially came into force in 2009.

Although the bulk of higher educational institutions switched to a new two-level education system, some of them still remained faithful to the old “traditions” in teaching.

What is the difference between a bachelor's degree and a specialist?

To get an answer to this question, let’s consider in more detail what a specialty is and what a bachelor’s degree is.

1. A bachelor's degree is considered the first level of higher education out of two possible ones. The second stage is the master's degree. It is worth noting that, unlike the first, the second level is considered optional, and after receiving a bachelor’s degree, the student can begin his working career.
2. The traditional system of education, which has long been known to everyone, belongs to the specialty. Namely, what is well known to all applicants of past years.

Based on this, many modern students are concerned about one question: what is the best way to get a diploma - by studying in the bachelor's degree system or in the specialty system? To answer this question, let’s look at the differences between the above systems.

The main differences between a bachelor's degree and a specialty degree

Although a bachelor's degree is considered a complete higher education, the common people mistakenly refer to it as incomplete higher education. By going through the process of obtaining higher education through the bachelor's degree system, the student fully masters all the necessary knowledge in the specialty that he has chosen for himself. This training can take place either full-time or part-time. After receiving a diploma, the student has a choice: to begin the process of employment or to continue studying at the second level (master's degree).

Let's consider the advantages of a bachelor's degree:

• with such a training system, you get a diploma with which you can get a job abroad;
• is given the opportunity to continue receiving education abroad and obtain a master’s degree there;
• with such a system, the student receives a certain time, which he can spend on accurately deciding on the question of who he wants to become, and, if necessary, change educational institution.

The disadvantages of a bachelor's degree include:

• the erroneous opinion of many people, in particular potential employers, that bachelors are significantly inferior to specialists;
• the missing number of places in master's programs where one could study for free;
• if you don’t meet the “budget” you have to pay a fairly high amount for training;
• You can enroll in graduate school only after receiving a master's degree.

A specialty is considered to be a five- or six-year course of study at a higher educational institution, which is familiar to the majority of people.

The question of whether a bachelor's degree is considered higher education worries many applicants. Moreover, despite the fact that the legislation of the Russian Federation clearly gives a positive answer to this question, in fact, when starting their working career, many bachelors may encounter refusals from personnel specialists who consider a bachelor’s diploma to be a certificate of incomplete higher education. In the article, we will look at how a bachelor’s degree differs from a specialist’s degree and a master’s degree in Russia.

U Table of contents:

Bachelor in Russian and World Legislation

Traditionally, in the Soviet and post-Soviet educational system there was only one degree of higher education - specialist. Even after the end of the USSR, such a system was used in Russia until 1996, when the concept of a bachelor's degree was introduced. Subsequently, with the adoption by the Russian Federation of the main provisions of the Bologna education system, a master's degree and corresponding higher education were also introduced in 2003.

In Western countries, at the moment, almost everywhere, only two degrees of general higher education are used - bachelor's and master's degrees. At the same time, there is a basic fundamental division of these training options, declared and applied in practice. Thus, bachelor's education aims to provide the student with practical professional skills for subsequent employment, while master's education, first of all, pursues the goals of the graduate's subsequent scientific activity. In Russia, this division is not so strictly expressed and is interpreted in practice according to different principles.

Now issues of higher education, including those with a bachelor's degree, are considered by the provisions of Federal Law No. 273 of December 29, 2012. In particular, bachelor's education, according to the provisions of this law, is clearly considered higher and entails all relevant legal consequences. The main one of these consequences is the direct possibility of employment for vacancies that require higher education.

note

Due to the fact that the law clearly defines a bachelor's degree as a higher education, refusal of employment on the basis of having an incomplete higher education with a bachelor's degree is entirely illegal. Incomplete or incomplete higher education means solely the absence of a diploma with the confirmed fact of completing at least one course of study at a higher educational institution.

Differences between specialist, bachelor and master's education

One of the main differences between a bachelor, specialist and master is the duration of study. Thus, the minimum terms for obtaining each of the relevant degrees of higher education are established by law. Namely:

• Bachelor - 4 years of study;
• Specialist – 5 years of training;
• Master - any previous degree and at least one year of study.

Important fact

These restrictions relate to the minimum duration of the educational program. In some cases, bachelor's studies can last more than four years. The same applies to specialists and masters. Most often, extended training duration is used in the medical field.

However, there are other differences. In particular, having a bachelor's degree does not provide the right to subsequently enter graduate school. However, having a bachelor's degree gives you full rights to enter a master's program without training to become a specialist. Moreover, a bachelor has the right to enroll in a master’s program and in any other university in a similar specialty, including several years after completing his studies and receiving a diploma.

Important fact

The specialist degree in Russia is becoming an increasingly limited education program every year. In particular, its preservation at the legislative level is provided only for areas that are strategically important for national and state security. At the same time, an increasing number of universities in practice cease to train specialists in most areas.

Another significant difference between a bachelor and a specialist and a master is the absence of the need to write and defend a dissertation. Bachelors and specialists perform only diploma theses. At the same time, proof of effective completion of a master's course is the defense of a master's thesis. The difference between a dissertation and a thesis should be expressed in the strictly expressed practical usefulness of such work and the disclosure of new issues not previously considered by science.

Finding a job with a bachelor's degree - possible problems

In practice, in Russia, some employers, as mentioned above, practice refusal to hire bachelors due to incomplete higher education. It is believed that a four-year bachelor's degree does not provide the necessary set of practical skills in comparison with a specialist and master's degree. However, this practice is illegal. A bachelor's degree in Russia is considered a higher education, absolutely complete and complete. Thus, if a refusal to hire is due to the lack of higher education and a bachelor’s degree, this refusal can be challenged in court.

note

The opportunity to challenge a refusal to hire in the situation described above is present only if the requirements for the vacancy only mentioned the presence of a higher education in the specialty, and only when the wording of the refusal included non-compliance with the requirements for the presence of such education.

In addition, individual employers may clearly indicate in the requirements for a vacancy the presence of a master's or specialist degree. This practice is absolutely legal and the employer cannot be held liable on the basis of such requirements. In fact, today the misconception about the “inferiority” of a bachelor’s education is becoming less widespread, but it does occur among personnel specialists in some cases.