The master's degree is followed by postgraduate study - the choice of those who feel a craving for scientific knowledge. The duration of postgraduate studies varies depending on the chosen form of study. Full-time students approach the defense of their dissertation after 3 years, part-time students prepare for a year longer.

What work needs to be done throughout the training

There are no restrictions on the time period for defending a dissertation work. It can become either the first serious application of a young scientist or the work of his whole life. But for the period of a graduate student’s study itself, strict requirements are imposed.

Get to postgraduate level higher education You can apply to graduate school only if 2 conditions are met.

• Completing the first stages of study with a high score (the university determines it independently).
• Successful passing of tests (major subject, philosophy/history of science, foreign language).

The passing score is determined by the university. For those who were not among the graduate students, a “workaround” is open - a candidate for a scientific degree. The latter must pass candidate exams and be assigned to an educational institution for a maximum of 6 months.

The practice of training future scientists/teachers involves a huge layer independent work. For 3–4 years of study, the student must:

• Engage in the creation/promotion of original/co-authored scientific works. Registration of patents, development of original projects, and generation of research reports are encouraged.
• Publish articles. A minimum set of publications has been determined (from 4 from the Higher Attestation Commission list, from 3 from the RSCI index). It is advisable to expand it with articles scientific journals, newspapers, catalogs not indexed by the RSCI, outside the list of the Higher Attestation Commission.
• Present at conferences about your own research. Active participation in such events largely determines the prospects for further research practice.
• Conduct practical and laboratory classes for students, give lectures. Full-time graduate students take an exam in pedagogy.
• Pass candidate exams, undergo intermediate certification.
• Attend classes (at our university they are held in the evening for convenient combination of work and study).
• Collect material (empirical, scientific, theoretical) for a future dissertation.

What level of education is graduate school?

The standard program of the Bologna system assigns graduate studies the third level of education after bachelor's and master's degrees. But there are clarifications related to the relatively recent transition to international professional training programs.

Thus, bachelors cannot become graduate students without a master's degree, but specialist graduates can. For the latter, this is the second stage. Students who have completed graduate school have the right to re-enter as applicants (this is already a second higher education or 4th level).

What degree is awarded to a graduate of graduate school?

Unlike bachelors, specialists, and master's students, graduate students do not receive a qualifying diploma. They are awarded a PhD degree. She gives the right to lead pedagogical activity, take part in joint scientific work, apply for government support when conducting research.

Is it possible to further improve the level of qualifications?

Candidate of Science status is a “pass” to doctoral studies. It is the next stage in the training of scientific personnel and is available only to holders of a master's/specialist diploma who have successfully passed the candidate exams and defended a dissertation before the commission.

Doctoral studies, like postgraduate studies, are the level of postgraduate postgraduate advanced training. Ends with a doctoral dissertation, awarding the degree of Doctor of Science.

System multilevel education, which implies obtaining bachelor's and master's degrees, was introduced in our country more than 15 years ago. Disputes over the effectiveness and necessity of such educational practice still continue to this day. However, almost 200 Russian universities now train masters in more than 100 different areas, and their number is constantly growing. What is a master's degree and who needs it?

According to the Law “On Education” of 1992 and numerous decrees of the Ministry of Education (and before that the State Committee for Higher Education), a master’s degree can be called the third level of higher education. It is preceded by a bachelor's degree and complete higher education.

A bachelor receives a basic higher education, without any narrow specialization. As a rule, the duration of a bachelor's degree is 4 years, after which you can immediately begin looking for a job. If your goal is a master’s degree, then a bachelor’s degree from the relevant university is the best “starting platform.”

Complete higher education involves studying for 5 years, after which, having passed state exams and defended thesis, you become a specialist or certified specialist. Actually, such training existed in Soviet universities and exists in most Russian universities to this day, although the specialty, apparently, is gradually becoming a thing of the past.

Both a bachelor's degree and a specialist's degree are equally considered higher education, therefore, they allow you to enroll in a master's program. We will answer a number of questions regarding obtaining a master's degree.

Who should pursue a master's degree?

Previously, those who decided to devote themselves to an academic career - research and teaching activities or work in the field of high technology - went to master's programs primarily.

Today, this feature of master's programs remains in most universities, but every year more and more master's programs with a clear practical focus and narrower specialization appear. We can say that with an increasingly clear transition to the “bachelor’s – master’s” system, the first becomes a source of basic knowledge without specialization, and the second provides more practical and narrow knowledge in the chosen field.

What is the duration and content of the master's program?

The duration of the program is two years. Upon admission, you must present a bachelor's degree, or a certified specialist, or a specialist. In the first two cases, the candidate has the right to free education (first higher education), in the third - only to paid education (second higher education). The master's program includes two components of approximately equal volume - educational and research. Accordingly, upon completion it is necessary, firstly, to pass exams, and secondly, to submit a research work: a master's thesis.

Paid or free?

If previously it was possible to enroll for free only in the master’s program of “your” university, that is, the one where the candidate graduated from a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree, then for several years now this situation has changed: you can enroll in a budget department at another university.

For those who have chosen a scientific career, we note that a master's degree is an excellent preparation for entering graduate school with the prospect of obtaining a PhD degree. During the master's degree, the future graduate student gets used to independent scientific work. At the same time, the master's program in no way replaces or duplicates the latter, since, unlike graduate school, the academic part of the program is no less important for preparing a master's degree than the research component.

Postgraduate studies

The candidate's degree is achieved by defending a dissertation after studying for up to 3 years in full-time graduate school (or up to 4 years in part-time graduate school). During this time, you will have to prepare several scientific publications and pass 3 candidate exams - usually philosophy, a foreign language and a specialty exam. In addition, you will have the opportunity (or even the responsibility) to teach seminars and take exams - which is important if you are interested in teaching.

As mentioned above, a master's degree can help you on your way to graduate student status. In addition, you need to study well, write science articles, speak at university conferences. The determining factor is the opinion of the academic council of the university and your supervisor about you.

In addition to universities, postgraduate studies exist at various research institutes. Admission of graduate students to scientific institutes an order of magnitude lower than postgraduate studies at educational institutions: every year over 100 thousand applicants enter postgraduate studies at universities, while scientific institutes accept about 17 thousand postgraduate students per year. Thus, the advantages of postgraduate study at research institutes include more low level competition for vacant positions. Surely, there are research assistants teaching at your university - you can negotiate with them about internships, and in the future, about admission to graduate school at a research institute.

Obtaining a PhD degree occurs by defending a dissertation before a dissertation council. After a second check of the work (this time by the Higher Attestation Commission - HAC) and with a positive decision of the commission, the applicant receives the coveted “crust” of a Candidate of Sciences.

Some facts:

• The level of proficiency in a foreign language should allow the future candidate of science to translate one page of typewritten text closely to the text in 1 hour.
• For the most part, postgraduate studies are free, but there are also paid ones - especially when non-state universities and in economic specialties.
• Full-time graduate students are granted a deferment from the army for three years; Candidates of Sciences are not subject to conscription.
• If a PhD is not your main goal, you can complete your graduate studies without completing a dissertation. In this case, you will be issued a diploma confirming completion of graduate school and passing the candidate exams.
• The analogue of postgraduate study in military educational institutions will be called adjunct, and in medical institutions - residency.
• A candidate of science can apply for the degree of Doctor of Science by enrolling in doctoral studies, preparing and defending a doctoral dissertation.
• Obtaining an academic degree is possible in the form of a competition. In this case, passing exams and defending a dissertation occurs without interruption from the main place of work; applicants do not enter graduate school or doctoral studies.

Actual question: What will a PhD degree give you in the labor market if you are not going to engage in teaching? So, in what case should you consider defending your dissertation:

• If you work in the field of high technology. A candidate's degree in medical, biological, physical, mathematical and other natural sciences guarantees an advantage when hiring highly qualified specialists. This applies to work not only in Russia, but also abroad.
• If you want to become a leader senior management in Russia. In the West, domestic personnel with degrees in the humanities (economics, law, sociology) are valued significantly lower than “naturalists.” In the vacancies of our enterprises, one can often find the desirability of having an academic degree - so the decision to defend a dissertation for a future leading lawyer or financial director is strategically justified.

Change is coming

In 2015, new standards for master's and postgraduate studies should come into force, which will seriously tighten the requirements for the accreditation of such programs in universities and research institutes. According to these changes, many universities will lose the right to offer master's and postgraduate programs. The vacated places will be redistributed in favor of the country's leading universities, which will be able to provide all the requirements for these programs. Moreover, these will not only be universities in the capital, since the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation plans to provide master’s and postgraduate programs to large regional universities.

The integration process is currently underway high school Russia into the European space. This leads to the need for a new look at the higher education system vocational education generally. Master's degrees guarantee mobility in employment and are comparable in all countries of the world. High-quality higher education that meets international standards provides promising opportunities for building a scientific or business career in Russia or abroad.

The State Educational Standards for Higher Professional Education are currently being updated. Most universities and other higher education institutions consider the implementation of master's programs to be one of the priority areas of their activities. As a consequence of the ongoing changes in the field of higher education, some Russian universities faced the fact that they would have to update the form and content of the educational services provided. According to international educational standards, the process of creating effective mechanisms for the development of specialties and faculties is long and difficult.

Difficulties of the transition period

As a result of the reform of higher professional education, a transition to a two-level system should be carried out. The first level is a bachelor's degree, the duration of study at this level is 4 years. The second level is a master's degree, the duration of study is 6 years, of which 4 years are bachelor's and 2 years are master's. Russia is now in the process of transitioning to a 2-level education system. Not all universities are currently ready for such a reform. Not every university can provide educational services across the entire spectrum of specialties and areas of training, not every university can offer postgraduate and master's programs. Therefore, when choosing a university, you need to take into account not only its specialization, but also the opportunity to further study in a master's or graduate school within its walls. The specifics of some professions require, after 4 years of study under a bachelor’s program, to undergo 2 years of further successful practical activity. summer course master's degrees.

The transition of higher education to European standards will undoubtedly bring tangible benefits to future university graduates. However, both higher education institutions and future students will have to face certain difficulties during the transition period. With the introduction of a new education system, it is very important to make the right choice of form and program of education: how long are you ready to study, do you want to get a higher education or will a bachelor’s degree be enough for you, maybe you need a complete higher education - a master’s degree, or do you want Be sure to go to graduate school. By answering these questions for yourself, you can decide where to start - college or bachelor's degree, and how to finish your studies - master's or graduate school.

Why was the master's degree invented?

A master's degree is the highest level of professional education, the second level after a bachelor's degree. While studying for a master's degree, you can supplement basic education and obtain a master's degree in another specialty or profile direction. The main advantage of a master's degree is the acquisition of experience professional activity, gaining practical knowledge, deep understanding of practical problems. In addition, in the master's program you can gain experience in research work.

In addition to prestige, studying in a master's program is also an objective necessity for building a successful career, especially in such areas as management, economics, political science, sociology, law, ecology and environmental management. In February 2011, by order of the Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science Russian Federation The MNEPU Academy was given the right to conduct educational activities in these areas of master's training.

Master's programs can be divided into teaching - they contain a course of lectures and seminars followed by the defense of the final work - and research - here students, under the supervision of a teacher, conduct independent research in an area of ​​interest. At full-time The duration of study is 2 years, for part-time studies - 3 years.

After completing your master's degree, you can continue to study in graduate school, which in Russian universities continues for 3 years, with by correspondence training - 4 years. Postgraduate study is a form of advanced training, the main goal of which is preparation for the academic degree of Candidate of Sciences. The result of postgraduate study is the defense of a candidate's dissertation, after which the postgraduate student is awarded the degree of Candidate of Science and can continue to study for a doctorate. Postgraduate study is the starting point for those who want to devote their activities to science.

In graduate school, one acquires the ability to organize and implement a project, find and establish contacts in the professional field. By studying in graduate school, you have the opportunity to accumulate social capital.

You can successfully combine graduate studies with your current job if you have good self-organization skills. This opportunity is provided by competition and correspondence postgraduate studies.

Graduate school becomes attractive

University graduates, focused on rapid career growth, often question the advisability of further study in graduate school. Studying in graduate school is usually associated with time, intellectual and financial costs. At the same time, practical benefits and life prospects during the learning process and after receiving an academic degree are quite vague. Now, in the process of integrating Russian higher education into the European space, postgraduate studies are becoming more and more attractive.

New connections, fame, money

More and more active towards educational process specialists from partner organizations, domestic and foreign, and leading professors from universities in the USA and Europe are involved. Graduate students now have more and more opportunities to apply for scholarships and grants, take part in international conferences, undertake internships in other countries, establish new connections and find new contacts. Scholarships and grants are now impressive. However, only students can take part in competitions to receive them. scientists and graduate students studying in official organizations.

Postgraduate or second higher education

A real alternative to a second higher education can be graduate school. For example, you already have a higher education as a psychologist or philologist, but you want to become a professional in some other field. Postgraduate professional education today can be obtained at the graduate school of the MNEPU Academy. You can study in today's priority areas of science: economics, political science, law, ecology, geoecology.

Perspective career growth

Today there is an opinion that having a PhD degree in no way increases the rating of an applicant for a vacancy in the eyes of the employer. In reality this is not the case. Having an academic degree is the key to a successful career for a civil servant. When distributing positions in the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, the fact of having an academic degree is still taken into account. First of all, when it comes to key positions.

Great motivation

A good motivation for studying is paid graduate school. This will be your conscious choice, and therefore your attitude towards studying will be more serious. Often, graduate students of budget graduate schools end up leaving out of fatigue, disappointment, or simply laziness. If you have invested your own money in graduate school, then this will be an additional insurance for leaving your studies early. And the more of your own resources you invest in studying, the more difficult it will be for you to abandon the final dissertation defense. The invested funds and efforts should not be wasted.

In accordance with the Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation", which came into force on September 1, 2013, graduate school received a new status.

Postgraduate studies became the third level unified system continuous higher education (after bachelor's and master's degrees), with mastery special program and passing exams.

IN Federal law“On Education in the Russian Federation” a definition is given for the concept of a graduate student. "Graduate students are persons studying in graduate school under the program for training scientific and pedagogical personnel." If you have firmly decided to connect your life with scientific activities or teaching, going to graduate school will be a necessary step for you. Postgraduate study is the path of the future candidate of sciences! To enter graduate school, you must have a higher education in a specialist or master's program.

Postgraduate students, like undergraduates, take intermediate tests and exams. For graduate students in accordance with Federal State educational standards We have drawn up our own curricula in the area of ​​training 06/40/01 – “Jurisprudence”.

The result of postgraduate study is the state final certification, to which students who do not have academic debt and have completed the individual course in full are admitted. syllabus according to relevant educational programs.

The duration of education under the full-time postgraduate program is 3 years.

The duration of education under the postgraduate program in correspondence form is 4 years.

During training, the graduate student leads scientific work, takes part in various conferences, under the guidance of a scientific supervisor, prepares scientific articles for publication, and prepares a final qualifying thesis for defense.

The result of postgraduate study is the defense of a final qualifying thesis, after which the graduate will receive a state diploma indicating the qualification “Researcher. Teacher-researcher”. If previously, upon completion of graduate school, a graduate student received only a document confirming passing candidate exams and a certificate of completion of graduate school, now he will receive a diploma of mastering the “highest” level of higher education! Thus, the status of graduate school has been seriously increased! A graduate of graduate school receives a state-issued diploma, indicating that he has the highest possible education at the present time and provides grounds for employment as a teacher and (or) research fellow university ( scientific organization). It is important that today a graduate diploma is not associated with defending a dissertation and receiving a PhD degree! That is, upon completion of graduate school, a graduate student has the opportunity to defend a dissertation.

The final qualifying work, in essence, is a scientific-qualifying work and, with a little modification, can be presented in dissertation Council for defense, based on the results of which the author of the dissertation may be awarded academic degree candidate of legal sciences. Defense of a dissertation and obtaining a Candidate of Sciences diploma are a separate provision of the law: a person who has defended a dissertation in the prescribed manner is awarded the academic degree of Candidate of Sciences and issued a Candidate of Sciences diploma.

Thus, a graduate student who has successfully completed graduate school and defended his dissertation has the opportunity to receive two diplomas:

One is about completing graduate school.

The other is a PhD degree.

Today, more and more university graduates are entering graduate school with the goal of obtaining a diploma of mastering the “highest” level of higher education!

So, HIGHER EDUCATION

1. BACHELOR

• assigned to someone who has completed higher education educational institution(institute, academy or university)4 years
• passed the final certification at the end of the training (passed the “state exams”)
• upon completion you can enroll in a master's program

2. SPECIALIST

• qualification (degree) confirming receipthigher professional education
• assigned to someone who has graduated from a higher educational institution (institute, academy, university)at least 5 years
• At the end of the training, he passed the final certification (“state exams”) and defended his “thesis”
• upon completion you can enroll in a master's or graduate school

3. MASTER

• qualification (degree) confirming receipthigher professional education
• assigned to someone who first received a qualification (degree) of a bachelor's or specialist, and then graduated from a master's program where they need to study2 years
• At the end of his studies he defended "master's thesis»
• upon completion you can enroll in graduate school

ACADEMIC DEGREE

4. GRADUATE STUDENT/ UPON COMPLETION OF GRADUATE STUDY YOU CAN BECOME CANDIDATE OF SCIENCE

• PhD degree is achieveddefense of the dissertationafter training for up to3 years of full-time graduate study(or up to 4 years in correspondence graduate school)
• and during this time you will have to prepare several scientific publications and pass 3 candidate exams - usually philosophy, a foreign language and an exam in your specialty.
• gives you the opportunity (or even the obligation) to conduct seminars and take exams - which is important if you are interested in teaching.
• upon completion you can enroll in doctoral studies

5. DOCTORAL STUDENT / ON COMPLETION OF DOCTORAL STUDY YOU CAN BECOME DOCTOR OF SCIENCE

• According to the law, the duration of doctoral studies in Russiashould not exceed 3 years
• To obtain a Doctor of Science degree, you first need to obtain a Candidate of Science degree, i.e. graduate from graduate school