home / Our children/ Bachelor? Master? Specialist? Differences in qualifications. What is a bachelor's degree? Is a bachelor's degree a higher education or not? What education is considered higher - bachelor or master?

Bachelor? Master? Specialist? Differences in qualifications. What is a bachelor's degree? Is a bachelor's degree a higher education or not? What education is considered higher - bachelor or master?

Over the past 15 years, the winds of change have swept away many stable concepts in Russian spaces. Soviet higher education, so good and understandable, has gradually faded away and is now difficult to build new system. We are gradually getting used to the new names: bachelor's and master's degrees.

A little history

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

The process of joining 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 obtain a “certified specialist” degree. This is an intermediate level between bachelor and master. But today the system of climbing a granite rock of science is as follows:

Bachelor;
Master.

What is the difference between Bachelor and Master

These two words, so unusual for our ears, 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.

Bachelor's degree - preparation of a practicing specialist

After graduating from school, young people enter a bachelor's degree program. This is the beginning of higher education. After studying for 2 years, each of them can receive an incomplete higher education diploma. That is, a diploma is issued stating that you have completed 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. By continuing your studies for 2 more training courses and passing the final certification, you will receive a bachelor's degree. By this time, you have completed 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 at universities, you need to enroll in a master's program. A master's degree is required for students who wish or have the opportunity to further engage in scientific activities or teach at a university.

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

The downside is that they prefer to hire bachelors - for office work you don’t need more. A person must be able to work with information, process documents, and work in a team. In short, be a competent and efficient employee of the company. And special scientific activities are not required here. This is why most students prefer to spend 4 courses to gain basic knowledge, some practical experience and then get serious about their career.

There are a few other things that keep you from enrolling in a master’s program:

The need to retake exams upon admission. Even at your home university, you again find yourself as an applicant and on a par with applicants from other universities.
It is even more difficult to enroll in a free master's program than in the first stage. About one third of those who apply pass the test. But for those who are eager to enroll, 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). You can see more details in another material: statistics of salaries of masters and bachelors.

Pros and cons of two-level training

The new system of university education levels has not yet taken root in the open spaces former USSR and causes many difficulties in understanding. It is sometimes difficult for personnel officers to determine the level of preparedness of a newly minted specialist. Moreover, both of them write “higher education” when filling out the questionnaire. The older generation perceives a first-level graduate more likely as a “dropout.” In addition, there are areas where a bachelor’s degree is clearly not a winning point: law, economics, high tech. The first stage is sometimes equated to a technical school (according to old-school personnel officers).

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

And he has a greater focus on practice than a master’s degree. Indeed, during the continuation of studies in the master's program, an orientation is created more towards scientific and theoretical activities than towards practical ones.

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 enrolling to continue your studies, you need to find out if your university has a license to issue masters and its validity period. It is not advisable for your license to expire in the year you complete your master's degree. Everything happens in life…

In the Russian Federation the following levels of higher professional education are established:

higher professional education, confirmed by the assignment of a qualification (degree) “bachelor” (duration of study not less than 4 years);

higher professional education, confirmed by the qualification “certified specialist” (training period of at least 5 years);

higher professional education, confirmed by the award of a Master's qualification (degree) (training period of at least 6 years).

The main professional educational program providing master's training consists of a bachelor's program in the relevant field of study and at least two years of specialized training (master's degree).

Persons who have completed the bachelor's program enter the master's program through a competition.

Persons who have received a state-issued document on higher professional education of a certain level have the right, in accordance with the received area of training (specialty), to continue their studies in the educational program of higher professional education at the next level.

Receiving education for the first time in educational programs of higher professional education at various levels is not considered as receiving a second higher professional education.

From Federal Law"About higher and postgraduate
vocational education" dated 08.22.96? 125 - Federal Law

The introduction of a multi-level system of higher professional education in 1992 solved the problem of entering the education system adopted in many countries of the world. Previously, we only graduated specialists with a training period of 5-6 years, i.e. there was a one-stage scheme. And now the scheme is multi-stage: the first 2 years - incomplete higher education, after 4 years of study in a certain "direction" - qualification (degree) "bachelor", another 2 years of specialized training - qualification (degree) "master". At the same time, in parallel with bachelors and masters, a “specialist” studies for 5 - 6 years.

It must be said that there is no complete unity in the correspondence of “bachelor” and “master” degrees in different countries - a graduate can also be a bachelor high school, and the holder of the first academic degree, or even just a graduate high school. And a master's degree is in some countries academic degree between bachelor and doctorate.

Be that as it may, applicants need to decide which path to take. We will tell you about the main features of each “component” in the multi-stage scheme of education at universities.

What is the difference

So, for specialists: five years - and a diploma as a practical specialist ("engineer", "agronomist", "economist", "mechanic", etc.), then work in the profile of the acquired specialty. For bachelors: four years - and a diploma of general higher education, after which you can continue studying for a master's degree for another two years. Admission to the master's program is competitive and amounts to approximately 20% of the bachelor's degrees graduated. Master's programs do not exist in all Russian universities, and you can only enroll in them with a bachelor's degree. The first two years of training for specialists and bachelors are the same (basic education). If you change your mind about continuing to study at this university, get a diploma of incomplete higher professional education. From the 3rd year, the training programs for specialists and bachelors are already different. Therefore, the transition from a bachelor to a specialist is associated with the elimination of the difference in the subjects attended and passed, which has accumulated over four years of study. By the way, a new concept has appeared: “direction of training for a certified specialist.”

The difference between a specialist and a master: masters are trained for scientific work, and specialists - for professional activities in a particular industry.

Having a bachelor's degree from one university, you can enroll in a master's program at another university. However, again a problem may arise with the difference in curricula in different universities.

Subtleties of transition

Any innovation requires some time to “settle down”, because some inconsistencies between the new and the old always appear. A lot of time has passed since 1992, but there are still some problems in our multi-stage system of higher professional education. For example, in the division of directions and specialties in the first four years. Many state universities have trained and continue to train only specialists. Some universities, in addition to the traditional scheme, also have a multi-level one. Non-state universities, as a rule, train only bachelors.

There is still tension regarding the prestige of a bachelor's degree: employers are not always inclined to hire bachelors. There are several reasons. One of them is psychological. Namely: current employers most often received their higher education in Soviet time, when we only had specialists, and the word “bachelor” was “not ours,” Western. Moreover, there is a difference in the training programs - a specialist is trained in a specific specialty, as if in a narrow profile, while bachelor’s programs are broad-profile, have in general scientific and in general professional character. Those. a bachelor receives fundamental training without any narrow specialization, because I studied only 4 years. The law, of course, states that a bachelor has the right to occupy a position for which the qualification requirements provide for higher professional education. But! He has the right, but he is not always given this right. They prefer to hire “specialists” and “masters”.

Don't be discouraged - over time the question "What can a bachelor do?" will not arise. In the meantime, if problems arise, we can only advise you to continue your studies at the next level and obtain the qualification “certified specialist” or “master”.

Still, there are advantages to choosing a bachelor's degree. Let's list them.

This type of qualification is accepted according to the international classification and is understandable to employers abroad. They often invite bachelors there, without even specifying the area of training, since office work simply requires an educated person who knows how to work with information, with people, and who can prepare all kinds of documents.
The fundamental nature of the training, its “non-constriction” makes it possible, if necessary, to easily change profession. The fact is that, in accordance with the state educational standard, bachelor's training programs in areas are structured in such a way that they allow you to move to one of a whole “fan” of compatible professions in 1 year. And after 5 years of training, a specialist will have to acquire a new profession (if necessary) in 2-3 years, and even on a commercial basis, because this will already be receiving a second higher education. For a bachelor's degree, master's degree studies are classified as continuation of education at the next level and therefore it is free (for budget places).
Within 4 years after entering a university, a person receives a diploma and gains economic independence.

What to choose? Which educational trajectory build for yourself?

First, think about the focus of your professional training. If there is no conscious desire to engage in scientific activities in the future or work in a narrow specialty, then you can stop at a bachelor’s degree. In addition, find out the real situation on the labor market in your place of residence. Those. try to understand how competitive the specialty and qualification you like will be in your region, and whether you can quickly find a prestigious job with a bachelor’s degree in hand.

Content

Nowadays, young people have access to two-level higher education. Every student who in the future wants to become an excellent specialist in his chosen profile must clearly understand bachelor's and master's degrees - what they are and how these degrees differ from each other. The difference between them is significant, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Find out what are the features of these academic degrees.

What is a bachelor's degree

This is the first, basic stage of academic education. The conditions for accessing it are simple. You need to receive a secondary, secondary specialized or vocational education. You can enroll after graduating from the 11th grade of a school, specialized college, technical school, or college. There is a misconception that a bachelor's degree is an incomplete higher education. This is not true. A bachelor's degree is the first full-fledged level of higher education, with which a person has the right to get a job in his specialty.

How long do they study?

Usually, educational process lasts four years, although there are exceptions. A student receives an academic bachelor's degree after passing exams. It is worth noting that there are a number of specialties that cannot be mastered even at a basic level in 4 courses, especially in the medical and technical fields. Training at such faculties is divided into other stages that do not fit into the general concept of the European educational standard.

Bachelor's program

The plan is focused on giving the student practical knowledge in his chosen specialty. There are practically no narrowly focused disciplines in the educational program. If they are enabled, then with minimum quantity hours, and provide only basic knowledge. The bachelor's degree was initially conceived for the student to choose a narrow specialty and consciously continue studying in it at the master's level. In Russian practice, this stage has become relatively independent.

Bachelor's degrees have recently been divided into two categories based on a number of characteristics and tasks assigned to students, although this innovation is not yet practiced everywhere. Types of the first stage of academic education:

Applied. For students who plan to get a job immediately after graduating from higher education. Practical training is underway. The form of study at the applied bachelor's degree is full-time/full-time only.
Academic. Professional training bachelors planning to enroll in a master's program in the future. The emphasis is on research work, with many theoretical courses. You can study both full-time and part-time.

Bachelor's degree in Russia

The program began to be introduced into the practice of our country after the signing of the Bologna Convention. The reform implies the gradual creation of a single educational space European standard. Higher education in all countries should be two-stage: bachelor's and master's degrees. Previously, students received a specialist diploma after studying for 5-6 years. Now they are gradually moving away from this practice, but so far the “specialty” level has not been completely abolished, because not all professions can be mastered in 4 years, even at a basic level.

What is a master's degree

This is the second stage of higher education, but to gain access to it you must obtain the first. A person is considered a master after he has completely completed educational process. Bachelors and people who received a specialty before the Bologna system was introduced can enroll in a master's program for free. The course of subjects is selected so that the student is maximally immersed in practical and scientific activities.

The programs are led by teachers of the highest qualifications, doctors of science. From the very first semester, each student is assigned a mentor from among them. Under the guidance of a teacher, a person chooses a direction scientific research and defends his master's thesis. Until the moment a student defends his dissertation, he is a master's student. During the training, he acquires teaching skills and upon completion of the program can work as a teacher.

Why is it needed?

Many people don’t understand why go to lectures for some more time, if after a bachelor’s degree you can immediately get a job. A master's degree is necessary for a person to have the right to occupy leadership positions. To get a job in a number of specialties, you also need to obtain a second level of higher education. In addition, you can complete a master’s program in order to receive an education in a specialty other than your originally chosen one.

What gives

Education is not easy, but it brings many benefits. After graduating from the master's program, you will receive the following opportunities:

You will be able to occupy leadership positions and work in specialties that require both levels of higher education.
Professional growth will be fast even under conditions of high competition.
You will receive a lot of useful and in-depth theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
If you realize that you have chosen your specialization by mistake, then the master's program gives you the right to change it.
The scholarship and other social guarantees (a place in a dormitory, etc.) will be extended for another number of years.
The path to graduate school and teaching will be open to you.

Do I need to go to a master's program after a bachelor's degree?

Each person makes this decision personally. It would be objectively unfair to say that a bachelor’s degree is an inferior education. However, before deciding whether to enroll in a master's program, think about the following opportunities that it provides to a university graduate:

the diploma is recognized internationally;
experience working with foreign teachers;
carrying out developments and research for PhD work;
equivalence of foreign scientific qualification PhD.

How to apply for a master's degree

Receiving the second stage of higher education is possible only after completing a bachelor's degree. It will be necessary to pass an oral comprehensive interdisciplinary examination in the field of study. Its content and procedure are determined by each university, so they differ everywhere. The results are assessed on a 100-point scale in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna system. The training lasts two years. You don’t have to enroll right away; first, you can work in your specialty for several years.

Who can apply

To submit documents you must have a higher professional education. A bachelor's, specialist's, or master's degree is suitable. Additional documents required are an application, an identity card, a medical certificate and several photographs. To enroll in budgetary basis, you need to have either a bachelor's degree or a specialty obtained before the Bologna process. Master's education may not be related to the last time chosen direction of fundamental training.

Master's degree in another specialty

In the process of obtaining higher education, you will be able to change its direction. You can take any specialty, but practice shows that it is preferable to choose a related one. However, if you are confident that you have the necessary knowledge to pass entrance exam in a completely different profession, there are no obstacles. A master's degree after a bachelor's degree in another specialty is available at any Russian university and even outside the country.

Paid by employer

Labor legislation lists compensation and guarantees for workers who professional activity combined with training. For example, master's programs in a number of specialties, especially highly scientific ones, are financed by the employer, to whom the funds will be transferred by the state. If admission is the employee’s personal initiative, then he will have to pay for training; the company can only provide leave at its own expense.

If the second scientific level is necessary for an employee to career growth in a particular organization, they do not have the right to fire him. In this situation, two scenarios are possible:

The employer pays all expenses related to education. This is done if the company is very interested in the employee.
The company provides days of paid leave to attend preparatory courses, lectures, and take exams.

What is the difference between a bachelor and a master?

The difference between these levels of education is not only the number of job opportunities. What is the difference between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, which is better? A few examples:

Only a bachelor's degree can enroll in a master's program.
Only a student who has an academic master's degree has the right to study in graduate school.
Bachelor's degree lasts four years. In the master's program - two.
The second stage of higher education can be obtained in a specialty other than the one you acquired as a bachelor.
Who is a Bachelor? It is focused on work activity and the practical use of acquired knowledge. The master's program prepares students for work in the research field.
The second stage of higher education is not available in all educational institutions.

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, at the beginning labor activity Many bachelors may face refusals from personnel specialists who consider a bachelor's degree 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 Russian Federation the main provisions of the Bologna education system, since 2003 a master's degree and corresponding higher education have also been introduced.

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 subsequent scientific activity graduate. 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 apply to the minimum duration 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.

It is necessary to distinguish between bachelor's, master's and specialty degrees.

First two directions graduate doctors of science, graduate students, and professors.

They can engage in both professional and teaching activities.

That is, if the student received a master's degree legal sciences, he can work as a lawyer in some company, become a lawyer, prosecutor, etc., but at the same time, he can also teach law at universities.

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree is considered first step to obtain a complete higher education. After it, the student can go to study for a master's degree or work in the profession he received.

The duration of study is 3-5 years (depending on the form of study and faculty). At the end of each school year he writes coursework, submits reports on practice, writes and defends a qualifying work at the end of his studies.

While studying for a bachelor's degree, a student acquires general knowledge related to the chosen field of science (profession). After graduation, he receives a bachelor's degree, a diploma indicating that he has incomplete higher education.

With a bachelor's degree, not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance. Although by law Bachelor's qualification is enough to occupy positions that require a complete higher education, but most Russian enterprises and government agencies are reluctant to hire bachelors, considering such education to be incomplete.

Therefore, when choosing a bachelor's degree, you should take into account that you will have to study for a master's degree in the future.

Master's degree

In order to become a master, you must first get a degree bachelor's degree In this case, the direction of the master's program must coincide with the one in which the student received his diploma. Otherwise he will not be accepted.

Admission in this case occurs without passing an exam, but in some universities he may be required to pass an additional test if the number of people wishing to enroll exceeds the number of available places in the educational institution.

A master's degree entitles you to apply for teaching positions in higher education institutions, as well as the right to undergo postgraduate and doctoral studies, as well as further advancement in the profession of teacher and scientist, up to a member of the Academy of Sciences.

At the end of the training, which lasts on average 2-3 years, the student writes and defends a master's thesis.

A master's degree, unlike a bachelor's degree, is considered complete higher education, on a par with the specialty, but only in a slightly different direction. At the end of the training, the student receives a master's degree.

From this moment on, he can both teach and work in his acquired profession (provided that he is hired). Moreover, they will be hired in the same way as graduates with a specialist diploma. They have equal weight.

Features of the specialty

Specialist, like bachelor, can't teach. He receives at an institute or university only the knowledge that will be useful to him at work.

A specialist can be hired by profession immediately from the third year (during internship) or after graduating from university. To be able to teach, he must complete a master's and graduate school.

The advantage of a specialty compared to a bachelor's degree is that one can get a job in a profession, while it is almost impossible for a bachelor to do this. The curriculum does not contain any pedagogical training disciplines. The main focus is curriculum is done only in those disciplines that are necessary to master the profession.

Educational process divided into two stages: the first lasts until the third year and in it they study general knowledge of the profession; in the remaining courses the student undergoes disciplines that give him special knowledge and skills. He will be required to undergo practical training, write and defend reports on the practical work done.

In order to qualify as a specialist, a student needs to study for 5-7 years, depending on the faculty and form of study ( correspondence students and surgeons study longer). At the end of his studies, the student writes and defends thesis. Upon completion of training, the student is awarded a specialist qualification.

If we compare a specialty and a bachelor's degree, it is more convenient to immediately enroll in a specialty, however, due to the fact that education in Russia is being reformed in order to bring it closer to European education standards, the specialty in universities has been abolished.

This does not mean that holders of specialist qualifications won't be able to get a job in the future for work, it’s just that all applicants entering universities since 2012 do not have the opportunity to obtain a specialist diploma.