The higher education system in Russia is a three-level structure - bachelor's degree, specialty, and the most complete form - master's degree. What are the differences between them? Which form of higher education should an applicant choose? Each form of training has its undoubted advantages and disadvantages.
Bachelor
This is an academic degree of the European standard, which a student receives after completing a basic course of fundamental studies. A bachelor's degree is a basic level of higher education, which provides the opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge in a chosen field and acquire independent research skills. As a rule, it takes 4 years to study a bachelor’s program, and 3 years for graduates of a secondary vocational educational institution. Training is carried out in full-time (or full-time), part-time (so-called evening), and also correspondence forms. Completion of a bachelor's degree ends with the awarding of a full-fledged diploma of higher education, which gives the right to engage in professional activities or enroll and study in a master's program.
The undergraduate system provides education in 284 training profiles: Law, Applied Mathematics, Information Technology, Management, Economics, etc.
Bachelors have the opportunity to further improve the level of their education in a master's program, but they do not have the right to engage in teaching or scientific activities. To be eligible to teach in higher education, they need to complete a master's degree, which is also necessary for those who want to enroll in graduate school. Young men who have completed a bachelor's degree can be drafted into the army, in which case their master's studies are postponed until after they have completed their service in the Armed Forces.
Why is a bachelor's degree good?
- The introduction of bachelor's and master's degrees in Russia is intended to make Russian diplomas more attractive to foreign research centers and industrial corporations. If desired, a bachelor can continue his education and obtain a master's degree at any foreign university.
- Bachelors study for four years, that is, one year less than specialists. Accordingly, they will be able to start their careers and professional activities earlier, which is especially important for low-income children.
What's bad about a bachelor's degree?
Many experts believe that for a number of specialties, 4 years is not enough to master all the knowledge necessary for successful work.
Specialist
This qualification is awarded to university graduates after they have completed special educational programs. Most often these are engineering and technical specialties. Specialists are trained for 5 years (after graduating from a secondary vocational educational institution - 3 years), qualifications are assigned to them after defending their diploma project.
During the first two years, specialists and bachelors receive education according to the same curricula: students are taught general education and general professional disciplines. Starting from the third year, specialists gain knowledge in their specific specialty, and bachelors receive training in broad-based disciplines, as well as study special disciplines and practical courses related to their chosen profession.
Graduates with specialist diplomas can conduct teaching activities and, if desired, enroll in a master's degree program. At the same time, master's degree studies are only possible for them for a fee and only in their profession.
master
This is the second stage of the European training standard. The training lasts two years, during which students deepen their specialization in any area of training.
Future masters study in small groups, their studies are supervised by leading university teachers, professors and associate professors. At the end of their studies, they write master's theses and defend them before the state examination commission. A master's degree is a truly elite education. A master's degree provides an opportunity to occupy leadership positions in organizations with different forms of ownership. In addition, masters have the right to teach at universities, engage in scientific work, and enroll in graduate school. However, those entering the master's program will have to go through a tough selection process - admission is carried out by competition. Not every university has a master's degree, so bachelors and specialists are often forced to obtain a master's degree not at their home university, but at another university.
Currently, in the generally accepted system of Russian higher education, there is a division of graduates into bachelors, specialists and masters. It turns out that there is a noticeable difference between these three academic titles. It lies primarily in the duration of training.
It is generally accepted that students study for exactly 5 years. This is relevant for graduate specialists. For bachelors, the duration of study is only 4 years. The master must study at a higher educational institution for 6 years.
Not every specialty has a choice of duration of study and, accordingly, academic title. To find out which method of training you can choose for the specialty you are interested in at your chosen university, you need to contact the dean’s office. There you can find out for yourself all the questions you are interested in.
Upon admission to an educational institution, a student is not required to immediately decide on the duration of study and its focus. The final decision will need to be made at the end of the 4th course. It is at this time that the student can either graduate with a bachelor's degree or continue studying at a university. If a student wants to study to become a specialist, he will have 1 more year to study. If he wants to become a master, then he will have to spend another 2 years within the walls of his native university.
Quality and specificity of knowledge of bachelors, masters and specialists
A bachelor cannot be considered a person who has received higher education. Most likely, completing a bachelor's degree will be equivalent to incomplete higher education. Despite this, some students prefer to get a bachelor's degree and finish their studies there.
A specialist is a person with completed higher education. He is in his specialty, but his knowledge is not enough to carry out scientific work. The duration of training for a specialist is shorter than for a master's degree, but the quality of knowledge is no worse. Such graduates are better suited to work in production. The knowledge gained in the master's program will be useful for further work in the field of science. As a rule, master's degree graduates go on to graduate school.
A master's degree will be useful when applying to some foreign educational institutions. In accordance with the laws of a number of other states, only the completion of a master's degree is counted as higher education.
Since 2011, our country has introduced a new distribution of specialists who have graduated from higher educational institutions. A new academic title appears - bachelor. In this regard, the question is often asked: what is the difference between a bachelor and a specialist? Is the level of training for a bachelor's degree sufficient? What is the difference between a bachelor and a specialist and a master? We will try to answer these and other questions in this article.
What is a Bachelor
This degree came to us from ancient universities in Western Europe. The word comes from the Late Latin baccalarius, meaning "under-vassal." Initially, this degree was awarded to those students who successfully completed the first stage of training. In Tsarist Russia, teachers of bursas and theological academies were called bachelors.
Currently, a bachelor's degree is the first degree of academic title accepted in many foreign countries. It is assigned to those who have graduated from universities and only after passing specialized exams.
Two levels of education
The difference between a bachelor and a specialist can be judged by the length of time a student studies in a specialized specialty. After attending four full-time courses, the student has the right to take state exams, write a diploma and receive a bachelor's degree. For part-time and evening students, this period is usually longer.
Master is the next academic degree. Bachelors receive a master's degree after two years of full-time study. Thus, the outdated scientific title “specialist”, which was given after five years of study at a university, becomes redundant.
You can already get a general idea of how a bachelor’s degree differs from a specialist’s and a master’s degree. A bachelor is trained in other programs, and he receives the knowledge necessary to professionally perform his duties in a shorter course of study. A specialist is an academic degree that has been preserved only for certain types of specialties in our country. A complete list of professions that require specialist qualifications can be found on the websites of the Ministry of Education. The master's program is suitable for those students who decide to devote themselves to science and obtain an academic degree. So the question of how a bachelor’s degree differs from a specialist’s and a master’s degree lies rather in the psychological plane. The amount of knowledge required to perform a particular job is quite sufficient for a bachelor.
What is the reason for this innovation?
A new academic degree appeared in our country after the Academy of Sciences joined the Bologna Protocol, aimed at unifying the European educational space. The main goal of the Bologna Process is to expand access to higher education, give young people the right to choose a university outside another country, and unify diplomas from countries participating in the Bologna Process. The second most important goal was the modernization of higher professional education, focused on the current needs of the labor market. Therefore, the question of how a bachelor’s degree differs from a specialist’s and a master’s degree can be answered as follows: a bachelor’s and a master’s degree are academic degrees recognized throughout the world, and the diplomas of students who have received such titles are recognized in many countries. And specialist is a title that is gradually becoming a thing of the past.
Technical colleges and universities
It is incorrect to judge a bachelor's degree from the point of view of the hierarchy of Soviet academic degrees. The difference between a bachelor's degree and an associate's degree is often discussed by people who have not received either degree. A junior specialist is a more applied, professional level. An associate's degree is prepared by secondary educational institutions - technical schools and colleges. A bachelor's degree confirms a specialist's scientific knowledge and deep theoretical and practical training in a given specialty.
Bachelors are trained only by universities of the appropriate level of accreditation. The difference between a bachelor's degree and a specialist's and master's and postgraduate studies can be said in general terms: a bachelor's degree gives you a chance to earn money using your specialty after just four years of study.
What does a bachelor's degree provide?
Currently, science is moving forward in giant leaps, and the protracted learning process leads to the fact that by the time of graduation, much of the knowledge acquired at the university becomes outdated and unnecessary. Therefore, it is inappropriate to train students in “narrow specialties” for five or even six years. The modern training system is more flexible and allows for the formation of qualification structures and labor market needs. One should also take into account the fact that in our country young people aged 17-18 years become students. During this period, it is difficult to fully understand which profession should be chosen.
Currently, the question of how a bachelor differs from a specialist is practically not worth asking when applying for a job. Basic higher education is ideal for developing a profile of a particular specialty. Students receive more practical professional knowledge in senior undergraduate courses. And after completing the basic course of higher education and receiving his first scientific degree, the student already knows how a bachelor differs from a specialist and a master. Therefore, he can coordinate his professional plans in accordance with the current needs of the labor market and the level of salaries in a particular area.
Master's degree
Having a bachelor's degree obtained from one university, you can enroll in a master's program in another higher education institution in a specialized subject. Sometimes in this case there may be a need to retake certain disciplines. A master's degree opens the door to obtaining an academic degree.
Bachelor's degree and employment
Unfortunately, there is still some mistrust of a bachelor's degree among employers, although many of them cannot clearly explain how a bachelor's degree differs from a specialist's degree. Reviews from many university graduates indicate the reluctance of employers and HR agencies to employ young bachelors. There may be several reasons for this.
1. Many modern employers received their higher education back in Soviet times, when higher educational institutions awarded a specialist diploma upon completion. The word “bachelor” in those days was “not ours,” “Western.”
2. The difference in training programs: specialists are trained in specific specialties, and bachelor’s training is based on a broad-based coverage of all disciplines that will be useful to him in his immediate work. The undergraduate course is aimed at general scientific and general professional training. The law, of course, says that a bachelor has the right to occupy positions intended for those who have received a complete higher education. But HR departments still prefer to hire specialists and masters.
Benefits of a Bachelor's Degree
A bachelor's degree is recognized by the international classification and is understandable to foreign employers. There, it is quite acceptable to invite a bachelor to the position of middle manager and entrust him with responsible work. To work in an office, you usually just need an educated person with basic training who can work with information and draw up documents correctly.
The fundamental nature of the training and its breadth make it easy to change professions. The fact is that public education programs are prepared in such a way that after a year of study the student has the opportunity to choose one of many related professions. When changing a profession, a specialist must spend two to three years and obtain a second higher education on a commercial basis.
The undoubted advantage of a bachelor's degree is the opportunity to obtain a diploma after four years of study. Young people often strive to get on their feet as early as possible and earn their own living. With a bachelor's degree, you can easily get a job in a good, reputable company for a small position. And after he has established a reputation as a good employee, few of his management will care about the difference between a bachelor’s degree and a specialist, and career growth for such an employee will be ensured.
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 a student has received a master's degree in law, 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 academic 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 emphasis in the curriculum is only on 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 his 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.
More than 50 countries around the world, especially in Europe, have a two-level higher education system. Universities annually graduate bachelors and masters from their walls into “professional” life. The question is legitimate: where, in this case, do specialists come from? They are also from universities and can even later become masters, just like bachelors. In order not to become completely confused about the difference between a bachelor and a specialist, let’s look into history.
Origin of the concepts “specialist” and “bachelor”
Bachelors appeared in the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe; even then this concept referred to university students who had reached a certain level of mastery, a degree. One of the versions of the origin of the word “bachelor” comes down to the fact that those who reached this degree were given a laurel fruit, and it sounded like “bacca lauri”. The term “specialist”, in turn, refers exclusively to the Soviet space. A certified specialist was, and still is, a person who has received a diploma of higher education in a specific specialty. In most post-Soviet countries, including Russia and Ukraine, the “specialist” degree has already been abolished. Thus, we can say that the main difference between a bachelor and a specialist lies in the terms: a bachelor is an academic degree, a specialist is a qualification.
Differences in training bachelors and specialists
- The difference between a bachelor's degree and a specialist's degree is the duration of study. A bachelor will have to sit at his desk for only 4 years, while a specialist will have to spend 5-6 years, depending on his specialty.
- For the first two years, future bachelors and future specialists study in the same program; the separation begins in the third year. While bachelors continue to study broad-based subjects, specialists move on to narrow-profile disciplines.
- The difference between a bachelor and a specialist upon graduation is that a specialist receives a diploma in his specialty, and a bachelor receives a general higher education.
- Bachelor and specialist can continue their studies in master's programs. But for a bachelor-master and a specialist-master, the difference is that the first formally continues to receive higher education and can do this, but for a specialist it is a second education, which in any case is paid.
It turns out that answering the question of whether a bachelor or a specialist is higher is almost impossible. Both of them received higher education, and both of them can work in their profession. The advantages of choosing a bachelor's degree include the opportunity to think about the choice of specialization. For example, after graduating from a university, you can start working and, depending on the field of activity, make a choice in a master’s program. A specialist runs the risk of having received a specialty and never finding application for it in practice.
A bachelor's degree will be an obvious advantage for a student planning to go abroad, since a bachelor's degree is a unified standard. At the same time, when applying for a job in Russia or Ukraine, a bachelor’s degree is assessed ambiguously - 
this is a minus. Many employers perceive such education as incomplete, as if it is about everything and nothing at the same time. In turn, European and American employers enthusiastically accept bachelors as employees with the prospect of training “for themselves.”
From all of the above, we can conclude that when choosing a higher education - specialist or bachelor, you must first of all focus on your personal plans. If you dream about or about early economic independence, then a bachelor’s degree, while still in high school, you decided on a specialty - obviously, a specialty.