There is an opinion that the prestige of a diploma directly depends on the status of the university. The more solid the institution, the better the education and the more sought after the diploma. Which is higher - academy or university? This question is asked by many when choosing an educational institution. After all, most seek to get into the most prestigious universities in the country.
So, let's decide what is common between them and what key differences can be distinguished. Then to determine what is higher - an academy or a university, is not difficult.
Higher education anyway
And the academy, the university, and the institute are higher educational institutions (universities for short). And the university, in turn, is the place where people get higher education in the profession they are interested in. There are two types of universities in Russia: public and private. Some of them may have their representative offices and branches in other localities or even in other countries.
Each of the higher educational institutions (the academy, the university, and the institute) has its own charter, which allows it to become an autonomous subject of legal relations. In addition, each university, in order to become one, must undergo accreditation, regardless of its status. Only in this case, the institution has the right to issue diplomas to graduates.
Education in all universities can be the following: full-time (full-time), evening and correspondence. In addition, in some universities of the country, departments began to appear with classroom and distance learning. Duration of study - from three to six years.
The pursuit of status
So, these are common signs that allow an institution to be called a university. But what are the differences? How to understand what is higher - an academy or a university?
Indeed, the huge variety of educational institutions makes thousands of applicants doubt. Nevertheless, the opinion that the status of a university affects the quality and prestige of a diploma is a mistake. The status of an educational institution affects only how many specialties in various industries and areas in it can be mastered.
As for the differences, here it is first of all necessary to understand what exactly is a university and an academy. The difference between them will become clear only in this case.
University
The university became a state institution in Austria and in France. In Russia, this idea was also approved. The word "university" itself comes from the word "universal." Which by itself implies comprehensive, all-encompassing. That is, this educational institution covers a wide range of specialties.
By scientific definition, a university is a higher educational institution that provides training in two areas: the first higher professional education and the second, that is, education that is possible to receive after graduating from a higher educational institution. The university study program combines a wide range of training areas.
In addition, universities are retraining specialists with existing higher education or advanced training of workers.
The university can have both technical and humanitarian faculties. So, one university can graduate chemists, lawyers, and musicians simultaneously. Universities have the right to graduate senior and junior specialists, bachelors, masters and graduate students.
Academy
According to legend, the word "academy" appeared in the time of Plato. By scientific definition, the academy is a higher educational institution, which, like the university, provides training in the fields of first higher education and postgraduate education. The first school that the philosopher discovered was located in a beautiful grove dedicated to the Greek god Akadem. Plato also decided to name his educational institution in the name of this god - the academy.
Then what is the difference between an academy and a university? The fact that the academy trains specialists in one branch of art or science. As a rule, the training industry is clearly reflected in the name of the educational institution (for example, the Russian Academy of Arts or the Moscow Academy of Economics and Law).
However, regardless of whether the academy is private or public, it may still have other areas of specialist training that differ from the industry directly indicated in the name. So, in many Russian academies you can see law, economics, and science departments under the wing of one educational institution. It happens that universities exist at academies. For example, the Academic University at the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.
What the law says
As you know, in Russia there are three forms of higher education: university, institute, academy. The difference between them is directly spelled out in the Federal Law “On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education”. Part 9 of Chapter II contains a number of requirements that an educational institution must meet in order to obtain the status of an academy, university, or institute. A special assessment is regularly conducted for this. Consequently, any Russian educational institution that has the status of a university, institute or academy today can change it. For example, St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of the Interior, which until June 1998 was the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
It is worth noting that one of the requirements for an educational institution applying for university status is the availability of training programs in seven large groups of different directions (specialties). There is no such criterion for academies and institutes. If less than seven specialties are taught at an educational institution, then he will not receive university status. Therefore, it directly follows from the law that the university has the highest status. A university is taller than an academy or institute.
What do you choose
But this does not mean at all that studying at an academy or institute will be worse, and a diploma less prestigious. After all, the main thing in education is the level of knowledge that students receive, and not the form or status of the institution.
Decide for yourself, what is better - to be part of one hundred thousand students of the most prestigious university in the country, in which only 2-3% of teachers are assigned to your specialty, or study in a small academy in which 90% of teachers are specialists in your field? The answer suggests itself.
Therefore, to the question of what is higher - an academy or a university, one can safely answer that there is no difference in the quality of education or the prestige of a diploma between them. Graduates of Russian universities do not need to worry about the status of their educational institution. Despite the fact that under the law the university is ranked the highest, no benefits are provided for its graduates. The employer doesn’t care where you studied - at the academy, university or institute. The level of your knowledge is important to him. And status ... This is just status.