Since 2011, all higher education institutions of the Russian Federation switched to a two-tier system, which has long been practiced in Western countries. This is due to the accession of our country to the Bologna process, the purpose of which is to improve the quality of education and its accessibility.
In connection with this innovation, not only the training period has increased, but also the number of questions. Employers can’t get used to the fact that undergraduate education is a full-fledged higher education, and a master’s degree is not a graduate with two higher education degrees, but just a student who wants to deepen his previously acquired knowledge.
In 1996, such a training system was already practiced, but then it was considered as a single and inextricable process.
At the moment, Russian education has 3 levels of higher professional education :
- bachelor;
- certified specialist;
- master.
A bachelor's degree involves studies lasting four years. After this period, the student needs to decide what he will learn further. If the student does not have the ability or desire to continue studying, then it is worth stopping at the bachelor's degree, and if there is a desire to devote himself to teaching or science, then he has a direct road to the magistracy. The educational program there is designed for two years, after which it is necessary to pass the final certification, to protect the graduation project and, voila, we have a master. This means that he has been awarded the highest degree of professional education. Such graduates have the opportunity to master the core material deeper and devote more time to the practical side of the specialty.
The main goal of the magistracy in its modern understanding is the training of managerial personnel, that is, the proud title of “master” is a pass ticket to the municipality. In addition, the master’s road to major Russian and foreign companies is open.
Just imagine how many perspectives one simple word “master” is fraught with! The education received over six years of study, among other things, will be enough for scientific and practical activities and teaching.
Another fundamental difference between bachelors and specialists from graduate students is the fact that the former are taught basic professions, and the latter gain the knowledge necessary to solve more complex problems, for example, master the specializations of "nuclear engineer" and "television journalist".
The next question that worries Russians is: “Is it possible to get a red master’s diploma if you graduate with a blue?”
Disputes have been going on about this for a long time, and in 2012 the Ministry of Education and Science issued a document that resolved this situation. Now the “troika” for the bachelor is not an obstacle, since the magistracy was recognized as an independent educational program. Despite this, a bachelor's degree is still a prerequisite for admission to the magistracy.
And in conclusion, I want to note: according to research, masters are more in demand than specialists with several higher educations. This is not surprising, because the master is not a theorist, but a practitioner with fundamental knowledge and necessary skills.