To date higher education can be obtained with different degrees of qualification. Previously, universities produced graduates with the same knowledge. Today, people who plan to pursue higher education can choose between bachelor's, specialist, master's, and postgraduate studies.

Choice of qualification

Probably, everyone understands that a master's degree and a graduate student are already a certain academic degree. But what is the difference between a specialist and a bachelor, few people know. Let's look at what is better to choose, what you need to consider when choosing a qualification and what advantages each of the training programs has. Bachelor, Master, Specialist - what to choose?

Bachelor and specialist - what is it?

To answer the question: “Which is better - a bachelor or a specialist, or a master”, let's look at what these forms of education are.

A bachelor's degree is, so to speak, the first stage, the first degree of higher education. If you have chosen this training program in advance, you will receive only basic knowledge, the basics of the profession. Of course, after graduating from the bachelor's degree, you will be able to pass the necessary exams and go to study for a master's degree.

The specialty is already a traditional training program for the CIS countries. After studying in this form of higher education, the student will receive the qualification "specialist".

How to proceed

Only those who have a complete secondary education can go to study for a bachelor or a specialist, that is, in order to go to study at a higher educational institution, it is necessary to graduate from a school or technical school, college, after which it is necessary to pass state exams. The competition is based on their results. As a rule, the specialist has a mixed program, which is taken from the bachelor's and master's programs.

The difference between a bachelor and a specialist

Who is who? Bachelor, Specialist, Master. When entering a university, you need to decide which qualification to choose. Much will depend on this: where you will go to work, what knowledge you will receive, etc. You need to immediately decide where to go: for a bachelor, master or specialist. Now many employers are trying not to hire graduates with incomplete higher education, that is, bachelors. Also, Russian companies put forward the same requirements, while in international enterprises they may differ. So which is better - bachelor or master?

A couple of years ago there were no such divisions, and all graduates received one diploma with the qualification of "specialist". At that time, foreign universities began to practice a two-level system of higher education. After which our educational establishments, taking advantage of foreign experience, began to use this system. Because of this, in different universities you can get the old and new qualifications.

The difference between training programs

Who is who (bachelor, specialist, master?

• If you choose a bachelor's degree, then study for 4 years, and you need to study for a specialist for at least 5 years.
• A student who is studying for a bachelor's degree will only know the basics of his specialty at the end of his studies. Specialist provides narrower knowledge of the profession.
• In these qualifications, as a rule, general subjects are studied first (2 years), and only then there is a division.
• A bachelor, as we have already considered, can only get the basis of his specialty and go to work in this area, but a specialist will receive certain knowledge for one of the areas.
• After a bachelor's degree, you can only go to a master's degree, but after a specialty, a student can skip one step and study further for a graduate student.
• Bachelors are allowed to participate in the competition in order to continue to study for free at the magistracy. Specialists will be able to enroll in a master's degree only for money, since this is already considered a second higher education.

Bachelor and Master - what's the difference? Now you understand that there is a significant difference. Employers also know that specialists leave a higher educational institution with narrower knowledge. This makes it harder for bachelors to find jobs. However, a student who graduated from the university and received a bachelor's degree has all the necessary knowledge and skills.

Pros and cons of a bachelor's degree

Bachelor or Master - which is better? Perhaps it is strange, but the undergraduate degree is now very popular. Why is he so popular? Let's look at all the benefits of a bachelor's degree:

• Now in Europe there is a two-level education system, so with a bachelor's degree, you can easily go abroad to find a job there.
• Bachelor's degree is not tied to a specific narrow specialty, so a university graduate can choose more vacancies for employment.
• Duration of study is 4 years.
• A student during training can choose a narrower specialty and enter the master's program on a budget.
• During training, students are granted a respite from the army.

Of course, this system of education also has its shortcomings.

Bachelor or Master - which is better? As we have already found out, employers try not to hire bachelors, as they believe that 4 years is not enough to gain professional knowledge. Also, a big drawback is that it is very difficult to enter a master's degree, as there are few budget places, and education there is quite expensive. When studying for a master's degree in a paid department, a deferment from the army is not provided.

Pros and cons of a master's degree

Which is better - bachelor or master? After the 4th year, students will have to make a difficult choice: graduate with a bachelor's degree or continue their studies at a master's degree. Let's look at the benefits of a master's degree:

• In the magistracy, you will additionally need to study 2-3 years. This is a plus for young men who can be drafted into the army.
• Masters can demonstrate all their knowledge, show the makings of a scientist and make themselves known in the scientific community.
• After a master's degree, you can go to graduate school.
• At the end of the training, the master will receive certain narrow knowledge of the specialty, which the bachelor does not have and is partially available to the specialist. After studying in a specialist, you can only work in Russia, since there are no such diplomas abroad, which cannot be said about a master's degree.

But there are also disadvantages in the magistracy:

• To graduate from a master's program, you will need to pass state exams and defend a dissertation, which is much more difficult than a thesis.
• While studying for a master's degree, you need to make various scientific publications in certain journals and scientific research.

Conclusion

You need to choose a training program based on your goals. Which is better - bachelor or master? Undergraduate gives us general knowledge for a specific direction, while the specialist and master's programs provide their students with specific professional knowledge for a narrow specialty. Remember that when studying for a bachelor's degree, the time you spend studying is reduced. Assess your financial capabilities, since getting into a master's program on a budget is quite difficult, and studying there is quite expensive. It is easier to get on the budget for a bachelor's degree. As a rule, only 20% of bachelors go to study for a master's degree at the expense of the state.

If you are not afraid of the prospect of doing scientific activity, you must choose a master's or specialist degree.

Also, if you plan to work in international companies, you need to get a bachelor's or master's degree, unfortunately, the specialist will not give you such an opportunity. You need to choose for yourself which is better - bachelor or master.

Summer is not only the time of summer residents, swimming in rivers, collecting and harvesting all kinds of fruits, but also the time to determine future students, because it is in summer that school graduates find higher educational institutions (HEIs) in which they will continue their studies and choose the working specialty they are interested in.

Not so long ago, only specialists with diplomas graduated from all Russian universities (for example, after graduating from a technical university, a graduate was called an engineer, agronomist, economist - with the prefix of the specialty in which he studied).

Back in the nineties of the 20th century, it was decided to change this scheme by analogy with the Western education scheme. Europeans and Americans produce bachelors and masters in their institutions of higher education. Both qualifications are defined as higher education, but have two levels of graduation.

After a series of discussions and reforms, as of January 1, 2011, qualifications - or degrees - of higher education, namely bachelor's and master's degrees, are approved qualifications for graduates who have graduated from Russian universities. From the earlier "custom" of obtaining higher education, one more degree of higher education is still valid - a specialist, which, in terms of training, is after the bachelor and before the master, but in universities it goes in parallel with the new scheme of education for the bachelor's and master's degrees.

It is worth understanding in more detail what the bachelor, specialist and master qualifications are today.

Bachelor

A bachelor is a degree of higher professional education that culminates (indicated) by the issuance of a certificate and a record of the bachelor's qualification. The period of study for a bachelor's degree should be 4 years. As a result, a university graduate with a bachelor's degree has a diploma stating that he has completed general higher education. The bachelor does not receive the depth of knowledge in the specialty, but has a general theoretical approach and understanding of work in the chosen profession.

On the one hand, bachelor's graduates are sort of "semi-finished products" from training in a profession, but, nevertheless, they are included in the group of people with higher education: they can start working as university graduates. The disadvantage in this case is that the bachelor did not receive enhanced theory and more developed skills in the chosen profession. The advantage is that, having hired such a specialist, you can “sharpen” him for a certain type of activity with additional training programs, mentoring and practical work experience.

Certified specialist

A certified specialist is a familiar form of higher professional education in Russia. The period of study of a graduate is 5-6 years, depending on the chosen professional field. As a result, a university graduate with a graduate degree holds a diploma in his hands, where the specialty is indicated, i.e. is a practitioner and can be hired in accordance with the received specialty. Graduated specialists are trained in order to be able to practice in the workplace in their chosen profession.

It is possible that the graduate degree will gradually be excluded from higher education in Russia.

master

A master is a degree of higher professional education, which ends with the issuance of a certificate, which indicates the appropriate qualification. The period of study for a master's degree is determined by 6 years. At the same time, the actual training for a master's degree takes 2 years, and the initial 4 years a future university graduate studies for a bachelor's degree. Future masters acquire more knowledge of scientific theory. The master can be qualified only after he has defended his dissertation. In this case, significant elements of the works of scientific workers are already traced. The defense of a master's thesis can continue with a new level of scholarship, namely postgraduate studies.

It is worth considering that students are admitted to study at the master's program based on the results of the competition. According to statistics, no more than 1/5 of bachelor's degree graduates come to the master's program. Studying for a master's degree is the right to practice at state universities in Russia. In addition, if there is a desire to graduate from a university in the status of a master, then you should take care of this in advance, because. the courses of study for a bachelor's degree and a specialist's degree are practically the same only in the initial 2 years of study, then the difference "intrudes" in the reading of the courses. For admission to the magistracy, only a bachelor's degree is suitable.

It is allowed to change the university upon admission to the magistracy, i.е. Having received a bachelor's degree in one university, you can enter the competition for a master's degree in another university. Although in this case it is worth learning about the difference curricula both institutions.

Master's programs are generally present in state universities, while non-state educational institutions prepare graduates with a bachelor's degree.

Over the past 15 years, the winds of change have swept away many stable concepts on Russian expanses. Soviet higher education, so solid and understandable, gradually faded away and now a new system is being built with difficulty. We are gradually getting used to the new names: bachelor's and master's degrees.

A bit of history

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

The process of accession to 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 receive the degree of "graduate". This is an intermediate level between a bachelor's and a master's degree. But today the system of climbing the rock of science granite is as follows:

1. Bachelor;
2. Master.

What is the difference between bachelor and master

These two words, so unusual for our hearing, 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.

Undergraduate - Practitioner Training

After graduating from school, young people enter the bachelor's degree. This is the beginning of higher education. After studying for 2 years, each of them can receive a diploma of incomplete higher education. That is, a diploma is issued stating that you have mastered 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. Continuing studies for another 2 training courses, and after passing the final certification, you get a bachelor's degree. By this time, you are going through not only general education sciences, but also special disciplines and professional practice. This diploma is a certificate of a full and completed higher vocational 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 activities at universities, you need to enter the magistracy. A master's degree is necessary for students who want or have the opportunity to continue to engage in scientific activities or teach at a university.

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

The downside is that they prefer to take bachelors to work - more is not needed for office work. A person must be able to work with information, process documents, work in a team. In a word, to be a competent and executive employee of the company. And there is no need for special studies in scientific activity. That is why most students prefer to spend 4 courses to gain basic knowledge, some practical experience and then seriously pursue a career.

There are a few other things that keep me from going to graduate school:

• The need to retake entrance examinations. Even at your own university, you again find yourself as an applicant and on a par with applicants from other universities.
• On the demon paid training it is even more difficult to enter a master's program than when mastering the first stage. Approximately one-third of applicants pass the test. But for those who are passionate about enrolling, 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). More details can be found in another material: salary statistics for masters and bachelors.

Pros and cons of two-tier training

The new system of levels of university education has not yet taken root in the open spaces former USSR and causes many difficulties in understanding. For personnel officers, it is sometimes sometimes difficult to determine the degree of preparedness of a newly minted specialist. Moreover, both those and others write “higher education” when filling out the questionnaire. The older generation perceives the graduate of the first stage rather as a "drop-out". In addition, there are areas where a bachelor's degree is clearly not a winning moment: law, economics, high technology. The first stage is sometimes equated with a technical school (according to the personnel officers of the old school).

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

And his focus on practice is more than that of the master. After all, during the continuation of studies in the magistracy, an orientation is created more on scientific and theoretical activity than on practical.

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 entering to continue your studies, you need to find out if your university has a license to issue masters and its validity period. It is undesirable that the license ends in the year of your graduation from the master's program. Everything happens in life…

It is according to this scheme - first a bachelor's degree, and then, if desired, either a master's degree or employment - that students have long been studying in Western universities. When it came to the fact that Russia would join the Bologna process (and this is necessary in order for the diplomas of our universities to be recognized all over the world), they started talking about the need to transfer our educational institutions to a two-level education.

The State Duma deputies legalized this system at the end of 2007. More and more universities are switching to it every year.

How many years do you have to sit at the desk?

The bachelor's program is designed for 4 years. A bachelor's degree is a full-fledged higher education. In the diploma of such a graduate it will be written: "the qualification (degree) of a bachelor in such and such a direction has been awarded." Master's degree is two more years at the institute. It is intended for those who want to go into science or become a teacher. That is, to deepen knowledge in your field as much as possible.

However, some universities will retain the traditional five-year plan, or specialty. Diplomas of specialists will be issued where there are "specialties that ensure the security of the individual and the state." These are, for example, military and engineering educational institutions. Medical universities will also retain their special system of training specialists.

By the way, in addition to this layout (11 classes of the school - bachelor's degree - master's degree), there are others. For example, a boy or girl can, after the 9th grade, first go to college, and only then apply to a university. At the same time, then you will have to study for a bachelor's degree not four, but only three years. If at a university a young person continues his studies in the same field as in college.

Will there be enough places in the master's program for everyone?

To enter the magistracy, you will have to pass exams. It is clear that there will be fewer state-funded places than in bachelor's programs. For example, in one of the largest Russian universities - Financial Academy under the government of the Russian Federation, its rector Mikhail Eskindarov said at a recent online conference in KP, this year there are 570 budget places in the bachelor's degree (at the full-time department) and only 100 in the master's program.

One way or another, the number of places for masters in all universities will be different. It depends on the quality of training, personnel and material capabilities of the educational institution.

The most talented young people will be able to study for a master's degree for free.

Those who pass the exams worse, if, of course, there are enough places, will be enrolled in paid education. It is quite possible to continue their studies in the magistracy and those who have studied at the university for 5 years. But they will have to pay for this pleasure, since it is believed that for a specialist graduate this is already a second-level higher education.

Is this a normal education?

The two-tier system of education has many opponents. Some are sure: bachelors are the same as half-educated students. Representatives of leading universities that switched to new system preparation without waiting for the emergence of the law, do not agree with this. Among the leaders - and "Bauman", and RUDN University, and MGIMO.

Professor, Scientific Director of the Faculty of Psychology high school Economics Vladimir Shadrikov in an interview with "KP" noted that two-level education allows you to introduce more flexible courses. For example, at the Faculty of Psychology, there are "towers" for one bachelor's program. The advantage is that the "bachelor's - master's" system allows current students to think about a career much earlier.

And without compromising learning. International experience confirms this: almost 80 percent of graduates of American universities leave the walls of the alma mater with a bachelor's degree.

What do employers think?

Many fathers and mothers of current applicants doubt whether it is worth sending their beloved child to a bachelor's degree. Will a young man with such an education then find a prestigious job? The director of marketing and PR-group of companies HeadHunter thinks differently:

For the employer, it is important, first of all, higher education as such. When posting a vacancy, few people indicate: "Masters are required" or "Bachelors are required." At the same time, applicants often avoid the word "bachelor" in their resumes and interviews, focusing on higher education.

In these cases, they are guided by the idea that a bachelor's degree implies an opportunity to get a master's degree, which, it may seem to the future boss, has been missed. Therefore, they try to avoid sharp questions from the hr manager.

Companies value the knowledge and experience of the employee they hire. And sometimes the line "magistracy" can play a decisive role in choosing one of the two applicants.

It is also undeniable that for many professional fields (especially in marketing and journalism) two years of practical experience is more important than two years spent in lectures. This situation is unlikely to change in the near future. Although for areas of activity where fundamental knowledge is needed - economics, law, pharmaceuticals, psychology - a master's degree should become a priority.