Over the past 15 years, the wind of change has swept away many stable concepts in the Russian expanse. 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. Having continued your studies for 2 more training courses, and having passed the final certification, you receive 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 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 peaks 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, are approximately 25-30% of the total number of 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.
• It is even more difficult to enter free education in 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 higher education has not yet taken root in the expanses of the 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…

What is a specialty

Specialty is a traditional form of higher education in Russia. Students in the specialist's program study at the university for 5 years, and after that they receive the degree of "graduate".

In 2003, Russia signed the Bologna Declaration and began the transition to the European system of higher education. Thus, a two-level system of higher education appeared in Russian universities: a bachelor's degree plus a master's degree.

How is a bachelor's degree different from a master's degree

Undergraduate - This is the first level of higher education, it lasts 4 years. During your studies, you will receive basic knowledge in your specialty and a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree is considered a completed higher education.

Master's degree - This is the second level of higher education, which lasts 2 years. Unlike a bachelor's degree, a master's degree makes it possible to choose a narrow specialization. For example, if you have a bachelor's degree in management, you can go to a master's program in management in trade or tourism.

Benefits of Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

The diploma is recognized abroad.If you received a bachelor's degree in Russia and want to further study abroad, a foreign university will confirm your diploma. With a bachelor's or master's degree, it is easier to get a job abroad than with a specialist diploma.

Easy to change profession. Bachelor's and master's programs are designed in such a way that you can study for 4 years and then enroll in a master's program in management. As a result, you will have two specialties. In addition, you can study for a master's degree at another university.

Departure from the army. If a student enters a master's program in the year of graduation from the bachelor's degree, he will receive a 2-year deferment from the army. A specialist when applying for a master's degree is not given such a delay.

Cons of Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

employers' distrust.Some employers are wary of bachelors because they study 1-2 years less than specialists. Therefore, specialists are more often hired.

Paid master's degree.Not all bachelors who studied on a budget will be able to graduate from a master's program for free. There are state-funded places at the magistracy, but there are much fewer of them than at the bachelor's degree. If you do not have enough money for a master's degree, you can take a break from studying, work and save up for a second diploma.

Pros and cons of a specialty

Appreciated by employers.Employers are willing to hire specialists, because they study in a narrow profile, and bachelors receive general knowledge.

It's easier to get into graduate school.If you are going to do science or go to graduate school, choose a specialty. You can become a graduate student right after the specialty, and a bachelor will have to complete a master's program first.

Takes more time.A specialist studies for 1-2 years longer than a bachelor. If you feel sorry for this time and want to start working faster, choose a bachelor's degree.

It is difficult to confirm a diploma abroad.There is no specialty abroad, so it will be more difficult for you to confirm a specialist diploma for studying or working abroad.

Which type of training to choose

It is impossible to say unequivocally what is better to choose: a specialist or a bachelor's degree with a master's degree. To make it easier for you to decide and see the difference between them, we have collected the pros and cons of each form of training in a table.

	Specialty	Undergraduate	Master's degree
Diploma of Higher Education	Yes	Yes	Yes
Training period	5-6 years	4 years	2 years
Opportunity to study for free	many budget places	many budget places	few budget places
Attitude of employers	good	wary	good
Recognition of a diploma abroad	hardly recognize	easily recognize	easily recognize

In more than 50 countries of the world, and especially in Europe, there is a two-level system of higher education. Universities annually release bachelors and masters from their walls into the "professional" life. The question is legitimate - where, in this case, do specialists come from? Also from universities and can even then become masters, like bachelors. In order not to get completely confused about the difference between a bachelor and a specialist, let's look at history.

The origin of the concepts "specialist" and "bachelor"

Bachelors appeared back in the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, even then this concept referred to university students who had reached a certain level of mastery, degree. One of the versions of the origin of the word "bachelor" comes down to the fact that those who reached this degree were awarded the fruit of the laurel, and it sounded like "bacca lauri". The term "specialist" in turn refers exclusively to the Soviet space. He called himself a certified specialist, and even now a person who has received a diploma of higher education in a particular specialty is called. In most countries of the post-Soviet space, including Russia and Ukraine, the degree of "specialist" has already been canceled. Thus, we can say that the main difference between a bachelor and a specialist lies in terms: a bachelor is an academic degree, a specialist is a qualification.

Differences in the preparation of bachelors and specialists

1. What distinguishes a bachelor's degree from a specialist's degree is the terms of study. A bachelor will have to sit at a desk for only 4 years, while a specialist will spend 5-6 years, depending on the specialty.
2. 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, the specialist moves on to narrow-profile disciplines.
3. The difference between a bachelor and a specialist upon graduation is that a specialist receives a diploma in his specialty, and a bachelor about general higher education.
4. Bachelor and specialist can continue their education in the magistracy. But for a bachelor-master and a specialist-master, the difference is that the former formally continues to receive higher education and can do it, while for a specialist it is a second education, in any case paid.

Advantages and disadvantages

It turns out that it is almost impossible to answer the question of whether a bachelor or a specialist is higher. Both have received higher education, and both can work in their profession. The advantages of choosing a bachelor's degree include the opportunity to consider 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 the magistracy. A specialist risks, having received a specialty, and not to find its application in practice.

An obvious advantage of a bachelor's degree will be for a student who is going 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 evaluated ambiguously - this is a minus. Many employers perceive such education as incomplete, like about everything and nothing at the same time. In turn, European and American employers enthusiastically accept bachelors as employees with the prospect of learning “for themselves”.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that when choosing a higher education - a specialist or a bachelor, you must first focus on your personal plans. Dreaming of or about the fastest possible economic independence, then a bachelor's degree, while still in high school, decided on a specialty - obviously, a specialty.

Often, people who want to arrange their work abroad face a problem associated with the acquired education, namely, they have to go through a tedious procedure to confirm it or completely retrain.

Although the Lisbon Convention is now in force that all countries included in it must accept specialists with diplomas from the countries in which they studied, but in reality everything is quite the opposite.

Due to the fact that there are no such concepts as “doctor of science” or “engineer” abroad, some changes had to be made in our education system. This became necessary so that our specialists could find employment in foreign countries without difficulties and unnecessary costs.

On this basis, in 1999, the Bologna Declaration was signed, that the process of obtaining higher education in all countries should be the same and have two levels, that is, after four years of study, the student receives a bachelor's degree, and after the remaining two years - postgraduate degree. Russia and Ukraine joined this declaration. In Russia, this system officially came into force in 2009.

Although the bulk of higher education institutions have switched to a new two-level education system, some of them still remained true to the old "traditions" in education.

What is the difference between a bachelor's degree and a specialist

To get an answer to this question, let's consider in more detail what is a specialty and what is a bachelor's degree.

1. Bachelor's degree is considered the first level in higher education of two possible. The second stage is the master's degree. It is worth noting that, unlike the first, the second level is considered optional, and after receiving a bachelor's degree, a student can begin his career.
2. The traditional system of education, which has long been known to everyone, belongs to the specialty. Namely, what is well known to all applicants of past years.

Based on this, many modern students are concerned about one question: what is the best way to get a diploma - studying in the undergraduate system or in the specialty system? To answer this question, consider what are the differences between the above systems.

The main differences between a bachelor's degree and a specialty

Although a bachelor's degree is considered a complete higher education, in the common people it is mistakenly referred to as an incomplete higher education. Passing the process of obtaining higher education in the undergraduate system, the student fully masters all the necessary knowledge in the specialty that he has chosen for himself. This training can take place both in full-time and part-time. After receiving a diploma, the student has a choice: to start the process of his employment or continue his studies at the second level (in the magistracy).

Consider the advantages of a bachelor's degree:

• with such a system of education, a diploma is obtained with which you can get a job abroad;
• given the opportunity to continue education abroad and get a master's degree there;
• under such a system, the student receives a certain amount of time, which he can spend on precisely deciding on the question of who he wants to become, and if necessary, change the educational institution.

The disadvantages of a bachelor's degree include:

• the erroneous opinion of many people, in particular potential employers, that bachelors are significantly inferior to specialists;
• the missing number of places in the magistracy where one could study for free;
• if you miss the “budget”, you have to pay a fairly high amount of tuition;
• You can only enroll in graduate school after receiving a master's degree.

A specialist is considered to be a five- or six-year study in a higher educational institution that is well known to the majority of people.