The question of whether a bachelor's degree is considered higher education worries many applicants. At the same time, despite the fact that the legislation of the Russian Federation unequivocally gives a positive answer to this question, in fact, at the beginning of their career, many bachelors may encounter refusals from personnel specialists who consider a bachelor's degree to be a certificate of incomplete higher education. As part of the article, we will consider how a bachelor differs from a specialist and a master in Russia.

At Table of contents:

Bachelor in Russian and World Law

Traditionally, in the Soviet and post-Soviet educational system, there was only one degree of higher education - a specialist. Even after the end of the existence of the USSR, such a system was used in Russia until 1996, when the concept of a bachelor's degree was introduced. Subsequently, with the adoption by the Russian Federation of the main provisions of the Bologna system of education, since 2003, a master's degree and a corresponding higher education were also introduced.

In Western countries, at the moment, almost everywhere, only two degrees of general higher education are used - bachelor's and master's degrees. At the same time, the main fundamental separation of these training options exists, is declared and applied in practice. Thus, bachelor's education aims to provide the student with practical professional skills for subsequent employment, while master's education, first of all, pursues the goals of the graduate's subsequent scientific activity. In Russia, however, this division is not so strictly expressed and is interpreted in practice according to other principles.

Now the issues of higher education, including those with a bachelor's degree, are considered by the provisions of the Federal Law No. 273 of December 29, 2012. In particular, bachelor's education, according to the provisions of this law, is clearly considered the highest and entails all the relevant legal consequences. The main of these consequences is the direct possibility of employment in vacancies that require higher education.

note

Due to the fact that the law unequivocally defines a bachelor's degree as higher education, refusing employment on the basis of having an incomplete higher education with a bachelor's degree is completely and completely illegal. Under incomplete or incomplete higher education means only the absence of a diploma with a confirmed fact of passing at least one training course of the program of a higher educational institution.

Differences between the education of a specialist, bachelor and master

One of the main differences between bachelor, specialist and master is the duration of study. Thus, the minimum terms for obtaining each of the corresponding degrees of higher education are legislatively established. Namely:

• Bachelor - 4 years of study;
• Specialist - 5 years of study;
• Master - any previous degree and at least a year of study.

Important fact

These restrictions apply to the minimum duration of the educational program. In some cases, bachelor's studies can last more than four years. The same applies to specialists and masters. Most often, the increased duration of training is used in the medical field.

However, there are other differences as well. In particular, the presence of a bachelor's degree does not provide for the right to subsequently enroll in graduate school. However, the presence of a bachelor's degree gives full right to enter the master's program without training as a specialist. Moreover, a bachelor has the right to enroll in a master's program and in any other university in a similar specialty, including several years after graduation and receiving a diploma.

Important fact

The degree of a specialist in Russia is becoming more and more limited program of education every year. In particular, its preservation at the legislative level is envisaged only for areas that are strategically important for national and state security. At the same time, an increasing number of universities in practice cease to train specialists in most areas.

Another significant difference between a bachelor and a specialist from a master is the absence of the need to write and defend a dissertation. Bachelors and specialists perform only diploma theses. At the same time, the confirmation of the effective completion of the master's course is the defense of the master's thesis. The difference between a dissertation and a thesis work should be expressed in the strictly expressed practical usefulness of such work and the disclosure of new issues that have not been previously considered by science.

Employment with a bachelor's degree - possible problems

In practice, in Russia, some employers, as mentioned above, practice refusing to hire bachelors due to incomplete higher education. It is believed that a four-year bachelor's degree does not provide the necessary set of practical skills in comparison with a specialist and master's degree. However, this practice is illegal. A bachelor's degree in Russia is considered a higher education, absolutely complete and complete. Thus, if the refusal to hire is ensured by the lack of higher education in the presence of a bachelor's degree, this refusal can be challenged in court.

note

The opportunity to challenge the refusal to hire in the situation described above is present only if the requirements for the vacancy contained only a mention of the presence of higher education in the specialty, and only when the wording of the refusal contained a discrepancy with the requirements for the presence of such education.

In addition, individual employers can clearly indicate the presence of a master's or specialist degree in the requirements for a vacancy. This practice is absolutely legal and based on such requirements, the employer cannot be held liable. In fact, today the misconception about the "inferiority" of bachelor's education is less and less common, but there is a place for personnel specialists in some cases.

In the modern world, having a diploma of higher education is not only a store of knowledge confirming the viability of a person, but also an excellent chance to get an interesting specialty and a well-paid job. Even before graduation, the future graduate begins to think about continuing his education, collecting information about what this or that stage of its acquisition represents. Much is known about the prestige of entering a master's program. But what can be said when deciding whether to enter a university for the first time? There are two forms of higher education: specialist and bachelor's degree.

What is a bachelor's degree

Such a form of education as a bachelor's degree came to Russia from Europe, first appearing there in the Middle Ages. Today, in pursuit of the goal of maintaining international standards, Russian students are well acquainted with the two-tier system of higher education. A graduate who has received a diploma from a university is called a bachelor.

For a full-time bachelor's degree, a student will need to complete 4 years of study. In the third year of study, students begin to acquire knowledge, mastering a wider range of subjects aimed at the general profile of education. After completing four courses and defending the final thesis, the student receives the coveted diploma of general higher education, which allows him to immediately get a job. If the holder of the diploma is determined to continue his studies, then he is eligible for admission to the magistracy and then to graduate school.

A similar principle of obtaining several levels of education allows the graduate, if desired or if necessary, to change his profession while studying in the magistracy. Also, when receiving a bachelor's degree, graduates can confirm their diploma abroad.

• an open opportunity to obtain a diploma in accordance with European standards, which opens up a chance for admission to a master's program at universities in other countries;
• European employers accept bachelors willingly, restructuring them and training them according to their requirements;
• a possible change not only of the university, but also the replacement of the previously chosen specialty.

You can observe a number of disadvantages of the bottom form of a diploma:

• many employers, out of old habit, consider the received bachelor's degree to be not a sufficient basis for employment, preferring another form of study or a higher level of education;
• the bachelor does not have the opportunity to enter graduate school without passing the master's degree;
• a limited number of budget places for graduate studies and a high cost of obtaining this educational level.

It should be noted that training in this form has come to Russia since 1996.

What does a specialist diploma

This form of education remains standard and customary for Russia and the CIS countries. Most countries have already abolished the specialist degree. Full-time education lasts for 5 years, in some cases 6 years. Starting from the third year, instead of studying subjects aimed at obtaining a general higher education, specialists are given a narrow focus in their chosen profession, studying a particular specialty to perfection. At the same time, a specialist is more of a qualification than an acquired academic degree. Graduate has the right to enter both the magistracy and later the postgraduate study.

The advantages of the specialist, of course, are:

• good attitude of Russian employers to the completed form of education, they are quite willing to take a graduate to work;
• with this form, a graduate can immediately enter graduate school, bypassing the master's degree.

But there are also a few significant downsides:

• a specialist diploma is not quoted in Europe and America and may not be accepted;
• admission to a magistracy is equated to a second higher education and is only paid, which means it requires considerable financial investments;
• a specialist needs to think carefully about the chosen specialty, there is a high risk of not finding an application for it.

Which form of education to choose depends only on the desire and goals that a particular person sets for himself for the future. If you know exactly in which area you want to become a specialist and want to master this profession to perfection, then it makes sense to choose specialty training.

If your goal is to obtain general knowledge, confirmed by a diploma of higher education, then such a form of education as a bachelor's degree will undoubtedly suit you to the fullest. Obtaining this diploma gives a person the opportunity to work in several areas of activity that have similar requirements for employees.

It should also be borne in mind that it will be easier to find a job abroad with an international diploma than for a graduate who has received the qualification of a specialist, which is so well received in the Russian employment market.

Back in 1997, Russia joined the single European educational space. This happened after the signing of the Bologna Convention, which involves the transition to the so-called two-level educational system. Starting this year, all universities in the country offer bachelor's and master's programs of study and training of specialists to future students. At the first level there is a bachelor's degree and its "basic" knowledge, at the second level a master's degree and a specialist. What is the difference between these levels of education?

Definition of degrees of education

Modern students after graduation from school (or technical school) have a very difficult time. Not only are they more often required to decide on their future profession “here and now” and pass the appropriate number of exams, there is also some confusion with educational programs. Someone shouts that a bachelor's degree is an unfinished higher education and it is imperative to complete a master's degree, someone claims that a specialty as a training program has long been excluded, someone does not understand all these educational levels at all and carries his cherished documents with his eyes closed to the first university you come across.

In order to prevent this from happening to you, let's try to figure out what is the difference between these mysterious educational levels.

Undergraduate

Initially, the academic cap was intended for undergraduates, but then bachelors began to use it as well.

Let's start with the simplest (and for some the most difficult) - with a bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degree is the initial stage of higher education. A bachelor's degree is a full-fledged higher education with all the ensuing consequences.

Bachelor degree:

• the degree (qualification) of the bachelor confirms the receipt of higher professional education;
• the program is designed for four years of study;
• upon graduation, the student must pass the final certification (pass state exams) and / or defend a diploma;
• after completing the undergraduate studies, the student has the right to enter the master's program.

Now let's look at all the provisions in more detail.

Graduates of schools, colleges, technical schools and colleges can apply for a bachelor's degree. Of course, for this you need to pass the relevant USE exams (they will depend on the specialty that you would like to get).

A bachelor's degree means that a university graduate has completed four years of study and received a basic higher education. Employers around the world understand this statement because the undergraduate degree is part of a two-tier European education.

After graduation, a student applying for a bachelor's degree must pass the final certification and / or defend the final qualifying work (popularly "diploma"). Having adopted European standards of education, Russia did not trouble itself with rewriting educational programs and revising the certification of future university graduates. In fact, many students are now studying in the same programs that were successfully operating until 1997 and were designed for 5 years of study.

This system does not work in all specialties. Some still assume only examination certification without any written confirmation.

For those who do not want to be limited to basic knowledge, a master's degree is provided. After completing a bachelor's degree, a graduate can, with a clear conscience, apply to a master's program. Moreover, it is not necessary to choose a master's degree in your own specialty, you can choose something completely different and end up with two different specialties.

Let's highlight the advantages and disadvantages of a bachelor's degree.

• short period of study;
• the degree gives the right to employment both in Russia and abroad;
• the degree gives the right to continue education;
• after a bachelor's degree, it is possible to enter a master's program even in another university and in another specialty.

• low demand for bachelors among leading employers in the Russian Federation (the whole point here is confusion due to the simultaneous existence of bachelor's and specialist's degrees in our country, because of this, many employers think that a bachelor has a more limited set of knowledge than a specialist, although this the same curriculum)
• a limited number of state-funded places in magistracy (due to the transition to a two-level education system, the number of free places in magistracy was significantly reduced, and the competition was tightened).

Many people also mistakenly think that the level of knowledge and the rigidity of the requirements at the bachelor's degree is much lower than at the specialist's and master's programs. Most often this is not the case. It depends on the university where you will study, on the specialty you have chosen, as well as on the teaching staff of the educational institution.

Master's degree

A master's degree is an obvious plus on a resume

People who have a bachelor's or specialist's degree can go to the magistracy.

Obtaining a master's degree involves six years of study at a university. These six years include undergraduate studies (four years) and directly the master's program of study (two years). It is assumed that this degree is chosen by those students who plan to continue their scientific activities.

Education in the magistracy involves a narrower educational focus. If the bachelor's degree is considered the basic level of education, studying at which students receive general (initial) knowledge about the specialty, then the master's degree is designed for a more conscious attitude to the subject of study (the student must clearly know what he is interested in and direct his efforts to a deeper study of the subject of scientific research).

During two years of study in the magistracy, the undergraduate student is obliged to work on a master's thesis. Upon graduation, he will have to defend his master's degree, which will allow him to receive a “crust” corresponding to his scientific degree.

Let's highlight the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining a master's degree.

• After graduating from a bachelor's degree, it is not necessary to immediately enter a master's program. You have time to relax a little and think about your future;
• master's degree allows you to dramatically change your specialty. If, for example, you have a bachelor's degree in one specialty, but you have always dreamed of another, then a master's degree is a great tool to fulfill your dream;
• A bachelor's degree and a master's degree can be obtained at different universities. And this applies not only to domestic educational institutions. You can enroll in a master's program abroad.

• tougher competition for budget places. In connection with the transition to a two-level education system, the competition for budget places has become much tougher, students are selected according to certain criteria and merits;
• employment problem. If you are a poor student who has financial problems, then know that you can only get a job that is combined with the study schedule. The modern dominance of students who want to study and work (read “enroll at the university, but not attend it”) is very large, therefore, for absenteeism, even because you are busy at work, you can easily be expelled and find a replacement for you on the same day;
• short learning period. This is not about the fact that those who are thirsty for knowledge are given a small amount of time to obtain this knowledge, but about the fact that in two years you have to write a rather voluminous scientific work. If you have not encountered this at the undergraduate level (did not defend your diploma, but only passed state exams), then it will be very difficult for you to adapt to this certification format in such a short time. Especially if you work and study at the same time.

Specialty

In many CIS countries, the specialty has already been canceled

Let's move on to the most incomprehensible educational course - the specialty. This direction is a dying stage of higher education, because after the transition to the European system in our country (for some reason) they did not want to abandon this format of higher education.

These days it's hard enough to find an institution that allows students to choose a major as their program of study, but some universities (especially in the provinces) provide such an opportunity, which causes even more confusion among already frightened would-be students.

The qualification of a specialist is also a higher professional education. The confusion begins at the moment of the final certification. Here, many people begin to confuse bachelor's and specialist's degrees, and comparing them, they find that studying at a bachelor's degree takes only four years, and five years at a specialist's (provided that everything else for these qualifications is the same). Such a discovery makes many people think that a bachelor's degree is an incomplete higher education, while a specialist's degree is full and complete.

Let's dispel the myths: both the bachelor's degree and the qualification of a specialist are higher professional education. The only problem is that in Russia they did not bother to rework the curricula and the certification system for university graduates, so they left everything as it was and added a two-level education system to this.

Ideally, we should not have a specialty at all, students should immediately enroll in a bachelor's degree, and then, if they wish, continue their studies in a master's and postgraduate studies. At the same time, future bachelors must pass only state exams at the end of their studies (without protection of scientific work).

In reality, we still have two almost identical stages of higher education, one of which was simply taken away from one year of study (which, by the way, is most often not “scattered” in terms of the curriculum for the remaining 4 years, but included in Last year). Therefore, bachelor students are required to master everything that specialist students master in four years and during this time manage to write a qualifying scientific work and prepare for state exams.

The only significant advantage and difference between a specialty and a bachelor's degree is the fact that upon graduation from a specialist's degree, a student can immediately apply to graduate school. This is very convenient for those who intend to build a scientific career.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the specialty.

• advantage when applying for a job within the Russian Federation. The new system of higher education has not yet been fully adopted in Russia, so many employers believe that a specialist degree is a full-fledged higher education, while a bachelor's degree is incomplete or insufficient;
• opportunity to go directly to graduate school. The good news for those who are going to connect their lives with science is that obtaining a specialist qualification will allow you to immediately enter graduate school;
• magistracy is considered the second higher education. For those who want to learn something new, the specialty will also be very convenient - after completing the specialty, you can enroll in a master's program in another specialty. Upon completion of the master's program, you will be considered the owner of two higher educations.

• a specialist diploma is not quoted abroad. Foreign employers do not know who a specialist is and what he eats with. They are accustomed to a two-tier education system, and something similar to a bachelor's degree, but at the same time different from it in some criteria, does not suit them;
• many universities have already practically got rid of the specialty. Although the phenomenon of a specialist qualification still exists in our country, it is difficult to quickly find a university that provides the opportunity for a five-year study;
• a bachelor's degree and a specialist's degree are equated. This should have become clear even at the time of comparing bachelor's and specialist's degrees. These two levels provide one curriculum, the same certification, so that the diplomas here will be the same in terms of weight.

PhD

In some countries, graduate school is already considered a full-time job, not a study.

Postgraduate study is the first step on the way to a scientific career. It is not a mandatory element in obtaining higher education and is considered as a separate educational block.

PhD degree (postgraduate student):

• the time of study in full-time postgraduate study is 3 years, in correspondence 4 years;
• upon completion of postgraduate studies, a postgraduate student is obliged to defend a dissertation, which will allow him to receive a Ph.D. degree;
• for the entire period of postgraduate studies, the future candidate of sciences must pass three candidate exams, as well as prepare several scientific publications;
• graduate school gives the right to conduct classes at universities, as well as take exams;
• After completing the postgraduate studies, you can enter the doctoral program.

Postgraduate study provides for the student's desire to engage in scientific activities, as well as to teach in higher educational institutions.

What is the difference between Bachelor's, Specialist's, Master's and PhD

The difference can be seen in the comparison table below.

Table: differences in educational levels

Comparison points	Undergraduate	Specialty	Master's degree
Applicant Selection Criteria		Applicants with secondary general education	Bachelor's Degree/Specialist Qualification
Studying time	4 years	5 years	2 years
Degree (qualification)	Scientific degree (bachelor)	Professional qualification (specialist)	Scientific degree (Master)
Educational base	Basic training (no narrowly focused research is provided)	General training, which is aimed at obtaining practical knowledge in the chosen specialty	Deep study of specialization, designed to continue scientific activity
Form of final certification		Passing the state exam and defending a diploma	Master's degree defense
The next level of learning	Master's degree	Master's or PhD	PhD
Professional perspectives	Opportunity to apply for any position requiring higher education

Summing up what has been said, I would like to note once again: despite the fact that the system of higher education in Russia is rather complicated, it is not so complicated. All three levels of the two-tier system of European education are full-fledged higher education. Bachelor's and specialist's degrees are almost identical levels, so they are very often confused or not distinguished. Both bachelor's and specialist's degrees are the first (basic) level of the higher education system. The specialty is almost completely excluded from the proposed options for higher education, its place is taken by the bachelor's degree.

Master's degree is the second optional stage of higher education and is designed for those students who want to study their specialty in more detail.

Postgraduate study, in turn, is the first stage of a research career. A student can enroll after completing the first two levels of higher education.

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 bachelor's system or in the specialist's 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.

Sooner or later, every 11th grade graduate who plans to enter a university in our country faces a difficult question: what form of higher education to choose: a bachelor's degree or a specialty? Our blogger tells how higher education works in Russia and what is better to choose.

For those who are preparing for the main school exam

I am a mother of two twin sons. Yegor was preparing to enter the faculty of journalism, Vanya - to applied computer science or information security. As you understand, a lot of money was spent on preparing for the Unified State Examination, therefore, in the question of which is better - a bachelor's degree or a specialist, we generally chose the third - the budget, that is, free education. This was our financial strategy.

I understand that now I have confused you even more, but when I explain everything in detail, it will become clear what I mean. At the family council, we decided that, first of all, we were striving to get state-funded places, so the choice in favor of a bachelor's degree or a specialist's degree was put in second place by us.

In Russian, quite simply, the logic was this: it doesn't matter - a bachelor's degree or a specialist - just to get into state-funded places. Paying for the studies of two students at once is costly for any family, with any income.

As a result, it turned out that journalists in Moscow are already being trained according to the Bologna system bachelor's + master's degree. Egor entered the bachelor's program at the RANEPA. With Vanya's faculty, "information security" was more difficult: somewhere there were specialist programs (5 or 5.5 years), somewhere there was a two-level system - a bachelor's degree (4 years) plus a master's degree (2 years). But for us, when choosing a university, this fact was not the main one.

Your priorities may be arranged differently, so I will objectively try to state all the subtleties of this situation. Knowing all the differences, it is easier to make a decision, and it should be balanced, since these two forms of higher education, adopted today in Russian universities, are mutually exclusive in some situations. For example, if you want to transfer from one form of study to another, you may have problems. You don't have to look far for examples. Our relative recently wanted to transfer from a specialty to a bachelor's degree, and at her native university she received a decisive refusal. Not provided for by the statute.

Bologna system of higher education

So, since 2003, Russian universities began to participate in a large-scale reform of higher education, namely, they began to smoothly move from one education system to another, more modern and, most importantly, accepted in the European world. This system is called Bologna, after the name of the famous city of Bologna in northern Italy. Bachelors were graduated before, but it was in 2003 that it acquired, if I may say so, a mass character.

History of occurrence, all the advantages and disadvantages of this system. I will not retell all this, I will only say briefly that in 1999, on the eve of the beginning of the new millennium, the participants in the Bologna process, namely 29 European countries, signed a declaration that higher education in the European Union should be single and two-level: bachelor's and master's programs. Almost immediately, the list of countries wishing to join the Bologna process began to grow. In 2003, Russia also joined this process. In 2009, such a system of "bachelor's + master's" began to operate officially in Russia. The terms of study in all countries are different, but in our country it is usually 4 + 2 years, respectively. By the way, it was in 2009 that the Unified State Examination became mandatory for everyone. Before that, there was an experimental period.

Today, most Russian universities have switched to a new system of education, but at the same time, the classic Russian one-level system, which is called "specialty", has remained. Thus, the old and new higher education exist in our country in parallel, without canceling one another. As always, everything takes root with us, adjusted for Russian originality, so we went our own way. Therefore, today's graduates, as well as their parents (pa-pa-ra-ra-ram) have one more additional dilemma: what to choose - a bachelor's degree or a specialty?

Specialty

Let's start from the end - it will be easier. A specialty is a familiar system of five or six years of continuous education at a university, which was adopted in our country in the USSR and until the beginning of the 2000s as the main and only possible one. A person studied and eventually received a diploma of a specialist. In it, if you remember, it was written: "specialty such and such." The concept of "certified specialist" is just about that.

Undergraduate and graduate

Who are Bachelor and Master? For some reason, Master Yoda immediately comes to mind Harry Potter.

Everything is quite simple here: higher education is built in two stages. First, you enter a bachelor's degree. The conditions for admission are absolutely identical with the specialty: bring USE scores along with all the documents, if necessary, then additionally pass creative exams. After four years, you receive a diploma of higher education, which says "bachelor".

If you want to continue your studies, you must pass the entrance exams to the master's program. By the way, at the second stage you can choose any university, not necessarily the same one where you studied for a bachelor's degree! At the end of the master's program, you will have a master's degree.

A common misconception that a bachelor's degree is some kind of unfinished higher education, that they won't be hired, and so on

A bachelor's degree indicates the presence of higher education, period! (clause 2, part 5, article 10 of the Law of December 29, 2012 N 273-FZ). The difference between two students who left point A in parallel, but go different ways, will, of course, be in knowledge. A bachelor studies for four years, and a specialist for at least five years (sometimes 5.5 or even 6). Of course, their program will be different.

It is generally accepted that a bachelor's degree provides broader knowledge with a blurred specialization, and a master's degree provides a more narrowly focused education. There is also a stereotype that a specialty is a higher quality education, since all five or six years of study at a university are preparing narrow practitioners. All this is debatable, in my opinion. Too little time has passed to conduct a substantive conversation on this topic. The process of forming undergraduate study programs in each university is still in its infancy. The era of change in higher education in Russia has just begun.

9 Distinctive Features of the Russian Baccalaureate

1. After receiving a bachelor's degree, you can immediately go to work. You have a higher education in your pocket. And point. The period of study is four years.
2. Some specialties do not provide for two-stage education in Russia. This list includes medical specialties, customs, military specialties and others. You can't become a good doctor in four years, that's a no-brainer.
3. After a bachelor's degree, you will be able to apply for a budget place in a master's program, but after a specialist's degree, you will not. True, it is not entirely clear why, after a specialty, you need to go to a magistracy. In any case, if you are “impatient”, then this will be considered a second higher education, which means that it will be 100% paid (such is the law). The only exceptions are "certified specialists" (who enrolled in training before 2008 inclusive). There will be no deferment from the army either.
4. For the entire period of study "bachelor's + master's" in the full-time department, you receive a deferment from the army. The specialty also guarantees a deferment for the entire period of full-time study. There is not much difference here.
5. What about graduate school? After a specialty, you can safely go, after a bachelor's degree - no, bypassing a master's program is impossible. From the magistracy - please.
6. In most cases, a specialist diploma cannot be confirmed abroad, but bachelor's and master's degrees can.
7. A bachelor's degree can be completed in one profession, and a master's degree in another. For example, during four years of study, it became clear that you are interested not only in technical subjects, but also in the humanities. A master's degree in the humanities is quite real. Variability is an advantage, of course. In fact, you get two diplomas of higher education: "Bachelor" + "Master". Once again: "bachelor's + master's" - these are two diplomas of higher education, only they are of different levels.
8. Studying for a master's degree is possible in foreign universities and universities. Here, of course, knowledge of a foreign language is required, but today this is not a problem.
9. If you entered the specialty for a budget place, then you will not pay anything for all the years of study. If after a bachelor's degree you decide to go to a master's program, then know that the chances of entering the budget are minimal (too high competition). It is possible that during these two years you will have to pay tuition fees. The percentage of state-funded places is almost everywhere less than in undergraduate studies. Each university has its own statistics.

Disadvantages of the two-stage system in Russia

1. Again an experiment on our students and teachers. It will take a long time for everything to "settle down".

2. Of course, you can guess that there is a “pandemonium” with the curricula of undergraduate and graduate programs, because universities were given the freedom to form them on their own, based on state standards. The practice of obtaining higher education according to the Bologna system has actually begun in 2009, that is, not even ten years have passed since the start of the experiment. Of course, all this requires manual tuning for a long time, so the ideal is just looming on the horizon.

In order to make a full-fledged bachelor out of an applicant in four years, that is, a professional who is actually ready to go to work, it is necessary to build a training system very competently and clearly. Agree that four years is not a very long time.

In the case of a specialist, as you understand, there are no problems with curricula, since they were inherited, as they say, from past times. Here everything is more stable and built on classical teaching. How relevant classical education is in modern realities is not for me to judge, of course. Only time will tell. I am glad that, existing in parallel, both systems involuntarily compete with each other. This makes the pros and cons clearer.

3. Not all higher education institutions understood what specifically needed to be changed during the transition to the Bologna system. For example, there are few places in Russia where the Bologna 100-point system for assessing knowledge is used in full force. Nominally, it is, but it acts somehow strange, in my opinion.