Higher education - overview
Non-university higher education (or middle-level professional education) is provided
in institution of vocational training, technical education institutions (technikums), and colleges, the latter being a new type of
institution introduced in 1989 offering
advanced middle-level professional
programmes
, normally lasting one
year after the
completion of a technical or professional
programme.
Institutions of middle-level
professional education offer: three- to five-year
programmes
consisting of vocational
and general education; two- to three-year vocational
programmes; and advanced training
programmes
requiring one additional year of study
(only offered by colleges). Until the end
of the 1990s, admission to higher education
was based on the certificate of secondary
education.
Since 2001 a
single, nationwide,
standardized set of exam
s known as the Unified National Exam (UNE) has been
introduced on experimental basis and is gradually replacing institution-based entrance
examinations. Based on the certificate of secondary education and the certificate of
results from the UNE, school leavers can apply to several different universities and
non-university institutions across the
Federation. Regional state examination
commissions administer the exams, and check
and evaluate the results jointly with the
Ministry of Education in Moscow.
(NORRIC, 2005).
Higher education is provided in
universities, academies, and higher institutes. A minimum of two years of study are
required for a diploma of incomplete basic higher education, usually in a course
which is part of a bachelor’s or specialist degree
programme.
Bachelor’s degree
programmes
last a minimum of four years.
An additional two years of study are
required for the award of a master’s degree. Professionally-oriented
programmes
leading to the award of a specialist’s diplom
a/degree last five to
six years and also
give access to doctoral studies.
As regards
medical
sciences, the duration of programmes is five years in the case of dentistry and pharmacy, and six years in the
case of medicine.
Doctoral degree
programmes
are offered at two levels: postgraduate
courses (aspirantura) leading to the degree of
kandidat
nauk
(candidate of sciences)
usually requiring three years
of study after the master’s or specialist’s degree; and
doctoral studies leading to the degree of
doktor
nauk
(doctor in science), with no
specific limitations in terms of the duration
of studies for holders of the degree of
kandidat
nauk.
Bachelor’s and master’s degree
programmes
have been introduced at
the beginning the 1990s,
and offered in parallel with the traditional specialist’s degree
programmes. A number of decrees and decisions have been adopted during 2005-
2007 within the framework of the implementation of the Bologna process.
source: UNESCO-IBE
World Data on Education. 7th edition, 2010/11