By switching to the Bologna system of education, Russia began to master new higher education programs - bachelor's and master's programs. Most universities have begun to prepare students for these programs. You can study for a bachelor's degree in four years. After that, the student either goes to work or continues his studies in the magistracy. It continues for two more years. The future master deepens the acquired knowledge. After completing the master's degree, he can enter graduate school and engage in full-fledged scientific activity.
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor students study for four years. The basis of admission is a complete secondary education, that is, eleven grades of school. Also, a graduate of a technical school or college can go to study for a bachelor's degree. In this case, the training period will be three years.
Bachelor students receive diplomas of higher education and a bachelor's degree upon graduation.
But now students should learn to understand what is applied baccalaureate and academic baccalaureate, since recently theseprograms have also appeared in the Russian education system.
Strategy 2020
Since 2010, a little more than 50 Russian technical schools and universities have been experimenting with applied and academic bachelor's programs. What is an applied bachelor's degree? This is the training of qualified personnel with higher education. At its core, this is an alternative for secondary vocational education.
Applied baccalaureate became part of the revision of the government program "Strategy 2020", aimed at the long-term socio-economic development of the country.
When the concept of “applied bachelor's degree” appeared in the country, it was assumed that it would also be taught for four years. Later, specialists leaned towards a three-year training program. Now they have settled on the first training option.
What does an applied bachelor's degree mean? Now this concept includes two aspects:
- Training workers who will have higher education.
- Bachelor's degree, which has an extended applied part focused on student employment.
The country's higher education institutions prefer the second option.
Meaning of Applied Baccalaureate
The main thing that attracts students to the applied bachelor's program is the opportunity to find a profitable job after graduation. As you know, a bachelor student does not have a certain qualification. During the applied baccalaureate program, the student studies the same basic part as in regular studies, but morepractice oriented. As a result, the student receives a clear qualification.
Preparing students for a specific profession, teaching computer skills and basic subjects aimed at ensuring the activities of a leader, providing relevant practice and a diploma of higher education - this is what an applied bachelor's degree means. And trained personnel are in great demand in the modern labor market.
Training at three or four years?
So, what is an applied bachelor's degree, in fact? This is a basic education, supplemented by an applied qualification in a specific profession.
There used to be a debate about three-year or four-year education. As a result, it was decided to stop at four years of study, as undergraduate students must receive the appropriate academic level of study.
When the system was just being introduced, it was proposed to rename the study programs in colleges and technical schools into an applied bachelor's degree. The terms of study in these educational institutions are 3-3.5 years. But the idea turned out to be untenable. In the end, the applied bachelor's degree remains a bachelor's degree, that is, it involves obtaining a higher education. Technical schools and colleges do not have such qualifications.
Academic Baccalaureate
Having figured out what an applied bachelor's degree is, and that it is focused on preparing specialists for working conditions, we can begin to understand the concept of an academic bachelor's degree. This training programis aimed at creating a theoretical foundation for a large number of disciplines. At the same time, there is no practical activity, since it is assumed that the graduate will receive the basic skills already at work. This form of education also continues for four years.
Each student decides for himself what qualification he needs - academic or applied. What does Applied and Academic Baccalaureate mean? The former focuses on practical knowledge, while the latter focuses on theory. Academic bachelors are purposefully prepared for research work. They are set up that they will go to study further - to the master's degree.
Bachelor's difference
If you look at what an applied bachelor's degree and an academic bachelor's degree are, it turns out that the first is a worker with a higher education, and the second is a traditional form of higher education.
Further admission to the master's program for students of applied and academic bachelor's programs is different. "Academicians" pass a certain competitive selection, and "applied students" must first work in their speci alty for a certain number of years before entering.
So, we have sorted out what an applied bachelor's degree and an academic bachelor's degree mean. The difference between them is the availability of practical knowledge, skills and abilities. “Applicants” are narrow specialists with practical skills in a certainareas. "Academicians" have a broad outlook in a certain field of knowledge, but they lack practical skills.
Which undergraduate degree to choose?
We figured out what an applied and academic bachelor's degree means. Nevertheless, yesterday's schoolchildren face a choice: where to go next? Of course, you can go to a regular bachelor's degree, or choose an applied or academic one.
Bachelor's degree involves teaching the direction, obtaining theoretical knowledge. There are also practical exercises, but they are few. In the diploma of higher education, bachelor students will, for example, have the inscription "Applied Informatics".
What is an applied bachelor's degree? This is when a student receives the practical knowledge base he needs and subsequent employment, coupled with higher education. By the time he graduates, he will already have an idea about the working conditions. To some extent, this is still the same speci alty, but only in a certain speci alty. In this case, something specific will be indicated in the student's diploma, for example, "C++ programmer".
If we consider what an applied bachelor's degree in teacher education is, then it is providing students with training in mastering a wide range of competencies in such areas as education, culture and the social sphere. The specialist must be prepared for pedagogical, research or cultural and educational activities.
So what to choose? The fact is that now in the country there are no conditions for trainingthe most prepared workers, as expected under the program "applied bachelor's degree". In this case, a regular bachelor's degree is preferable. If only because the specialists leave the buildings of higher educational institutions, having a fairly broad outlook in the chosen field of knowledge. They can go to work or go to graduate school, doing science.
Academic bachelor's degree has more advantages in this sense. Specialists have a broad outlook and can get a job not only in a certain speci alty, but also in a related one. If there is no practice, then it is not so scary. The “applicants” also lack it. There is no necessary base in the country. Not yet.
What to do next?
Having learned what an applied and academic bachelor's degree is, comparing these concepts with a regular bachelor's degree, you begin to ask yourself this question: “Where will I work then?” Getting a normal serious position with a bachelor's degree of any degree is quite problematic.
A specialist must acquire full-fledged theoretical knowledge in the area of interest to him, and then learn to apply them in the workplace. Only in this case, he will have the opportunity to be creative in his work tasks.
As a result, while the program is aimed at learning to press the button. These are practical skills. But what this button is useful for, what it gives and how to use it correctlyuse, this is already a theory that you should know. Without full-fledged theoretical knowledge, a real specialist will not work even if he does an excellent job in practice.
Having considered what an applied and academic bachelor's degree is, it is better to give preference to the second type of education.
In closing
In recent years, the system of higher education in our country has undergone significant changes. Many new trends and trends have emerged. In addition to studying for a bachelor's and master's degree, students began to be trained in applied and academic bachelor's programs. What to choose and where to go to study further, everyone decides for himself.
