Eurasian Media Studies Center

On May 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on launching a pilot project to change the levels of higher education.

“In order to promote the improvement of the higher education system, the training of qualified personnel to meet the long-term needs of the sectors of the economy and the social sphere,” the text of the document says.

This project establishes new levels of higher education: basic and specialized. The basic level of higher education replaces the bachelor’s and specialist’s degrees. The term of study is four to six years. The next level is specialized higher education, which will replace the master’s degree, and the term of study, depending on the training program, will last from one to three years. Postgraduate study will complete the three-level system of education.

According to the presidential decree, the pilot project will be implemented in 2023–2024 and 2025–2026 academic years at the following universities: Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad); Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University);  National Research Technological University “MISiS” (Moscow); Moscow Pedagogical State University; St. Petersburg Mining University; National Research Tomsk State University. By June 30, these universities must develop and submit educational standards and requirements for new levels of education, as well as relevant programs. The outcome of the pilot projects will influence the further development of new levels of higher education in Russia.

The number of budget places, benefits, rights and diploma standards will be developed by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation within three months.

It is important to note that under the new decree, students who have completed specialist programs will be able to enter the magistracy as the next step. This will not be considered a second higher education. Now graduates who received a specialist diploma after 2012, according to the law, can enter the magistracy only for paid places, because this applies to the second higher education.

Photo source: Aglaya Kovaleva