Candidate and Doctor of Distinction. Academic degree

In the scientific field and higher educational institutions, there is a qualification system that makes it possible to establish a scientific hierarchy of scientific and pedagogical personnel - academic degrees and titles. In our country, the awarding of academic degrees and the titles of associate professor and professor is somewhat different from other countries. As a rule, the academic title “Assistant Professor” is awarded and “Professor” to Doctors of Science, although there are exceptions. In other countries, academic degrees vary significantly in qualification requirements, title, award and approval procedures.

In order to obtain academic degrees, you must first write and defend a dissertation, and this is a rather voluminous scientific work that can contain from 150 to 500 pages of scientific text. Is it possible not to write a dissertation on many pages, but successfully defend it on completely legal grounds? It is possible, although it will not be entirely easy. A dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science can be completed in the form of a scientific report, which should present a brief summary of the research results. Such a report should be supported by a large number of previously published scientific works that are of serious importance for science. In addition, the applicant must be well known to the scientific community for his research and discoveries in his field of activity.

, Great Britain and a number of other European countries that have joined the Bologna process, the nomenclature of academic degrees is being harmonized, suggesting the establishment of uniform requirements for three degrees in each field of knowledge:

1. Doctor of Philosophy (here philosophy means science in general, and not philosophy itself; in parallel, there are similar degrees of Doctor of Law, Medicine, Theology, etc.),

awarded by an accredited higher education institution.

Academic titles

Academic titles are currently divided into the titles of associate professor or professor by specialty and associate professor or professor by department. The first are assigned by the Higher Attestation Commission, the second - by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia (for more details, see “Regulations on the procedure for assigning academic titles”). The academic title of senior researcher is currently not awarded in the Russian Federation; it is equivalent to the title of associate professor in the specialty. Previously (and also currently in Ukraine and some other post-Soviet states), the title of senior researcher was awarded to employees of research institutes, and the qualification requirements for applicants for this title did not include teaching work in universities, unlike the title of associate professor.

The academic titles of corresponding member and academician are officially recognized only if their holders are members of one of 6 state academies:

• Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS),
• Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAASHN),
• Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAASN),

Previous academic degrees and titles

Status of bachelor's and master's degrees in Russia

Before the implementation of the Bologna recommendations, bachelor's and master's degrees in Russia are not considered academic degrees, but rather qualifications for graduates of educational institutions of higher professional education. According to their status, holders of bachelor's degrees are classified as persons with higher professional education of the second level, which, in turn, is considered lower than higher education of the third level, which includes a master's degree and the qualification of a certified specialist.

Thus, from both legal and practical points of view, the status and position of holders of the qualifications of a certified specialist and an academic master's degree in modern Russia are completely similar and equivalent, that is, they give the same rights to their holders to carry out professional (including scientific and teaching (including in higher educational institutions)) activities in accordance with education and qualifications, as well as equal rights to admission to postgraduate education (postgraduate studies).

However, despite the above, there are still frequent cases of graduates enrolling in master's programs (as a rule, on a paid basis, since obtaining a higher education of a certain level on a free basis is possible only once), which, however, should not be considered as a continuation education at a higher level, but rather as a hidden form of obtaining a second higher education (obtaining a master's degree in a specialty/direction somewhat different from a specialist diploma), professional retraining or advanced training (similarly), as well as improving the status of education (for example, in in the case of admission to the master's program of a leading university by a graduate of a lesser-known university).

Nomenclature of academic degrees

Depending on the specialty in which the dissertation is defended, the applicant is awarded one of the following academic degrees. Below is the nomenclature for Doctors of Science; the nomenclature of candidates of science completely repeats it.

Honorary degree

An honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honor Doctor or Honor degree or Doctor honoris causa) is issued by universities, academies or the Ministry of Education without completing a course of study and without taking into account mandatory requirements (for publications, defense, etc.), but who have achieved great success in business and who have gained fame in any field of knowledge (artists, jurisprudence, religious figures, businessmen, writers and poets, artists, etc.). Such people are attracted to teaching and give lectures at the best universities in many countries around the world. An honorary Doctor of Science degree is not awarded in medicine.

An honorary degree may be awarded or withdrawn.

Non-governmental organizations

Religious organizations can award candidate (doctor) degrees in theological sciences (or theology), assign the titles of professor and associate professor, etc. Other non-governmental organizations can also award various academic degrees and titles, up to academician (see Non-state academies). However, all these degrees and titles are not legally recognized as such in Russia and do not give their holders the rights provided for by the laws of the Russian Federation. Currently, there is a discussion regarding the possibility of transferring the scientific and qualification powers of the Higher Attestation Commission to the scientific councils of universities and research institutes (including non-state ones), as has been done in many Western countries. Opponents of such a transfer express the opinion of the inevitable devaluation of the system of academic degrees and titles as a result of the loss of state control over the certification of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel.

Notes

Related links

• Website of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation

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See what an “Academic degree” is in other dictionaries:

Scientific qualification in a specific field of knowledge. As a rule, it is awarded after the appropriate stages of study at a university or upon completion of education in its research (for example, postgraduate) unit and public defense of a special... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

academic degree- ▲ title of scientist academician. full member of the academy. corresponding member. Doctor of Sciences bachelor. master's degree adjunct fello (foreign). Ph.D. graduate student. doctoral student candidate minimum. dissertation candidate academic title (receive #). promotion... ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

ACADEMIC DEGREE- – scientific qualification; form of certification of highly qualified scientific personnel. In Russia, the academic degrees of Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences are established. Abroad, there are also academic degrees of agrege, bachelor, licentiate, and master. Awarded according to... ... Modern educational process: basic concepts and terms

Academic degree- scientific qualification in a certain field of knowledge (candidate, doctor of science) ... Research activities. Dictionary

ACADEMIC DEGREE- scientific qualification in a certain field of knowledge (candidate, doctor of science). There are also bachelor's, advanced, licentiate, master's degrees abroad... Vocational education. Dictionary

MASTER, 1) in some countries an academic degree intermediate between a bachelor's and a doctorate. Awarded to persons who have graduated from a university or an equivalent educational institution, have a bachelor’s degree, and have completed an additional course of study (1 2 ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

In the Middle Ages, the name Magister artium liberalium (abbreviated M. A. L.) was borne by the so-called teacher. liberal sciences; subsequently it was awarded an academic degree at the Faculty of Philosophy, by the 19th century. supplanted by the Ph.D. Currently… … Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

An academic degree, like an academic title, guarantees the applicant prestige in the eyes of others, obtaining a promising job/promotion on the career ladder and increased wages.

What is an academic degree and academic title?

To understand the differences between these two terms, you should familiarize yourself with their basic characteristics and definitions.

The award of an academic degree is carried out after studying in specially designed programs and successfully defending a dissertation.

An academic title presupposes a high level of position held at a university or other educational institution. It is awarded as a reward for fruitful and long-term work activity.

Pay attention! Holders of an academic degree may not connect their main job with teaching, but develop in their chosen scientific field. An academic title does not require a scientific education and is achieved through personal contribution to the development of a particular educational institution.

Academic degrees in ascending order in Russia

In the Russian Federation, two qualifying academic degrees are awarded: PhD (first) And Doctor of Science (second).

Candidate of Sciences

This academic degree is awarded to the applicant after postgraduate study or competition. In other countries, the equivalent of a “Candidate of Sciences” is the Ph.D degree (translated as Doctor of Philosophy).

Doctor of Science

Only applicants with a candidate's scientific education who have successfully completed doctoral studies and approved by the council of the Higher Attestation Commission can receive such a degree.

Note. It is possible to become a Doctor of Science in a field other than your main specialty.

Information about academic titles in Russia

There are four types of academic titles - associate professor in a specific specialty, professor and associate professor in the academic department of a university. To receive the first two titles, the approval of the Higher Attestation Commission is required (for significant success in research or teaching work). The opportunity to work at the department is awarded after a positive decision by representatives of the Ministry of Education (taking into account personal achievements in the position held).

Pay attention! Some educational institutions have a fifth type of academic title - senior researcher. It is awarded to employees of research institutes and does not oblige them to conduct teaching activities in educational institutions.

How are academic degrees awarded in Russia?

To obtain an academic degree, the applicant must complete four basic steps:

1. successfully complete a bachelor's degree;
2. pass a competitive selection
3. defend a master's thesis (the topic is chosen together with the supervisor)
4. choose the required option for further education (graduate studies, competitive studies)

Admission to graduate school

There are three forms of education: full-time, part-time and distance learning. Paid/free basis is the personal choice of the applicant.

As a full-time student, a candidate for an academic degree gets access to the library of an educational organization, can participate in various scientific projects and symposiums, and works in tandem with a supervisor on a chosen research topic. In some universities, full-time graduate students are even paid a stipend and given a deferment from the army. The average duration of study is 3 years.

Correspondence and distance learning are suitable for working graduate students who do not want to waste their own time attending lectures. Trips to the university are carried out twice a year. The duration of study in this case is 5 years.

(full-time, correspondence, distance):

• submitting an application in the prescribed form
• passing three exams (specialty, philosophy of the subject, foreign language)

Need help writing a research paper?

Application for a job

This is a way of obtaining an academic degree or permanently staying at a university. The job application is suitable for those who want to improve their level of qualifications in their chosen specialty and get good career prospects.

How does this work:

1. an applicant for an academic degree is assigned to a specific department of an educational institution
2. representatives of the council approve the topic of the dissertation and select a supervisor
3. the applicant independently selects and analyzes materials on the subject of research and forms the basis of scientific work together with a curator

Note. There are no strict time limits for applying for a job compared to postgraduate studies, where 2-3 years are allotted for writing a dissertation.

How to become a candidate of sciences

The degree is awarded after passing the “candidate minimum”, publication of scientific articles in peer-reviewed Higher Attestation Commission publications and successful defense of the work before the dissertation council of the educational institution.

Candidate minimum

To prepare and defend a dissertation, you must successfully pass it - this is a prerequisite for all applicants. It is one of the important components of certification.

List of candidate exams:

• foreign language
• philosophy of the subject (to obtain admission to take the exam, you must prepare and submit an appropriate essay)
• profile specialty

Pay attention! Each educational institution puts forward its own methodological recommendations for passing the candidate minimum. Often, it consists of two blocks - a standard program (developed by a leading specialized institution) and an additional one (from the corresponding department).

Information about scientific articles

Before defending a candidate's dissertation, the applicant is required to publish a certain number of articles on the subject of research in peer-reviewed Higher Attestation Commission publications (the number of publications depends on the specifics of the topic). The list of publications can be obtained from representatives of the Higher Attestation Commission.

Need help writing a research paper?

You will find the answer to these and other questions in our article.

Academic degree or academic title? We invite you to understand the specifics of these terms.

Academic degree

An academic degree is the level of qualification of a representative of the scientific field, assigned to him after completing training in special programs (approved by the Higher Attestation Commission. In our country, two academic degrees have now been established - candidate of sciences and doctor of sciences.

To become a candidate of sciences, you must pass the test, publish scientific articles in journals reviewed by the Higher Attestation Commission and defend a dissertation.

To become a Doctor of Science, you must have a Candidate of Science degree and defend a scientific work (doctoral dissertation). The main scientific results of the doctoral dissertation must also be published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and publications from the list of the Higher Attestation Commission. Patents for inventions are also considered as published results.

You can familiarize yourself with the procedure for awarding academic degrees in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 24, 2013 No. 842 “On the procedure for awarding academic degrees.”

Academic title

Associate Professor Certificate 1952

Associate Professor Certificate 1955

Associate Professor Certificate 1990

Associate Professor Certificate 1993

Associate Professor Certificate 2013

Drawing a conclusion, it can be noted that the main difference between a degree and a title is that a degree is awarded as a result of studying and defending a dissertation, while a title is awarded as a result of achievements in labor (teaching and scientific) activities at a university or scientific institution.

It can also be noted that, as a rule, a candidate of sciences becomes an associate professor, and a doctor of sciences becomes a professor.

Let us remind you that it is possible to obtain a degree without studying in graduate school (doctoral studies): by attaching to an organization to take exams (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Education and Science of Russia) dated March 28, 2014 N 247 Moscow “On approval of the Procedure attaching persons to pass candidate exams, passing candidate exams and their list"). Thus, a person who is attached to an organization is directly engaged only in his dissertation research without participating in the scientific or pedagogical activities of the institution and is applicant scientific degree.

What is competition for the academic degree of Candidate (Doctor) of Sciences??

Dissertation is a form of training for scientific workers, which means independent research activity when writing a dissertation, after completion of which the applicant has every right to apply for a candidate’s degree.

Often applicants are employees of a university (or scientific institution). Applicants do not need to take entrance exams to be assigned to an organization, but they are required to undergo annual certification at the department (applicants are no different from graduate students in this regard).

Therefore, if you have chosen the path of a scientist and want to devote yourself to science and the education of young scientists, as a professor, begin your activities by obtaining a Ph.D. Today there are enough specialties that anyone can realize themselves as a scientist in one field or another (of course, not without difficulty).

Currently in Russia it is customary to distinguish 26 groups of specialties.

Physical and mathematical sciences (01.00.00)

Chemical Sciences (02.00.00)

Biological Sciences (03.00.00)

Technical Sciences (05.00.00)

Agricultural Sciences (06.00.00)

Historical Sciences (07.00.00)

Economic Sciences (08.00.00)

Philosophical Sciences (09.00.00)

Philological sciences (10.00.00)

Legal Sciences (12.00.00)

Pedagogical Sciences (13.00.00)

Medical Sciences (14.00.00)

Pharmaceutical Sciences (15.00.00)

Veterinary Sciences (16.00.00)

Art history (17.00.00)

Architecture (18.00.00)

Psychological Sciences (19.00.00)

Sociological sciences (22.00.00)

Political Science (23.00.00)

Culturology (24.00.00)

Geosciences (25.00.00)

Theology (26.00.00)

Each group is divided into smaller ones. For example, psychological sciences are divided into:

* 19.00.01 - general psychology, personality psychology, history of psychology;

* 19.00.04 - psychophysiology;

* 19.00.05 - social psychology;

* 19.00.07 - educational psychology;

* 19.00.10 - correctional psychology;

* 19.00.13 - developmental psychology, acmeology.

You can also familiarize yourself with the passports of scientific specialties.

How to correctly translate “candidate of sciences”, “doctor of sciences” into English?

This issue is associated with a number of disagreements. Let's figure it out. Mainly, disputes arise due to the fact that in English-speaking countries there are no exact analogues: some equate a candidate of science degree with a master's degree, others with a doctorate (PhD).

The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation proposes the following procedure for matching Russian academic degrees with foreign analogues:

Doctoral Degrees

In countries with a two-tier system of doctoral degrees, the degree of Candidate of Science should be considered for recognition at the level of the first doctoral degree.

In countries with only one doctoral degree, the degree of Candidate of Science should be considered for recognition as equivalent to this degree.

In countries with a two-tier system of doctoral degrees, the degree of Doktor Science should be considered for recognition at the level of the second doctoral degree.

In countries in which only one doctoral degree exists, the degree of Doktor Science should be considered for recognition at the level of this degree.

Translation of scientific degrees:

Candidate of Sciences

Doctor of Sciences

Candidate of Architecture (Arch.) Candidate of Architecture

Candidate of Biological Sciences

Candidate of Veterinary Sciences

Candidate of Military Sciences

Candidate of Geographic Sciences

Candidate of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences

Candidate of Art Criticism

Candidate of Historical Sciences

Candidate of Culturology

Candidate of Medical Sciences

Candidate of Pedagogic Sciences

Candidate of Political Sciences

Candidate of Psychological Sciences

Candidate of Agricultural Sciences

Candidate of Sociological Sciences

Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Candidate of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Candidate of Physico-Mathematical Sciences

Candidate of Philological Sciences

Candidate of Philosophical Sciences

Candidate of Chemical Sciences

Candidate of Economic Sciences

Candidate of Juridical Sciences

When translating a Doctor of Science degree, it is necessary to replace the word Candidate with the word Doctor.

In less formal cases, for example, on business cards, it is allowed to indicate a PhD or other foreign equivalent that is understandable to a native speaker.

Registration and issuance of diplomas of candidate and doctor of sciences

If your path to obtaining a degree is successfully completed, then in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated March 4, 2014 N 157 “On approval of the Procedure for registration and issuance of diplomas of Doctor of Sciences and Candidate of Sciences,” you must be issued a diploma of a candidate (doctor of sciences).

The basis for issuing a diploma is an order of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. This order is posted on the official website of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry within 10 days from the date of its registration.

Diplomas (their duplicates) are issued within two months from the date of publication of orders of the Ministry.

The PhD diploma is signed not by the Minister, but by the head of the organization where the dissertation defense took place. The Doctor of Science diploma, as before, is certified by the head of the department or his deputy.

Detailed information on orders for the issuance of diplomas, certificates and certificates can be found on the HAC website.

Sample diploma of candidate of medical sciences 2009

Sample diploma of candidate of technical sciences 1990

Sample diploma of candidate of pedagogical sciences 1956

Academic degrees awarded in different countries vary significantly in titles, qualification requirements, award and/or approval procedures.

Academic titles

Academic titles are currently divided into the titles of associate professor or professor by specialty and associate professor or professor by department. The first are assigned by the Higher Attestation Commission, the second - by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia (for more details, see “Regulations on the procedure for assigning academic titles”). The academic title of senior researcher is currently not awarded in the Russian Federation; it is equivalent to the title of associate professor in the specialty. Previously (and also currently in Ukraine and some other post-Soviet states), the title of senior researcher was awarded to employees of research institutes, and the qualification requirements for applicants for this title did not include teaching work in universities, unlike the title of associate professor.

The academic titles of corresponding member and academician are officially recognized only if their holders are members of one of 6 state academies:

• Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS),
• Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAASHN),
• Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAASN),

Previous academic degrees and titles

Status of bachelor's and master's degrees in Russia

Before the implementation of the Bologna recommendations, bachelor's and master's degrees in Russia are not considered academic degrees, but rather qualifications for graduates of educational institutions of higher professional education. According to their status, holders of bachelor's degrees are classified as persons with higher professional education of the second level, which, in turn, is considered lower than higher education of the third level, which includes a master's degree and the qualification of a certified specialist.

Thus, from both legal and practical points of view, the status and position of holders of the qualifications of a certified specialist and an academic master's degree in modern Russia are completely similar and equivalent, that is, they give the same rights to their holders to carry out professional (including scientific and teaching (including in higher educational institutions)) activities in accordance with education and qualifications, as well as equal rights to admission to postgraduate education (postgraduate studies).

However, despite the above, there are still frequent cases of graduates enrolling in master's programs (as a rule, on a paid basis, since obtaining a higher education of a certain level on a free basis is possible only once), which, however, should not be considered as a continuation education at a higher level, but rather as a hidden form of obtaining a second higher education (obtaining a master's degree in a specialty/direction somewhat different from a specialist diploma), professional retraining or advanced training (similarly), as well as improving the status of education (for example, in in the case of admission to the master's program of a leading university by a graduate of a lesser-known university).

Nomenclature of academic degrees

Depending on the specialty in which the dissertation is defended, the applicant is awarded one of the following academic degrees. Below is the nomenclature for Doctors of Science; the nomenclature of candidates of science completely repeats it.

Honorary degree

An honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honor Doctor or Honor degree or Doctor honoris causa) is issued by universities, academies or the Ministry of Education without completing a course of study and without taking into account mandatory requirements (for publications, defense, etc.), but who have achieved great success in business and who have gained fame in any field of knowledge (artists, jurisprudence, religious figures, businessmen, writers and poets, artists, etc.). Such people are attracted to teaching and give lectures at the best universities in many countries around the world. An honorary Doctor of Science degree is not awarded in medicine.

An honorary degree may be awarded or withdrawn.

Non-governmental organizations

Religious organizations can award candidate (doctor) degrees in theological sciences (or theology), assign the titles of professor and associate professor, etc. Other non-governmental organizations can also award various academic degrees and titles, up to academician (see Non-state academies). However, all these degrees and titles are not legally recognized as such in Russia and do not give their holders the rights provided for by the laws of the Russian Federation. Currently, there is a discussion regarding the possibility of transferring the scientific and qualification powers of the Higher Attestation Commission to the scientific councils of universities and research institutes (including non-state ones), as has been done in many Western countries. Opponents of such a transfer express the opinion of the inevitable devaluation of the system of academic degrees and titles as a result of the loss of state control over the certification of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel.

Notes

Related links

• Website of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation