When can I go to graduate school. Basic requirements for admission to graduate school

So, before answering the question of how to enter graduate school, let's first think about why you should do it. After all, not all postgraduate students defend their diplomas after training. Moreover, the statistician cites unforgiving facts: only one out of six graduate students defends a thesis at once. Many receive their PhDs within the next three to five years. But there are also those who graduated from graduate school, but never acquired a degree.

For some, to be honest, an extra three years of training is an opportunity not to go to serve in the army or to delay time to decide on a future job. Someone is just used to learning and wants to get even more knowledge. Someone needs to save a place in the capital's hostel.

But if you really dream of a scientific career, you are attracted by research and writing scientific articles, then you should seriously think about where to go to graduate school so that the training will bring the maximum benefit and pleasure.

Requirements have tightened

To date, the form of postgraduate studies has changed for the better. For better training, some tightening methods have been undertaken. For example, higher education is gradually phasing out the application process. Representatives of higher education believe that this type of education does not quite meet the modern requirements of science. Also now the correspondence form of education in postgraduate study is gradually being eliminated as insufficiently effective.

Who can become a graduate student?

How to apply for graduate school? To begin with, you must have completed a college degree. Young people up to 35 years old are admitted to graduate school. In this case, you can apply immediately after graduation, or after having worked at an enterprise or institution for at least two years in the received specialty.

If you enter immediately after graduation, then attach to your application an extract from the minutes of the Academic Council of the university where you defended your diploma. If there is no such extract, you can limit yourself to the recommendations of your department.

Graduates of foreign universities can also apply for postgraduate studies. To do this, they only need to provide a notarized certificate that the education received meets the requirements of the selection committee.

Required documents

Is it difficult to enroll in graduate school? If you have solid knowledge and strong self-confidence, then this is a fairly easy process. The main thing in this case is to collect the package of documents necessary for admission.

In addition to the recommendation or extract of the Academic Council, you will also need to provide an abstract on the chosen specialty, which must contain a review of the scientific advisor. Instead of this abstract, you can submit your scientific works, if they are available and have been published.

You will also be required to:

A copy of your higher professional education diploma.
A copy of the diploma insert.
If you do not enter immediately, but after working at the enterprise, you need to prepare a personal sheet from the personnel department.
Workers will need a description from their place of work.
Three 3 x 4 photographs and one 4 x 5 photograph.
Topic and substantiation of the dissertation.

In addition, you must submit an autobiography and a standard medical certificate.

After checking all the documents, if there are no questions, you will be admitted to the exams.

Simplified requirements

Is it possible to go to graduate school without exams? Yes, this opportunity is given to some candidates and this form is called an application. You must be attached to a specific academic institution or organization. In this case, you can prepare your dissertation without postgraduate studies.

Know a foreigner and be a philosopher

Upon admission to graduate school, you will need to pass exams in some subjects. This is history, philosophy, a foreign language and a specialized subject of specialization. It should be noted that the philosophy for applicants to graduate school is quite voluminous and complex, so look in advance on the website of your chosen university, what questions you might expect. It so happens that the list of topics in this subject is much wider than you studied it at your university.

The same applies to other disciplines.

The price of the issue

And one more question is of great interest to future graduate students - money. Will I need to pay for my tuition?

Much depends on the number of vacancies in a particular university. For example, it is quite problematic to enroll in graduate school in Moscow on a free basis, because Moscow universities have a high rating, and there are much more people who want to defend themselves in the capital of Russia than in the provinces.

Pay attention to this fact and calculate your material capabilities. On average, the cost of training in postgraduate studies in Moscow today ranges from 70-80 thousand rubles a year. The amount is considerable.

Taking into account the fact that many universities today refuse from part-time education, in which it was possible to earn extra money, think about whether you will pull three years of study? Will you have enough material strength? It will be a shame to interrupt training in the middle or at the very end of the process just because you run out of money.

Huge pressure

Do not think that a graduate student is a person who is completely in science, and his only goal is to defend a thesis. Any graduate student, especially a full-time student, has a ton of responsibilities. This includes attending classes, and participating in scientific conferences and colloquia, and teaching load: you may be required to conduct seminars with students.

In addition, during training, each graduate student must prepare and publish a certain number of scientific papers.

And also periodically submit reports on the work done to your teacher. And do not forget about the most important thing - to gradually prepare your main essay: a dissertation!

Why study for three more years?

Of course, any person who is building their future with a perspective, before answering the question of how to enter graduate school, should understand that new knowledge and an advanced degree will make his career more interesting.

If you have the skills to teach, then, of course, you need to defend your degree and go further in order to know a lot more of your pupils and students.

For many professionals, especially a technical one, having an academic degree is very important for career advancement. In some large companies, especially those related to science, technology, production, it is difficult to take a high leadership position without a defended dissertation.

It is these moments that are the main motive for applicants to graduate school.

But do not forget also that all science should have a practical application in our life. So try to make the topic of your future dissertation not only interesting, but also useful to ordinary consumers. How to apply for graduate school? It's easier than ever if you have a goal and a great desire!

The undergraduate program provides the student with a set of knowledge. The master's degree instills the skills of a researcher. Postgraduate studies teach you to make scientific discoveries, justify them - to present them in an understandable, simple language, accessible to listeners and students. Of the "earthly" benefits of the status of a graduate student, it should be noted:

deferral from military service for 4+ years;
conducting fascinating scientific research (often sponsored by the state), communication with scientists, useful contacts;
effective teaching experience.

This stage refers to postgraduate education and is available to holders of a specialist and master's degree. Bachelors need to study (magistrate) for admission to a graduate student.

Rules for admission and study in graduate school from the point of view of the law

The rules for admission are determined by law. Acts that any accredited university should be guided by when organizing postgraduate training:

273-FZ on education;
Order of the Ministry of Education and Science No. 233 (determines the procedure for admission of graduate students);
Federal State Standards (FGOS).

An important clarification: specialty, master's degree - the levels that determine the opportunity to become a graduate student for the first time. The law does not prohibit the parallel / sequential passage of this stage for the second, third time. This means that postgraduate studies are available for graduate students, graduates of postgraduate studies, assistantships, internships, and residency.

How to go to graduate school without exams

The university establishes the rules for admission of the applicant independently. We provide preferential conditions for the enrollment of graduates of our magistracy, simplified transfer programs for graduate students from other institutions are available.

The examination is mandatory. The order of testing may differ (oral interview, testing, written examination). A set of disciplines to be taken:

exams in a foreign language, philosophy determined by the law;
profile subject (depends on the choice of specialty, about it a little below).

Applicants who have successfully passed the candidate examinations (philosophy, foreign language) may be exempted from the entrance examinations. A prerequisite for admission is the provision of an abstract - research work on the selected topic.

List of required documents for admission to graduate school

A standard package of documents upon admission includes a blank application (can be obtained from the staff of the admissions committee), a copy of the diploma with an attachment, an autobiography, and a testimonial. If a student is recommended for further training by the teachers of his university, he can be accepted without a characterization, an extract of the minutes of the meeting of the Academic Council is enough.

For employed graduate students you need:

a copy of the labor (with a personnel record sheet);
medical commission certificate;

All applicants must provide a list of publications, a certificate confirming the passing of the candidate exams (if any).

Duration of postgraduate studies

The postgraduate study of our university has been working for over 15 years. Recently, extramural education has been available. Normative terms:

3 years - full-time (both directions - economics, jurisprudence);
4 years - in absentia.

Nuances of admission and postgraduate studies

It is important to understand: the third stage is different from the tactics of studying at the magistracy and bachelor's degree. This is almost 100% self-study - scientific experiments, research, development of their own training programs for students.

That does not negate the set of the usual formats of lectures, seminars, classes. Plus teaching practice. Full-time graduate students take an exam based on its results.

Specialties in graduate school

Students of our university are free to choose from two directions. The first one is economics (code 38.06.01), more often it is preferable for engineers, carriers of technical specifications, programmers, economists. Specialty:

Finance, money circulation, credit (08.00.10) - the best option for graduates of financial departments, banking;
Economics and National Economy Management (08.00.05) - sectoral direction of future leaders;
Mathematical, instrumental methods of economics (08.00.13) - the choice of programmers, engineers, administrators.

Jurisprudence (40.06.01) defines a more limited choice (current legal scholars). This is in-depth knowledge of civil, international, family, business law (code 12.00.03). The referral is preferable for acting assistant judges, lawyers, business consultants.

Career prospects

One of the important advantages is the line in the profile / resume, which significantly increases the attractiveness of the candidate for the position of the head / curator / captain of the project team (including startups). The experience gained during training determines the ability of the graduate to prepare new personnel, conduct educational seminars, trainings.

The quality of postgraduate studies and prices in our universities most often do not correspond to foreign counterparts. Confirmation of this is the rating compiled by the newspaper "The Times". It contains a list of the top 200 universities in the world. And there is not a single national university in it! Therefore, more and more young specialists in search of a decent education rush abroad. What are the nuances of postgraduate study abroad? How and in what order should one act to get there? Let's consider these issues in more detail.

What is Graduate School?

Postgraduate study is a system for training scientific personnel at higher educational institutions, following a particular stage of higher education. The result of postgraduate studies is obtaining the highest qualification of a candidate of sciences. The postgraduate student carries out independent research work, the results of which he uses to write a Ph.D. thesis. After successfully defending her, he earns a Ph.D. degree.

How postgraduate studies work

The path to defending a Ph.D. thesis is thorny and full of difficulties. During the training, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in the library in search of the necessary information, not to miss classes, find solutions to various research problems and take candidate exams. According to the method of teaching, postgraduate studies are:

Correspondence, training in which is carried out on the job.
Full-time on-the-job.

Pros of graduating from graduate school

In addition to the main purpose, preparation and defense of a Ph.D. thesis, postgraduate studies provide an opportunity to carry out scientific activities and participate in conferences and symposia, deepen their knowledge in one narrow field. In addition, this stage is required if you plan to defend your doctoral dissertation in the future. It is also possible to make a discovery on a global scale, receiving further remuneration and recognition of the scientific world community during this period.

Features of admission to graduate school in various foreign countries

The answer to the question: “Do I need an advanced degree? »Everyone will have their own. If you have decided that this option for continuing your scientific career is acceptable for you, and you prefer to go through it abroad, you, regardless of the country, will need to act in the following order:

submitting an application to the university you like (you can use the Internet) and receiving an answer;
providing the embassy with a certificate of account in national currency (each country sets its own minimum);
taking a language course and, upon completion, receiving an appropriate certificate (German DSH, English IELTS or TOEFL);
registration of a foreign passport with the provision of a certificate of admission to foreign postgraduate studies to the OVIR;
payment for medical insurance of the country where the training is planned (price $ 100 per year);
visa processing (takes about 2 months, in some cases up to 4).

As for the choice of the country and the university itself, English and German universities are traditionally considered prestigious. Interesting options for free foreign postgraduate studies are offered to foreigners by Finland and Canada. Recently, postgraduate studies in China have gained popularity. Let us consider the features of teaching foreign postgraduates in different countries of the world in more detail.

England

Here, high requirements are imposed on those entering graduate school, regardless of whether it is an Englishman or a foreigner. The latter are recommended to take a preparatory course before graduate school. Basically, higher education is required. However, there are separate universities where you can enter after college, having an impressive work experience in the relevant specialty, at least 3 years. The English education system is highly specialized. First you need to register for DPhil courses. After successful scientific work, the level can be converted to PhD.

Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission to graduate school in England. His knowledge is checked by one of the following tests (they must score at least 550 points): Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE), IELTS international test of language proficiency and TOEFL.

20 of the most prestigious universities in England are part of the Russell Group. These universities account for about 65% of all grants allocated to science and 55% of awarded academic degrees. Top five universities in the country:

Cambridge
University College London
Imperial College London
Oxford.

Germany

Until 2005, higher education and postgraduate studies in Germany cost foreigners little or no cost. Accessibility created an illusion of permissiveness and lowered overall academic performance. Since 2005, the situation has changed. The German Constitutional Court gave each city the right to independently determine the amount of tuition fees at a university. Thus, the authorities have achieved an increase in the quality and value of German higher education, improved its material base.

As a result, free education remained in Brandenburg, Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. All other universities became paid. For admission to a German postgraduate study, a foreign student must have a document confirming his completion of higher education. The best graduate students in public universities are paid a scholarship. The list of universities in greatest demand:

Wilhelm University of Westphalia;
Ruprecht and Karl University of Heidelberg;
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology;
Free University of Berlin.

Finland

Scandinavian countries such as Finland offer postgraduate studies to foreign professionals in both English (TOEFL certificate required) and local Finnish. The latter is quite difficult to master, but there are many courses in the country where it is studied for free. In addition, difficulties for our citizens also lie in obtaining a visa, for which it is necessary to have at least 6,000 euros on the account.

Postgraduate studies in Finland are not cheap. Even if you manage to study for free, the accommodation itself will cost a pretty penny, and part-time work at first without knowing Finnish is practically unrealistic. The exception is working as a programmer. The following are considered prestigious Finnish universities:

Canada

Science in the land of the maple leaf is generously dated from the budget. It is possible to study in postgraduate study in Canada for free, depending on the level of knowledge and the chosen specialty. It also matters how you can interest a professor at a Canadian university in your work so that he agrees to become your academic advisor. At the same time, the scholarship for a foreign postgraduate student is paid from the grant allocated to the professor.

For admission to the Canadian graduate school, you must have a high GPA in the certificate (the exact required number varies depending on the university) and a certificate of passing any language exam. Among the top universities in Canada that accept foreign postgraduate students, it can be noted:

University of Toronto;
University of British Columbia;
McGill University;
York University.

China

The rapid growth of all spheres of life in China, from industry to the economy, has given rise to a serious interest in it on the part of students. Postgraduate studies in China are in global demand due to the optimal cost / quality ratio of services. To study in China, your Chinese language level must be at least level 4 on the HSK test. If the applicant does not pass the test, he must attend language courses for a year and re-take the language exam. There is postgraduate study in English in China, but it is very expensive, while the choice of specialties is small. A postgraduate student does not have the opportunity to choose a supervisor on his own. It is assigned to him by the university. The training system itself is similar to the Russian one. Universities in China, included in the top 200 of the world's best universities:

Poland

For postgraduate studies in Poland, it is of fundamental importance whether you own the Pole's Card (a document confirming the presence of Polish roots). In this case, there is a real opportunity to study in Poland for free, while receiving a scholarship. Otherwise, it is necessary to study the Polish language course and enroll in graduate school for a fee. The best Polish universities to look out for:

Leon Kozminsky University;
Warsaw Academy of Finance and Business Vistula;
Lazarsky University;
Civitas University.

Documents required for admission to postgraduate study abroad

Each university has its own procedure for admission to graduate school. Moreover, the list of required documents is approximately the same. It includes:

Cost of education

The cost of postgraduate studies in England ranges from £ 6,000 to £ 9,000 per year. The same amount will need to be spent on accommodation with meals. With the support of the British Council, grants are provided to Russian citizens on a competitive basis. With their help, 40-50 people annually pass postgraduate studies abroad free of charge. Similar programs operate in other countries (Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland). But not everyone succeeds in taking advantage of them. Paid postgraduate studies in Germany vary widely between 350-900 € per semester.

Polish postgraduate studies will cost from 1600 to 2000 € in English, and 800-1200 € per year in Polish. In China, the cost will be between $ 2,500 and $ 4,000 in addition to additional costs for literature and accommodation.

Thus, we can conclude that Russian education annually increases in price (but not in quality) and loses its position in international rankings. Against this background, postgraduate study abroad looks more than attractive. Going to study abroad is much easier than it seems at first glance. The main thing is perseverance, dedication and strict adherence to our recommendations.

Postgraduate education is sometimes referred to as superhigh education. Postgraduate study is a form of education that is designed to prepare scientific, as well as scientific and pedagogical personnel. She is the next step after higher education. As a rule, people who want to seriously engage in scientific work and (or) teach at a university strive to get into it. Upon graduation, a person receives an academic degree.

There are three main courses in postgraduate studies: full-time, part-time and postgraduate studies. On it lasts for three years, on correspondence - for four. In case of an application, the training lasts five years. It can be paid or free. The result of postgraduate studies should be a dissertation - a scientific work on a specific topic. If a person wants to devote himself to science, then he asks the question: how to enter graduate school?

First of all, you need, of course, a higher education. It is impossible to enroll in graduate school without higher education. If you have a higher education in graduate school, any person, regardless of gender, age, nationality, religion, etc., has the right. When deciding how to enter graduate school, you should choose a specialty in which you would like to undergo training. The fact is that it is not at all necessary to undergo postgraduate studies in the same specialty in which you were trained, receiving higher education. For example, a person who is a historian by education can easily take postgraduate studies in some technical specialty, the only question is whether he will be able to pass to graduate school. The same applies to the university.
For postgraduate studies, you can choose a university in which you have never studied before. Having chosen a specialty and a university, you should find out what documents this educational institution requires from applicants for graduate school. Most often, a copy of a higher education diploma, an application for admission, photographs, a list of published works, etc. are required. All documents should be carefully prepared. Next, you should prepare well for the entrance tests. Entrance tests are writing an essay in a specialty and three exams: an exam in a specialty, a foreign language and philosophy.
Thinking about how, of course, it is better in advance, if you decided to go to graduate school during your student years, this can make it easier for you to enter. For example, as an abstract, you can provide any article with which you once spoke at a conference.
In addition, even if you thoroughly know the specialty you want to enter and are ready to go to take an exam even tomorrow, then with philosophy and foreign language everything is not so simple. You can study philosophy on your own, but do not forget that this will take time. It is not so easy to prepare for a foreign language exam, especially given the fact that in most universities the study of a foreign language ends somewhere in the third year. It might be worth contacting a tutor.

Having prepared all the documents and passed the mandatory entrance exams, you just have to wait for the results. If you passed the competition, you can be congratulated - you are a graduate student. If you did not pass the competition, do not be discouraged: you can try in a year, or take the training for a fee.

In addition, you can try to enter another university, maybe it will be much easier how to enter graduate school at another university. In any case, many opportunities are open before you, which you, of course, will be able to realize, if you have a desire.