May 24, 2024

The End of the Bachelor's Degree


The End of the Bachelor's Degree
Moscow State University RussianLife files

Starting in 2025, bachelor's degrees will no longer be granted at Russian universities. Instead, degrees will be granted in three categories: "basic" (basovy), for undergraduate-level degrees of 4-6 years, "specialized" (spetsializirovanny), instead of master's degrees, and "professional" (professionalny), for PhD-level accomplishment. The program has been tested in pilot programs at universities across Russia, and on May 14 was announced as a national policy at the State Duma by Minister of Higher Education, Valery Falkov

This change will result in further isolation between Russian academics and those of other countries granting bachelor's degrees. In the current system, a bachelor's degree from a Russian university can be recognized and accepted by American and Western European institutions of higher learning, as well as for job applications that list a BA among their requirements. A source told Verstka that, while this change may just rename the degrees being conferred but not substantially change their coursework, it will make "import and export" of students more challenging. 

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