Biographies Characteristics Analysis

Scientific degree or scientific degree. The difference between an academic degree and an academic title

It means receiving the title of the same name with this position for the period of labor relations. However, in the modern Russian Federation (Russia), an academic title is for life, but is awarded only after working out the necessary experience in the same (or equivalent) position and fulfilling a number of other formal conditions.

Academic titles in Russia

Current state

Currently (2019), two academic titles are awarded in Russia: “Associate Professor” and “Professor”. These terms are generally accepted abbreviations of the full name of the titles indicating the field of activity: “Associate Professor in such and such a specialty”, or “Professor in such and such a specialty”, or “Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences / Russian Academy of Education in such and such a department”. Other titles and concepts related to persons employed in the scientific and educational field (Doctor of Science, Corresponding Member, Researcher, Assistant, and others) are not academic titles.

Changes in recent years

Until the end of 2013, academic titles were awarded associate professor at the department and professors in the department(mainly employees of higher educational institutions, including part-time workers), associate professor in the specialty and professors in the specialty(mainly employees of research institutes involved in personnel training). Until 2002, employees of research institutes could also receive the academic title of senior researcher (SRS), the requirements for applicants for which did not include teaching experience; it now corresponds to an assistant professor in the specialty.

Since December 2013, the titles of professor and associate professor have been awarded only “according to their specialty”, the existing titles are equated to them. At the same time, the procedure became more complicated. So, one of the prerequisites for conferring the title of professor is now the presence of the title of associate professor for at least three years (previously, the academic title of professor could be awarded to persons who had not previously had a title at all).

Until the end of 2013, the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC) under the ministry, called the Ministry of Education and Science, then the ministry itself, dealt with the examination of appraisal cases of applicants for titles. At the same time, the term “Ministry of Education and Science” changed its meaning in May-June 2018: if before the indicated time it was so designated, then on May 15 this ministry was reorganized, and from June 18, the abbreviation “Ministry of Education and Science” officially began to refer to the newly created Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

Introduced in 2015 honorary academic title"Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)", awarded - with an age limit - for merit in scientific activity. It is assigned not by the control and supervisory bodies of higher education, but by the Presidium of the Academy. Holders of this title typically achieve higher achievements as researchers than the average university professor, but may have little teaching experience. In 2016, a similar title appeared in RAO.

History of academic titles in Russia

Academic titles in the Russian Empire

The only academic title in the Russian Empire was, introduced by the Charter of 1804, the title of Honored Professor, given after 25 years of service at the university, usually before retirement. The title of emeritus professor provided a lifetime pension.

In the scientific and educational system of the Russian Empire, arranged according to the German model and taking shape at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, there were teaching positions of adjunct, extraordinary professor and ordinary professor. Later, from 1863, full-time docents were introduced instead of adjuncts, in 1884 they were renamed private docents. The position of an ordinary professor corresponded to the head of the department, and that of an extraordinary professor corresponded to that of a professor; a doctoral degree was required for these positions. Adjuncts, or associate professors, were assistant and deputy professors; Initially, students became adjuncts, but from 1835 the requirements for them were increased to a master's degree, similar to the current Ph.D.

As "academic titles", the names of the above-mentioned positions were not used in Russia in those years, except for colloquial use. Instead, the role of the "titles" of university teachers and researchers was played by certain ranks within a single system - the Table of Ranks. When occupying a teaching position and upon receiving a doctorate degree, the corresponding rank was assigned:

Academic titles in the USSR

Academic titles and degrees in the USSR were reintroduced by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars in 1934. The grading system in terms of academic titles was more extensive than today, and included 6 titles, three each for universities and for research institutes: the university title of professor at a research institute corresponded to the title active member scientific research institution, the title of associate professor - senior researcher, and the title of assistant - junior researcher. Thus, at that time, a completely parallel system of three gradations of academic titles operated in the scientific and educational institutions of the country: in the research institute - junior, senior researcher, full member of the institution; in universities - assistant, associate professor, professor.

Subsequently, the titles of a full member of the institution were no longer awarded (not mentioned in the "Regulations on the procedure ... for awarding academic titles", approved in 1975), then junior researcher and assistant (not in the "Regulations" of 1989, entered into force on July 1, 1990 .) and - already in the post-Soviet period - a senior researcher (absent in the "Regulations" of 2002).

The titles of junior researcher and assistant were close in terms of qualification requirements and did not imply that the applicant had to have a scientific degree. In the 1930s, these titles were awarded to persons who successfully completed postgraduate studies and were doing scientific or educational work, but later the requirement to complete postgraduate studies was abolished. Unlike the titles of professor, associate professor and senior researcher, approval for the academic rank of assistant or junior researcher was issued by order of the head of the university / research institute without the participation of the Higher Attestation Commission of the USSR, and certificates certifying the assignment of these academic titles were not issued.

Academic titles in religious educational institutions

Foreign academic titles

General characteristics of the situation

The rules for awarding academic titles vary from country to country and are often based on national traditions, although steps are being taken towards unification. Unlike Russia and the countries of the former USSR, in most states there is no pronounced distinction between positions and titles of the same name: for example, hiring an employee for the position of professor in an educational institution simultaneously means receiving the title of professor. The common thing is the strict differentiation of degrees from titles - a scientific degree documents the qualifications of an employee, and the title reflects his compliance with a specific scientific and pedagogical position.

The names of titles in many countries repeat the terms adopted in Russia, associate professor and professor - with different definitions: "honored", "full", "ordinary", "associate", etc. In a number of countries, assistant, lecturer, postdoc. At the same time, an “associate professor” roughly corresponds to a Russian associate professor, and an “assistant professor” is just a research fellow without a title. Sufficiently detailed lists of academic titles are available in the English and Italian sections of Wikipedia.

Recognition of foreign titles in the Russian Federation

It is difficult to informally establish the correspondence of the professional level of title holders from different countries, since each country has its own “strong” and “weak” institutions, and qualifications are also individual. Much more informative in this sense is the Curriculum vitae of a particular scientist.

In the legal plane, recognition in the Russian Federation of titles obtained abroad is carried out either in accordance with international agreements on the mutual recognition of documents on academic degrees and academic titles, or in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation "On approval of the list of foreign educational organizations and scientific organizations that issue documents of foreign states on academic degrees and academic titles recognized on the territory of the Russian Federation”. In the event that foreign academic titles do not fall under the terms of the above agreements and orders, the issue of recognition of foreign academic titles is decided on an individual basis (before its reorganization in 2018, this was done by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation).

see also

Notes

  1. On the procedure for conferring academic titles (indefinite) . Website "Documents of the Government of Russia" (December 10, 2013). Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  2. Federal Law N 273-FZ "On Education in the Russian Federation" (as amended and supplemented), clause 11 of Art. 108 (indefinite) (2012).
  3. Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation N 1258 "On approval of the procedure for establishing incentive payments ..." (indefinite) . Russian newspaper - Fed. issue No. 5687 (14) (2012).
  4. (indefinite) (1992).
  5. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 15, 2018 N 215 "On the structure of federal executive bodies" (indefinite) . Rossiyskaya Gazeta (May 15, 2018). Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  6. On approval of the Regulations on the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
  7. Normative documents on the title of "Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences" and on the Coordinating Council of Professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian).
  8. Order on the establishment of the honorary title "Professor of the Russian Academy of Education" (indefinite) . RAO website. Retrieved 20 February 2018.

If you decide to work as a teacher, then you need to navigate the positions in the departments of universities: assistant, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, know what the difference is between them, and what requirements a candidate for each position must meet in order to imagine what you have to be ready.

If you already have experience in scientific and pedagogical activity, you may have defended your Ph.D. thesis, but you doubt the correctness of understanding that there is a position, academic degree, academic title, you will also find explanations in this article.

If you're just idle curiosity, who's higher: a professor or a Ph.D.? Also look for the answer in the article.

How to get a job as a teacher at a university?


+ Improve diploma

If you want to work as a teacher in the future, and there is still enough time before graduation from a specialized university, then do not waste it in vain and work on your grades. It sounds trite, but in practice it turns out to be true: employers really look at the grades in the diploma, and the higher they are, the more job opportunities open up for you, and no one needs C students.

If the diploma has already been received, and nothing can be changed, then, unfortunately, I do not know the facts that teachers with triples in core disciplines worked at the university (do you know such cases? Share them in the comments!).

+ Write a resume with a photo

The finished resume must have a photo, so it will be easier for the employer to combine and remember as one: you, your resume and the interview with you. Imagine, he / she may have a bunch of papers in the table, taking out some kind of resume, it will be difficult for him / her to remember the person, the interview with him, and the impression made on him / her, if there is a photograph, the question is removed.

+ Personally contact the head of the department

If you are confident in your desire to find a job as a teacher and have a resume ready, the next step is to contact the head of the department of the university where you would like to work, because it is she / he, and not some other official of the university, who is aware of whether her / his free bets, or when they become free. Knowing the last name, first name, patronymic, work phone number of the head of the department, you need to contact her / him, and, in case of a vacancy, you will be invited for an interview.

At the same time, talking to the head of the department on the phone increases the chances of scheduling an interview compared to sending a resume by email.

Think about why you should be shaking for a couple of weeks waiting for a possible response from the employer to your resume, and why should the employer make extra gestures in the form of looking for a meeting with you? It’s better for you to get an answer right away: “Yes, we have vacancies, come for an interview”, or: “No, and they are not expected”, and move on, look for other options for solving the problem, how to get a teacher at a university. The employer, in his position, usually does not have to “run” for personnel, as a rule, there are few vacancies in the university, and it is the candidate who wants to get a job that should show O more initiative.

+ Choose a good time

A well-chosen job search time will help you successfully get a job as a university teacher.

Usually the workload between teachers is distributed over the ACADEMIC year, and it starts on September 1st. Begin to pre-distribute the load in the spring.

As you know, the academic year is divided into 2 semesters, and teachers most often quit, read: places are vacated at the beginning of the semester.

From the foregoing, it follows that approximately in May, June, the head of the department will approximately know whether he / she will need new teachers for the next academic year. => it is better to contact the head of the department in May, June.

But in any case, it often turns out not as planned, and here too: some teacher found another job and decided to quit, he usually does this from the beginning of the 1st semester, less often from the beginning of the 2nd semester. => you can monitor vacancies at the end of August, beginning of September, end of December, January.

It happens that even in the middle of the year someone leaves somewhere, then the head of the department has to be nervous in order to find at least someone, and at the height of the academic year it is very difficult, everyone is arranged and working in their places. This is where he / she opens the folder with the accumulated resumes of candidates, and your resume photo can serve you well: he / she will vaguely remember one, barely the other, but he will remember you and invite you for an interview!

How is the competition for the vacant position of a university teacher going?

I will answer. On the first point: information about really free places at university departments is not submitted either to labor exchanges or published on the Internet; on the second point: posting announcements about a competition for filling vacant positions at the university is a formality, fulfilling the requirements of the competition procedure, and for each post there is already a real person who is now applying, and a little earlier held this position, his term of employment has simply expired contracts.

The fact is that this happens in accordance with the practice adopted at universities, in view of following the Regulation on the procedure for filling the positions of teaching staff belonging to the teaching staff, approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (the last one was in 2015):

" 1. Present Regulations<…>determines the procedure and conditions for filling positions of teaching staff related to the teaching staff in an organization engaged in educational activities for the implementation of educational programs of higher education and additional professional programs, and concluding employment contracts with them for an indefinite period or for a fixed period no more than five years.
3. The conclusion of an employment contract for filling the position of a teacher in an organization, as well as the transfer to such a position, is preceded by election by competition to fill the relevant positions (hereinafter referred to as the competition). "

// garant.ru

Practice shows that an employment contract is concluded with a teacher for a period of up to 5 years (it can be either 1 year or 3 years, or another figure up to 5), I am not aware of the approval of open-ended contracts, this happens, perhaps, with eminent professors (if you know the circumstances, examples when they conclude termless contracts with teachers, tell us in the comments).

So, in order to take a certain position in the department, you need to go through the competition, which means confirming your compliance with this position. Competitions keep teachers in good shape, make them develop, since a suitable candidate is usually a teacher who meets the following requirements: who has completed advanced training, published scientific articles, published teaching aids, has work experience, and more.

Among the stages of the competition, the following can be distinguished: the applicant filling out a package of documents, the candidate's report to the members of the department where he claims to continue working, the candidate's approval at a meeting of the institute / university competition commission, the approval of the candidacy by the academic council of the institute / university - this is briefly.

Positions in the university in ascending order

The lowest position of a university teacher - assistant . He, just like other teachers, conducts practical or seminar classes, but not may be allowed to lecture. The salary of an assistant is the lowest, but the requirements for a candidate for this position are minimal - work experience of 1 year, and after graduating from graduate school - there is no condition for having experience.

The next position at the university in ascending order is Senior Lecturer . The teacher in this position is also not allowed to lecture. But the requirements for an employee applying for it are quite high: work experience of at least 3 years and, in the case of a candidate of science degree, work experience is also necessary. In addition, the candidate for the position must present the results of research and methodological work: the presence of published scientific articles, the release of teaching aids.

For the vast majority of teachers who have not defended their Ph.D. thesis, and therefore do not have a Ph.D. degree, the position of a senior teacher is the ceiling of development in a department at a university.

Position associate professor at the department at the university is given in the presence of a PhD degree (that is, a successful defense PhD dissertation) and the experience of scientific and pedagogical work, that is, work at the university as a teacher, at least 3 years or the academic title of associate professor.

Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor, the difference, as we can see, is as follows:

Senior Lecturer - a position lower than Associate Professor.

The presence of a PhD degree is the main condition for an applicant for the position of associate professor.

The necessary scientific and pedagogical work experience seems to be the main requirement for the applicant for the position of senior lecturer.

Teaching positions at the university also include such as Professor , only a teacher with a doctoral degree in science (and, therefore, who defended doctoral dissertation), or the academic title of professor, as well as work experience of at least 5 years.

The difference between an associate professor and a professor is as follows:

The position of associate professor is lower than the position of professor.

The presence of a scientific degree of a candidate of sciences (or an academic title of associate professor) is the main condition for applying for the position of associate professor.

The academic degree of doctor of science (or academic title of professor) seems to be a necessary requirement for an applicant for the position of professor.

Position and degree

Now you know what positions teachers can hold at the department, but I also mentioned such a concept as an academic degree - it is worth dwelling on it in more detail.

There are two academic degrees in Russia: candidate of science and doctor of science.

To obtain PhD degree , you need to enroll in graduate school, after which you need to defend your Ph.D. thesis - a scientific study on a specific problem.

What does postgraduate study in Russia give and why go there? Graduate school gives a respite from the army? Is it included in the work experience? What gives in employment? Postgraduate study and work, how to combine? What is the duration of postgraduate studies? What are the types of postgraduate studies? Is there a postgraduate course? How is part-time postgraduate study different from full-time? What is the learning process in graduate school? What does postgraduate study without protection give?

PhD degree awarded after successfully defending a doctoral dissertation written during doctoral studies. You can enter doctoral studies only if you already have a PhD degree.

Is an assistant professor a position or an academic degree? Associate Professor and PhD, what's the difference?

Thus, answering the question: is an associate professor a position or an academic degree, we can say that an associate professor is a position held by a teacher in a department who usually has a Ph.D.

Associate Professor and PhD, what is the difference? The difference between an associate professor and a candidate of science is that, as you already know, an associate professor is a position of a teacher in a university department, and a candidate of science is a degree awarded to him as a result of a successful defense of his Ph.D. thesis.

What is the difference between a PhD and a professor? Who is higher professor or doctor of science?

Doctor of Science and Professor - The difference is that a Doctor of Science is a degree awarded to a researcher who has completed a doctoral dissertation. A professor is a teaching position at a university department, which can be occupied, in the vast majority of cases, by a teacher with a doctorate degree.

To answer the question: who is higher professor or doctor of science, in my opinion, is impossible, because these concepts refer to different ranking systems for scientists.

Professor - is the highest position in the department: Assistant -> Senior Lecturer -> Associate Professor -> PROFESSOR.

In the Russian Federation, scientific degrees are established - doctors and candidates of sciences and academic titles - professors and associate professors in the specialty, professors and associate professors in the department (see the Unified Register of Academic Degrees and Academic Titles). The regulation defines the procedure for awarding academic degrees, including the criteria that dissertations must meet, the procedure for the work of the dissertation council and the consideration of dissertations in the Higher Attestation Commission, the decision to nostrify academic degrees, the procedure for deprivation (restoration) of academic degrees, and other issues - see .:

List of programs for candidate examinations in the history and philosophy of science, foreign language and special disciplines. Appendix to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated October 8, 2007 No. 274

About Candidate Examinations. Letter of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated July 12, 2011 No. SI-754/04

About placement of announcements about protection and files of abstracts of dissertations in the Internet . Letter from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science dated September 8, 2011

About placement of announcements about defenses and abstracts of doctoral and candidate dissertations. Information message of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia of the Russian Federation of November 24, 2011

By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, two instructions were approved - the Instruction on the procedure for submitting materials for the creation of new, changing existing dissertation councils in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Instruction on the procedure for submitting military personnel and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the assignment of academic ranks - see:

On awarding academic degrees and awarding academic titles to servicemen and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated February 12, 2004 No. 44

Deferment for graduate students from conscription

Letter of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated April 18, 2011 No. 04-258<По вопросу предоставления отсрочки от призыва на военную службу на время обучения в очной аспирантуре>

Nomenclature of specialties of scientific workers

Until December 31, 2009, councils for the defense of doctoral and master's theses must be brought into line with the Nomenclature of Specialties of Researchers:

Nomenclature of specialties of scientific workers. Approved by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated February 25, 2009 No. 59

Salaries and additional payments (surcharges) for titles and degrees

In the public sector and in state institutions, as well as military personnel, salaries and additional payments (allowances) for academic degrees and ranks are established:

On the establishment of salaries for the titles of full members and corresponding members of state academies of sciences. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 22, 2008 No. 386

On the amount of monthly additional payments for academic degrees to civilian personnel of budgetary institutions (organizations) of science of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and military educational institutions of higher professional education of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the duration of annual paid vacations for scientific workers of budgetary institutions (organizations) of science of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with a scientific degree . Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated April 16, 2003 No. 120

On the establishment of allowances for an academic degree and (or) academic rank for employees of some federal executive bodies and military personnel serving under a contract. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 2, 2006 No. 343

Lost their power:
On the establishment of an allowance (additional payment) for an academic degree to certain categories of military personnel undergoing military service under a contract and employees of internal affairs bodies. Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation dated April 1, 2004 No. 211. - The document became invalid due to the publication of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 31.01.2012 No. 60
On the establishment of salaries for the titles of full members and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education, the Russian Academy of Arts and the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences and additional payments for the academic degrees of Doctor of Science and Candidate of Science. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 6, 1994 No. 807. - The document became invalid due to the publication of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 29, 2014 No. 245

Continuing the topic raised in the article "Profession, specialty, specialization ... Let's figure it out!", I propose to touch on academic degrees and titles, as well as related positions, in order to better understand these familiar, at first glance, concepts.

Academic degree

A scientific degree is a title that is assigned to an applicant by the scientific community and certifies his competence in a particular scientific field. Most of the CIS countries inherited the system of academic degrees from the USSR (Ukraine is one of them), so today a representative of domestic science can become:

  • PhD
  • PhD

The scientific degree is awarded to the applicant by the authorized state body. In the USSR, it was called VAK (Higher Attestation Commission). As a rule, in the CIS countries the name of this body has not changed. The decision to award the degree of candidate or doctor of science is made by the HAC based on the results of defending a dissertation (respectively, candidate or doctoral).

The dissertation defense takes place in a specialized scientific council - a community of respected scientists who are engaged in science of a certain subject, and can give a competent assessment of the applicant's work. As a rule, specialized scientific councils are opened in universities or research institutes so that the personnel working in them can defend themselves "without leaving home." If in your own institution there was no advice on your specialty, you can go to the neighboring one.

PhD

Postgraduate studies are a starting "incubator" for the training of young scientific personnel. As a rule, full-time graduate students become immediately after graduation from the university. You can become a part-time graduate student (or just an applicant) without reference to the date of graduation, but having a diploma of higher education is practically a prerequisite for admission to graduate school.

With a successful combination of circumstances, the main of which is the defense of a candidate's dissertation, a graduate student becomes a candidate of sciences. Although there are exceptions, and a scientific degree is awarded without defending a dissertation, one can imagine how powerful the contribution of a scientist to science in this case must be.

Candidate of Sciences is the most common scientific degree among the scientific and pedagogical staff of universities and employees of various research institutes. As a rule, a PhD degree entitles you to a small increase in salary (in Ukraine - about 15%), and also opens up prospects for obtaining the position of associate professor (see below) or similar.

Ph.D

A candidate of sciences, who has decided to finally conquer the scientific pedestal, becomes a doctoral student. To do this, you can enter a doctoral program, which, theoretically, will allow you to get rid of some job responsibilities (for example, reduce the teaching load at a university). But you can be a doctoral student and "in absentia" - just write a doctoral dissertation without any changes in your work.

It is believed that the degree of Doctor of Science is the highest criterion for the competence and viability of a scientist, therefore the requirements for the preparation of a doctoral dissertation (and its defense) are significantly higher than for a candidate's dissertation. Although in formal terms there are no significant differences between these processes.

Doctor of Science is a much less common academic degree, since not all candidates of science want (strive, can) become doctors. In terms of preferences, a doctoral degree allows a scientist to apply for a professorship (subject to certain other conditions), as well as count on a higher salary supplement.

Positions for candidates and doctors of sciences

It is important to understand that an academic degree is not automatically associated with the position held by a scientist. Usually, the “layout” for the positions that scientists occupy at the university (and for which they apply) is as follows.

No position

A graduate student may not have any position and only engage in scientific work at the department. The position is also not needed by a part-time student or applicant.

Assistant

An assistant can be a graduate student or even a Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer

For the position of senior lecturer, former graduate students (who have not become candidates, but have accumulated some experience), or candidates of sciences can work. This position is considered in some way "transitional", when a person without a degree just needs to be morally supported and promoted from assistants.

Assistant professor

As a rule, candidates of sciences work at the positions of associate professor. Sometimes doctors.

Professor

As a rule, professorships are awarded to doctors of sciences. PhDs rarely work as professors (this position is for highly respected scientists).

The real picture of the distribution of posts

It is worth saying that a candidate or doctor of sciences can apply for any position, but this position is far from always available. In reality, the situation often develops in such a way that candidates work for a long time as assistants or senior lecturers, and doctors of science work as associate professors, since the university does not allocate new staff positions in the departments. This process is highly bureaucratic, and the struggle for "a place in the sun" among scientific and pedagogical workers is a common thing.

There is a widespread practice when, after defending a candidate's dissertation, a position of associate professor is automatically "opened" to a young scientist. Usually this is the prerogative of the educational institution. But such a temporary position is not permanent, and in order to gain a foothold in this position, a young candidate of sciences should take care of obtaining the academic title of "docent".

Academic title

Academic titles are consonant with some positions from the higher education system, so they are often confused or considered one and the same. An academic title is awarded to a person with a certain academic degree some time after defending a dissertation, if he has fulfilled a number of requirements (for example, he has published a series of scientific papers, written teaching aids, prepared textbooks, etc.).

Assistant professor

The academic title "Associate Professor" is not the position of Associate Professor. As a rule, candidates of sciences are awarded the academic title "associate professor". This title entitles the scientist to heaven about a large increase in salary (in Ukraine it is 15...25%).

Professor

The academic title "professor" is not a professorship. As a rule, the academic title "professor" is awarded to doctors of science. Accordingly, with the title of "professor" the salary of a scientist also increases.

I hope that this information shed at least a little light on how the system of state science and education works. Of course, in this system there are many more "intermediate" concepts, positions, titles. As far as possible, Dystlab will try to explain them in new publications.

Due to the historical features of the development of science and the education system in different countries, the concepts of “academic title” and “academic degree” are defined differently, hence the understanding of their place and role in science and education can differ significantly. The wide development of international education and scientific cooperation forces us to look for common points and develop at least an approximate scale for comparing these concepts. In our today's material, we consider the main differences between the Russian and Western systems of academic degrees and titles.

Academic degree: award

Degree in many countries- this is the qualification of a researcher, which reflects the achieved scientific level.

Western universities have the following system of academic and scientific degrees:

  • Academic degrees or qualifications- this is a bachelor and master (in some countries the master is considered as an academic degree).
    • According to the rules adopted in the countries of the Bologna process, the bachelor's degree is considered as an academic degree, indicating the receipt of higher education. Sometimes defined as a qualification in a particular specialty.
    • Master is an academic degree following the bachelor, aimed at deepening the specialization of higher professional education.
  • Academic degree (one single): Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). What is meant here is not philosophy itself, but science in general. All degrees listed are awarded by universities and academic institutions.

In Russia today there is two systems of training specialists with academic degrees and qualifications.

  • The first consists of the preparation of bachelors (4 years of study) and masters (6 years of study). Bachelors and masters were initially considered in our country as graduates of higher professional educational institutions. Moreover, the bachelor's degree corresponded to higher education of the first level, which was lower than the master's degree and the qualification of a graduate.
  • The second system has been producing graduates with a 5-year term of study since Soviet times.

There are also two academic degrees in Russia: candidate of science and doctor of science. An academic degree is awarded on the basis of the defense of a candidate's or doctoral dissertation by the Academic Councils of universities and is approved by the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in a certain scientific specialty, reflected in the code and name of the branch of knowledge. For example, a candidate of historical sciences or a doctor of biological sciences.

Academic title: assign

Academic title- this is a qualification stage of scientific and scientific-pedagogical employees, reflecting the different levels and volumes of academic and scientific-pedagogical work. Holders of an academic title can not only conduct individual scientific research and train students, but also organize these processes at a high qualification level.

In Russia, there are officially two academic titles: associate professor and professor. At the same time, an academic title should be distinguished from a position. For example, associate professor is an academic title or position? Both at the same time: there is the title of associate professor, and there is the position of associate professor. Ideally, they should match, that is, the position of associate professor is intended for a scientist with the title of associate professor. But sometimes the position of associate professor can be occupied by a person who does not have this scientific title.

Who confers academic titles?

Academic titles are assigned by the Ministry of Education and Science on the proposal of educational institutions of higher education.

Academic title of Associate Professor can be assigned to a scientific and pedagogical worker who fills the position of associate professor, whose teaching experience is at least 3 years, and the number of published scientific papers is at least 20.

Academic title of professor can be assigned to a scientific and pedagogical worker who fills the position of professor, head of the department, dean of the faculty and has the title of associate professor. The teaching experience of a candidate for professorship must be at least 10 years, and the number of published scientific papers must be at least 50.

As a rule, the title of associate professor corresponds to the academic degree of candidate of sciences, and the title of professor corresponds to the degree of doctor of sciences. In the field of art, physical culture and sports, the scientific titles of professor and associate professor are also awarded, but according to other approved criteria. For their assignment, it is not necessary to have an academic degree of candidate or doctor of science.

Assigned scientific titles have an indefinite "lifetime" character. At the same time, persons with scientific titles may be deprived of them in case of non-compliance or violation of the requirements of the Regulations on the awarding of academic titles.

Abroad, scientific titles coincide with the positions held. If an employee receives the position of a professor, then from that moment he is called a professor until he holds this position. A number of leading universities have a lifetime professorship along with a position attached to it. Thus, the work of a scientist in the West is paid according to the position held, and no money is paid for the title.

Honorary titles and degrees

In addition to official academic degrees and titles in the scientific world, there are also honorary titles and degrees. For example, title Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation worn by a famous designer, doctor of technical sciences (according to the totality of discoveries and inventions) M.T. Kalashnikov. Approved in 2015 honorary academic title "Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)" which is awarded for merit in scientific activity.

In Western countries, for great merit in science and culture is awarded Honorary Doctorate (honoris causa), which in translation means "for the sake of honor", that is, without defending a dissertation. As a rule, we are talking about people who, as a result of their social and practical activities, have made a great contribution to the development of society, scientific thought and culture.

Despite all the differences in academic degrees and titles, international practice has shown that there are real opportunities for practical comparison of the qualification systems of different countries in science and education. This issue is partly resolved by international treaties and agreements, partly by countries joining the Bologna process. For example, the scientific degrees of Candidate and Doctor of Science are equated to Ph.D., and the scientific titles of Associate Professor and Professor are equal to the Western title of Professor in each specific case, depending on the field of knowledge (humanities, natural sciences, technical sciences).