I Pre-reading

Glossary

• specialized secondary education

• special courses

• professional / vocational education

• institutions

• subjects, humane subjects

• to take exams and tests

• to pass exams

• to graduate from

• extramural courses

• training, to train

• to apply

• to enter the programmes

• humanities

• inclination for research

• research paper / project

• to obtain a degree / to get a degree

• to prepare and defend a thesis

• scholarships / grants

• to complete full-time study

• scientific supervisor

• to award a degree

• to complete a course / a paper

• research university

• campus

• to be located / situated

• full-time / department

• part - time day / evening department

• study-building / premise

• tutorials, tutors

• experienced lecturer

• students body

• teaching staff

• dean’s office

• chairs

• to head

• prosecutors

• judges

• investigators

• juristconsults

• notaries

• counsels

• law-enforcement organs

• to house

• alumni

• highly qualified professionals

• curriculum / - la

• post-graduate courses

• academic year

• campus

• practical training

• timetable

• study schedule

• terminal tests and exams

Read the text and answer the questions:

1. What is higher education guaranteed by?

2. What is the higher school admission based on?

3. What are the levels of higher education?

4. What are the requirements for getting the first study degree?

II Reading Higher education in Russia

Citizens of Russia have the right to education which is guaranteed by the Constitution and ensured by the broad development of compulsory secondary education, vocational, specialized secondary and higher education, extramural, correspondence and evening courses, also by the provisions of state scholarships, grants and privileges of students.

Higher education is provided by public and non-public (non-state) accredited higher educational institutions such as universities, academies and institutes covering a wide range of fields of study.

Higher school entrance is based on the results of the Uniform State Exam usually on three subjects, passed at schools. These subjects are: mathematics, history, the Russian language and the Russian literature.

According to two level educational system we have:

• basic higher education - 4 years of full time university level study, leading to the Bakalavr’s degree (equivalent to the Bachelor’s degree in the UK and western countries);

• postgraduate higher education - 2 years. After two years of studying post-graduates are entitled to receive the Magistr’s degree (this is equivalent to the Master’s degree in the UK or European countries). After getting the Master’s degree students can continue to study towards the doctoral degree: Kandidat Nauk degree (the first level, equivalent to Ph. D) and Doctor Nauk degree (the second highest level, equivalent to Doctor of Sciences).

These programs are elaborated in accordance with the State Educational Standards and include professional and special courses in science, the humanities and social-economic disciplines, professional training “completion of a research paper / project and passing state final exams”.

Having obtained the Bachelor’s (Bakalavr’s) degree, students may apply to enter the Magistr’s (Master’s) degree programmes which are competitive or continue their studies in the framework of the specialist’s Diploma programmes.

The Bachelor’s degree is awarded in all fields, except medicine. Diploma project is prepared under the guidance of a scientific supervisor. Students must carry out a year of research (including practice), prepare and defend a thesis which constitute an original contribution and sit for final examinations.

Comprehension questions

1.What is higher education provided by?

2.What are the levels of the educational system?

3.What do the programs of higher education include?

4.What fields is the Bachelor’s degree awarded in?

Match these English and Russian

1. the right to education а) гуманитарные науки

2. postgraduate course education б) защитить диссертацию

3. Uniform State Exam в) предметы

4. higher educational institution г) вуз

5. research д) государственные экзамены

6. humanities е) аспирантура

7. state final exams ж) право на образование

8. subjects з) единый госэкзамен

9. the Bachelor’s degree и) научная работа

10.to defend a thesis к) степень бакалавра

Match the synonyms

1. non – public institution a) responsible for

2. extramural b) involves only one limited area

3. scientific supervisor c) obligatory

4. compulsory d) preparatory courses

5. full time study e) state institution

6. vocational f) the whole of a working week

7. specialized g) providing skills and education

that prepare you for a job

Express your opinion

1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of new two-level education system?

2. Is applying to university easy or stressful in your country?

3. In England university admission is based on the results of the A-level exams, but there are a number of steps which many pupils go through in the two years before university. Here are some of the main ones. How many of them are also necessary in your country?

1. Visit the careers office at school.

2. Discuss their choice of universities with their teachers.

3. Send off for brochures from various universities, which describe the university and its courses.

4. Visit the university they are interested in (go to ‘open days’).

5. Apply to the University by filling in a form listing five choices.

6. Take schools exams: the results are used to predict A-level results, and are recorded on university applications.