Second degree. Second higher education in a cunning way 2 higher education economics

The need for education is undeniable. It is the key to success and career growth. High competition in the labor market forces young specialists (and not only) to acquire additional knowledge in related professional fields. Yesterday's graduates of educational institutions and experienced specialists want to get a second higher education. “How long to study?” - a question that worries each of them.

Who gets a second higher education and why?

There are many reasons why people pursue a second degree. This is either a banal habit of studying, or a necessity of life, or simply because there is nothing to do (“let it be”). If we look at the statistics, 61% of students receiving a second higher education are working specialists. What prompted them to do this was the desire to climb the career ladder. After all, to build a successful career you often need to have knowledge in related areas of work. The remaining 39% include those who do not like their first profession, who do not work in their specialty, who hope for a salary increase, etc. For example, an accountant can get a second higher pedagogical education, realizing that numbers are not his thing. calling, or wanting to make a childhood dream come true. People strive to radically change their lives thanks to a second diploma.

Which form of training is best to choose?

You can choose any: full-time, part-time, evening or part-time. It all depends on the intended goals and capabilities of the person. Most often, full-time students are those who do not yet have any work experience. Evening uniform means studying three to four days a week. Class hours are usually from six to nine. During combined training, classes are held both during the day and in the evening. The most attractive form of obtaining a higher education diploma is by correspondence.

Many people who want to get a diploma cannot attend classes for various reasons: for health reasons, because of the territorial location of the university, etc. This problem can be solved by receiving a second higher education remotely.

Requirements of higher educational institutions

There are no age restrictions for applicants to study. At any age you can get a second higher education. How much to study will depend on many criteria, including how much the first specialty and the second, desired, differ from each other.

The basis for enrollment is a diploma of first higher education. It is worth noting that some universities set restrictions. They only accept students who have graduated from state or accredited commercial universities.

As for the duration of study, with complete retraining, due to the large number of special subjects, it can be increased.

Upon admission, an agreement is concluded with the educational institution, which specifies the terms, conditions of study, a list of subjects studied and payment terms.

The main difficulty is the training schedule, because most often people receiving a second higher education already work somewhere. For such students, sometimes it is possible to study according to individual plans. But most often educational institutions adhere to standard programs.

Second higher education: how long to study?

Citizens who already have one diploma can be enrolled in both the first and subsequent courses. At the same time, the university independently decides how many tests and in what form an applicant who wants to receive a second higher education will take.

How much to study mainly depends on the specialty obtained during the first training. If the content of academic disciplines is radically different, then the period of study can reach five years.

Also, training at a university can be carried out according to shortened educational programs. This decision is made by the educational department and depends on what subjects and to what extent the person has previously completed. In this case, the duration of the program cannot be less than 1.5 years.

In what cases does the period of obtaining education increase?

The duration of study can be extended by a year in two cases. Firstly, when developing an individual curriculum for combined and correspondence forms.

Secondly, by provision It can be provided in the presence of medical indications or in other exceptional cases.

How can you reduce the training period?

When calculating the duration of training, the disciplines already studied and passed during the first education are taken into account. This process is called re-offset. It includes the recognition and inclusion in the new academic list of previously obtained grades.

In addition, the possibility of reducing the duration of study depends on the student’s abilities. There is the possibility of taking exams early. According to the rules, such consent can be given by a specific educational institution. To do this, you need to write an application addressed to the rector, after which the individual curriculum will be changed.

Distance higher education

A second higher education, distance learning, involves the traditional form of education, but at a distance. That is, as when entering a regular institute, you can choose both full-time, correspondence, and combined forms of study.

It runs throughout the semester. Most often, enrollment is carried out twice a year: before the start of the next semester. But there are also universities that are not tied to the semester.

The most popular directions for obtaining a second higher education

Currently, among many areas, the most popular are law, pedagogy and economics. In accordance with the demand, there is a fairly large number of offers.

For example, most applicants strive to obtain a second degree. This is due to the fact that everyday life confronts us with problems in which knowledge of rights and laws would simplify their solution. Therefore, the number of institutions producing certified lawyers is increasing every year.

The second higher education has never lost its popularity, and against the backdrop of emerging prospects it has become even more in demand. Everyone can choose a different profile at their own discretion.

A second higher education in Moscow was rare even less than ten years ago. Today, according to statistics, 20% of specialists have already received a second diploma, and 6% are on the way to defending it. This once again speaks of the desire of our citizens to develop and move forward.

Recently, there has been a tendency in the job market to increase the number of applicants with two higher educations.

Indeed, to get a prestigious job in a large company, sometimes a higher education obtained after school is not enough. A modern employer is looking for a universal specialist with deep knowledge in several fields at once and is willing to pay a holder of two diplomas much more.

The reason for obtaining a “second tower” may be a desire to move up the career ladder, a desire to expand knowledge in the field of one’s profession, or even just personal interest. The need to “re-study” can arise at any time: someone enters a second university immediately after graduating from the first, and someone becomes a student many years later. A second diploma gives us the opportunity, already having one university document, to obtain another new specialty or profession.

Where can I get a second degree?

The decision to get another profession usually comes to people who have already realized that they really need it. Many of them have already worked in their specialty and realized what they lack for further growth.

Today, almost everyone has a chance to sit again on the student bench, without age restrictions. As their number grows, so does the number of universities offering this service. Today, more than 70 higher educational institutions in Russia can provide the opportunity to study in the “second circle”.

Second higher education in Russia has its own characteristics:

training is certainly paid;
In general, there are no entrance exams; some universities may require an interview or specialized testing;
The duration of training is much shorter than when receiving a first education. It necessarily depends on the form of study for the first diploma and is approximately 2.5 - 3.5 years.

Forms for obtaining a second diploma

Russian universities offer everyone the opportunity to re-become a specialist with a diploma using one of the forms of training:

full-time, in which separate groups are created for students with a diploma;
evening, requiring attendance at classes several times a week and in the evenings;
correspondence, in which during the semester students independently complete tasks given to them previously, and during the session they listen to lectures on individual subjects and pass mandatory exams and tests;
remote, when students can contact teachers and receive consultations via the Internet;
periodic, in which students study only certain subjects, pass exams in them and receive confirmatory certificates. If there is a certain number of certificates, a diploma of higher education is issued;
“weekend” training, which is organized a couple of times a week for working or busy students;
external study - when the disciplines required for a student are completely learned independently and exams are taken on them.

Tuition fees

Either the student himself or the organization sending him can pay for his studies. The cost of training depends on:

the number and volume of disciplines studied;
chosen form of training;
the time of payments, which are made every semester or are monthly or one-time.

Tuition fees may be significantly reduced or completely waived for some benefit students.

Admission rules

You can apply for a second higher education at many universities at any time, since documents are accepted all year round. To enroll in a second specialty, you must present the same documents (originals) as for the first higher education. Namely:

a standard application for enrollment addressed to the rector;
passport, as well as a document confirming the change of surname, if this happened;
regular photo size 3x4.

In addition, you must submit:

Diploma of Higher Education;
Diploma supplement, which lists previously studied subjects.

However, when applying to specific universities, it is advisable to clarify the list of required documents.

Higher education is currently a de facto standard item in the list of requirements for various vacancies on the labor market. On the one hand, this underestimates the value of higher education, since many begin to take it for granted, and on the other hand, it forces the most far-sighted people to think about obtaining a second higher education in addition to the first. This circumstance explains the recent sharp increase in the number of applicants with two higher educations.

Unfortunately, the state limits us to one free higher education. But for those who like to gnaw on the granite of science, the following options for obtaining a second degree for free will be useful.

Get a second higher education without completing the first one. If you have studied for more than two years at a university, and your transcript indicates successful certification, then, at your request, you should be issued a diploma of incomplete higher education. In the first two years, you study a basic course that will allow you to master professional skills. Thus, you can already work in your specialty or transfer to another educational institution to study a new profession on a budgetary basis.
Completion of a master's degree in other sciences. In the context of the ongoing reform in the higher education system, having a specialist or bachelor's degree in hand, you can apply to any university you are interested in to enroll in a master's program on a budgetary basis. The opportunity to become a certified specialist in another field for free is one of the key points in the transition to the bachelor’s-master’s education system. An additional advantage of this method is that enrolling in a master's program at some universities is often much easier than enrolling in the same university as a first-year student.
Apply to your employer for funding. Are you a valuable and promising specialist? And will your additional skills benefit the company you work for? Then there is the opportunity to obtain a second higher education at the expense of the employer. But there are some nuances to this option:
- you sign an agreement under which you undertake to work for this company for a certain number of years. This eliminates your bad intentions;
- If for some reason you decide to stop studying or you are expelled, you will have to compensate the company for all expenses.
If you are an employee of a university, then you just need to contact the rector’s office.
Get an education grant. There are a huge number of funds, both domestic and foreign, that are ready to pay for the training of especially valuable specialists in any university in the world. To do this, you need to contact any fund, fill out the paperwork, and explain why you should receive a grant. If successful, you will also be paid for health insurance and a stipend.
Take advantage of the law “On the Status of Military Personnel” and the rights enshrined in it. If you have a higher military education, then you have the right to receive a second higher education in any specialty absolutely free of charge. And if, after studying at a university, you went to the army under a contract, then after 15 years of service you can apply for a second higher education on a budgetary basis. This rule applies only to evening and correspondence courses.
Use a little trick. It will consist in simultaneously receiving the highest first and second. But only if you have a diploma of secondary vocational education. Give a diploma to one university, and a certificate to the second. The main thing is to have time to study at two universities and do so that no one suspects anything. Instead of a diploma, you can bring a certified copy of your certificate to one of the universities, citing the fact that the latter has been lost. Before using this method, you should first think through everything and evaluate your capabilities, as well as the likely consequences. Few people can cope with a double load without compromising the quality of education, and besides, you can simply be expelled from both universities if the trick is accidentally discovered.

Having two higher educations, you will have a noticeable competitive advantage in the labor market, you can count on highly paid work in prestigious companies and wide open prospects for career growth.

It is believed that a second higher education in our country can only be obtained for money. But some savvy students manage to get several real, not fake, diplomas - and completely free of charge.

ANNA VASILYEVA

Master of Other Sciences

You can get a state diploma of higher education for free, already having one in your pocket, in several legal ways (many, sadly, take the illegal route, but more on that later).

The most obvious way is a master's degree. Students who have received a specialist or bachelor's degree can go to any other university for a master's degree. On the websites of absolutely all universities and institutes that have a master’s department, it is emphasized that a master’s degree is an opportunity to obtain a second higher education for free. “Applicants who have received higher education and have a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree can apply for places financed from the federal budget,” says, for example, on the website of the Russian Economic University. G. V. Plekhanov. At the same time, it is clarified that when entering a master’s program, you can choose any direction of training, regardless of the profile of your first higher education. “The opportunity to change the direction of study and master a new specialty is one of the key advantages of the “4+2” system (bachelor’s degree + master’s degree),” the Higher School of Economics emphasizes.

This path is good from all points of view, including the fact that enrolling in a master's program at some universities can be easier than enrolling in the same university as a first-year student.

“I dreamed of entering the Higher School of Economics since school,” says 24-year-old Ruslan Pekhov. “But I knew for sure that I couldn’t get into the free department, the requirements were too high and the competition was big. And then I went to MIIT, received a bachelor’s degree there and with it I have already entered the master’s program at the Higher School of Economics. The entrance exams are much simpler, and the competition is minimal.”

Despite the fact that you only need to study for a master's degree for two years, students who decide to radically change direction during their studies actually receive two full-fledged professions. “I studied for four years at the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University,” says 25-year-old Nastya Mironova. “I learned Japanese well, received a bachelor’s degree. However, then I realized that knowing the language is not yet a profession, it will be difficult to find a job. So I decided that I will receive a master’s degree at the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. I passed the documents, passed the competition, received a budget place, and two years later I received a second diploma of higher education. Now I am working as a special correspondent in Japan and am quite pleased with the start of my career.”

But what should those who have already become a master do, but still want to study?

At someone else's expense

Then there is only one legal way left - grants. Compared to the West, in Russia the topic of grants does not seem very relevant, however, if you have the desire and ability, education with their help can be obtained not only in Russia, but also abroad. There are actually quite a lot of public organizations that provide such grants; you just have to set out to find them. There is, for example, the Ford Foundation, which annually announces a competition for a grant for master’s or postgraduate studies at any university in the world, including Russian ones. There is the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), thanks to which grants for a second higher education can be obtained in more than 2 thousand specialties, and the training will not necessarily take place in German.

This year, the British Council in Russia revived the well-known Chevening scholarship program, which provides young professionals not only with free education at any chosen UK university for 12 months, but also with residence in this country. In addition to the opportunity to take a training course, the program provides sponsorship of specialists working on short-term research projects. Applicants are required to have a high level of English language proficiency, a higher education diploma with excellent and good grades, and at least two years of work experience in the chosen specialty. Particular emphasis is placed on the intention of the scholarship applicant to continue working in Russia.

The foreign ministries of all countries with which Russia has established diplomatic relations are trying to allocate similar grants. Therefore, in essence, you should choose a country, go to the website of its embassy and carefully study the section describing cooperation in the field of education. Thus, the website of the French Embassy published a list of programs for which grants are issued, and it seems that they reflect the entire spectrum of human activity. There is the Copernicus program, which is designed for young economists, lawyers and engineers, scholarships intended for Russian students wishing to continue their studies in the second cycle (master), grants for university graduates who would like to enter the public service, and much more other.

Most of these grants assume that upon completion of training, specialists will be issued diplomas that are equivalent to official documents confirming higher education.

Without a diploma, but with knowledge of the matter

It has long been clear to everyone that having a diploma does not always indicate knowledge. Therefore, it often occurs to those who want to improve their level of education that it is much more logical to choose some advanced training courses or acquire new skills not related to your profession. The number of paid offers in this area generally breaks all records, but it’s worth working hard to find free options.

The Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design, founded in 2009, looks unique here. The institute's goal is to "educate a new generation of architects, designers and media specialists who will shape the shape of the world in the 21st century."

The creators of the project call the institute a postgraduate program, which is intended for graduates of higher educational institutions - young professionals. “The program provides an opportunity to work with the authors of brilliant projects in the field of urbanism, architecture and communications from around the world - an experience that is invaluable for any young specialist,” says Alexander Ostrogorsky, director of communications at the Strelka Institute.

“It is still impossible to perceive studying at our institute as an ordinary second higher education. The educational program is designed for a year, during which students work on projects, the ideas of which are related to some global and Russian issues, for example, the future of energy or the preservation of historical heritage. After students receive certificates, but we do not issue state diplomas either according to the Russian or Western systems,” Ostrogorsky noted.

At the same time, getting into Strelka is no easier than getting into any Western university. Upon admission, students must submit a portfolio, explain why this education is important to them, and undergo a serious competitive selection: 12 candidates applied for a place last year. Upon admission, all students are provided with a scholarship and, if necessary, accommodation.

The training is absolutely free. “Yes, we have summer schools for everyone, where some workshops are paid. But for our students, the entire course of study is absolutely free,” Ostrogorsky clarifies.

According to him, not only those children who have already received an architectural or design education can enter the institute. “Our main task is to find ways to solve problems that are important for Russia and the whole world. Therefore, if not an architect, but, for example, a physicist comes to us and says that he dreams of applying innovative approaches in the field of energy in Russia, we will only be happy,” - Ostrogorsky emphasized.

However, in his opinion, for those who want to combine study with work, this is not the best option. “The training schedule is very tight. During the year, students will have to master an extensive program, which consists of lectures, events and educational trips. Therefore, we are against combining training with serious work, and this is unlikely to happen,” says Ostrogorsky.

If the task is to combine education with a work schedule, you can try to force your employer to pay for your education. Some companies provide on-the-job training to their employees. This is called a corporate university. For example, Beeline, Severstal, Ingosstrakh, Rostelecom, Wimm-Bill-Dann, McDonald's, Coca-Cola and many others have these. These institutions are good because students are given practical knowledge in a narrow specialty without interrupting their work. As a rule, teachers are invited from leading business schools and large companies, and the learning process is based on completing business tasks.

hope for the best

It is possible that in the future it will be easier to study for free at a university a second time. In any case, discussions on this topic are ongoing among legislators. In 2008, a bill was introduced to the State Duma in which deputies proposed to allow free second higher education in some specialties in the field of culture and art. In particular, it was intended to give the opportunity to study for free once again for those people who wanted to choose as a second profession such areas as theater directing, film and television directing, composition, conducting and some others. However, the number did not go through.

“Then the Ministry of Finance simply felt sorry for the money,” believes one of the authors of the bill, deputy from the A Just Russia party Elena Drapeko. “Of course, they explained this to us with a more noble reason: if we were to allow free second higher education, then it would be for everyone.” However, she is confident that all is not lost and intends to reintroduce the bill in the near future. “Many years of experience objectively show that in some professions, for example in the profession of a director or conductor, success was achieved only by those who entered these professions at the age of 23-25. A conductor is a second education by definition, since a person must at least get a musical education and become, for example, an excellent violinist,” the deputy noted.

She tells a revealing story about a young man who, while studying at the theater department, discovered a rare talent as an animated film director. “Tell me, how many directors of animated films do we have? Yes, almost none! But the guy is really talented. And everyone recognizes it. The teachers are happy to train him again for free in a new specialty, but this is not required by law. So we have to collect money from sponsors,” says Drapeko. “We are trying to find money for talented guys, but such grants are few and far from everyone who wants and deserves it manages to get them.”

“And besides, there is no system in this,” the deputy continues. “This is some kind of manual control. We must finally admit that there are specialties that only adults need to learn.”

Bypassing the law

In the meantime, the bill is waiting in the wings, cunning students are solving the problem of the second higher education in their own way. According to the federal law “On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education,” every citizen of Russia has the right to receive free vocational education on a competitive basis and only if he receives education at this level for the first time. However, the law does not provide for liability for obtaining a second higher education free of charge. There is also no provision for checking data on whether an applicant has completed professional education. And some people take advantage of it. An applicant, as you know, is required to provide the admissions committee with an identification document, citizenship, a state-issued education document and photographs. That is, in theory, you need to present a diploma of higher professional education, if you have one. Moreover, each applicant signs that he is receiving higher professional education for the first time.

“The legislation does not provide for liability for providing false information or failure to provide certain documents when entering a university,” says Maria Smirnova, a specialist at the Federal Center for Educational Legislation. “And judicial practice on the application to such cases of Part 3 of Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the provision of knowingly forged documents have not yet been formed." In theory, liability in the form of expulsion from a university can be enshrined in the university’s charter, but this also practically never happens.

Almost 40% of university graduates receive a second higher education. The reasons that motivate you to return to the student bench are different for everyone. Some were disappointed in the acquired specialty that their parents chose for them, based on fashion trends and their own ideas about prestige. Others seek to increase their competitiveness in the labor market by mastering current professions, which might not have been included in university programs 10 years ago.

Whim or necessity?

Usually, those who, having accumulated life experience, by the age of thirty finally realized that the choice made at the age of 17 (no matter whether independently or with parental guidance) did not live up to expectations, go back to universities, institutes and academies for a second higher education. Another category of double students are accomplished specialists whose careers have stagnated due to the lack of additional knowledge or a higher education diploma in the desired field.

The second higher education can give both of them:

general erudition;
knowledge and skills of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary specialist;
greater opportunity to choose where to work;
increasing demand and competitiveness in the labor market;
complete retraining;
the satisfaction of finally finding a true calling.

Two or more “towers” increase the status of a portfolio, especially if the second profession organically complements the first. For example, a specialist who is well versed in both law and economics has undeniable advantages over a “mono-accountant” in the eyes of an employer, while a psychologist with a degree in marketing can easily beat out competitors with a modest bachelor’s degree from a management professional applying for the position of head of a department in a large company.

And of course, a significant bonus for the holder of two university diplomas will be increased self-esteem.

Training Opportunities

In Russia

Nowadays, obtaining a second higher education in Russia is possible in almost all universities in the country; in Moscow alone, more than seven dozen higher education institutions have developed corresponding programs.

Training in an additional specialty at universities in the Russian Federation has its own characteristics:

With rare exceptions, it is paid. Only those who graduated from military universities can receive a second diploma of higher education free of charge (in accordance with Article 19 of the Federal Law “On the Status of Military Personnel”). Those whose studies are paid for by an interested employer or a generous grant founder also have a chance not to shell out their hard-earned money for the wisdom of science.
Its duration is shorter than the primary one: on average about 2.5-3.5 years.
As a rule, there are no entrance exams.

Abroad

Obtaining a second higher education in Europe, America, and more recently in Asia, gives:

free choice of subjects studied and specialization itself;
world standard quality of knowledge;
possession of a document recognized throughout the world;
expansion of horizons and great life experience.

The cost of studying at most foreign universities is comparable to the cost of studying at higher educational institutions in the Russian Federation.

Many foreign universities provide students with a loan to pay for their studies.

Obtaining a second diploma in the Russian Federation

Forms of training

Daytime full-time. It involves creating separate groups or attaching a student to existing ones in the stream, in which the rest are studying primarily. In the second case, you may need to pass some disciplines in order to catch up with the main course.
Evening face-to-face. Attendance only in the afternoon several times a week.
Weekend training. Organized for working students who can attend classes 1-2 times a week.
Correspondence. Independent study of educational material during the semester with completion of a package of tasks. Lectures are provided in two cycles per course and precede the tests and examinations of the session.
Distance learning. It became possible with the development of modern Internet technologies.
Periodic. Includes studying only some subjects with passing exams in each of them to obtain a certificate - a diploma is issued only if you have the necessary set of certificates.
Externship. Passing exams in a specific set of disciplines that the student has studied independently.

The duration of training depends on how different the direction of training is from the previous one. Obtaining a second education based on a higher education in a related specialty will take a minimum of time, and you can study in two directions in parallel.

Payment

Tuition can be paid by the student or the organization that sent him. The cost depends on several factors, the main ones:

Admission rules

To enter universities for the purpose of obtaining a second professional education, you need to collect a package of documents, which includes:

Application in the form established by the educational institution. The document is written addressed to the rector.
A diploma (necessarily with an insert) of the first higher education; if it is not of a state standard, then a copy of the university license is attached.
For students with incomplete higher education - an academic certificate.
Passport, documents confirming a change of surname.
Photos, usually 8 pieces measuring 3 by 4.
Letter of guarantee if any organization intends to pay for the second higher education.

The original diploma must only be presented; a copy is submitted to the admissions committee.

The list must be clarified at the selected institution, since the university may also require a certificate from the place of work or a copy of the work book, TIN, etc. certified by the enterprise.

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