Higher education in the Russian Federation

– обязательный
secondary schools — средние школы
vocational schools – профессиональные школы
extramural courses - циклы лекций и практических занятий при колледжах и университетах
evening courses – вечерние курсы

core curriculum - основной учебный план
full-time - заочный
elaborate – тщательно разрабатывать
Humanities – гуманитарные дисциплины
framework - рамка
transitional period – переходный период

education system started with the foundation of the universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the middle of the 18th century. The system was constructed similar to that of Germany. In Soviet times all of the population in Russia had at least a secondary education. The pursuit of higher education was and still is considered to be very prestigious. More than 50% of people have a higher education.
Russians have always shown a great concern for education. The right to education is stated in the constitution of the Russian Federation. It's ensured by compulsory secondary schools, vocational schools and higher education establishments. It is also ensured by the development of extramural and evening courses and the system of state scholarships and grants. Education in Russia is compulsory up to the 9th form inclusive. If a pupil of secondary school wishes to go on with education, he or she must stay at school for two more years.

Primary and secondary schools together comprise 11 years of study. Every school has a «core curriculum» of academic subjects. After finishing the 9th form one can go on to a vocational school which offers programmes of academic subjects and a programme of training in a technical field, or a profession. After finishing the 11th form of a secondary school, a lyceum or a gymnasium one can go into higher education. All applicants must take competitive exams. Higher education institutions, that is institutes or universities, offer a 5-years’ programme of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields.
Due to great demands of the international educational organizations, the system of education in Russia began to change over the past years. Universities began transitioning to a system similar to that of Britain and the USA: 4 years for the Bachelor’s degree (the first university level degree which is equivalent to the B.Sc. degree in the US or Western Europe) and 2 years for a Master’s degree (postgraduate higher education which is equivalent to a Master’s Degree (M.Sc, M.A.)) in the US or Western Europe. The Bachelor’s degree programmes last for at least 4 years of full-time university-level study.

State Educational Standards which regulate almost 80% of their content. The other 20% are elaborated by the university itself. The programmes include professional and special courses in Science, the Humanities and Social-economic disciplines, professional training, completion of a research paper/project and passing of State final exams. Having obtained the Bachelor’s degree, students may apply to enter the Master’s programme or continue their studies in the framework of the Specialist Diploma programmes. The Bachelor’s degree is awarded after defending a Diploma project prepared under the guidance of a supervisor and passing the final exams. Holders of the Bachelor’s degree are admitted to enter the Specialist Diploma and Master’s degree programmes.

Access to these programmes is competitive. The Master’s degree is awarded after successful completion of two-years’ full-time study. Students must carry out a one-year research including practice and prepare and defend a thesis which constitutes an original contribution and sit for final examinations. Nowadays as the system of higher education in Russia is going through a transitional period, the universities are still in the process of these changes; some of them offer the new system of education while others still work according to the prior 5-year system.

the same as:

 система высшего образования
 среднее образование
 защитить диплом (дипломную работу)
 заочная и вечерняя формы
 образования
 гуманитарные дисциплины
 обязательный
 государственные экзамены

 степень
 профессиональные курсы
 точные (естественные) науки
 выпускные экзамены
 завершение, окончание
 специальные курсы
 академические предметы
 считаться престижным
 практика

to begin
 to continue
 disciplines
 basis
 thanks to

 to be the same
 research project
 guidance
 to suggest

to start
 exclusive
 equivalent

 to fail an exam
 to graduate
 to unchange