Higher Education in Russia

Higher  Education in Russia

Higher education plays a very important part in the life of any country as a provides the country with highly-qualified specialists for future development and progress.  

Today,   higher   educational   institutions   of  Russia   include   over   700 universities, academies, colleges and other educational institutions. The non-state sector with more than 330 higher educational institutions  has evolved in recent years.

Training is offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Tuition is free only for Russian citizens who fully meet the admission requirements and successfully pass entrance examinations as the most programs are funded from the limited Federal Government budget. Otherwise tuition is sponsored either by students themselves, their parents and other private individuals or industrial organizations on a contract basis.

The academic year usually lasts 9 months and is divided into two terms (semesters). Students take exams at the end of each semester. If the results of the examinations are good students get state grants. Twice a year students have vacations - two weeks in winter and two months in summer.

The first - and second -year students at technical universities obtain thorough instructions in the fundamental sciences of mathematics, physics, chemistry and drawing as well as computer engineering  and a number of others. The curricula are enriched and broadened by instructions in such subjects as foreign languages, history and economics.

At the third year students get more advanced knowledge and begin to concentrate on their special interests, so to say, their "major" subject and take any courses in this subject Specialized study and courses will help students to become specialists and prepare them for their future work.

After four years students will get a Bachelor's degree. Then the students may go on with their studies and in a year or two of further study and research get a Master's degree. After graduating from the university they may go on with their study and research and get a still higher degree.

A very good tradition is that theory is accompanied by practical training. Students begin to work at their university's well-equipped laboratories and in senior years at various plants, design offices and research institutes of this country.

Universities have their own students' hostels and some of them have large and excellent sport centers.