Suppose that, whether under the influence of your own convictions and interests, the agitation of your parents, relatives and acquaintances, and convinced of the advantages of scientific happiness, you are obsessed with the desire to increase your social status with the help of scientific degrees and titles. However, you are held back by uncertainty about your abilities and capabilities. Or, due to ignorance of the methodology and technology for completing postgraduate and doctoral studies, preparing and defending a dissertation, you doubt that scientific peaks are available to you, and you are afraid of unknown paths.
Throw away such harmful doubts. Not gods burn pots and not geniuses write dissertations. This is done by ordinary ordinary people of average, and sometimes below average abilities. Abilities are distributed more or less evenly, almost everyone is born equally talented. It's not all about innate ability, but diligence. It is diligence and perseverance that is ability. No wonder they say: "One percent talent and ninety-nine percent patience - that's genius for you." And almost everyone has one percent talent. As for the talents and geniuses, which sometimes, though extremely rarely, still occur, they stand out so much from total weight applicants for a scientific degree, that they have no need to prove their exclusivity with dissertations. Talented people still defend dissertations, but most often they have already become recognized scientists or being close to that.
Well, what about the ingrained ideas, the essence of which is expressed in populist slogans: “The path to science is only for the gifted”, “We are looking for talents”? The presence of such statements is the inevitable cost of scientific embellishment, which is characteristic not only of scientists, but also of many simply ignorant people. It is possible that the scientists themselves, who have already broken through into science, are strenuously spreading such “horror stories” in order to exalt themselves, to emphasize their own dignity. It must also be borne in mind: bravura exclamations about the fact that science is the abode only for exceptional, chosen people, are borrowed mainly from the arsenal of journalists, TV reporters and all kinds of publicists who are extremely far from science, who have a vague idea of the true appearance, springs and operation of the mechanism of scientific advancement. Who needs exclusivity in the country and in the system, the main principle of which is equalization?
Let us also note that talent often manifests itself unexpectedly, some brilliant scientists did poorly at school and at the institute. Why not proceed from the assumption that you belong to this cohort?
Let's move on to officialdom, clearly defining who and for what is awarded academic degree. The regulation on the procedure for awarding academic degrees to scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers and conferring scientific titles on scientific workers states: “The academic degree of a candidate of science is awarded by the dissertation council based on the results of a public defense of a dissertation by an applicant with a higher professional education. The scientific degree of Doctor of Science is awarded by the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission on the basis of a petition from the Dissertation Council, adopted based on the results of a public defense of the dissertation by an applicant with a Ph.D. degree, taking into account the conclusion of the relevant expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission.
As follows from the Regulations, the only thing required of an applicant for a degree is to have higher education, then - write and successfully defend a dissertation.
In reality, there is a lot behind these modest at first glance conditions. First of all - the need to have professional knowledge to pass candidate exams and create a dissertation. Secondly, the ability to defend a dissertation.
Nothing is said about the quality of education in the Regulations. Whether the diploma is red or ordinary, fives in it or threes, daytime, evening, correspondence education you received or graduated from an educational institution as an external student - it doesn’t matter, it would be a higher education. The situation with vocational education is more complicated. According to the Regulations, an applicant for the degree of Candidate of Sciences who has a higher education that does not correspond to the branch of science in which the dissertation was prepared, by decision of the dissertation council, passes an additional candidate exam in a general scientific discipline applicable to this branch of science.
In addition, if the applicant really wanted to defend a dissertation in a completely different profession compared to the one obtained at the end of one higher educational institution, you can finish another higher educational institution. Nowadays, people everywhere get a second higher education. Remains open question, whether it is possible in this situation to acquire the desired profession, having completed training, say, at postgraduate advanced training courses, at advanced training institutes that issue diplomas of a certain sample. Apparently it's possible.
There is, however, one more clause of the Regulation, according to which the dissertation must contain a set of new scientific results and provisions, have internal unity and testify to the author's personal contribution to science. However, this point should by no means be taken as an initial barrier on the path to science, blocking the way for persons who do not initially have deep knowledge. After all, such knowledge can be acquired in the process of preparing a dissertation, by the time it is defended, and it is this moment that the cited paragraph of the Regulation has in mind. In addition, the professionalism of the applicant for the degree of candidate of science is confirmed by the obligatory passing by him of the candidate's examination in the specialty in which the dissertation work was performed.
So the most important condition for successful promotion to a scientific degree is the ability to write and defend a dissertation.
Benefits of postgraduate and doctoral studies
The easiest, surest, proven way to get a primary degree is admission to graduate school. There is Alternative option- apply to a higher educational institution or research institute that has a dissertation council that has the right to accept dissertations in your chosen specialty for defense, with a request to be attached as an applicant. It's even easier, because you don't have to give up entrance exams to graduate school. But, as evidenced by many years of experience, postgraduate studies, if available, are much better, approximately, like a vacation organized in the south or abroad on a tourist package, compared to the same vacation, but a savage, without a ticket.
The rules for admission and study in postgraduate and doctoral studies are set out in "Regulations on the training of scientific, pedagogical and scientific personnel in the system of postgraduate professional education in Russian Federation» .
Postgraduate studies can be full-time (with a break from the main work) and part-time (without a break).
Main advantage full-time postgraduate studies consists in the presence of a colossal amount of free time, which a graduate student can use at his own discretion. Serious limitations are associated with the low level of income of graduate students, whose scholarships, due to market reforms and high inflation, cannot ensure a decent existence for the three years allotted for postgraduate study. True, no one prevents graduate students from earning extra money, which many of them successfully do, trading in the field of teaching, and even in more profitable areas of activity. But, again, a double-edged wand: working part-time or otherwise earning extra money, you lose the advantage of having free time. The widespread introduction of tuition fees for full-time postgraduate studies further undermined its dignity.
Effective reception to avoid tuition fees in full-time postgraduate study at a scientific and educational institution is that a postgraduate student gets a part-time job in the same institution as a laboratory assistant or junior researcher. In this way, a graduate student can avoid the costs associated with training, since their employees are usually not charged.
Correspondence Postgraduate Studies is deprived of the main advantages of full-time in the sense that it does not bring either postgraduate miserable income or free time. Theoretically, according to the law, a correspondence graduate student has the right to additional study leave, which, in the conditions of market relations, cannot always be exercised without conflict. The main employer, the employer of a correspondence graduate student, is rarely interested in his employee receiving additional paid or even unpaid leave, and quarreling with the owner when high level there is no unemployment in the country. However, the almost inevitable tuition fees in part-time postgraduate studies are much lower than in full-time ones.
Applicant for a degree attached to a scientific organization, merely consolidates its status, and in addition to that, the organization can appoint a supervisor and approve the topic of the dissertation. Alas, the expansion of the market for paid scientific services in Russia led to the fact that at first non-state educational institutions, and after them state scientific and educational institutions, began to introduce fees for attaching applicants and staying in this capacity.
To increase the confidence of the very first steps into big science, it is desirable to have a leader (consultant) at the beginning of the path and act according to his advice and instructions. But here a situation of logical impasse arises. To decide on a leader, it is necessary to choose the profile of future scientific activity, because the leader is a specialist in a certain branch of knowledge. And in order to choose the area of scientific research, it is advisable to consult with the leader, who does not yet exist. You can, of course, choose the direction of research “under the leader”, if he himself invited you to become his graduate student, or if the potential leader has clearly expressed preferences over others. And yet, it is better to choose the area of scientific activity yourself first, especially since it is still associated with the presence of professional education and with established scientific interests, accumulated experience in scientific and practical activities.
In principle, one should enter graduate school and defend a dissertation in the specialty obtained earlier in a higher educational institution. But not necessarily. And although the path to science is not easy everywhere, but still to a different extent. Most take the easier route. You can reproach them with the words of the eminent troubadour of socialism: “Where, when, what great one chose the path to be more trodden and easier?” But these are great ones, and we mean medium and small ones, who do not need to rush to the heights, but choose a simpler, more accessible scientific peak for storming. To this end, let us try to understand a little about the variety of sciences, which corresponds to a certain extent to an adequate variety of scientific degrees.
The paths to the heights of knowledge differ significantly in difficulty and in the nature of the way of ascent, depending on the type of chosen science in which the academic degree is awarded.
On the choice of a "dissertation" branch of science and specialty
Let us first make some general remarks about the peculiarities and preferences of different branches of science, without excluding their controversy and debatability.
Everything in the world of science is divided into natural and public. There are sciences that are at the junction of both, and these should include humanitarian sciences studying man and society. However, sometimes the humanities are classified as social sciences. Natural sciences, to which “exact” in the form of mathematics gravitate, are the sciences about nature and sciences based on the principles of formal logic, as well as technical sciences. Social sciences are sciences about society, about its development, about public interests and relations. It is difficult to draw a clear line between the natural and social (humanitarian) sciences, but the dividing line still exists.
Strictly speaking, to the sciences in full sense this word should be natural Sciences, since only in nature, given to us from God, there are objective, cognizable laws that are given from the outside, independent of the will of people, amenable to practical verification on the basis of measurements. Mathematical Sciences are also worthy of this name, since they are based on clear axiomatics and the laws of formal logic that are unambiguously interpreted by all. The situation is worse with the social (humanitarian) sciences, which, undoubtedly, are areas of scientific knowledge, a set of empirically established patterns, but do not reach the title of genuine sciences. Social processes are weakly subordinated to objective laws that do not depend on people. They manifest private rules, norms, patterns inherent in a particular social formation, or generally imposed by people's beliefs from science and politics. If in the exact, natural and part of the humanities there are objective grounds for asserting “this position is true, correct, and this is incorrect, erroneous”, then in the social sciences proper this is rarely possible, here it is more correct to say: “From my (our, accepted) point of view, this judgment should be considered as convincing, generally accepted, corresponding to the observed facts.
It is clear that the social sciences are more muddy water than the natural ones, and therefore it is easier to catch dissertation fish in it. Accurate, clear, specific knowledge they require less, you can get by with general reasoning instead. A high level of uncertainty, unpredictability, uncontrollability of social processes, inconsistency of judgments about them make it easier to pass off any judgment as scientific truth. However, it is much more difficult to defend the legitimacy of one's judgment in the social sciences than in the exact and natural ones. Demagogy, or even the right of a strong person, higher in the scientific or even in the administrative and managerial hierarchy, often serves as an instrument for arguing and defending one's correctness.
In accordance with the complex, multicomponent structure of branches of science in which academic degrees are awarded, and branches that characterize specialties and types of scientific activity, one has to make a double choice, choosing both branches at the same time. Usually elected first kind of science on which the dissertation is defended (“dissertation” branch), based on the above list of branches. Then, within the framework of this branch of science, it is necessary to choose specific specialty for which you intend to defend your dissertation, guided by the approved nomenclature of specialties for each branch of science. That is, you need to solve an equation with two unknowns, determining as a result of the decision in which branch of science you will defend your dissertation and in which specialty within this industry.
Let's illustrate the algorithm with an example. Suppose you intend to defend a dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences. Philosophical sciences, represented in the nomenclature list of specialties by code 09.00.00, correspond to eight specialties, for each of which one can apply for the desired degree of candidate of philosophical sciences. From this list, let the specialty 09.00.11 “Social Philosophy”, on which you can opt for, be closest in terms of education and interests. But there is an opportunity to choose another specialty. So, in section 22.00.00 "Sociological Sciences", another specialty 22.00.04 "Social structure, social institutions and processes" close to specialty 09.00.11 is indicated, in which one can also defend a dissertation for the degree of candidate of philosophical sciences.
At first glance, the freedom to choose the branch (type) of science in which a scientific degree is awarded, and a specific specialty within the framework of this science, is quite large, especially in relation to such common sciences as technical, economic, medical, pedagogical, which most attract applicants for scientific degrees. However, it should be borne in mind that you will be defending your dissertation in certain dissertation council who has been granted the right to accept for defense only candidate or candidate and doctoral dissertations in a clearly established type of science and a limited number of specialties. The simple truth does not require proof, according to which it is not the dissertation council that will adapt to your desires, but you will have to adapt to the capabilities of the council. If the dissertation council in which the defense will take place is known in advance, then it is necessary to clearly take a guideline to this council when choosing a “dissertation” branch of science and specialty. This is a severe limitation that narrows the circle of choice. If the scientific organization in which you do your work has advice of the wrong profile, you can look for another dissertation council that accepts the work of the industry or specialty you want to defend, but at the same time, you yourself understand, many other problems arise.
In connection with the integration processes in science, quite often there is a situation when the topic of the dissertation is at the intersection of sciences and specialties. Awarding an academic degree to an applicant in several sciences at once on the basis of defending one dissertation is not practiced; it is possible to defend dissertations in different sciences in succession. But the defense of dissertations in one science at the junction of different specialties corresponding to it is allowed, provided that the dissertation council includes scientists representing these specialties. The regulation on the dissertation council provides for the possibility of holding one-time defenses of dissertations at the intersection of specialties by introducing the missing number of doctors of sciences in related specialties into the council for one defense. So you should not be overly afraid that your work will go beyond the intended specialty and “invade” an adjacent specialty of the same “dissertation” branch of science. However, certain “excessive” troubles cannot be avoided, such is the “price” of choosing a specialty at the intersection of sciences.
In the previous presentation, we proceeded from the premise that the future dissertation student first chooses the branch of science, and then the specialty in which the dissertation will be defended, or the choice is made simultaneously, which is most desirable, but not always possible. A different order of choice is also possible, when a specialty is first chosen, and only then the branch of science is determined, according to which a scientific degree will be awarded. This approach is not trivial. It is acceptable if the organization where you are doing your dissertation work has one or more dissertation councils that accept dissertations in various fields of science for defense, and you can submit a dissertation in your chosen field and specialty to the appropriate council for defense. Or you will have to look for another dissertation council that will agree to accept the work for defense for the reason that the council of your organization does not consider dissertations of such an industry profile.
It does not at all follow from this that dissertations in the field of social sciences are sheer trash, such an opinion is deeply erroneous. In any field of knowledge there is innovative research and at the same time there is an empty grinding of known truths. It is difficult to complete a dissertation work and successfully defend it in any field of knowledge. Sometimes the complexity of research in the field of social sciences is higher than in the field of mathematical, physical, chemical, biological, medical. But, as a rule, dissertation streams flow more easily through the social sciences, and the flow, as is known from hydrodynamics, rushes to where the passage is wider and there is less resistance to the flow.
On the connection of the field of dissertation research and the topic of the dissertation with the practical activities of the applicant
Speaking above about the choice of science and the field of research within which it is advisable to carry out dissertation work, we paid attention primarily to the presence of an appropriate education for a graduate student, applicant, and to the specifics of the conditions and requirements for dissertation research arising from the profile of science in which the field of research is located. . There was also mentioned such a significant factor as the presence in the "portfolio" of specialties of the dissertation council, in which you intend to defend your work, the specialty corresponding to this work.
There is another defining circumstance that has the most significant impact on the choice of the area of dissertation research, topics and specific topics of dissertation work, regardless of whether it is a candidate's or doctoral dissertation. This is the degree of compliance with the problems, topics of the dissertation work of the region, profile, nature, content of practical activity, work, more or less constantly performed or carried out by the applicant for a scientific degree, dissertation. The presence of such a correspondence is one of the main factors, the first condition for the successful defense of a dissertation.
The heads of a number of scientific and educational institutions of applied profile, who are in charge of enrolling in graduate school and attaching as applicants for a scientific degree, tend to take into account the experience of practical work in the chosen scientific specialty and the subject of dissertation research. With doctoral students, the situation is much simpler, since those who enter doctoral studies or are attached to prepare and defend a doctoral dissertation have practical experience.
Including the experience of practical work of an applicant for a scientific degree, a graduate student, a doctoral student in his chosen field of dissertation research among the most important indicators that determine the future successful defense of a dissertation, we will arrange the factors that have a significant impact on achieving the ultimate goal in the following sequence:
- Correspondence of the selected issues of the dissertation, its thematic focus to the profile, field of activity, practical work experience in which the applicant has participated, participates and will participate in the preparation of the dissertation.
- The choice of the branch of knowledge and the field of dissertation research in accordance with the specialty obtained in a higher educational institution.
- Admission to graduate school, doctoral studies or attachment to a scientific and educational institution, which has (will have) a dissertation council that accepts for defense works in a specialty that corresponds to the chosen topic (topic) of the dissertation research.
- Predisposition to long-term participation in scientific research, painstaking and exhausting activities in the chosen field and field of knowledge, the presence of an internal interest in obtaining both the results of the research itself and the final result in the form of a successful dissertation defense.
Ideally, all of these factors should be available, which should be strived for. But, alas, it doesn't always work out that way. Therefore, these very factors are arranged by us in the order corresponding to their importance and significance, priorities.
Now we have come close to the first, main, in our opinion, condition, requirement, which cannot be bypassed. After all, without working for a significant time in this field of science, where the topic of the dissertation lies, without having their own practical experience in solving the problems that the dissertation research is associated with, the dissertation student will feel like he has fallen on a desert island, he will take every step with uncertainty, apprehension. Such a situation is easily caught, discovered by a long line of scientists, specialists, through whose hands the dissertation is forced to pass. Failure to comply with the first condition obviously leads to the following obstacles, traffic jams at different stages of preparation and defense of the dissertation work:
- misunderstanding or shallow understanding by the dissertator of the applied aspects of the problem under study, the significance and scope of the practical application of the results of the work;
- the difficulty of saturating the materials of the dissertation work with independently obtained data, information from the experience of one's own participation in practical activities;
- the difficulty of determining the personal contribution of the applicant to practical use research results;
- difficulties in obtaining certificates of practical implementation, use of the results of the work performed (a mandatory attribute of the thesis defense), which can be most easily issued at the place of work;
- danger of falling into a dead end, manifestations of incompetence in answering the questions of practitioners who are deeply aware of the “subtleties” hidden from external observation and problems that appear, visible only to direct participants in practical activities.
There is no doubt that an active applicant who has intelligence and skill, a certain set of ideas about the subject and object of dissertation research, and financial means is able both on his own and with the help of consultants to catch in the boundless sea of scientific information with the help of libraries and the Internet enough material to produce a decent content dissertations. But if such an applicant is far from the problems studied in the dissertation by the nature of his activity, by practical participation in the work, the dissertation research will turn out to be “alien”, “improper” for him.
It is possible to submit such a dissertation for consideration, but how to present it to a knowledgeable audience, how to present its content, answer puzzling questions with the required degree of knowledge and confidence? After all, even the most skillful craftsmen have not yet thought of how to replace themselves in pre-defenses, defenses, calls to the Higher Attestation Commission with “doubles” who know a lot and have experience in the field of research presented in the dissertation work.
From this follows a simple conclusion. Dissertations are prepared better and worse, because there are no methods for unambiguously determining the level of its quality. The degree of external participation of consultants and assistants to the applicant, the degree of borrowing of dissertation materials from various information sources is difficult to establish from a high degree accuracy, even after examining the work in detail. But to determine to what extent the applicant was imbued with the ideas of the work, how he knows and understands the subject of research, in the creation of which elements of the dissertation he is involved due to his personal activities in this area, it is not so difficult to determine in the process of discussing the work with the participation of its author.
So the minimum necessary condition for the successful completion of the dissertation work, solving the problem of the applicant's personal contribution to the study, is the direct participation of the nominal author of the dissertation in practical activities that lie in the plane of the topic of the dissertation work, its problems. The fulfillment of this requirement is not sufficient to achieve ultimate success, but it instills confidence in the reality of success, and significantly increases the reliability of the dissertation process. To create a dissertation, being outside the objects, processes, phenomena, relations studied in it, revealing the truth “at the tip of a pen”, only geniuses of abstract thought are capable of, of which there are only a few in the sublunar world.
Scientific supervisor - a key figure
After choosing the branch of knowledge in which you intend to defend your dissertation, you should decide on a supervisor, if even before that you have not solved this most important problem and have not connected, agreed on the chosen branch of knowledge, the area of dissertation research with a potential supervisor of your work.
The need for a scientific adviser is predetermined even by the fact that the number of documents of the attestation case for the award of a scientific degree includes the review of the scientific adviser. Information about the supervisor should be indicated on title page dissertation work and on the reverse side of the cover of the dissertation author's abstract for the degree of candidate of sciences. But the need for a supervisor for graduate students arises much earlier. In accordance with paragraph 39 of the Regulations on the training of scientific, pedagogical and scientific personnel (Appendix 1): “Applicants to graduate school are interviewed by a prospective supervisor, who reports the result of the interview to the selection committee. Decision on admission to the entrance examinations to graduate school selection committee makes taking into account the interview of the applicant with the prospective supervisor. By the way, the abstract of the applicant is usually considered by the same future supervisor.
The supervisor is appointed by the organization in which the dissertation work is being carried out, usually in the process of enrolling the applicant for a scientific degree in graduate school or registering it by the applicant. The procedure for agreeing on the candidacy of a supervisor with a graduate student, applicant is not formally provided, but this does not mean at all that, being a registered graduate student, applicant, you should calmly wait until you are selected and appointed by a supervisor. You should think about the supervisor even before enrollment, you should take care of it in advance, immediately after the decision to enter graduate school and the choice of the science in the field of which your scientific happiness grows.
Since we are talking about the supervisor, let's say a few more words about him, however, far from the last, because he is the central figure, the main thing actor on the stage of advancement to a degree. The leader can be called the regulator of the postgraduate movement. The scientific adviser is the business card of both the dissertation student and the dissertation. The skillful choice of the supervisor is the key to success. The word "choice" implies the existence of choices. There are not always options. Postgraduate students and applicants are not always chosen, often the supervisor chooses them or someone chooses the supervisor for the graduate student. There's nothing you can do about it, you have to put up with it, such is life.
But if you have a choice - act!
When looking for a leader, one should be guided by a complex, ambiguous list of criteria and priorities. If you proceed from the criterion of weight, significance, influence of the supervisor, then the following options are preferable.
- The director or deputy director of the institute, the chairman or deputy chairman of the dissertation council in which the defense is to be defended is the best option with a high level of guarantee of a positive outcome of your program of penetration into the society of scientists.
- A member of the VAK expert council is a very good option with an equally high level of reliability.
- A member of the dissertation council of the institute in which the defense is to be defended is a good option, which gives very significant chances for success.
- A prominent scientist with a scientific name who is not a member of the dissertation council is a completely acceptable option.
Keep in mind, however, that the higher your supervisor's scientific rating, the less likely they are to be able and willing to devote much time and attention to you. Typically, such leaders have too many graduate students and even more other things to do, so you can’t count on 50 hours of annual contacts, consider even 5 hours a blessing. If a leader is needed more for form than for substance, if a graduate student is able to cope with scientific tasks or has in stock smart consultants, implicit supervisors, then the listed options are quite acceptable. In other cases, it is necessary to take into account the ability and desire of the leader to closely deal with you.
When choosing options, it should be borne in mind that the supervisor must be, strictly speaking, a doctor of science in this field of knowledge. The regulation on the training of scientific personnel provides:
“A scientific adviser from among doctors of sciences or professors is approved by the rector of a higher educational institution or the head of a scientific institution, the organization of each graduate student simultaneously with his enrollment. In some cases, by decision of the academic councils of higher educational institutions or scientific and technical councils of scientific institutions, organizations, candidates of sciences of the corresponding specialty, as a rule, having the academic title of associate professor (senior researcher), may be involved in the scientific supervision of the preparation of postgraduate students. Postgraduate students doing Scientific research at the junction of related specialties, it is allowed to have two supervisors or a supervisor and a consultant, one of which may be a Ph.D.
A candidate of sciences can become a leader, speaking in tandem with a doctor of sciences. Such a “paired” option, although it is an exception to the rule, deserves attention. The Doctor of Sciences performs a representative mission, and a young, progressive, "doctoral" candidate will be happy to introduce you to his own research, if only for the simple reason that your candidate's research can become part of his future doctoral dissertation.
For enterprising graduate students, applicants who are acquiring a supervisor at a time when the idea of a dissertation has already been born, realized, the main criterion for choosing a supervisor is his complaisance, understood as humanity, humaneness and compatibility with a graduate student. Alas, cases are not so rare when a supervisor does not so much help a graduate student as interferes. After all, the cooperation of a graduate student and a supervisor is unequal, the relationship between them is not sealed by an official agreement of the interacting parties, which fixes mutual obligations and rights. A graduate student is forced to be an uncomplaining, powerless creature, following the instructions of the leader. In the event of a conflict, the supervisor obviously wins the fight, he simply will not release the work for defense. Under these conditions, nothing prevents a captious leader from continuously demanding that the dissertation be completed and reworked in his own way, regardless of the consent of the author of the work. Therefore, the moral, human qualities of a supervisor may be more important than his status as a scientist.
And finally, one more important warning - your supervisor should not be in hostile relations with members of the dissertation council in which the work is to be defended. Remember that the first victims of the scientific struggle of scientists have always been and will be the graduate students of their enemies, because the poor graduate students are the easiest to win back and take out their anger!
How to please the desired supervisor, to achieve his consent to scientific supervision? You can’t list all the recipes, we will mention the main ones.
- To appear before the future leader as a charming person, communication with whom brings pleasure.
- Present a scientific talent with great promise.
- Promise to do the work yourself without disturbing the manager.
- Find influential people who will strongly ask for a graduate student.
- Use the methods of material and moral incentives.
Material incentives do not at all mean crude bribery, which has become widespread in Russia in connection with the formation of market relations in their unattractive forms. The leader, as already mentioned, will already receive material remuneration for scientific leadership. Whether or not a souvenir gift should be presented to a potential leader depends on the circumstances and on the personalities. There are no universal recipes. Since graduate students, applicants for a scientific degree, alas, have to deal with this kind of problem right up to the final banquet about a successful defense, we will express our judgments on this matter without pretending to be indisputable.
It is immoral to give bribes, and to give gifts is even noble. Let the hand of the giver not fail! Know how to choose and present a gift so that it is a gift, not a handout. There are standards for scientific offerings that have been worked out and tested by life. They are, of course, conditional and change over time, but they still exist. It is embarrassing and unethical to give a candidate of sciences less than a bottle of champagne or a couple of bottles of vintage wine (you can use special vodka). Women should be given flowers and perfume. A doctor of science, a professor is presented with cognac aged for at least five years (five stars or vintage, preferably in a set). Academics are most suited to antiques. These tips, as you know, with an admixture of humor. And yet, the art of giving what is needed, when it is appropriate and does not go beyond the permissible limits of ethics and morality, should be mastered not only by flatterers and sycophants.
The point is not even in the form of the gift itself, which reflects the purely external side of the relationship of appreciation. The essence is in the inner side of the process, which should be pure, frank, not giving rise to annoyance to either the giver or the recipient of the gift.
small instructive story on this subject, told to me by a well-known economics professor. I'm not sure about the authenticity of the described case, as they say, for what I bought, for that I sell. Therefore, he changed the names of the heroes, it’s not about the names, after all.
Prominent Professor Dyakov, wishing, of course, to be promoted to Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, instructed his laboratory assistant to bring to the house of a very high-ranking and equally untalented Academician Fedotov, from whom support was required, a small presentation in the form of a basket with ten bottles of champagne. It would seem that the gift is original and impressive. But it was not there. The academician was terribly indignant, did not accept the gift and ordered to take it back to the donor. Worse than that, called the place of work of Professor Dyakov and said: "Your Dyakov wanted to buy me for fifty rubles (it was in the old days when a bottle of champagne cost only five rubles)." As a result, the case of Dyakov was examined at a meeting of the party committee.
Note that the academician was not indignant about bribery, but about a cheap gift that did not look like a bribe. That's all the salt. The academician protested that he was underestimated and thereby insulted. And he was right in a way. It is not befitting for an academician to accept such a small handout on such an important occasion. And the professor should know what is supposed to be presented to eminent people, on whom the outcome of his own business depends. Much more appropriate to this moment would be, say, a gold watch, a video recorder, Khokhloma, Gzhel, paintings. It is clear that in this case we are not talking about graduate students, whose leaders are rarely academicians and who do not have the opportunity to bring such gifts.
Interestingly, by the will of fate, Professor Dyakov subsequently gained well-deserved fame, and Academician Fedotov disappeared into oblivion. This is how life and its restructuring were decided. But the laws of gift don't change.
About the abstract and entrance exams
So, you yourself (yourself) managed to agree with the future supervisor, obtain his consent to the scientific supervision, or they helped you with this. It doesn't matter how, it's the result that matters. Then you start preparing all the necessary documents for admission to graduate school or registration by the applicant.
Train yourself to be patient and persevere. I hope that you have already mastered the root rule. We remind you: "Without a piece of paper you are a bug, but with a piece of paper you are a person." So it was, is and will be, especially in those social systems where a person is represented not by his essence, not by individual qualities, but by a personal profile, a personnel matter. They are primary and you are secondary. So learn the ability to fill out, collect, compile, remake all kinds of paperwork in the form of applications, questionnaires, autobiographies, copies, certificates, certificates, lists, curricula, programs, reports, reviews, conclusions, transcripts. Consider - without mastering this craft, scientific success cannot be seen. In the conditions of clerical-bureaucratic orders, which are more stable than bedbugs and cockroaches combined, the art of handling papers is much more important than knowledge and talents, scientific abilities.
The number of documents and materials that must be submitted upon admission to graduate school usually includes introductory abstract in the chosen specialty. You should draft about 10-20 pages of overview text, preferably about the state of the problem you are going to investigate. With the modern abundance of information and taking into account the experience you have accumulated in compiling school essays and the implementation of term papers and graduation projects at the university, it will not be difficult to cut from several sources and glue together the abstract. If you adore scientific research so much that even before entering graduate school you became the author or co-author of scientific reports, articles, then they will quite do instead of an abstract. It is not a sin to involve the Internet in which, as you know, you can scrape together any information, including scientific.
The quality of the abstract should not be particularly feared. It is most likely that it will be shown only to the future supervisor. So if confident contacts are established with the leader, then the abstract will also meet the requirements, about which the leader will sign the one-page conclusion prepared by you.
Now oh entrance exams. I would not like to stop and focus on them, especially since we will discuss the problem of candidate exams in more detail below. Exams are like exams. In some ways, a lottery, in some ways luck, in some ways skill. Didn't you take exams at school and at the institute, university? What is the difference between entrance exams for graduate school? Yes, perhaps nothing but pathos and scientific framing. If you have not learned how to take exams in 15 school and institute years (only at a university they are taken at least fifty times), then, excuse me, you have no place in graduate school, and even more so among scientists.
Ready to reveal another little secret. In the absence of a competition, the examination committee will give you a positive assessment for any answer - just do not be silent, typing water in your mouth from fear. Well, during the competition, the commission for admission to graduate school to some extent thought through and predetermined in advance who should turn on the “green light”. So try - don't try, and the outcome is practically a foregone conclusion, although you must fight to the end, because you are able to surprise the commission and tip the scales in your favor. There is always some chance for success, people are sitting everywhere. And even representatives of the notorious bureaucratic system are sometimes guided by human feelings along with instructions, instructions from superiors, pre-planned decisions.
Early pre-selection can help you pass the entrance exam barrier dissertation topics. At this stage, not a topic is needed, but a conditional topic, which can and should be flaunted in front of the examiners, illustrating one's awareness and readiness to write a dissertation. By naming the topic, you psychologically influence those who take exams, creating the illusion that the examiner has already entered the scientific and dissertation environment with one foot, communed with it. And this gives rise to a predisposition towards you, causes sympathy. So I advise you to discuss with your supervisor before writing an introductory essay and passing exams and accept as a sign a symbolic landmark theme, under the flag of which you will speak until the official theme is approved. It personifies your intentions and does not oblige you to anything in particular, in the future you can modify the outline in any way, choose a different topic.
Let's get back to exams. One more piece of advice. It is very good if by the time you enter graduate school you have already passed at least one candidate's exam, for example, in a foreign language. Usually, in organizations where there is a graduate school, there are groups for preparing for candidate examinations in philosophy and language. By joining such a group in advance and passing the exam, you, firstly, get rid of the need to pass the corresponding entrance exam and, secondly, increase your rating as an applicant applying for a postgraduate position, because the candidate exams passed testify to a certain level of scientific maturity.
Judge Boris Abramovich Raizberg,
doctor of technical and economic sciences, Professor,
Chief Researcher, Institute for Macroeconomic Research under the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation
In order to become top class professional and build successful career many seek to PhD and even doctoral degree.
This gives a high level of authority in the chosen professional area and allows you to take higher positions in large companies compared to other candidates. In the case of private activities (for example, consulting), candidates and doctors of science a priori have more clients compared to non-degree competitors.
Obtaining a degree is always associated with scientific work, and constant scientific activity maintains a professional at a very high level, helps his development, and stimulates constant intellectual work.
IN public institutions employees with a scientific degree receive higher wages, have the right to apply for additional living space, and have other benefits.
The advantages of the chosen direction of development can be listed endlessly.
How to become a candidate or doctor of science?
Requirements for applicants for the degree and stages of obtaining it:
1. Higher education(preferably in the specialty chosen for the defense of the dissertation);
2. Desirable, but not required postgraduate/adjuncture(you need to pass entrance exams), or gain a foothold in the status of an applicant. As a result, you are approved for a dissertation writing plan and you get a supervisor;
3. Passing three candidate minimums:
- Speciality;
- History and philosophy of science (previously there was an exam in philosophy, which was valid until 01.01.2009);
- Foreign language.
Can be held additional exam for applicants (not for graduate students). Thus, according to the established provisions, an applicant for the degree of a candidate of sciences, who has a higher education that does not correspond to the branch of science in which the dissertation was prepared, passes an additional candidate exam in a general scientific discipline in relation to this branch of science.
A certificate is issued on passing the candidate exam. At the place where the last candidate exam was taken, previously issued certificates are replaced with a single certificate.
The applicant for the degree of candidate of sciences submits two copies of the certificate at the place of defense (previously one copy was needed) on passing candidate exams, one of which is sent to the Higher Attestation Commission. He must submit to the dissertation council the original certificate and its certified copy, which is placed in the first copy of the attestation file and sent to the Higher attestation commission. The original is placed in the second copy of the attestation file and kept in the dissertation council.
It is allowed to take exams in one organization, and defend a dissertation in another.
The new List of leading Russian peer-reviewed scientific journals and publications in which the main scientific results of the dissertation for the degree of Doctor and Candidate of Sciences should be published as of 22.10.2010
List of foreign publications.
5. To protect you must write a dissertation and dissertation abstract.
6. Defend a thesis. As a result, you will receive a document certifying that you are a candidate or doctor of science.
In order to become a PhD you need to get a degree first PhD.
Standard list of documents required for admission to graduate school:
1. Application addressed to the rector of a higher educational institution;
2. Copies of the diploma and insert with grades, certified by the personnel department;
3. Personal sheet for personnel records (questionnaire);
4. Two 3x4 photos;
5. Autobiography;
6. Characteristics from the place of work (study);
7. List of published scientific works, inventions, research reports.
8. Persons who do not have published scientific papers submit scientific reports (abstracts) in their chosen specialty with a review of the proposed supervisor;
9. Copy of passport;
10. A copy of a military ID or registration certificate (for full-time postgraduate studies);
11. A certified copy of the work book (for correspondence postgraduate studies);
12. Certificate in form 2.2 (for persons who previously studied in graduate school);
13. A medical certificate indicating that there are no contraindications for studying in Russia with the obligatory indication of an AIDS test (only for foreign citizens!)
As an effective and interesting direction of scientific work can be identified invention.
How to become an inventor?
It's easy and it's for everyone.
In essence, any person who is able to even minimally improve any mechanism or technology is already an inventor and can legally patent his innovation as an invention.
Inventions differ in value and practical feasibility.
Study the question
The degree of candidate of sciences is supplemented in the title depending on the activity in which the candidate's work was defended. In the Russian Federation, there are only 23 industries for which this title is awarded.
There are 2 academic degrees in Russia:
- PhD
- Ph.D
- Have a higher education
- Write and publish in specialized publications an approved list of at least 2 or 3 articles on the issues considered in the dissertation
- Pass candidate exams or "candidate minimum" (usually, these are exams in the specialty, history and philosophy of science and a foreign language)
- Defend your dissertation before the dissertation committee
- At least 3 in the field of art history and cultural studies, socio-economic, social and human sciences
- At least 2 in other areas
Only a candidate of sciences can apply for a doctor of sciences.
Important: depending on the academic title of the applicant and the direction in which the applicant wants to get a PhD, the list of requirements may vary.
Go to graduate school
Masters and specialists can enter any institution for full-time or part-time postgraduate studies. To do this, you must pass the entrance (candidate) exams and submit a list of documents to the selected university.
There is a general list of documents for admission to graduate school:
- Copy of the passport
- Copies of diploma with application
- Personal sheet for personnel records (questionnaire)
- Characteristics from the place of work (study)
- Copy of military ID or registration certificate (for full-time postgraduate studies)
- Copy of work book (for part-time postgraduate studies)
Documents for postgraduate studies can be submitted immediately after graduation, or after working for at least 2 years in the specialty received. In doing so, please note that face-to-face Citizens not older than 35 years old are accepted for training, and not older than 40 years old for correspondence courses.
Enrollment takes place on a competitive basis for budgetary and contractual forms of education. Graduate students are paid a stipend and receive a deferment from the army.
Please note that a copy of the order for admission to graduate school entitles you to additional study leave, both for full-time and part-time studies.
It takes three years to prepare a candidate's full-time postgraduate course, and four years for part-time postgraduate studies. Also provided early delivery PhD thesis.
Usually, in the process of working on research, graduate students are required to conduct teaching activities at the university and visit pairs to study disciplines according to educational program. Also, once a year or semester, you must submit a report to your supervisor.
The time of study in full-time postgraduate study is counted by graduates in the experience of their scientific, pedagogical and scientific work.
Important: check the deadlines for submitting documents and passing exams at the admissions office of the university selected for admission.
Become a job seeker
You don't have to be a graduate student to get a Ph.D. In addition, there are no age restrictions for the applicant. You can choose an organization or department of an institute that can take a Ph.D. examination and accept a dissertation in the relevant specialty for consideration, and be assigned to them.
There is a general list of documents to attach to the department:
- Application addressed to the rector of a higher educational institution
- Copy of the passport
- Copies of diploma with application
- 2 - 4 photos 3x4 cm
- List of published scientific papers, inventions, research reports (in their absence, scientific reports or abstracts on the chosen specialty are provided with a review of the proposed supervisor)
Be sure to specify how and for how long you will be attached to the department and how the renewal procedure is carried out. In most universities, the maximum period for attaching and passing exams is limited to 6 months.
The classes required to attend and the set of documents for attachment depend on the university and the chosen specialty, however, most often applicants are not required to attend classes or conduct teaching activities.
Unlike a graduate student, the applicant is not set a rigid framework for the preparation time, he himself chooses one of the possible dates for passing the candidate exams (usually, they are taken together with graduate students). Candidate dissertation must be submitted within 10 years.
Please note that a PhD degree obtained by an applicant is no different from the same degree obtained by a PhD student.
If the applicant has a higher education in a specialty that does not correspond to the one in which he writes the work, then an additional exam may be held for him in the field of science in which the dissertation was prepared.
Write a PhD thesis
3 - 4 years are given to write a scientific work, depending on the form of study and the status of a graduate student. The applicant must submit the work within 10 years.
The opinion and authority of the supervisor play important role in the protection of the work, so its choice must be treated with particular care. He must be a specialist in the relevant specialty, have an academic degree of doctor or candidate of science.
Agree on the topic of the dissertation in the relevant specialty with the supervisor and approve it at a meeting of the department or council of the organization to which you are attached.
Remember the need for the correct design of this work, according to the requirements and organization where the applicant writes his work.
Speak at a seminar
The applicant must defend himself at any dissertation council created by decision. Please note that the specialty in which the dissertation was completed must absolutely exactly correspond to the specialty for which the council is approved.
It is better to choose a dissertation council before the candidate's dissertation is ready. You need to choose one of the current councils on the VAK website or use the search on the website of the federal portal Russian education.
Be sure to find out if you can make a presentation at a seminar in the appropriate department of the organization in which the dissertation council of your choice works. This is convenient from the point of view that you will have enough time to think over the questions and comments of the board and correct them before the official meeting.
Submit your work for preliminary examination
The organization conducts a preliminary examination of scientific work and issues a conclusion to the applicant. It must be issued within 2 months of scientific work presented to the commission.
The conclusion that the dissertation is completed and admitted for defense is the main basis for accepting a candidate's thesis for further examination at the dissertation council. This document is approved by the rector of the Institute, confirming both the merits of the applicant and the scientific competence of the department.
The composition of the commission for preliminary examination is determined by the organization itself.
Important: the preliminary examination is a kind of pre-defense of the candidate.
Submit your work to the Dissertation Council
Within 2 months from the date of submission of the candidate's work to the dissertation council, it must accept it for defense or provide the applicant with a written, justified refusal to accept the work.
During this time, the commission checks that:
- The content of the dissertation corresponds to the title and specialty
- The abstract corresponds to the content of the dissertation
- Thesis results published
- The applicant has a sufficient number of publications in journals from the "HAC list"
- The official or proposed opponents and the lead organization are indeed experts in the field in which the thesis is being done.
Collect Documents
As a rule, the submission of documents to the dissertation council begins approximately 1 month before the day of the defense. The applicant does not have to submit the entire package of documents at the same time.
The applicant must provide:
- Application of the applicant signed by the chairman of the dissertation council
- Questionnaire (personal record sheet) with a photograph, duly certified
- List scientific papers certified at the place of main work or study
- A copy of a state document on higher education vocational education with application
- Help in form 2.2 on passing candidate exams
- Dissertation in hardcover, as well as an unbound copy
- Dissertation abstract (at least 10 copies in printed and electronic form)
- Conclusion of the organization in which the applicant studied or was attached
- Four stamped postcards indicating the address of the applicant and the council where the dissertation is being defended (on the reverse side of the card with the address of the council in the upper corner, the surname, name, patronymic of the applicant and the academic degree he is applying for are indicated)
- A receipt for the delivery of the dissertation and abstract to the library of the organization in which the dissertation council will be assembled
- Reviews of the leading organization, official opponents, supervisor for the dissertation (all reviews are issued in 2 copies)
- Information about official opponents, with the provision of photocopies of documents (passport,)
It needs to set out:
- Main ideas and conclusions of the work
- Relevance
- Degree of novelty
- The practical value of the work done
Abstracts are sent to all members of the Council and interested parties (to organizations determined by the Regulations on the dissertation council, and to other persons determined by the council) no later than 1 month before the defense of the dissertation.
Also, no later than 1 month before the defense, one copy of the dissertation (final text accepted for defense) and two copies of the abstract are transferred to the library of the organization under which the dissertation council has been created.
Announce protection
Not later than 1 month before the date of protection, it is necessary to announce the protection. The announcement is made according to the official model, which should be clarified with the scientific secretary of the dissertation council.
The announcement made by the applicant is posted:
- In printed form at the stand of the dissertation council
- In electronic form on the site of the dissertation council
Direct work to opponents
Two official opponents are appointed for the candidate's thesis, one of which must be a doctor of science, and the second a doctor or candidate of science. Usually, they are employees of different organizations.
Opponents must provide written feedback to the dissertation council.
It should be evaluated:
- Relevance of the topic
- The degree of validity of scientific provisions and conclusions
- The novelty of the work
- Compliance of the dissertation with the established criteria
It should be evaluated:
- The significance of the work for science
- Accuracy and validity of the results of the work
The dissertation council sends a copy of the dissertation, a copy of the author's abstract and a cover letter to each opponent and the leading organization with a request to provide feedback on the dissertation.
The dissertation council reserves the right to return the review to the official opponent or opposing organization for processing if it does not meet the requirements. If an opponent or organization refuses to change the review, the board has the right to replace them.
The applicant must receive copies of the reviews no later than 10 days before the defense of the dissertation.
Even if all reviews are negative, the council must appoint a dissertation defense at the request of the applicant.
It is recommended to contact opponents before the thesis is submitted to the dissertation council. This will give opponents more time to respond, and allow you to take into account their comments, which can be made to the candidate before it is accepted for defense.
Defend your Ph.D. thesis
During the defense of the candidate's dissertation, at least two thirds of the members of the council must be in the meeting room, and among them there must be at least two doctors of science in the profile specialty.
In addition, the presence of official opponents is necessary. If one of the opponents is absent for a good reason, his opinion is fully announced at the meeting of the commission.
For defense, you must bring several copies of abstracts for review and all collections with your publications. Also, it is recommended to provide the council with drinking water and writing materials.
The dissertation defense takes place in the form of a scientific discussion.
The process looks like this:
- Opening of the meeting by the chairman of the dissertation council
- Announcement of the personal file of the applicant
- Dissertation author's report
- Questions from the dissertation council
- Supervisor's report (scientific consultant of the applicant)
- The opinion of the opposing organization and the abstract are read out
- Performance of opponents
- Discussion on the work, in which all members of the dissertation council take part
- The author of the work is given the final word
- The chairman of the dissertation council sums up the results of the defense
- Secret ballot on the award of a degree
After the announcement of the result, the applicant makes a speech of thanks, and the counting commission elected by the dissertation council draws up the minutes of the meeting. The issue of organizing a banquet is decided by each applicant individually. The maximum period for issuing is limited to 6 months.
Working in a specialty after receiving a diploma of higher education does not always suit a newly minted specialist. But there is another option for further development of abilities in the field of science. To become a PhD, you will need postgraduate studies. Initially, you need to enter a university and study for another 3 years in your specialty. And then defend your doctoral dissertation corresponding to the chosen direction. A selection of materials should begin with the first year of graduate school and be supplemented every year with new information.
How to become a Ph.D.
First of all, it is necessary to pass examinations for postgraduate study. To do this, you need to find a university that offers this training in a technical specialty. Skills in the field are a must. And a simple student who has previously graduated, for example, from a law school, will not be able to become a candidate of technical sciences in such a short time.
After successful delivery examination, the student will be enrolled in graduate school for part-time / full-time studies or as an applicant.
The most important thing for writing any dissertation is finding the right supervisor. It is desirable that it be a doctor of science or a professor. The fact is that it is precisely this degree and title that will allow you to receive help and guidance from a person who already has sufficient knowledge in the technical field and has distinguished himself by outstanding contributions to science.
After writing a dissertation, a long preparation for its defense is necessary. The list of opponents is often selected from other educational institutions and even other cities. After a hearing and a good defense of their work, the student receives a Ph.D.
How to become a candidate of economic or legal sciences
Admission to graduate school for a Ph.D. in economics or legal sciences involves pre-exams. Enrollment of a student is carried out only if there is a document confirming the presence of a completed higher education.
After choosing a topic and a supervisor, the student should start collecting information on the topic of his dissertation. A prerequisite is the choice of a topic that has not previously been considered or covered anywhere. The data included in the work must be obtained independently. Only in rare cases, it is possible to rely on ready-made studies. In most cases, this is possible if the work in question has received updates or a completely different type of development.
After writing the work, it is carefully checked for plagiarism. Upon completion of the training, it is defended. In particular, the student is obliged to reveal well the meaning of the dissertation and describe the research carried out by him independently.
High-quality protection will allow you to get a Ph.D. After that, it is possible to engage in scientific activities or work in the appropriate department and further increase the degree.
How to become a PhD
It is possible to obtain a PhD in medical sciences only if you have completed higher education in medical sciences. university.
After passing the exams, the student will be enrolled in graduate school and will be able to choose the topic of the dissertation and his supervisor. Conducted research and reasoning, their descriptions must necessarily be relevant and relate to contemporary problems society and the world as a whole.
The selected leader will help to draw up a plan for the study and development of topics. Upon completion of 3 academic years and confirmation of readiness for defense (passing candidate exams), the student must conduct a report on his work.
Selected opponents will evaluate the readiness of the dissertation, its importance and relevance. If the work meets the requirements and the performer is able to defend it, he will be awarded the degree of candidate of medical sciences.
How to become a candidate of military sciences
Preliminary training at a military school and a military university will allow you to become the owner of a PhD in military sciences. At the moment, this degree is quite rare and does not happen so often. modern students.
To enter the graduate school of a military educational institution, preliminary preparation and passing exams will be required. A simple student who decides to receive this degree will not be able to be accepted for training.
The dissertation is written according to the chosen topic. Compiling the correct order of presentation and using only your own research will be the key to successful writing.
In addition, it is not so easy to find a suitable leader among military scientists. It is best to find out in advance if the university has a special department and a teacher with a doctoral degree or a professorship. Such a leader will help to thoroughly analyze the chosen topic and cover it in detail.
As soon as the three-year training is completed, the work is defended. Before opponents, it is necessary to describe the purpose of the work, to prove its relevance today. Be sure to highlight those parts of the work in which practical research is indicated. If there are none, then you just need to reveal the essence of the topic and its importance. Only after a successful defense can a student receive a Ph.D.
How to become a PhD without PhD
An acceptable option to get a degree can be becoming an applicant at the department of a particular university. To do this, you need to pass exams. Only a person who has a complete higher education (master or specialist) can become an applicant.
This training system is independent study field of science and writing a dissertation.
After attaching to the department, it is necessary to provide the topic of the dissertation, highlight its main points. Confirmation of the topic is a prerequisite for continuing work.
Most often, the opportunity to become an applicant is used not by students who have just graduated from a university, but by its employees or teachers. They have sufficient knowledge and do not require additional help from leaders with a high degree or title.
Another option is some virtual dissertation commissions. They offer a degree after defending a written paper. But this option is only suitable for those who want to get a degree without further work in a particular university. Since hiring with such a degree will be very problematic, and most often simply impossible.
Applicants are one of the forms of training scientific personnel. It is often used by various employees of universities and research institutes.
The reason for choosing this particular form, as a rule, is as follows: a person prepared a Ph.D. thesis during his work, and therefore does not need to study in graduate school.
The applicant implies that a person is personally working on a dissertation research.
If the results are sufficiently acceptable, then he can further apply for a Ph.D.
Differences from graduate school
The main difference from graduate school is that the applicant, in principle, does not take any course of study, and he also does not participate in pedagogical work at the department and other activities that are inherent in graduate students. He is only preparing a dissertation research - that's all.
Usually, this approach is used by already experienced researchers and employees of scientific / educational institutions who have enough knowledge and experience to prepare a dissertation, but who do not require training on the topic of the dissertation they have chosen.
Also, the applicant, when compared with graduate school, is not required to pass any entrance exams. He is simply credited by order of the head of the institution based on the results of a positive conclusion of the department to which the applicant is attached, also based on the results of an interview with a future supervisor.
Expert opinion
What's wrong with the job seeker system today? First of all, without going to graduate school, you will not receive a diploma of graduation marked “teacher-researcher”. Since 2014, postgraduate studies have been the third stage of education after undergraduate and graduate programs. Most likely, just such a diploma in the future will become a “pass” to teaching.”
Nina Kuznetsova
Project Expert
Requirements
In order to become an applicant, you must meet several requirements.
If a person is attached to a scientific or educational institution, it is important that he has a higher professional education, or a Ph.D. degree if he is a doctoral candidate.
It is also necessary to meet certain qualification requirements, which are established by the Higher Attestation Commission.
How to become an applicant?
To prepare a Ph.D. thesis, the applicant must submit an application addressed to the supervisor and attach a copy of the diploma of higher professional education, as well as an optional certificate of passing candidate exams.
If a person is attached to prepare a doctoral dissertation, then you need to submit an application addressed to the head and attach a copy of the candidate of science diploma to it.
If, by order of the head, a person was attached as an applicant, then within 3 months he must provide the department with the topic of the dissertation and an individual plan for its preparation. They must be approved by the leadership of the educational institution. Periodically, the applicant must also report to the department and be certified every year. Otherwise, a person can simply be expelled.
Opinions and reviews
To be honest, I started writing the paper without going to graduate school. And, of course, I deeply regretted it. Since at my university there was no council for protection and there is not to this day. As a result, I need to go to another city, where, of course, they can help me with protection, but all this, to be honest, is more like a battle or a battle. Also playing Russian roulette. Recent years have made the application process very difficult.
- In contact with 0
- Google+ 0
- OK 0
- Facebook 0
