Editing Academic degree (section)

==== Russia, Ukraine and some other former USSR republics{{anchor|Russia}} ====
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2010}}

Since 1992, Russian higher education has introduced a multilevel system, enabling higher education institutions to award and issue Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees.<ref>{{cite journal|title=RUSSIAN SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION |url=http://www.en.spbstu.ru/system_of_education/ |journal=En.spbstu.ru |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713073903/http://www.en.spbstu.ru/system_of_education/ |archive-date=13 July 2014 }}</ref>

In [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]] and some other [[former USSR republic]]s educational degrees are awarded after finishing a college education. There are several levels of education that one must choose in the 2nd and 3rd year of college, usually in the 3rd year of study.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Russian System of Higher Education|url=http://www.en.sibsau.ru/index.php/academic-programs/russian-system-of-higher-education|journal=En.sibsau.ru|access-date=10 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714115516/http://www.en.sibsau.ru/index.php/academic-programs/russian-system-of-higher-education|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

# A [[bachelor's degree]] usually takes 4 years of college (minimum level to be recognized as having a higher education).
# A [[specialist degree]] is awarded after 5 years of college (4 + 1).
# A Master's (Magister) degree is awarded after 6 years of college (4 + 2).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Higher Education in Russia|url=http://www.hse.ru/en/rus-ed.html|journal=Hse.ru}}</ref>

But a Specialist degree can appear equivalent to Magister degree by reason of taking an equivalent amount of time. Usually Specialist or Magister degrees incorporate the bachelor's degrees in them, but only the high-level degree is given on the final diploma. Specialist and Magister degrees require taking final state exams and producing written work on practical application of studied skills or research thesis (usually 70–100 pages) and is roughly equivalent to a [[master's degree]].<ref name="Guidelines for the recognition of Russian qualifications in the">{{cite web|last=Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation|title=Guidelines for the recognition of Russian qualifications in the other European countries|url=http://en.russia.edu.ru/edu/inostr/prizn/900/#sthash.PGmRhUMv.dpuf|access-date=19 July 2013|archive-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220114131/http://en.russia.edu.ru/edu/inostr/prizn/900/#sthash.PGmRhUMv.dpuf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first-level academic degree is called ''[[Candidate of Sciences]]'' ("Kandidat Nauk"). This degree requires extensive research, taking some classes, publications in peer-reviewed academic journals (not less than 5 publications in Ukraine or 3 publications in Russia), taking 3 or more exams (one or more in their speciality, one in a foreign language and one in the history and philosophy of science) and writing and defending an in-depth thesis (80–200 pages) called a "dissertation".

Finally, there is a ''[[Doctor of Sciences]]'' ("Doktor Nauk") degree in Russia and some former USSR academic environments. This degree is granted for contributions in a certain field (formally – who established new direction or new field in science). It requires discovery of new phenomenon or development of new theory or essential development of new direction, etc. There is no equivalent of this "doctor of sciences" degree in the US academic system. It is roughly equivalent to [[Habilitation]] in Germany, France, Austria and some other European countries.

In countries with a two-tier system of doctoral degrees, the degree of ''Candidate of Sciences'' should be considered for recognition at the level of the first doctoral degree. According to ''Guidelines for the recognition of Russian qualifications in the other countries'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.russia.edu.ru/edu/inostr/prizn/900/|title=Education in Russia for foreign citizens: Recognition and equivalence of documents of education and scientific degrees|work=russia.edu.ru|access-date=19 February 2012|archive-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220114131/http://en.russia.edu.ru/edu/inostr/prizn/900/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in countries with a two-tier system of doctoral degrees, the degree of ''Doktor Nauk'' should be considered for recognition at the level of the second doctoral degree. In countries in which only one doctoral degree exists, the degree of ''Doktor Nauk'' should be considered for recognition at the level of this degree.

According to [[International Standard Classification of Education]] (ISCED) UNESCO 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=211619&set=4F3F2872_2_352&database=gctd&gp=0&lin=1&ll=1|title=Revision of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED); UNESCO. General Conference; 36th; 2011|work=unesco.org}}</ref> par.262, for purposes of international educational statistics:

# DPhil to ''Candidate of Sciences/Philosophy'';
# D.Lit. to ''Candidate of Sciences in Literature'';
# D.Sc. to ''Candidate of Sciences of Natural Science'';
# LL.D. to ''Candidate of Sciences of Legal Science''.