"Specialist" degree

[AmyWrites 593]

Anyone know what a "specialist" degree from Russia translates to in the US? Bachellor's or master's? If it's relevant, my SO's degree is in Mathematics and Information Systems. He studied five years.

[eekee 182]

Anyone know what a "specialist" degree from Russia translates to in the US? Bachellor's or master's? If it's relevant, my SO's degree is in Mathematics and Information Systems. He studied five years.

Masters.

[norrin 3]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that being a masters here. More than likely it is a bachelors even though it is a masters there. A degree is very specialized in Russia. You go to the University of Language or Mathematics or Journalism meaning they are missing some courses. If you take Mathematics they tend to teach mathematics not English. In Texas at least, they require certain courses, English, Social science, History etc. Having said that when youget the transcript evaluated it makes a world of difference sometimes when you choose one company over the next. They evaluate differeently.

[eekee 182]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that being a masters here. More than likely it is a bachelors even though it is a masters there. A degree is very specialized in Russia. You go to the University of Language or Mathematics or Journalism meaning they are missing some courses. If you take Mathematics they tend to teach mathematics not English. In Texas at least, they require certain courses, English, Social science, History etc. Having said that when youget the transcript evaluated it makes a world of difference sometimes when you choose one company over the next. They evaluate differeently.

University basically works like that everywhere else in the world. A specialist degree should be evaluated as a masters and not a bachelors, especially if Amy's husband went to a top university like MGU or SPbGU.

FWIW, I didn't take any math, lab sciences, or social sciences in undergrad, and I still graduated with a Bachelors in the US.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Anyone know what a "specialist" degree from Russia translates to in the US? Bachellor's or master's? If it's relevant, my SO's degree is in Mathematics and Information Systems. He studied five years.

It all depends on the transcripts of the courses taken. Once you have those you will be able to establish equivalence to a course in the US, if there is a similar course. At worst, you will be able to find out which courses - if any - are missing, and fill the gap to a bachelor or masters degree.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Gegel

[eekee 182]

Has anybody's spouse actually had to do this? Considering the wide variety of educational experiences in the US, that seems strange to me. High school diploma, that I understand, maybe. But higher education?

Edited July 9, 2012 by eekee

[1HappyGuy 45]

I did a search to see what's available for evaluation of education. Mostly what I found was companies offering to evaluate your foreign education for a fee of course. I did find something from the U.S. government Office of Personnel Management which might at least give you something to search for. Here is the link to that site: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp

Best of luck with your determination.

[Neonred 3,581]

We used one of those pay services like ECE...can't remember which one at the moment. She had an advanced degree in economics and banking. It was evaluated to be equivalent to a masters.

[AmyWrites 593]

He has a lot of experience, so he doesn't want to go back to uni, we just want to know just to know what to put in his resume. He did take liberal arts classes along with the ones in his programs. Graduated from МЭСИ, top of his class.

[slim 1,530]

He did take liberal arts classes

Then he shouldn't have to work at all. Obama will take care of him using all that "fair share" money from the 1%.

[eekee 182]

Then he shouldn't have to work at all. Obama will take care of him using all that "fair share" money from the 1%.

I did liberal arts and I'm not getting any money from the government.

Of course, I did move to Russia right after graduation.

But yes, he should be fine saying he has a masters or whatever. Don't listen to people who say you need to meet Texas's "educational" standards or whatever.

Edited July 10, 2012 by eekee

[james&olya 1,121]

I did liberal arts and I'm not getting any money from the government.

Of course, I did move to Russia right after graduation.

But yes, he should be fine saying he has a masters or whatever. Don't listen to people who say you need to meet Texas's "educational" standards or whatever.

Texas has "educational" standards?

[ONA 133]

My specialist degree transferred as a Master's here. Mine is in Linguistics though.

[stacys 9]

I got mine in MGU and did evaluation here in the U.S. It was evaluated as B.A. and M.A. in Sociology

[ONA 133]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that being a masters here. More than likely it is a bachelors even though it is a masters there. A degree is very specialized in Russia. You go to the University of Language or Mathematics or Journalism meaning they are missing some courses. If you take Mathematics they tend to teach mathematics not English. In Texas at least, they require certain courses, English, Social science, History etc. Having said that when youget the transcript evaluated it makes a world of difference sometimes when you choose one company over the next. They evaluate differeently.

And now that I have more time...

I have no idea why you have this impression about Russian education, but it's incorrect, because courses like math, Russian, a foreign language, history, social science, political science, legal studies, philosophy, economics, natural science etc. are mandatory for everybody in most Russian universities.