Enroll in higher education after secondary specialized education. Is it possible to go to college after college or technical school?
It is possible to enter MIREA - Russian Technological University on the basis of professional education.
On the basis of vocational education, admission is possible both based on the results of the Unified State Exam and internal exams, and according to statistics, internal exams are passed more successfully than the Unified State Exam. If you have valid USE results, then when submitting documents you can choose whether to count your existing USE or take an internal exam. It is also possible to combine the results of the Unified State Exam and internal exams.
Entrance test programs and examples from previous years can be found in the entrance tests section.
The university provides the opportunity to study at an accelerated rate on the basis of vocational education by re-crediting or re-certifying subjects from your diploma. The possibility of accelerating training is established by the director of the institute or branch after enrollment in the 1st year. Please note that transferring to an individual accelerated plan is the right of the university, not an obligation!
MIREA - Russian Technological University implements more than 100 of the most popular educational programs - you can get acquainted with them in the "Guide to Specialties".
Graduates of colleges and technical schools can apply for government-funded places on the same basis as school graduates - the competition is held based on the points scored based on the results of entrance examinations. Admission on a contractual basis is possible without competition if you pass exams with minimum positive scores.
Admission procedure
Submit documents
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Deadlines for accepting documents:
Admission to full-time and part-time courses is carried out only in branches in Stavropol and Fryazino. List of required documents:
- document proving identity and citizenship
- diploma of professional education (or a copy thereof)
- medical certificate in form 086-u (ONLY for applicants on 05/11/01)
- 2 matte photographs 3x4 (for applicants for internal University exams)
- other documents that provide advantages for admission
More information about the admission procedure can be found here:.
We recommend that you register in advance to submit documents.
Choose what to count as an entrance test:
count the results of the Unified State Examination or pass internal exams
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Applicants on the basis of vocational education can independently choose what to count: the Unified State Exam or internal exams. To participate in the competition, you must pass the entrance tests with minimum scores:
Submit the original and
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A prerequisite for admission to the university is the submission of documents within the established deadlines:
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Form of study |
Deadline for submitting documents | Required documents |
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Full-time and part-time forms of education (budget, 1st stage of enrollment) |
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| Full-time and part-time forms of education (budget, 2nd stage of enrollment) | August 6 |
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Full-time and part-time forms of education (paid) |
You can get a second education for various reasons. Someone wants to improve their skills and is studying areas related to their specialty. Someone is chasing prestige and a beautiful resume. And someone realizes that they made a mistake in their choice after school, and decides to turn in a completely different direction.
In any case, before you run to the admissions office, look at another level. There are 3,500 secondary specialized educational institutions in Russia, the vast majority of which are state-owned. There are approximately the same number of colleges and technical schools among them.
Many, like universities and academies, offer a chance to get an education remotely. Almost every college or technical school has an evening department.
Why can secondary specialized education be better than higher education?
Speed
The time it takes for you to obtain a college major is 3–4 years. In technical school - 2–3 years. At the university - 4–6 years. When you are no longer 16, spending another couple of years studying subjects that will not be useful is pointless.
Specific specialty
If you decide to change your profession, secondary specialized education gives you a better chance of acquiring ready-made professional skills. The university gives more general knowledge, college and technical school are specific.
Price
If you went to university after school, you can study at college for free.
In the Russian Federation, universal access and freeness of preschool, primary general, basic general and secondary general education, secondary vocational education, and also free higher education on a competitive basis are guaranteed in accordance with federal state educational standards, if a citizen receives education at this level for the first time.
Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation”
Even if budget options do not suit you (for example, there are very few free evening and correspondence courses), the cost of training will be lower than at a university.
Universities will cost 40–300 thousand rubles per year. Colleges - 30–150. The specific price depends on the region, the specialty, and the rating of the educational institution. But the price tag of the best college is approximately on par with the average university. But the choice of colleges willing to train you for 30–50 thousand is many times greater.
Admission
The conditions for enrollment for obtaining a second education differ for each university and college. But entrance tests in many colleges, especially for evening courses, do not require any effort. Even the number of exams is less than at a university.
According to statistics, last year out of ten applicants entered universities. In colleges the ratio is five to one.
Load
After work, you pick up your child from kindergarten, stand in traffic, go to the store, run to the gym or to your second job. But now you are learning! We need to cancel everything and rush to the lecture. In history, if you are studying to major in banking. Or physical education (and this subject is included in almost all federal education programs). It's not even funny.
So, in secondary school the program of general subjects is much simpler. You don’t even have to attend most of them, just bring your first diploma and write a corresponding application. At the same time, special subjects are taught at a high level.
Accelerated learning
After college, you have a new profession on your hands. And the opportunity to grow in it, to receive at least a third or fourth degree, mastering accelerated university programs (undergraduate) in parallel with a new job.
Practice
Colleges train students for jobs. The number of practical classes will be off the charts, after college you will come to your workplace and calmly start working.
Of course, we are talking about a good college. But you won’t go to a bad place, will you?
Employers
I already foresee a flood of comments: “All employers require higher education!” In fact, an employer would be more willing to hire a person with work experience, albeit in a different field, and a college diploma, than a graduate of a renowned university who has only seen work in rare internships. And well-known colleges are rated no worse than many universities.
Now, for the sake of objectivity, let’s talk about the disadvantages.
Program
Decide what you are looking for. If you want scientific work and in-depth study of a particular area, go to university. If you want a certificate, take a course. If you need management skills, read books. You need to expect very specific results from college and technical school, and not the ability to do everything at once. Secondary specialized education is still narrowly focused.
Teachers
It’s not a matter of qualifications; the colleges are taught by experienced and knowledgeable people. But they were used to dealing with children who often came after the ninth grade. It is more difficult for them to switch to adults, and this often leads to distortions. Evening students are either expected to have 200% attendance, or they are forced to draw posters and wall newspapers, or they threaten to give you a grade a point lower, not realizing that no one will scold you at home for getting a C or a B. Sometimes it's annoying, but it helps me remember my childhood.
Is secondary specialized education suitable for you as a second education?
The realities of modern life are such that getting a prestigious job most often requires a diploma from a higher educational institution.
Of course, you can get a job with only a secondary vocational education or no education at all. But in this case, you shouldn’t expect a quick climb up the career ladder.
Therefore, many college graduates decide to continue their education and wonder where it is better to get a higher education.
Actual problems
Choosing a university is not an easy task, as you need to decide for yourself:
- what specialty to choose;
- how to prepare for admission;
- what to pay special attention to when choosing;
- which educational institution to give preference to: public or commercial.
The answers to these questions help you make the right decision, on which your future work and life depend.
Features of entering a university after college
Until 2015, all applicants entering the institute after college for a major could study under a shortened program. When entering the budget, they participated in a separate competition for college graduates. Now the admission rules have changed dramatically: all applicants with secondary vocational education are admitted to the 1st year of the educational institution. They participate in the competition on an equal basis with other applicants.
The only relaxation is that an applicant who decides to get a higher education after technical school undergoes an interview (testing) instead of passing the Unified State Exam.
After entering the 1st year, a student has the opportunity to contact the dean’s office of his faculty and write an application with a request to transfer him to an accelerated form of study. A special study schedule is drawn up for such applicants.
What kind of universities are there in the Russian Federation?
In Russia there are the following types of universities, in each of which you can get a higher education after technical school: 
- University. Offers a wide range of specializations for different industries.
- Academy. The range of professions is much narrower than at universities. All specialties belong to a specific area, are much more differentiated than university ones, but thematically closer to each other.
- Institute. Can only teach one specialty.
If academies and universities are required to conduct extensive research in their field of science, then the institutes have the right to organize scientific activities at their own discretion.
Choosing a university: state or commercial
Going to university after college is a big step. To make the right choice, you need to decide whether to enroll in a public or commercial university. What is the difference? First of all, the form of ownership. The founders of state universities are executive authorities, the founders of commercial (non-state) universities are individuals or legal entities.
All universities, regardless of their form of ownership, can confirm their accreditation status, which gives them the right to issue students a state-issued document confirming higher education. When entering a commercial institute after technical school, you must pay special attention to the availability of a license.
Types of higher education diplomas
The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation provides for the following types of official documents on obtaining higher education:
- Diploma from an accredited state educational institution of higher education.
- Diploma from a non-state accredited university.
- A diploma from a non-state university that is not accredited.
Commercial higher education institutions that have not received state accreditation choose their own study programs. In some cases, the curriculum does not meet educational standards.
Admission to a university after college should begin with a careful study of the documents of the chosen educational institution.
How to increase your chances of being accepted into a university?
There are three options for preparing for college after college:
- special courses;
- individual lessons with a tutor;
- trial entrance exams that many universities offer to their applicants.
The third option is the most optimal for successfully entering college after technical school. Having passed the preliminary test, the applicant has the opportunity to independently study and consolidate the material used in the trial exams. This is the main rehearsal before the main test, it is completely free.
If you are determined to get a higher education after college, decide:
- In what field of activity are you willing to work for the rest of your life?
- What kind of career would you like to build?
- Will you be able to get a job in the future?
- What will you do if your chosen specialty requires a change of place of residence?
By answering these questions and studying the offers and rules of universities, you can decide for yourself where to go after college.
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