The Main “Features” of Admission to Graduate School in Modern Russia

Postgraduate studies' effectiveness has had a pronounced downward trend in the last decade. The share of graduate students defending their dissertation on time has decreased to 12%. In our opinion, the reason is a decrease in the level of social prestige of both an academic degree and, in general, the idea of building a career trajectory within the academic labour market. Most master's degree (speciality) graduates consider postgraduate studies as a "backup option", which can be used to survive their temporary difficulties in the labour market. The human resources potential of academic organisations is not improving simultaneously. Until now, the bulk of effective scientific research is carried out mainly by fairly old specialists. And, if specified quantitative indicators are somehow achieved in domestic higher education and science, then the qualitative composition of young specialists coming to universities often wants the best.