The beginnings of the academic degrees system in Russia in the early 19th century

Abstract

This article explores the first period of the academic degrees system in Russia (“Candidate”-“Master”-“Doctor”), from its state approval by the Preliminary Rules of Public Education 1803 up to the introduction of the new Regulations on the promotions to the academic degrees 1819. The details are revealed, which describe the implementation of this system of degrees in the Russian universities, and the misbalance and certain incompleteness of the initial law base of this system are shown. The practices of the fi rst promotions in Moscow, Kharkov and Kazan’ universities were subjected to thorough study. It is demonstrated, that the transfer of certain principles of corporation promotion (based on the traditions of the European universities in the Middle Ages) came into collision with the requirements of the state attestation given to the universities. Thus a general conclusion has been made on the character of the processes of state regulation on this sphere which corresponded the same calims of university “modernization” as were formulated in Europe, led to the new image of “classical” university.

Keywords

• academic degrees
• Russian universities
• Ministry for Public Education
• attestation
• diploma
• exam
• dissertation
• Candidate
• Master
• Doctor.