post secondary education choice and excellence act 2000

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Legislation

The Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000 , (PSECE Act), requires organizations wishing to offer programs or parts of a program leading to a degree, or to be known as a university, to have either a consent of the Minister of Colleges and Universities or an act of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It describes the composition and authority of the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board.

Regulations ( 279/02 , 280/02, 281/02) established pursuant to the Act address the distinction between public and private applicants, financial protection for student tuition fees (including financial security and trust fund requirements), the protection of student transcripts (75-year retention, offsite backup copy requirements), the procedure for handling claims against the financial security, and the procedures for ministerial decisions, orders and appeals concerning amendments to consents, suspensions, revocations, cancellations, reinstatements, etc.

In June 2010, the Act was amended and regulation changes came into effect January 1, 2012. Regulation ( 391/11 made under the PSECE Act amended regulation 279/02. Regulation ( 392/11 revoked regulations 280/02 and 281/02. Prior to the regulation amendments, the PSECE Act required the Minister to refer all applications for consent to PEQAB for review and recommendation.

Amendments to the Act include expanding the discretion of the Minister to refer applications for consent to PEQAB or to another accrediting or quality assurance body (as may be described in regulation); reject an application without referral to PEQAB (or other body) according to prescribed circumstances and policy criteria; consider a prior quality assurance review as satisfying the requirement that the application be referred, and deem approval by such a body as satisfying the requirement that the Minister receive a recommendation.

The Minister's Guidelines and Directives for Applying for a Ministerial Consent elaborates on the procedures to be followed in applying for the Minister's consent, the standard terms and conditions of a ministerial consent, and contains an attestation form.

Questions about the PSECE Act, its regulations, or the Minister's requirements should be directed to the Universities Unit of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

• Apps & Integrations
• Legislation
• Ontario Acts

Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 36, Sched.

Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000

S.O. 2000, Chapter 36 Schedule

Consolidation Period: From January 1, 2015 to the e-Laws currency date .

Last amendment: 2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17 .

Interpretation and Application

Definitions

1 (1) In this Act,

“consent” means a written consent of the Minister given under subsection 4 (1) and any renewal of that consent given by the Minister; (“consentement”)

“degree” means a degree as described in subsection (2); (“grade”)

“distance education” means a formal educational process in which all or the majority of the instruction occurs when the learner and instructor are not physically located in the same place at the same time; (“enseignement à distance”)

“educational institution” means any person that offers education or professional courses or programs and includes a person whose objects or primary activity are not related to the provision of educational programs, but does not include a person that is prescribed as excluded; (“établissement d’enseignement”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities; (“ministre”)

“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act. (“règlements”) 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 1; 2010, c. 12, s. 2 (1).

Interpretation, degree

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a degree means one or both of the following:

1. A document of academic achievement granted or conferred by an educational institution that includes terms or nomenclature or any derivation of them that, regardless of the specific academic or professional discipline in which it is awarded, would be reasonably understood as an undergraduate or graduate degree, including, but not limited to, a document including the terms bachelor, bachelor’s, baccalaureate, master, master’s, doctor, doctoral, doctorate, B.A., B.Comm., B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., M.B.A., M.Sc., Med.D. or Ph.D.

2. A diploma, certificate, document or other thing that implies or would be reasonably understood as the granting or conferring of a degree, including, without limiting the foregoing, a diploma, certificate, document or other thing that includes a reference to bachelor, bachelor’s, baccalaureate, master, master’s, doctor, doctoral or doctorate. 2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Same, diploma, etc.

(3) For greater certainty, a diploma, certificate, document or other thing referred to in paragraph 2 of subsection (2) does not include a certificate, licence, registration or other form of official recognition that attests to the person being qualified to practise a trade or occupation issued or granted by,

(a) a regulatory authority, body or entity that is authorized under an Act of a Canadian province or territory to issue or grant such form of official recognition; or

(b) an occupational accrediting, certifying or licensing body that is prescribed or meets prescribed criteria, if any. 2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Same, program of post-secondary study leading to a degree

(4) For the purposes of this Act, providing all or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree includes providing or facilitating one or more of the following on an ongoing, regular or frequent basis, whether directly or through an agent or contractor:

1. Lectures, tutorials, seminars, or academic assessments.

2. Academic advisory or counselling services, or admission of students to all or part of a degree program.

3. Collecting tuition or other fees relating to admission to all or part of a degree program.

4. Classroom space or library facilities. 2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y)

2010, c. 12, s. 1, 2 (1, 2) - 08/06/2010

Application

1.1 (1) This Act applies to persons,

(a) who have physical presence in Ontario; or

(b) who provide distance education to Ontario residents and it is not reasonably evident to Ontario residents that the programs are offered by a person or entity in a jurisdiction outside Ontario. 2010, c. 12, s. 3.

Physical presence

(2) For the purposes of clause (1) (a), evidence of physical presence in Ontario includes one or more of the following:

1. A head office.

2. A postal address or a telephone or fax number in Ontario.

3. The occupancy of real property in Ontario for the purposes of providing educational programs.

4. The occupancy of real property in Ontario for the purposes of granting degrees.

5. The employment of or contracting with,

i. an agent, manager or other person in Ontario who provides or arranges the provision of educational programs in Ontario, or

ii. an employee, contractor or other person who provides educational programs or grants degrees in Ontario.

6. Such other elements of physical presence as may be prescribed. 2010, c. 12, s. 3.

2010, c. 12, s. 3 - 08/06/2010

Authority to Grant Degrees

Authority to grant a degree, etc.

2 (1) No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act:

1. Grant a degree.

2. Provide a program or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree to be conferred by a person inside or outside Ontario.

3. Advertise,

i. a program or part of a program of post-secondary study offered in Ontario leading to a degree to be conferred by a person in or outside Ontario, or

ii. a distance education program or part of a distance education program of post-secondary study leading to a degree to be conferred by a person outside of Ontario where the advertising is done in a manner such that it is not reasonably evident to Ontario residents that the program is offered by a provider in a jurisdiction outside Ontario who is not authorized to provide the program or grant a degree related to the program in Ontario.

4. Sell, offer for sale or provide by agreement for a fee, reward or other remuneration, a diploma, certificate, document or other material that indicates or implies the granting or conferring of a degree. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 2 (1); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (1); 2010, c. 12, s. 5.

(2) Despite subsection (1), a person may directly or indirectly advertise and provide a program or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree if,

(a) the person provides the program or part of the program under an agreement with another person who is authorized by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act to provide the program or part of the program; and

(b) the degree to which the program or part of the program leads is conferred only by that other person who is authorized to provide the program or part of the program. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 2 (2); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (2).

2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (1, 2) - 15/12/2009

2010, c. 12, s. 4, 5 - 08/06/2010

Authority to establish a university, etc.

3 No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act:

1. Operate or maintain a university.

2. Use or be known by a name of a university or any derivation or abbreviation of a name of a university.

3. Hold themself out to be a university.

4. Make use of the word university or any derivation or abbreviation of the word university in any advertising relating to an educational institution in Ontario. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 3.

Consent of Minister

4 (1) The Minister may give a written consent to a person who makes an application under section 5 to authorize the person to do one or more things described in sections 2 and 3. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (1).

Terms and conditions of consent

(2) The Minister may attach such terms and conditions to a consent as the Minister considers appropriate, including a termination date after which the consent will cease to be effective unless renewed by the Minister. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (2).

(3) A person to whom a consent is given shall ensure compliance with all terms and conditions attached to the consent. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (3).

(4) The Minister shall not give a consent unless he or she is satisfied,

(a) that the person seeking the consent has given security that complies with any prescribed requirements and is adequate to protect the interests of students; and

(b) that the person has made arrangements to ensure students have access to their transcripts and that the arrangements comply with any prescribed requirements and are adequate to protect the interests of students. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (4).

Colleges of applied arts and technology

(5) The Minister shall not give a consent to authorize a college of applied arts and technology established under the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act , 2002 ,

(a) to do anything described in section 2, unless the degree in respect of which the consent is given is a baccalaureate degree in an applied area of study; or

(b) to do anything described in section 3. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (5); 2002, c. 8, Sched. F, s. 11; 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (3).

(6) Despite subsection (5), the Minister may give a consent to authorize a college of applied arts and technology to do something described in section 2 or 3 if,

(a) the college is named in a regulation for the purposes of this subsection; or

(b) conditions have been prescribed for the purposes of this subsection and the college has satisfied them. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (6).

2002, c. 8, Sched. F, s. 11 - 01/04/2003

2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (3) - 15/12/2009

Application for consent

5 (1) A person may apply to the Minister for a consent and for a renewal of a consent. 2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 5 (1).

Referral to Board or other prescribed...

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The postsecondary education choice and excellence act, 2000 regulations.

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Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 36, Sched.

Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000

S.O. 2000, Chapter 36 Schedule

Consolidation Period: From January 1, 2015 to the e-Laws currency date .

Last amendment: 2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17 .

Legislative History: 2002, c. 8, Sched. F, s. 11 ; 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 ; 2010, c. 12, s. 1-15 ; 2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17 .

Interpretation and Application

Definitions

1 (1) In this Act,

“consent” means a written consent of the Minister given under subsection 4 (1) and any renewal of that consent given by the Minister; (“consentement”)

“degree” means a degree as described in subsection (2); (“grade”)

“distance education” means a formal educational process in which all or the majority of the instruction occurs when the learner and instructor are not physically located in the same place at the same time; (“enseignement à distance”)

“educational institution” means any person that offers education or professional courses or programs and includes a person whose objects or primary activity are not related to the provision of educational programs, but does not include a person that is prescribed as excluded; (“établissement d’enseignement”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities; (“ministre”)

“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act. (“règlements”)  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 1; 2010, c. 12, s. 2 (1).

Interpretation, degree

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a degree means one or both of the following:

1. A document of academic achievement granted or conferred by an educational institution that includes terms or nomenclature or any derivation of them that, regardless of the specific academic or professional discipline in which it is awarded, would be reasonably understood as an undergraduate or graduate degree, including, but not limited to, a document including the terms bachelor, bachelor’s, baccalaureate, master, master’s, doctor, doctoral, doctorate, B.A., B.Comm., B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., M.B.A., M.Sc., Med.D. or Ph.D.

2. A diploma, certificate, document or other thing that implies or would be reasonably understood as the granting or conferring of a degree, including, without limiting the foregoing, a diploma, certificate, document or other thing that includes a reference to bachelor, bachelor’s, baccalaureate, master, master’s, doctor, doctoral or doctorate.  2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Same, diploma, etc.

(3) For greater certainty, a diploma, certificate, document or other thing referred to in paragraph 2 of subsection (2) does not include a certificate, licence, registration or other form of official recognition that attests to the person being qualified to practise a trade or occupation issued or granted by,

(a) a regulatory authority, body or entity that is authorized under an Act of a Canadian province or territory to issue or grant such form of official recognition; or

(b) an occupational accrediting, certifying or licensing body that is prescribed or meets prescribed criteria, if any.  2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Same, program of post-secondary study leading to a degree

(4) For the purposes of this Act, providing all or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree includes providing or facilitating one or more of the following on an ongoing, regular or frequent basis, whether directly or through an agent or contractor:

1. Lectures, tutorials, seminars, or academic assessments.

2. Academic advisory or counselling services, or admission of students to all or part of a degree program.

3. Collecting tuition or other fees relating to admission to all or part of a degree program.

4. Classroom space or library facilities.  2010, c. 12, s. 2 (2).

Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y)

2010, c. 12, s. 1, 2 (1, 2) - 08/06/2010

Application

1.1 (1) This Act applies to persons,

(a) who have physical presence in Ontario; or

(b) who provide distance education to Ontario residents and it is not reasonably evident to Ontario residents that the programs are offered by a person or entity in a jurisdiction outside Ontario.  2010, c. 12, s. 3.

Physical presence

(2) For the purposes of clause (1) (a), evidence of physical presence in Ontario includes one or more of the following:

1. A head office.

2. A postal address or a telephone or fax number in Ontario.

3. The occupancy of real property in Ontario for the purposes of providing educational programs.

4. The occupancy of real property in Ontario for the purposes of granting degrees.

5. The employment of or contracting with,

i. an agent, manager or other person in Ontario who provides or arranges the provision of educational programs in Ontario, or

ii. an employee, contractor or other person who provides educational programs or grants degrees in Ontario.

6. Such other elements of physical presence as may be prescribed.  2010, c. 12, s. 3.

2010, c. 12, s. 3 - 08/06/2010

Authority to Grant Degrees

Authority to grant a degree, etc.

2 (1) No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act:

1. Grant a degree.

2. Provide a program or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree to be conferred by a person inside or outside Ontario.

3. Advertise,

i. a program or part of a program of post-secondary study offered in Ontario leading to a degree to be conferred by a person in or outside Ontario, or

ii. a distance education program or part of a distance education program of post-secondary study leading to a degree to be conferred by a person outside of Ontario where the advertising is done in a manner such that it is not reasonably evident to Ontario residents that the program is offered by a provider in a jurisdiction outside Ontario who is not authorized to provide the program or grant a degree related to the program in Ontario.

4. Sell, offer for sale or provide by agreement for a fee, reward or other remuneration, a diploma, certificate, document or other material that indicates or implies the granting or conferring of a degree.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 2 (1); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (1); 2010, c. 12, s. 5.

(2) Despite subsection (1), a person may directly or indirectly advertise and provide a program or part of a program of post-secondary study leading to a degree if,

(a) the person provides the program or part of the program under an agreement with another person who is authorized by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act to provide the program or part of the program; and

(b) the degree to which the program or part of the program leads is conferred only by that other person who is authorized to provide the program or part of the program.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 2 (2); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (2).

2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (1, 2) - 15/12/2009

2010, c. 12, s. 4, 5 - 08/06/2010

Authority to establish a university, etc.

3 No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act:

1. Operate or maintain a university.

2. Use or be known by a name of a university or any derivation or abbreviation of a name of a university.

3. Hold themself out to be a university.

4. Make use of the word university or any derivation or abbreviation of the word university in any advertising relating to an educational institution in Ontario.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 3.

Consent of Minister

4 (1) The Minister may give a written consent to a person who makes an application under section 5 to authorize the person to do one or more things described in sections 2 and 3.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (1).

Terms and conditions of consent

(2) The Minister may attach such terms and conditions to a consent as the Minister considers appropriate, including a termination date after which the consent will cease to be effective unless renewed by the Minister.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (2).

(3) A person to whom a consent is given shall ensure compliance with all terms and conditions attached to the consent.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (3).

(4) The Minister shall not give a consent unless he or she is satisfied,

(a) that the person seeking the consent has given security that complies with any prescribed requirements and is adequate to protect the interests of students; and

(b) that the person has made arrangements to ensure students have access to their transcripts and that the arrangements comply with any prescribed requirements and are adequate to protect the interests of students.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (4).

Colleges of applied arts and technology

(5) The Minister shall not give a consent to authorize a college of applied arts and technology established under the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002 ,

(a) to do anything described in section 2, unless the degree in respect of which the consent is given is a baccalaureate degree in an applied area of study; or

(b) to do anything described in section 3.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (5); 2002, c. 8, Sched. F, s. 11; 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (3).

(6) Despite subsection (5), the Minister may give a consent to authorize a college of applied arts and technology to do something described in section 2 or 3 if,

(a) the college is named in a regulation for the purposes of this subsection; or

(b) conditions have been prescribed for the purposes of this subsection and the college has satisfied them.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 4 (6).

2002, c. 8, Sched. F, s. 11 - 01/04/2003

2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (3) - 15/12/2009

Application for consent

5 (1) A person may apply to the Minister for a consent and for a renewal of a consent.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 5 (1).

Referral to Board or other prescribed body

(2) Subject to subsection (2.1), the Minister shall,

(a) refer applications for a consent or renewal of a consent to the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board or another accrediting or quality assurance body or authority, in accordance with the regulations, if any; or

(b) refer elements of an application for a consent or renewal of a consent to the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board and elements to another accrediting or quality assurance body or authority, in accordance with the regulations, if any.  2010, c. 12, s. 6 (1).

Rejection of application

(2.1) The Minister may, in the prescribed circumstances or in accordance with the prescribed criteria, reject an application for consent or renewal of consent without making a referral with respect to the application.  2010, c. 12, s. 6 (1).

Recommendation

(3) Subject to subsection (2.1), the Minister shall not grant or reject an application unless he or she has received a recommendation,

(a) from the Board or the accrediting or quality assurance body or authority; or

(b) in the case of a referral under clause (2) (b), from both the Board and the accrediting or quality assurance body or authority.  2010, c. 12, s. 6 (2).

Deemed referral and recommendation

(3.1) The Minister may, in the prescribed circumstances or in accordance with the prescribed criteria,

(a) deem that a prior quality assurance review of a program that is the subject of an application for consent or renewal of consent is a referral to an accrediting or quality assurance body or authority under clause (2) (a); and

(b) deem the approval by the body or authority to be a recommendation under subsection (3), but only in respect of the review undertaken by the body or authority.  2010, c. 12, s. 6 (2).

Criteria in granting or rejecting application

(3.2) In deciding whether to grant or reject an application on which he or she has received a recommendation, the Minister, in addition to considering the recommendation, may also consider such other matters as he or she considers appropriate, including the circumstances or the criteria that are prescribed in accordance with subsection (2.1).  2010, c. 12, s. 6 (2).

Decision final

(4) The Minister’s decision on whether to give or renew a consent is final.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 5 (4).

2010, c. 12, s. 6 (1, 2) - 08/06/2010

Suspension, etc.

6 (1) The Minister may at any time, in accordance with the regulations,

(a) suspend or revoke a consent;

(b) reinstate a consent with or without conditions;

(c) add new terms and conditions to a consent; or

(d) change or remove terms and conditions attached to a consent.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 6 (1).

Potential non-compliance

(2) A person who has received a consent shall promptly notify the Minister if it is reasonable to believe that not all of the terms and conditions of the consent may be met.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 6 (2).

Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board

7 (1) The board known in English as the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board and in French as Commission d’évaluation de la qualité de l’éducation postsecondaire is continued.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (1).

Composition

(2) The Board shall be composed of,

(a) a chair appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council; and

(b) a vice-chair and not more than nine other members appointed by the Minister.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (2).

(3) The Board shall,

(a) review applications made under section 5 and other matters referred to it by the Minister and make recommendations to the Minister in a manner and within a time period specified by the Minister; and

(b) perform such other duties as may be prescribed.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (3).

(4) The Board may,

(a) establish review panels to assess the educational quality of proposed degree programs in Ontario and to review applications made under section 5;

(b) establish advisory committees to assist the Board in providing recommendations and advice to the Minister; and

(c) undertake such research as it determines necessary to carry out its duties.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (4); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (4).

(5) Subject to the regulations, the Board may establish procedures for reviewing applications and other matters referred to it and for making recommendations to the Minister.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (5).

(6) The Board shall establish criteria in accordance with subsection (7) that it must apply in reviewing applications referred to it and in making recommendations to the Minister.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (6).

(7) Except as provided in the regulations, the criteria established by the Board,

(a) must be in accordance with educational standards recognized in Ontario and other jurisdictions; and

(b) must comply with such policy directions as may be given by the Minister.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 7 (7).

2009, c. 33, Sched. 25, s. 4 (4) - 15/12/2009

2010, c. 12, s. 7 - 08/06/2010

Effect of consent

8 The giving of a consent does not entitle the person to whom the consent is given to any funding from the Government of Ontario.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 8.

Inspections and Minister’s Orders

9 (1) The Minister may appoint inspectors for the purposes of determining whether it is appropriate to suspend or revoke a consent or change the terms and conditions attached to a consent given under this Act or for the purposes of determining whether a person has failed to comply with this Act.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 9 (1).

(2) Repealed :  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (1).

(3) An inspector may, without a warrant, do any of the following things in the course of conducting an inspection:

1. Enter and inspect any premises used in connection with a person’s business or activities.

2. Photograph the premises.

3. Inspect documents or other things that may be relevant to the inspection.

4. Require a person to answer questions about anything that may be relevant to the inspection.

5. Require a person to produce a document, record or other thing and provide whatever assistance is reasonably necessary, including using any data storage, processing or retrieval device or system to produce information.

6. In order to produce information, use any data storage, processing or retrieval device or system that is used in connection with the person’s business or activities.

7. Remove for examination and copying anything that may be relevant to the inspection, including removing any data storage, processing or retrieval device or system in order to produce information.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Entry into dwelling

(4) An inspector shall not enter any part of a premises that is used as a dwelling without a warrant unless the occupant consents to the entry.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Time of entry

(5) The power to enter and inspect premises without a warrant may be exercised only during the regular business hours of the premises or during daylight hours if there are no regular business hours.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Duty to assist

(6) If an inspector requires a person to answer questions, to produce a document, record or other thing or to provide assistance, the person shall do so in the manner and within the period specified by the inspector.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Receipt for things removed

(7) An inspector shall give a receipt for anything that he or she removes for examination or copying and the inspector shall promptly return the thing to the person who produced it.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Identification

(8) Upon request, an inspector shall produce evidence of his or her designation.  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

(9) Repealed :  2010, c. 12, s. 9 (2).

Copy admissible in evidence

(10) A copy of a record that purports to be certified by an inspector as being a true copy of the original is admissible in evidence to the same extent as the original and has the same evidentiary value.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 9 (10).

Obstruction

(11) No person shall hinder, obstruct or interfere with an inspector conducting an inspection, refuse to answer questions on matters relevant to the inspection or provide the inspector with information on matters relevant to the inspection that the person knows to be false or misleading.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 9 (11).

Report to the Minister

(12) An inspector shall report to the Minister on the results of each inspection.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 9 (12).

2010, c. 12, s. 8, 9 (1, 2) - 08/06/2010

Minister’s order

10 On receipt of a report from an inspector under section 9, the Minister may make any order that he or she considers appropriate for the purposes of the proper administration of this Act and the regulations.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 10.

Administrative Penalties

Designation of official

10.1 The Minister may designate in writing a Ministry official to perform the powers under subsections 10.2 (1) to (5) and sections 10.3 to 10.6.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

2010, c. 12, s. 10 - 08/06/2010

Notice of contravention

10.2 (1) If a person designated under section 10.1 believes that a person has contravened a prescribed provision of this Act or the regulations, the designate may, in accordance with the regulations, issue a notice of contravention to the person setting out his or her belief and requiring the person to pay the administrative penalty prescribed for the contravention in question.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Purpose of administrative penalty

(2) The following are the purposes for which a person may be required to pay an administrative penalty under this section:

1. To encourage compliance with this Act and the regulations.

2. To encourage compliance with an order made under section 10.9.

3. To prevent a person from deriving, directly or indirectly, any economic benefit as a result of a contravention of this Act or the regulations.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Amount of administrative penalty

(3) The amount of an administrative penalty prescribed for a contravention shall reflect the purposes referred to in subsection (2).  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

One-year limitation

(4) A notice of contravention shall not be issued under this section more than one year after the contravention first came to the knowledge of the designate.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Content of notice of contravention

(5) The notice of contravention shall,

(a) contain or be accompanied by information setting out the nature of the contravention;

(b) set out the amount of the penalty to be paid and specify the time and manner of the payment; and

(c) inform the person of his or her right to request a review of the notice by the Minister or his or her designate.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Right to review

(6) A person who receives a notice of contravention may require the Minister to review the notice of contravention by applying to the Minister for a review in a form approved by the Minister,

(a) within 15 days after receipt of the notice of contravention; or

(b) if the Minister considers it appropriate in the circumstances to extend the time for applying, within the period specified by the Minister.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

If no review requested

(7) If a person who has received a notice of contravention does not apply for a review under subsection (6), the person shall pay the penalty within 30 days after the day the notice of contravention was served.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

If review requested

(8) If a person who has received a notice of contravention applies for a review under subsection (6), the Minister shall conduct the review in accordance with the regulations.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Minister’s decision

(9) Upon a review, the Minister may,

(a) find that the person did not contravene the provision of this Act or the regulations specified in the notice of contravention and rescind the notice;

(b) find that the person did contravene the provision of this Act or the regulations specified in the notice of contravention and affirm the notice; or

(c) find that the person did contravene the provision but that the prescribed penalty is excessive in the circumstances and amend the notice by reducing the amount of the penalty.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(10) A decision by the Minister is final.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Payment after review

(11) If the Minister finds that a person has contravened the provision of this Act or the regulations specified in the notice of contravention, the person shall pay the penalty required by the Minister within 30 days after the day of the Minister’s decision.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Payment to Minister of Finance

(12) A person who is required to pay a penalty under this section shall pay the penalty to the Minister of Finance.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Enforcement of administrative penalty

10.3 (1) If a person who is required to pay an administrative penalty under section 10.2 fails to pay the penalty within the time required under subsection 10.2 (7) or (11), the notice of contravention or the Minister’s decision, as the case may be, may be filed with a local registrar of the Superior Court of Justice and may be enforced as if it were an order of the court.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(2) Section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act applies in respect of a notice of contravention or decision filed with the Superior Court of Justice under subsection (1) and, for the purpose, the date on which the notice of contravention or decision is filed under subsection (1) shall be deemed to be the date of the order that is referred to in section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act .  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

10.4 An administrative penalty imposed under section 10.2 that is not paid within the time required under that section is a debt due to the Crown and enforceable as such.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Minister may authorize collector

10.5 (1) The Minister may authorize any person to act as a collector for the purposes of this section and sections 10.6 and 10.7 and to exercise the powers that the Minister specifies in the authorization to collect administrative penalties owing under this Act.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Costs of collection

(2) Despite clause 22 (a) of the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act , the Minister may also authorize a collector to collect a reasonable fee or reasonable disbursements or both from each person from whom the collector seeks to collect administrative penalties owing under this Act.  2010, c. 12, s. 10; 2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17.

(3) The Minister may impose conditions on an authorization under subsection (2) and may determine what constitutes a reasonable fee or reasonable disbursements for the purposes of that subsection.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Exception re disbursements

(4) The Minister shall not authorize a collector who is required to be registered under the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act to collect disbursements.  2010, c. 12, s. 10; 2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17.

2013, c. 13, Sched. 1, s. 17 - 01/01/2015

Collector’s powers

10.6 (1) A collector may exercise any of the powers specified in an authorization of the Minister under section 10.5.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Fees and disbursements part of order

(2) If a collector is seeking to collect an administrative penalty owing under a notice of contravention, any fees and disbursements authorized under subsection 10.5 (2) are deemed to be owing under and are deemed to be added to the amount of the penalty set out in the notice of contravention.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Distribution of money collected

(3) A collector shall pay the amount collected under this section with respect to the penalty to the Minister of Finance and may retain the amount collected with respect to the collector’s fees and disbursements.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Settlement by collector

10.7 (1) A collector may agree to a settlement with the person from whom he or she seeks to collect money, but only with the written agreement of the Minister.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(2) The person who owes money under a settlement shall pay the amount agreed upon to the collector, who shall pay it out in accordance with subsection 10.6 (3).  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Other means not a bar

10.8 The Minister or a person designated by the Minister may issue a notice of contravention to a person under subsection 10.2 (1) even though an order has been made or may be made against the person under section 10.9 or 10.10 or the person has been or may be prosecuted for or convicted of an offence with respect to the same contravention.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Restraining and Compliance Orders

Minister’s orders

10.9 (1) If the Minister believes that a person has contravened this Act or the regulations, the Minister may order the person to restrain from contravening this Act or the regulations.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(2) If the Minister believes that a person has breached a term or condition of their consent or has otherwise contravened or failed to comply with a provision of this Act or the regulations, the Minister may order the person to comply with the terms or conditions of the consent or with the provisions of this Act or the regulations.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Restraining orders by court

10.10 (1) On the application of the Minister, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice may make an order to restrain a person from contravening this Act or the regulations if the court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person has contravened or is likely to contravene this Act or the regulations.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

Interim order

(2) In a proceeding under subsection (1), a judge may, on application of the Minister, grant an interim order described in that subsection if the judge believes, based on the evidence before him or her, that it is in the public interest to do so.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(3) A judge may grant an interim order even though the Minister has not established that irreparable harm will be done if the order is not issued.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(4) A judge shall not require the Minister to post a bond or give an undertaking as to damages when granting an interim order.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

(5) An order may be granted under subsection (1) even though a notice of contravention has been or may be issued to the person under subsection 10.2 (1), an order has been or may be issued to the person under section 10.8 or the person has been or may be prosecuted for or convicted of an offence with respect to the same contravention.  2010, c. 12, s. 10.

11 (1) Every person is guilty of an offence who,

(a) knowingly furnishes false information in any application under this Act or in any statement or return required to be provided under this Act or the regulations; or

(b) contravenes any provision of this Act.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 11 (1).

(2) Every person who is guilty of an offence under this Act is liable on conviction,

(a) to a fine of not more than $50,000 if the person is an individual or $250,000 if the person is a corporation;

(b) to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year; or

(c) to both a fine under clause (a) and imprisonment under clause (b).  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 11 (2); 2010, c. 12, s. 12.

Conviction of officers, etc.

(3) Any officer, director or agent of a corporation, or any other person, who directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of any act by the corporation which is an offence under this Act is guilty of an offence whether or not the corporation has been prosecuted or convicted of any offence under this Act.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 11 (3).

2010, c. 12, s. 11, 12 - 08/06/2010

Certificate of Minister as evidence

12 A written statement purporting to be certified by the Minister is receivable in evidence as proof of the facts set out in the statement in the absence of evidence to the contrary in any action, proceeding or prosecution, without proof of the office or signature of the Minister,

(a) as to whether a consent has been given under this Act and as to any terms and conditions of a consent; or

(b) as to any other matter related to a consent or an application for consent.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 12.

12.1 (1) Any notice, order or other document that is required to be given, issued, delivered or served under this Act or the regulations shall be given, issued, delivered or served only,

(a) by personal delivery;

(b) by mail addressed to the person’s last known business or residential address as shown in the latest document filed with or correspondence sent to the Ministry using a method of mail delivery that permits the delivery to be verified;

(c) by mail addressed to the person’s last known business or residential address as shown in the latest document filed with or correspondence sent to the Ministry; or

(d) by fax of the document or by electronic mail if the person is equipped to receive such transmission.  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

Personal delivery

(2) Personal delivery under clause (1) (a) is carried out by,

(a) leaving a copy of the notice, order or other document with the person to be served; or

(b) leaving a copy of the notice, order or other document in an envelope addressed to the person,

(i) at the person’s place of residence with anyone resident at the address who appears to be at least 16 years of age, or

(ii) at the person’s place of business with an employee of the business at the address and,

on the same day or on the next, mailing another copy to the person at the address where the envelope was left.  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

Exception to service by regular mail

(3) Service shall not be effected by the method set out in clause (1) (c) in respect of,

(a) a matter referred to in subsection 6 (1); or

(b) a notice of contravention under subsection 10.2 (1).  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

Service, corporations

(4) If the person receiving a notice, order or other document is a corporation, the notice or order may be given, issued, delivered or served,

(a) on a director or officer of the corporation or on any manager, secretary or other person apparently in charge of any business premises of the corporation using any method described in subsection (1); or

(b) on the corporation at its last known business address as shown in the latest document filed with or correspondence sent to the Ministry using one of the methods described in clause (1) (b) or (c).  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

Deemed service

(5) If a notice, order or other document is given, issued, delivered or served by mail, it is deemed to be received on the third day after the day of mailing unless the person to whom it is given, issued, delivered or served establishes that the person did not, acting in good faith, through absence, accident, illness or other cause beyond the person’s control, receive the notice, order or other document until a later date.  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

(6) A notice, order or other document that is given, issued, delivered or served by a means described in clause (1) (c) on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday or on any other day after 5 p.m. is deemed to have been received on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

Substituted service

(7) On the application of the Minister or person designated by the Minister under section 10.1, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice may order that a document be served by substituted service, using a method chosen by the court, if the Minister or person designated by the Minister,

(a) provides detailed evidence showing,

(i) what steps have been taken to locate the person to be served, and

(ii) if the person has been located, what steps have been taken to serve the document on the person; and

(b) shows that the method of service could reasonably be expected to bring the document to the person’s attention.  2010, c. 12, s. 13.

2010, c. 12, s. 13 - 08/06/2010

Regulations

13 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

(0.a) prescribing persons that are excluded from the definition of “educational institution” in subsection 1 (1);

(0.a.1) prescribing occupational accrediting, certifying or licensing bodies or the criteria that must be met to be an occupational accrediting, certifying or licensing body for the purposes of subsection 1 (3);

(0.a.2) prescribing physical elements for the purposes of paragraph 6 of subsection 1.1 (2);

(a) prescribing, for the purposes of subsection 4 (4), requirements relating to the giving of security and access to student transcripts;

(b) governing claims made against the security referred to in subsection 4 (4);

(c) naming colleges of applied arts and technology or conditions for the purposes of subsection 4 (6);

(c.1) governing the referring of an application for consent or renewal of consent to a quality assurance body or authority for the purposes of section 5;

(c.2) respecting when the Minister may refer elements of an application for a consent or renewal of a consent to the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board and elements to another accrediting or quality assurance body or authority for the purposes of clause 5 (2) (b);

(c.3) governing the circumstances in which the Minister may reject an application for consent or renewal of consent and the criteria the Minister may consider in rejecting such an application for the purposes of subsection 5 (2.1);

(c.4) prescribing for the purposes of clause 5 (3.1) (a) circumstances where a prior quality assurance review may be deemed to be a referral and the criteria the Minister may consider in deeming such a review to be a referral under clause 5 (2) (a);

(c.5) prescribing for the purposes of clause 5 (3.1) (b) circumstances where the approval of a prescribed body or authority may be deemed to be a recommendation and the criteria the Minister may consider in deeming such an approval to be a recommendation under subsection 5 (3) and the purposes for which the approval may be deemed to be a recommendation;

(d) governing the suspension, reinstatement and revocation of a consent, the addition and removal of terms and conditions attached to a consent and the making of changes to the terms and conditions attached to a consent, including providing for appeals from decisions made by the Minister under section 6;

(e) respecting the information that must be disclosed in respect of applications and consents under this Act, the person or persons who must disclose it, the manner and time of its disclosure and the persons or classes of persons to whom the information must be disclosed;

(f) in respect of the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board,

(i) prescribing procedures for reviewing applications and other matters referred to it by the Minister,

(ii) prescribing policies and principles that it must take into consideration in establishing criteria to apply in reviewing applications referred to it and in  making recommendations to the Minister, and

(iii) prescribing additional powers and duties of the Board;

(g) governing procedures to be followed by the Minister in making orders under section 10, including providing for appeals from the orders;

(h) governing administrative penalties for the purposes of section 10.2 and all matters necessary and incidental to the administration of a system of administrative penalties under this Act.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 13; 2010, c. 12, s. 15 (1).

Administrative penalties

(2) A regulation under clause (1) (h) may,

(a) provide that the amount of a penalty prescribed for a contravention is increased by a prescribed amount for each subsequent contravention that occurs within a prescribed period;

(b) provide for penalties in the form of lump sum amounts and of daily amounts, prescribe the circumstances in which either or both types of amounts may be required and, in the case of a daily amount, prescribe the maximum number of days for which a daily amount may be imposed; and

(c) provide for the time and manner of payment.  2010, c. 12, s. 15 (2).

2010, c. 12, s. 14, 15 (1, 2) - 08/06/2010

Transitional

14 (1) The Board may deal with any matter referred to it by the Minister before this Act came into force in the same manner as if it were a matter referred to it after this Act came into force.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 14 (1).

(2) All consents given by the Minister before the day this Act came into force shall be deemed to be consents given under this Act.  2000, c. 36, Sched., s. 14 (2).

______________

Education - Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000 (PSECEA) . Canada Christian College and School of Graduate Theological Studies v. Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board In Canada Christian College and School of Graduate Theological Studies v. Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board (Ont CA, 2023) the Court of Appeal briefly sets out the nature of the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act ("PSECE Act"): [4] CCC is a degree-granting educational institution established pursuant to statute in 1999. In 2001, the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 36, Sch. (“PSECE Act”) established a new licensing process allowing institutions to apply to the respondent Minister of Training, Colleges and University for consent to acquire university status and to grant university degrees without the need for the enactment of establishing legislation. Until the passing of the PSECE Act, institutions could be granted university status exclusively through statutes. The Act also established the respondent Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board, which makes recommendations concerning applications for ministerial consent. [5] The relevant sections of the PSECE Act provide: Authority to grant a degree, etc. 2 (1) No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act: 1. Grant a degree. ... Authority to establish a university, etc. 3 No person shall directly or indirectly do any of the following things unless the person is authorized to do it by an Act of the Assembly or by the Minister under this Act: 1. Operate or maintain a university. ... Consent of Minister 4 (1) The Minister may give a written consent to a person who makes an application under section 5 to authorize the person to do one or more things described in sections 2 and 3. Terms and conditions of consent (2) The Minister may attach such terms and conditions to a consent as the Minister considers appropriate, including a termination date after which the consent will cease to be effective unless renewed by the Minister. Same (3) A person to whom a consent is given shall ensure compliance with all terms and conditions attached to the consent. Application for consent 5 (1) A person may apply to the Minister for a consent and for a renewal of a consent. Referral to Board or other prescribed body (2) Subject to subsection (2.1), the Minister shall, (a) refer applications for a consent or renewal of a consent to the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board or another accrediting or quality assurance body or authority, in accordance with the regulations, if any; or (b) refer elements of an application for a consent or renewal of a consent to the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board and elements to another accrediting or quality assurance body or authority, in accordance with the regulations, if any. 2010, c. 12, s. 6 (1). Rejection of application (2.1) The Minister may, in the prescribed circumstances or in accordance with the prescribed criteria, reject an application for consent or renewal of consent without making a referral with respect to the application. 2010, c. 12, s. 6 (1). Recommendation (3) Subject to subsection (2.1), the Minister shall not grant or reject an application unless he or she has received a recommendation, (a) from the Board or the accrediting or quality assurance body or authority; or (b) in the case of a referral under clause (2) (b), from both the Board and the accrediting or quality assurance body or authority. ... Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board 7 (1) The board known in English as the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board and in French as Commission d’évaluation de la qualité de l’éducation postsecondaire is continued. ... (3) The Board shall, (a) review applications made under section 5 and other matters referred to it by the Minister and make recommendations to the Minister in a manner and within a time period specified by the Minister.

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Education System Profiles

Education in the russian federation.

Elizaveta Potapova, Doctoral Candidate, Central European University, and Stefan Trines, Research Editor, WENR

This article describes current trends in education and international student mobility in the Russian Federation. It includes an overview of the education system (including recent reforms), a look at student mobility into and out of the country, and a guide to educational institutions and qualifications.

The Russian Federation, more commonly and simply known as “Russia,” is a complex, heterogeneous state. Home to some 143.4 million citizens, its population includes a sizable number of ethnic minorities besides the Russian majority. Most citizens consider their mother tongue to be Russian. However, up to 100 other languages, including 35 that are “official,” remain in use. Russia, the largest nation in the world in terms of landmass, shares borders with 14 neighbors: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, North Korea, and China.

The Federation, like the Soviet Union before it, is a nominally federal system that consists of 85 “federal subjects,” including “republics,” “oblasts” (provinces), “krais” (districts), and “cities of federal importance.” However, Russia is not a truly federal system. Because of the re-centralization of power under the rule of Vladimir Putin, Russia is often referred to as a “quasi-federal” state, or a system that is “ unitary in function .” The autonomy of provinces, republics, districts, and cities of federal importance is limited.

Some 54 percent of 25- to 64-year-old Russians held tertiary degrees as of 2015, making the country one of the most educated in the world. However, its higher education system – especially its universities are in need of modernization , particularly in terms of research, which is deemed to be lagging . As of mid-2017, the country faces a range of pressures that are affecting its education system, especially at the tertiary level. Among these are:

• Economic challenges: In recent years, the Russian government has enacted deep spending cuts across the board. Economic sanctions, deteriorating exchange rates, and a decline in the price of oil , Russia’s main export, have led to severely decreased revenues  and tightened governmental spending in multiple sectors. According to government data , federal spending on education decreased by 8.5 percent between 2014 and 2016, from 616.8 billion rubles to 564.3 billion rubles (USD $10 billion).
• Demographic pressures: The number of college- and university-age students in Russia has plummeted in recent years. Today, the country’s demographic crisis is so profound that the Russian parliament radically loosened citizenship requirements in recent months . Population decline has motivated the Russian government to stimulate the immigration of skilled workers and position the country as an international higher education destination. The decline, expected to cut tertiary enrollments by as much as 56 percent between 2008 and 2021, has also played a role in the proposed closure and merger of many universities.
• Lingering corruption:  Weak government institutions were a hallmark of the years immediately following the Soviet era. Many forms of systemic corruption went unchecked for years. As of 2017, Russia is ranked 131 st out of 176 countries on the 2016 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index . In 2016, Russia’s general prosecutor recorded 32,824 corruption crimes , and estimated that corruption deprived the government of revenues totaling $USD 1.3 billion in that year alone – likely a lowball estimation, given that officially reported cases only represent a fraction of all instances of corruption. The higher education system is particularly vulnerable to corruption : Instructors at poorly funded universities are routinely underpaid. Ambitious students, meanwhile are seeking academic advancement and, upon graduation, improved employment prospects; many are willing to pay instructors for better grades, revised transcripts, and more. Efforts to stem admissions-related and other forms of corruption are in place, but have so far had mixed results. (See additional detail below.)

Still, the Russian government has pushed an ambitious higher education agenda focused on improving quality and international standing. The country is seeking to radically enhance the global ranking of its universities by 2020 and to attract substantial numbers of internationally mobile tertiary-level students from around the globe. At the same time, the government has actively sought to send scholars abroad – and incent them to return home as part of a broader effort to modernize the flagging economy.

This article seeks to provide an overview of the education system in Russia, especially at the tertiary level. It provides a broad context for understanding the current state of higher education in Russia; analyzes inbound and outbound mobility trends; provides a brief overview of the education system from the elementary through higher education levels; and addresses issues of quality and accreditation. It also provides a number of sample documents to help credential evaluators and others familiarize themselves with the appearance of authentic academic documents from the federation.

Economic Trends: A Recession Drives A Push for a Modernized Economy

Throughout 2015 and 2016, Russia experienced a recession that can be traced to two primary root causes: Economic sanctions imposed by Western countries in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its military intervention in Ukraine, and the decline of crude oil prices. Oil exports accounted for more than 50 percent of the value of all Russian exports in 2013. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned as early as 2009 that Russia needed to reduce its economic dependence on commodities and modernize, and technologically upgrade Russian industries in order to sustain economic growth. The economic fallout of the recent price decline has laid bare the country’s dependence on energy exports, giving new urgency to efforts to modernize the Russian economy.

Demographic Trends: Declining Birth Rates Affect the Higher Education System

Demographic trends have had a profound effect on the Russian Federation , not least its university system. The number of secondary school graduates dropped by about 50 percent between 2000/01 and 2014/15, from 1.46 million to 701,400 graduates . The number of students enrolled in tertiary education institutions, likewise, decreased from 7.5 million students in 2008/09 to 5.2 million in 2014/15 and is expected to further decline to approximately 4.2 million students by 2021 . The United Nations estimates that the Russian population will shrink by 10 percent in the next 35 years, from 143.4 million people in 2015 to 128.6 million in 2050 ( medium variant projection , 2015). According to the World Bank, Russia’s labor force shrinks by an estimated  one million workers annually due to aging, and that aging will drain pension funds while increasing public debt . Further compounding labor shortages is a net outmigration of scientists and highly skilled workers, even though current outmigration rates remain a far cry from the massive brain drain that Russia experienced shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In the near term, these pressures may ease, at least in the education system. After sharp declines in the 1990s, Russia’s birth rates have, since the 2000s, rebounded , and current increases in fertility rates have given some observers cause for optimism. However, most analysts maintain that current fertility rates remain too low to stem overall population decline, and that demographic pressures remain one of Russia’s biggest economic challenges .

Reforms, Mergers, and University Closures

Declining student enrollments have coincided with a decrease in the number of Russian higher education institutions. In 2012, the government initiated a process of reforms and consolidation that had, by 2017, already reduced the number of institutions by more than 14 percent, from 1,046 accredited tertiary institutions in 2012/13 to 896 in 2016. In 2015, it announced that it intended to close or merge as many as 40 percent of all higher education institutions by the end of 2016, with a particular focus on the private sector. It also intended to reduce the number of branch campuses operated by universities by 80 percent. It is presently unclear, however, to what extent these cuts will go forward. In late 2016, Russia’s newly appointed minister of education suspended the mergers because of resistance from affected universities.

Other objectives included modernization and the effort to shift education and to focus on technical innovation: Simultaneous to the cuts among existing universities, plans were announced to create up to 150 new public universities specializing in technological innovation and high-tech in order to improve Russia’s international competitiveness. In 2012, Russia also established a “Council on Global Competitiveness Enhancement of Russian Universities” and launched the so-called 5/100 Russian Academic Excellence Project , an initiative that provides extensive funding for a group of 21 top universities with the goal of strengthening research and placing five Russian institutions among the top 100 universities in global university rankings by 2020 . The initiative also seeks to shift the mix of students and scholars on Russian campuses, pulling 10 percent of academics and 15 percent of students from abroad .

International Student Mobility

Inbound mobility.

Foreign student quotas are seen as a measure of the effectiveness of higher education institutions, and the Russian government has, as part of its effort to boost the rankings of its universities, made it a priority to boost international enrollments. In 2015, Russia raised the international student quota at Russian universities by 33 percent . It also significantly increased the scholarship funds available to foreign students. That same year, a number of top Russian universities included in a newly-founded Global Universities Association to jointly recruit at least 15,000 international students to Russian annually .

The majority of foreign students in Russia are enrolled in undergraduate programs at public universities. Beyond that, the trends in inbound mobility and the reasons behind them vary, depending on students’ place of origin.

• Former Soviet Republics : Geographic proximity, linguistic and economic ties make Russia the top destination of mobile students in the majority of post-Soviet Republics, where most students speak Russian as a second language. The Russian government encourages regional student exchange in an attempt to expand influence and “soft power” in other former Soviet Republics. Thus, the vast majority of foreign students in Russia, more than 60 percent, come from these countries. The three top sending countries in 2015 were Kazakhstan, which accounted for 25 percent of all students, Belarus (7.8 percent), and Ukraine, accounting for 7.2 percent.
• China: The number of Chinese students enrolled at Russian universities has increased considerably in recent years, and in 2015, China became the fourth-largest sender of international students to Russia, accounting for 7.1 percent of enrollments. Governments on both sides have in recent years taken steps to boost student exchange , and many Russian universities are expanding their recruitment efforts in China. Efforts include dual degree programs and the establishment of Russian language learning centers in China. Russia offers Chinese students a low-cost alternative compared to Western countries like the U.S., and enrollments can be expected to rise in the years ahead. (Geographic proximity is another factor.) At the same time, the inflow of Chinese students is impeded by language barriers, since most education programs in Russia are taught in Russian.
• Other Asian countries : India and Vietnam are other Asian countries that send significant numbers of international students to Russia. Enrollments from outside of Asia, by comparison, are small. European countries (excluding Turkey, Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus) in 2014 only accounted for about one percent of international degree students in Russia, more than half of them from the Baltic States.

In 2014, students from Africa and the Americas respectively made up only about two percent and less than one percent of the total international student population.

Outbound Mobility

As of 2017, Russia’s government encourages Russian students to further their education abroad. In 2014, the government introduced a Global Education Program that seeks to facilitate human capital development in Russia and remedy shortages of skilled professionals by funding Russian graduate students at 288 selected universities abroad. Some 72 are located in the United States. The program is intended to support up to 100,000 Russian citizens over a time period of ten years and targets master’s and doctoral students in disciplines, such as engineering, basic sciences, medicine, and education. It covers students’ tuition costs and living expenses up to 2.763 million rubles (USD $48,372) annually. At the same time, the government is seeking to curtail outmigration. Grant recipients are required to return to Russia within three years to take up employment in a number of select positions, mostly in the public sector.

As of recently, such scholarship programs appear to be bearing fruit. Between 2008 and 2015, UIS data indicates that the number of outbound Russian degree students increased by 22 percent, from 44,913 to 54,923. This increase in mobility has likely been influenced by the rising cost of education in Russia, as high tuition fees have spurred students’ interest in the comparatively inexpensive universities of Central and Eastern Europe, for instance. The number of Russian applications in the Baltic countries, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as China and Finland, has reportedly increased by 50 percent in recent years. Given Russia’s population size, however, the overall number of degree students going abroad is still quite small and makes up just about 1 percent of Russia’s 5.2 million tertiary students (2015).

The most popular destination choice among Russian degree students abroad in recent years has been Germany, where 18 percent of outbound students were enrolled in 2015 (UIS). The U.S., the Czech Republic, Great Britain, and France were the next popular choices, accounting for 9 percent, 8 percent, and 7 percent of enrollments, respectively.

China, Russia’s neighbor and an increasingly important international education provider, is another notable destination. UIS data, which tracks degree-seeking students only, does not rank China as a top-50 study destination. But China is presently ranked as the number one destination of Russian students if non-degree candidates are included in the count. According to the Project Atlas data , 21.6 percent of outbound Russian students studied in China in 2015, reflecting the strong growth in exchange programs, language training programs, and internships that has accompanied the strengthening of Sino-Russian cooperation in recent years.

Russian student mobility to the U.S. is, by comparison, anything but booming. After peaking at a high of 7,025 students in 1999/2000, the number of students has fluctuated over the past decades. The country has not been among the top 25 sending countries since 2012 (IIE, Open Doors). In 2015/16, 5,444 Russian students were enrolled at U.S. institutions, a decrease of 2.1 percent over 2014/15. In Canada, on the other hand, Russian enrollments have been mostly increasing in recent years – the number of students grew by more than 200 percent between 2006 and 2015, from 1,252 to 3,892 students, according to the data provided by the Canadian government .

Transnational Education: A Different Kind of Internationalization

Compared to countries like China or the United Arab Emirates, Russia is not a major host of foreign universities or branch campuses. The global branch campus directory maintained by the “Cross-Border Education Research Team” (C-BERT) lists only one wholly foreign-owned provider in Russia: the U.S.-based Moscow University Touro . There are a number of other foreign institutions licensed to operate in Russia, such as the “ Stockholm School of Economics Russia ,” as well as transnational partnerships like the “ German-Russian Institute of Advanced Technologies ,” but the overall number of such ventures is still relatively small.

On the other hand, Russia is a major player in transnational education (TNE) in post-Soviet countries, where Russian state universities currently operate 36 branch campuses , most of them located in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Unlike in countries like Australia or the UK, where TNE is primarily driven by private providers, TNE in Russia is directed by the government and presently pursued vigorously. Despite charges by the previous Minister of Education in 2014 that education at cross-border campuses was of poor quality and should be suspended, President Vladimir Putin in 2015 instead vowed to strengthen TNE in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where Russia is already the predominant TNE provider.

One of the reasons the Russian government is pursuing TNE is that international education is a major element in Russia’s soft power strategy in the “near abroad” aimed at fostering “economic, political and socio-cultural integration in the post-Soviet space .” This objective is formalized in the role of a government agency called Rossotrudnichestvo (Federal Agency for the CIS), which was set up to promote Russian higher education abroad, support Russian institutions located in foreign countries, and popularize Russian culture and improve the image of Russia in the CIS.

In Brief: Russia’s System of Education

Administration.

Federal Law №273 on education (2012) provides the core legal framework for the Russian education system. The Federal Ministry of Education is the executive body responsible for the formulation and implementation of education policies at all levels. Under its purview is the Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency, which is tasked with the supervision and quality control of educational institutions. Regional Ministries of Education are responsible for policy implementation at the local level.

General Education

General education in Russia comprises pre-school education, elementary education, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary education. The course of study takes 11 years in a 4+5+2 sequence. Four years of elementary education are followed by five years of lower-secondary education, which are followed by two years of upper secondary schooling. In addition to general academic programs, students can enroll in vocational-technical programs of varying lengths at the upper-secondary level (discussed further below).

Education has been compulsory until grade 11 since 2007 (until then, it was only compulsory until grade 9), and access to general education is a guaranteed right of every Russian citizen, according to article 43 of the constitution . Schooling is provided free of charge at public schools; private schools are also available, although in limited numbers. Private schools in Russia only reportedly accounted for about 1 percent of all 42,600 schools that existed in Russia in 2015.

The overall number of pupils enrolled in the Russian school system has decreased considerably over the past decades as birth rates have declined. They dropped by more than 32 percent between 2000 and 2013, from 20.5 million to 13.9 million students. Only in the last few years have enrollments started to grow again, reaching 14.6 million students in 2015/2016. The trend has been driven by an increase in birth rates beginning in the 2000s.

Participation and completion rates in general education are high. The net enrollment ratio at the elementary level was 95.2 percent in 2014, according to the World Bank . In 2011, 94 percent of 25-64 year-olds had completed at least upper-secondary education (compared to an average of 75 percent in the OECD and a 60 percent average among G-20 countries). Youth literacy is universal and has held steady at 99.7 percent since 2002, as per UIS data.

Types of Schools: Lyceums, Gymnasiums, Schools for the Gifted and Talented

Most Russian schools incorporate all stages of general education, from elementary to upper-secondary school. However, there are a number of schools that only provide elementary or lower-secondary education, mostly in more rural regions. Other schools only provide upper-secondary education. Evening schools, known as “schools for working youth” in Soviet times, for example, deliver upper-secondary education to students who completed compulsory education (grade 9, until 2007), but want to continue their education or prepare for tertiary education. These schools are attended by both children above the age of 15 and adults who want to further their education.

Other types of schools include lyceums, gymnasiums, schools for the gifted and talented, and general schools. All of these schools teach the general academic core curriculum, but some offer curricular specializations and are more selective. For instance:

• Lyceums offer specialized programs in a variety of disciplines, including sciences, mathematics, or law, and many of these schools are affiliated to universities.
• The gymnasium is a special type of school focusing on education in the humanities, including the study of two foreign languages.
• The schools for the gifted and talented are often associated with conservatories and fine arts universities and specialize in music, ballet, and performing arts, although some schools for gifted and talented children also exist in the sciences .

Education at lyceums, gymnasiums, and other specialized schools is of high quality; these schools are considered to be among the best secondary schools in Russia. An annual ranking of Russian schools conducted by the Ministry of Education included 160 lyceums and 175 gymnasiums among the country’s 500 best schools in 2016. Admission to the schools is typically competitive and may involve entrance examinations. Only about 16 percent of Russian pupils presently attend specialized schools and the availability of these schools tends to be limited in more remote provinces.

Elementary Education

Russian children enter elementary education at six to seven years of age. This stage of education lasts four years and includes instruction in the subjects of Russian language (reading, writing, literature), mathematics, history, natural sciences, arts and crafts, physical education, and a foreign language starting in grade two. Most classes are taught by one primary class teacher for the whole duration of the elementary cycle, although subjects like foreign language, physical education, music, or arts may be taught by specialized teachers. The school year runs from the beginning of September to the beginning of June. Completion of elementary education is a requirement for progression to the lower-secondary cycle, but there is no final centralized state examination as in the other stages of general education.

Lower-Secondary Education (Basic General Education)

Elementary school is followed by five years of lower-secondary education, called “basic general education” in Russia. Classes meet for 34 weeks a year and include 27 to 38 hours of weekly instruction. The federal government sets a general core curriculum of compulsory subjects, but within this framework schools have limited freedom in designing their own curricula at the local level.

Subjects studied in lower-secondary education include Russian language, foreign language, mathematics, social sciences (including history and geography), natural sciences, computer science, crafts (taught separately for girls and boys), physical education, art, and music. Students from Russian republics that have a language other than Russian as their official language have the right to study their native language in addition to Russian and can substitute Russian with their native language in the final graduation examination (a right that is guaranteed as per Russia’s education law).

The basic general education stage concludes with a final state examination, called Gosudarstvennaya Itogovaya Attestatsia or GIA. The examination covers mandatory subjects – Russian and mathematics – as well as elective subjects. Students who pass the examination are awarded the Attestat ob osnovnom obschem obrazovanii,’ commonly translated as “ Certificate of Basic Secondary Education ” or “Certificate of Incomplete Secondary Education.”

The certificate enables students to obtain entrance to secondary education, either along a general university-preparatory track or a vocational-technical track.

General Upper-Secondary Education

General upper-secondary education lasts for two years  and includes a range of subjects similar to those offered at the lower-secondary stage. It prepares students for the Unified State Examination ( Ediny Gosudarstvenny Examen or EGE), which is a series of standardized examinations conducted in May/June of each year. The EGE functions both as a final graduation examination, as well as an entrance examination for higher education. High EGE scores are important for access to the limited number of tuition-free seats at Russian universities.

The EGE is overseen by the Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency ( Rosobrnadzor ) but administered by local authorities. All students sit for mandatory mathematics and Russian language exams. Since 2015, the exam in mathematics has been split into a “base examination” required for high school graduation, and a more advanced “profile examination” required for university admission. Students who do not wish to go to university can opt to only test in the base exam and Russian language. All students who pass are awarded a Certificate of General Secondary Education ( Attestat o srednem obshchem obrazovanii ) – a final graduation certificate. The certificate also lists the grades for all subjects studied during grades 10 and 11.

Students who fail the exam can sit for it a second time, but if they fail again, they do not qualify for the award of the “ Attestat ,” and only receive a certificate of study from their secondary school. Pass rates, however, are nearly universal. According to a recent report published by Rosobrnadzor , only 1.5 percent of students in 2015, and 0.7 percent of students in 2016 failed to reach the minimum threshold in the mandatory core disciplines, which in 2016 was 27 on a 100 point scale in mathematics, and 24/100 in Russian language .

In addition to the two compulsory subjects, students can elect to be tested in an unlimited number of “profile subjects” for admission into degree programs of their choice. The subject options include physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, social studies, literature, foreign languages, and computer science.

University Admissions

Until recently, Russia’s universities made independent admissions decisions  and did not necessarily factor in EGE performance. In 2009, however, the Russian government decided to make the use of the EGE in admissions mandatory. The impetus was twofold: to fight corruption in academic admissions, and to widen participation in higher education.

Prior to 2009, academic corruption challenges were particularly prevalent in university admissions. According to some reports, the total volume of bribes paid in connection to university admissions in Moscow in 2008 amounted to USD $520 million, with individual students paying bribes as high as $5,000 . The introduction of the EGE sought to take admissions decisions away from the universities, and replace them with objective external criteria.

The EGE also facilitates broader access to higher education. Before the introduction of the EGE, applicants often had to travel to universities across the country to sit for institutional entrance exams – a costly and time-intensive process that has now greatly improved. As per the Russian ENIC/NARIC, the EGE exam is now used in the admission of nearly 100 percent of applicants. Only two elite universities (Moscow State University and St. Petersburg State University) have been exempted and continue to administer their own admissions tests in addition to the EGE.

As of 2015, students could, according to Sergey Kravtsov , the head of the Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency, sit for the EGE examination in 5,700 testing centers throughout Russia, as well as in 52 countries abroad. A reported 584,000 students took the base stage EGE examination in 2016, and 492,000 sat for profile exams.

Upon passing the EGE exams, these students receive a certificate of results. These can be used to can apply to three different study programs at five universities at a time. Admission is competitive and based on test scores in the subjects required for particular degree specializations. Higher scores improve the chances of admission into top universities.

Certain programs that require special creative or physical abilities, for example, in artistic disciplines, sports, or military sciences, may require additional entrance examinations. Foreign students are admitted based on separate institutional admissions requirements, and typically have to take the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL).

Academic Corruption in the EGE and Beyond

Russia is afflicted by a widespread culture of academic fraud. The introduction of the centralized EGE exam has reduced the use of direct bribes for university entrance but has reportedly led to significant test-related fraud, including, prior to the test, distribution of exam questions, and after the test, revision of incorrect answers .

Fraud is prevalent in graduate admissions as well. In one notorious example, a senior lecturer at Moscow State University was in 2010 caught accepting a bribe of €35,000 (USD $39,140) to guarantee admission to the faculty of public administration. The sale of fake degrees and the ghost-writing of papers and dissertations constitute another problem. Some experts reportedly claim that as many as 30 to 50 percent of doctoral degrees circulating in certain disciplines like law and medicine may either be fake or based on plagiarism, while other researchers assert that 20 to 30 percent of all Russian dissertations completed since the fall of the Soviet Union were purchased on the black market . The use of such suspect degrees is blatant, and not uncommon among politicians and higher-level civil servants. A 2015 study of the Dissernet Project , an organization dedicated to exposing academic fraud, found that one in nine politicians in the lower house of the Russian parliament had a plagiarized or fake academic degree . In 2006, researchers from the U.S. Brookings Institution analyzed the dissertation of President Vladimir Putin and alleged that it was plagiarized .

Vocational and Technical Education

Russia’s education system includes both secondary-level and post-secondary vocational programs, as well as programs that straddle secondary and higher education. As of the 2012 adoption of Russia’s latest federal education law, all of these programs are now primarily taught at the same types of institutions called technikums ( tehnikum ), and colleges ( kolledzh ). The professional-technical uchilische (PTU) and professional-technical lyceums (PTL) that existed prior to 2012 were largely upgraded to, or merged with, technikums and colleges.

Basic vocational programs at the secondary level are entered on the basis of the Certificate of Basic Secondary Education (grade 9) and are between one and four years in length. Programs have a focus on applied training but may also cover the general secondary education curriculum. Students who have completed general upper-secondary education can enroll in shortened versions of these programs, which are typically one to 1.5 years in length. The final credential is the Diplom o Nachalnom Professionalnom Obrazovanii (Diploma of Vocational Education). It gives access to higher-level vocational education programs and specialized employment, mostly in blue-collar occupations, such as carpentry, tailoring, cookery, or automotive technology. Graduates from programs that include a general secondary education component have the option of sitting for the EGE university entrance exams.

The popularity of basic vocational education declined rapidly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The fact that employment was more or less mandatory during Soviet times meant that 98 percent of graduates from basic vocational programs were employed in the Soviet Union. Today, employment prospects are more precarious. The number of graduates from lower-level vocational programs has declined by 43 percent between 2000 and 2013 alone, from 762,800 to 436,000, as per the statistical data provided by the Russian government.

Advanced vocational programs, referred to as “middle level professional education” in Russia, are considered (non-tertiary) higher education. They typically last two to three years after upper-secondary school (grade 11). Students who have not yet completed upper-secondary education, however, may enter these programs after grade 9 if they meet certain additional admissions requirements. They may, for instance, have to pass admissions tests, and are required to complete the general secondary education curriculum as part of the program. Advanced vocational programs combine applied training with theoretical instruction, and usually require the preparation of a written thesis. The final credential is called Diplom o srednem professionalnom obrazovanii, which can be translated as “Diploma of Middle Level Professional Education.”

The Diploma of Middle Level Professional Education continues to serve an important function in the Russian education system, even though enrollments have begun to decline, if at smaller margins than those in basic vocational education. The credential certifies formal training in a wide range of occupations, ranging from technician to elementary school teacher to accountant. Nurses in Russia, for example, can work after completing mid-level professional education rather than earning a bachelor’s degree, as is required for licensure in the United States.

Mid-level professional education also aligns with tertiary education in that graduates may, on a case-by-case basis, be granted exemptions towards university programs in similar disciplines, and may be allowed to enter directly into the second or third year of bachelor’s programs at some universities.

Tertiary Education

Institutions.

In 2015/16, there were a total of 896 recognized tertiary education institutions in operation in the Russian Federation. Public institutions are categorized into :

• Big multi-disciplinary universities
• Academies specialized in particular professions, such as medicine, education, architecture, or agriculture
• Institutes that (typically) offer programs in singular disciplines, such as music or arts.

There are 50 specially-funded and research-focused National Research Universities and Universities of National Innovation, as well as nine Federal Universities, which were established to bundle regional education and research efforts and focus on regional socioeconomic needs in more remote parts of Russia.

Finally, there are two National Universities, the prestigious Lomonosov Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University. These well-funded elite institutions have special legal status and are under the direct control of the federal government, which appoints their rectors and approves university charters. Moscow State University is arguably Russia’s most prestigious institution and currently enrolls more than 47,000 students. Modeled after German universities, it was founded in 1755.

Private Universities

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought about the de-ideologization of education, and successively replaced the rigid centralization and state planning of the Soviet Union with new paradigms of institutional autonomy, effectiveness, innovation, and internationalization. In contrast to other sectors, the education system, however, was spared the “ shock-therapy ” of economic liberalization, which brought about what has been described as “the most cataclysmic peacetime economic collapse of an industrial country in history.” There was no large-scale privatization of state universities and the overall structure of the education system remained largely intact. Over time, however, Russia has seen the emergence of a healthy private higher education sector following the legalization of private education in 1992.

Private institutions now account for some 366 accredited institutions – just over one-third of all higher education institutions in Russia. The number of students enrolled in these universities has increased considerably over the past decades – between 2000 and 2014 alone the number of students at private universities grew by 88 percent, from 470,600 to 884,700 students .

Today, private universities tend to supplement public education with more specialized niche offerings, rather than compete directly with the bigger state-funded universities. Private enrollments account for only about 16 percent of all tertiary enrollments. And, as demonstrated by prestigious funding projects for state universities, and the closure of private niche universities , the Russian government does presently not prioritize the development of the private sector. Private education, thus, is for the time being expected to primarily gain traction in the “ sphere of non-formal and extra-system education .”

Rankings and International Reputation

The Russian Ministry of Education maintains a webpage dedicated to tracking the progress of Russian universities in global rankings. As of 2016 rankings, the goals of the 5/100 project to place five Russian universities in the top 100 of global rankings still seem distant. Lomonosov Moscow State University was the only Russian university among the top 100 in the most common rankings. It was ranked at 87 th place in the Shanghai ranking (followed by St. Petersburg State University and Novosibirsk State University at 301-400 and 401-500, respectively). In the Times Higher Education Ranking , Lomonosov reached 188 th place in 2016/17 with no other Russian universities among the top 300. In the QS ranking , Russia’s flagship university reached 108 th place followed by St. Petersburg State University ranked at place 258. Of note is also that Russia in 2016 announced that it will launch its own international ranking , including universities from Russia, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Iran, Turkey, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Funding and Education Spending

As a result, education has become more expensive for many students, even in the public sector. Students with high EGE scores are usually allowed to study for free; however many students pay annual tuition fees averaging 120-140 thousand rubles (USD $2,084 to $2,432) for a bachelor’s degree and 220-250 thousand rubles (USD $3,822-4,343) for a Specialist degree (described in more detail below). Although students can take out low-interest loans, these costs are high considering Russian income levels. Inflation rates of more than 11 percent in 2014 caused many Russian universities to raise tuition fees by significant margins , while the average monthly income simultaneously dropped by 35 percent to USD $558 in 2015.

As noted earlier, federal spending on education decreased by 8.5 percent between 2014 and 2016. This downturn reverses spending increases in previous years. Between 2005 and 2013, overall Russian higher education spending as a percentage of GDP increased from 2.7 percent in 2005 to 3.8 percent in 2013 . In the tertiary sector, spending levels stayed mostly constant between 2005 and 2013, but because the number of students simultaneously declined, the amount spent per student actually rose by 32 percent to $USD 8,483 . This number, however, is still low when compared to the average spending in countries at comparable levels of development, causing observers like the World Bank to recommend that Russia increase education spending and prioritize human capital development in order to ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth.

Quality Assurance: State Accreditation and the Role of the Bologna Process

All higher education institutions in Russia, public or private, must have a state license to deliver education programs. To award nationally recognized degrees, institutions must also obtain state accreditation. The accreditation process is overseen by the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science ( Rosobrnadzor)  and is based on institutional self-assessments, peer review, and site visits certifying compliance with standards set by Russia’s National Accreditation Agency (subordinated to Rosobrnadzor) .

Accreditation is granted for six-year periods and entitles institutions to award state-recognized diplomas in a set number of disciplines, and to apply for funding by the government. Both the National Accreditation Agency and Rosobrnadzor maintain online databases of accredited institutions and the degree programs they are authorized to offer.

A signatory to the Bologna declarations since 2003, Russia has adopted many of the quality assurance provisions stipulated in the declarations. Internal quality assurance systems have been established at most of Russia’s universities , and there are now at least five independent accreditation agencies operating in Russia. These agencies accredit programs and institutions in disciplines such as engineering and law, but accreditation by these agencies is not mandatory and does not replace existing quality assurance mechanisms, which remain strictly based on institutional accreditation by the government. Accreditation by European agencies, including those registered with the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) is presently not recognized by the Russian government.

Threats to Academic Freedom: The Case of the European University in St. Petersburg

Under the rule of Vladimir Putin, Russia has become an increasingly authoritarian country in which the government suppresses journalistic and academic freedoms. Threats to academic freedoms are also on the rise in other European countries like Hungary, where the government is trying to shut down the Central European University founded by U.S. billionaire philanthropist George Soros (see our related article in this month’s issue). In Russia, another Soros-supported Western-style university, the European University in St. Petersburg (EUSP) is facing a similar fate. 

EUSP is an internationally renowned private graduate school specializing in social sciences that is regarded as one of Russia’s best universities. Founded in 1994, EUSP received state accreditation in 2004, only to be closed in 2008 in what has been described as a case “ domestic ‘lawfare’ , in which state-run courts enforce political conformity through legal pretexts”. EUSP is known as a liberal-minded institution with foreign board members that teaches Western-style political science. The 2008 closure coincided with the award of a €673,000 EU grant to EUSP to improve election monitoring in Russia, after which Rosobrnadzor inspected and cited the university with technical infractions, followed by temporary closure for not meeting fire-safety standards .

The university was reopened shortly afterward but continued to face difficulties. Passage of Russia’s “ law on undesirable organizations ” forced EUSP to forego foreign funding in 2015. In 2016, Rosobrnadzor launched another wave of inspections, citing the school with 120 violations , including the lack of a fitness room and an information stand against alcoholism, after a conservative Russian politician and a key-author of Russia’s “ gay propaganda law ” had logged a series of complaints , reportedly after hearing that EUSP was teaching inappropriate content in its gender studies curriculum . Other possible reasons suggested by the media involve interests in lucrative construction contracts for the building in which EUSP is housed. In March 2017, EUSP’s license was revoked . Appeals are currently working their way through the courts while the fate of the university remains uncertain. 

Tertiary Degree Structure

Prior to the introduction of the Bologna three-cycle degree structure in 2003, tertiary education in Russia consisted mainly of long single-cycle degree programs of five to six-year duration leading to the award of a “Diploma of Specialist,” followed by a doctoral research degree called Kandidat Nauk (Candidate of Science). In 2007, the single-cycle Specialist program was replaced with a two-cycle degree system consisting of an undergraduate Bakalavr (Bachelor) degree, and a graduate Magistr (Master) degree in many fields of study. In these fields, Specialist degrees are being phased out, and the last waves of students studying under the old structure are currently reaching graduation. However, implementation of the two-cycle Bakalavr/Magistr system has not been mandated across the board, and long Specialist degrees continue to be awarded in a number of fields, including the professions and technical disciplines. The three degrees still in common circulation are thus:

• Bakalavr : Bakalavr degrees in Russia are always four years in duration (240 ECTS credits). (In other European countries the length of bachelor’s degrees varies between three and four years.) Bakalavr degrees are awarded in a wide variety of disciplines and require completion of a thesis (prepared over a time period of four months) and passing of a final state examination in addition to coursework. Admission is based on EGE results in disciplines related to the major of the program.
• Magistr : Magistr degrees are research-oriented graduate degrees that are always two years in length (120 ECTS). Programs conclude with the defense of a thesis and state examination. Admission requires a Bakalavr degree, but universities are free to set additional admission requirements, including entrance examinations and interviews. Bachelor graduates that completed a degree in a different field of study generally have to pass an entrance exam to demonstrate proficiency in the intended area of study. Holders of Specialist degrees are also eligible for admission.
• Specialist Degrees : Specialist programs are at least five years in length and involve state requirements of approximately 8,200 hours of instruction, a thesis, and state examination. Programs lead to the award of the “Diploma of Specialist” and are generally considered to be professionally rather than academically oriented, although the Specialist degree has the same legal standing as the Magistr degree and gives full access to doctoral programs.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits are used in Bakalavr and Magistr programs, but, as of now, rarely in Specialist programs. The ECTS grading scale, as well as a new 0-100 grading scale, have been introduced in recent years, but are generally not used on state format academic transcripts, which continue to be issued using the standard 2 to 5 grading scale. Degree programs at both public and private universities conclude with state examinations and the defense of a thesis in front of a State Attestation Commission.

Diploma Supplements existed in Russia prior to the Bologna reforms, and are still issued for all Russian tertiary degrees.

Kandidat Nauk and Doktor Nauk

Students obtain entrance to doctoral research programs – or aspirantura – on the basis of Magistr or Specialist degrees. Doctoral programs are usually three years in length, including lectures and seminars, and independent original research. Upon completion of the study program, doctoral candidates are awarded a diploma of completion of aspirantura . A final Kandidat Nauk degree is conferred only after the public defense of the doctoral dissertation.

Another type of doctoral program, the Doktor Nauk (Doctor of Science), requires additional study beyond the Kandidat Nauk . It is a higher doctorate that entails the completion of another dissertation and takes most candidates anywhere between five and fifteen years to complete. The Doktor Nauk is required to obtain full-tenured professorship in Russia, as well as the prestigious rank of “Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences.” Full tenure is otherwise only granted to professors with at least 15 years of outstanding teaching service at a university.

Teacher Education

Teacher training in Russia takes place both in post-secondary vocational education and the tertiary education sector, depending on the level. Pre-school and elementary school teachers are commonly trained at pedagogical colleges and are allowed to work as teachers on the basis of the Diploma of Middle Level Professional Education (although pre-school and elementary teacher training programs are also offered at universities). Secondary school teachers, on the other hand, are taught at universities and tertiary-level teacher training institutes. Upper-secondary school teachers are required to have a Specialist (or Magistr ) degree. Programs include academic study in the areas of teaching specialization, pedagogical and methodological subjects, and an in-service teaching internship.

Document Requirements

Russia is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention and officially certifies documents for use in other signatory states through government agencies. WES relies on this process in the authentication of academic documents from Russia.

Secondary Education

• Final graduation certificate including all subjects and grades – E.g. Certificate of (Complete) Secondary General Education ( Attestat o Srednem (Polnom) Obshchem Obrazovanii including Prilozhenie or Tabel ) – Certified by apostille through an authorized body of education of the Russian Federation. (See here for a list of appropriate education authorities).
• Precise, word-for-word English translations of all documents

Post-Secondary and Higher Education

• Degree Certificate and Academic Transcript – Certified by apostille through an authorized body of education of the Russian Federation. See here for a list of appropriate education authorities.

Click here for a PDF file of the academic documents referred to below.

• Attestat o srednem obshchem obrazovanii (Certificate of General Secondary Education)
• Diplom o srednem professionalnom obrazovanii (Diploma of Middle Level Professional Education)
• Diploma of Specialist
• Bakalavr (Bachelor)
• Magistr (Master)
• Kandidat Nauk (Candidate of Sciences)

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of World Education Services (WES).

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