9. Ask and answer the following questions:

Model: Ask your partner why he took graduate courses at the Tyumen State University.

Student A: Why did you take graduate courses at the TSU?

Student B: Because M.Sc. program at the TSU focuses on the field I’m just interested in.

1. Ask your partner what the scope of his scientific/professional interests is.

2. … what discipline/ branch he is engaged in.

3. … what the subject of his thesis is concerned with.

4. … if he is going to publish any articles.

5. … if there is much information published on the subject of his investigation.

6. … if he is engaged in making experiments or field observation.

7. …if he combines work and study.

8. …if he pays tuition.

9. …if he gets fellowship.

10. …if he supposes any advancements or career promotions after graduation Master courses.

10. Read and translate the beginning of the dialogue between former groupmates. Make your own one. Use the questions from the previous exercise.

Olga: Hello, Igor.

Igor: Oh, Olga! Isn’t that you? Nice to see you again! What are you doing here? Let me guess. You do a master!

Olga: You are quite right. This year I’ve become a graduate student of the Tyumen State University.

Igor: Well done! What field are you going to take master's degree in?

Olga: I do hope to become a Master of Science in chemistry, to be exact, petrochemistry and ecological safety. I’ve already been working in this sphere.

Igor: Oh, you combine work and study, this is decided step forward!

Olga: And what about you? As I remember you’ve always been interested in research work when an undergraduate. Are you still engaged in nanochemistry?

Igor: Absolutely right. I have a particular interest in this very field. In some months I’m going to present my Master thesis.

Olga: What’s the subject of your dissertation?

Igor: ……..

Task 11. Read these extracts and pay attention to the similarities and differences in an academic status in different countries. Discuss them in small groups. Here are some issues you can discuss:

Admission requirements	International equivalents
Academic requirements for earning Master’s degree	Length of courses

Great Britain

All B.A. programmes are collectively called undergraduate level. A student training for a Bachelor degree is called an undergraduate.

The next-level university degree is a Master. An Master’s programme typically requires one or two years of study and some independent research. Typically Bachelor’s. programmes cover general scope of knowledge, while being graduate students they can choose any certain area for in-depth study and investigation. Master’s Degree students are to present their theses as partial fulfillment of the graduation requirements.

The next level up is the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.). The M.Phil. programmes are only found in England and in ex-British colonies such as India, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. A M.Phil. programme typically takes two years to complete and requires a research thesis. Some students would go from a B.A. to an M.Phil. while other students would go from an M.A. to a Ph.D., it depends on the available "tracks".

All programs of study and research beyond the B.A. degrees are called postgraduate.

Europe

In Europe, degrees are being harmonized through the Bologna process which is based on the three-level hierarchy of degrees: "Bachelor" (Licence in France), "Master" and "Doctor". This system is gradually replacing the two-stage system used now in many countries.

This system is also currently used in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Croatia.

United States

In the United States, since the late 1800s, the threefold degree system of Bachelor, Master and Doctor has been used, but there are some slightly different patterns of study from the European equivalents.

In the United States most standard "academic" programs are based on the four-year bachelor's degree (most often Bachelor of Arts, B.A., or Bachelor of Science, B.S.), a one- or two-year master's degree (most often Master of Arts, M.A., or Master of Science, M.S.; either of these programs might be as much as three years in length) and a further one or two years of coursework and research, culminating in comprehensive examinations in one or more fields, plus perhaps some teaching experience, and then the writing of a dissertation. This timetable is only approximate; however, since students in accelerated programs can sometimes get a bachelor's degree in three years or, on the other hand, a particular dissertation project might take four or more years to complete, therefore, there is no time-limit on the accumulation of academic degrees.

In the United States there is also another class of degrees called "First Professional degree." These degree programs are designed for professional practice in various fields rather than academic scholarship. Most professional degree programs require a prior bachelor's degree for admission, and so represent at least about five total years of study and even as many as seven or eight.

Russia

In Russia they strongly distinguish between educational kinds of academic degrees and "real" academic degrees connected with scientific researches.

Any educational degree is confirmed by a diploma. A specialist is awarded after 5-7 years of a university or an academy (it depends) and is roughly equivalent to US Master degree. Besides the specialist degree there are degree of Bachelor and Master's degree. A typical Russian university awards Bachelor degree after a four- year course of study and Master's degree after 2 years more.

12. Here you can see some Eligibility Criteria for Master’s program in Australia. 1) Learn the information in the table and explain what persons can seek an admission in MBA program. 2) Read and translate explanatory notes below the table and add your commentaries.

Eligibility for Master’s program

Master’s degree program here includes MBA i.e. Master’s of Business Administration.