Abstract:

In the structure of modern Russian higher education, a master's degree follows a bachelor's degree and precedes PhD degree. This is the second level of a two-tier higher education system established in the reform process of the Russian educational system according to the Bologna process.

In Russia, mass transition (80% of enrollment of students) on a two-level training was realized only in 2011. Creation of engineering education system that is compatible with other countries within the the Bologna process - a particularly difficult task. To identify the education problems was conducted a survey of STEM-training areas undergraduate masters (N = 80), representing the Technical Institute of Ural Federal University.

It was found that identified problems of education in magistracy (uncertainty of career trajectories after graduating the Judiciary, the lack of sufficient training motivation) related to the uncertainty status of the institutional channel of research staff training. Heterogeneous composition of undergraduates makes it necessary to offer and implement different, non-linear forms of master STEM-specialists training, such as pass-through continuous form for graduates of baccalaureate, model of "breaking cycle" for practitioners and the hybrid form, which compensates the lack of profile basic education of undergraduates. Analysis of the undergraduates opinions about the importance of certain competencies, values and norms of the modern engineer activity allowed to identify priorities in the characterization of the modern engineer reference portrait.

This article was prepared during the realization of the project “New models of engineering education as a factor in the reproduction of technical elite industrial region” supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Keywords:

Engineering education, model of STEM-direction master training, problems of education in magistracy, competence of the modern engineer.