Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) starts to apply new standards in the graduate level of education beginning from 2016/2017 academic year. According to the new standards, training in the graduate level will be carried out on 15 majors on the basis of the requirements of ECTS and the experiences of the countries joined the system.
One of the changes in standards is the number of credits which is determined 6 credits in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System on each discipline. This amendment will allow graduate students studying in our country to apply for the international internship or scholarship programs at the leading world universities and they will not face any obstacles in adjusting subjects.
The main goal of the new standards of graduate education is to develop economy- oriented students who are capable to make scientific researches and seen as potential cadres. To this end, the number of weeks allocated for theoretical training has been reduced to 30 and the weeks for Master paper and research are increased. Student completes the total of 60 ECTS within 2 semesters per 5 classes in each (of which 3 obligatory 2 selective each term).
Then he receives the passive course of “Researches, Communication and Innovation” in the 3rd semester. Here student conducts researches with the scientific supervisor, studies communication skills, as well as student assessment methods and acts as an academic staff during the lesson and conducts training with scientific leader. Student prepares Master thesis in parallel to this course and at the end of the 3rd term reports his leader on the paper and is evaluated.
Student is involved in scientific research and scientific educational experiments and gets a passive course of “Conducting Research Work” in addition to the development of thesis within the 4th term. The main objective of the course of “Conducting Research Work” is to teach the students how to prepare scientific articles and reports, conduct researches and use the modern software tools and analysis methods. The graduate student becomes an alumnus completing a 120 ECTS Graduate Program with defense of Master’s Thesis.
The course of “Research Methods” is reflected as the compulsory discipline for all majors in the new standards, taking into account that the graduate education is mainly targeted in developing academic personnel for the universities and growing modern, high quality research fellows with international experience. The subject will expand the integration to the international education system and teacher and student exchange.
The standards defined internally by the “Research Methods” and other subjects in addition to specialty subjects of modern problems “as defined by the university subjects” block on the qualification and specialization skills (competencies), and it is determined by the higher education institutions in related disciplines.
According to the new curriculum for the training course at the graduate level is considered more appropriate to discuss the form of consultation hours instead of lecture-seminar is designed to combine the classes.