Postgraduate studies in a new reality

The purpose of the article is the analysis of the dynamics of graduate school admission quotas for educational and scientific organizations over the last 10 years. The analysis shows that in the last 5 years a significant number of regional universities subordinated to the Ministry of education and science experienced a sharp reduction of graduate school admission quotas. The goal is achieved by the use of extensive statistical material on the higher education system, including the level of post-graduate training; the network of dissertation councils; regulatory documents in the field of education. Subject area includes all levels of higher education, the system of highly qualified scientific personnel certification, regions of the Russian Federation, Federal ministries and departments. The result of this study is the development of postgraduate training levels in various ministries/departments, branches of science for the Ph.D. defense as well as efficacy criteria for postgraduate study according to various criteria. The study revealed that in the field of natural sciences 75 % candidates defended after post-graduate training; for organizations subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and the Russian Government the figure is 85 %. As a consequence, this fact may serve as justification for abandoning part-time postgraduate courses for a candidate degree in several branches of science in the medium term. The study will serve as a basis for creating the forecast needs of the Russian economy in the transition to the 6th technological system, and as a consequence, the adjustment of management decisions on the volume of postgraduate study admission quotas and their reallocation among ministries and agencies. The originality and value of the article lies in the introduction of new factual information on the activities of the system of training and certification of highly qualified scientific personnel and analyses of these data into scientific circulation.