Graduate School as the Third Level of Higher Education: Field of Discourse

Abstract

This article proposes a shift in the discussion of graduate educational programs (graduate military courses) used to train academic personnel. This proposed shift is toward a social field of discourse where the inconsistencies and uncertainties of the current regulatory framework (for modernizing the training and certification of highly qualified research personnel) are looked at from the perspective of the purpose of graduate school (preparation of a dissertation) and minimized. In addition, the article reviews the public’s decreased interest in graduate school as an institution and compares master’s degree programs, graduate degree programs, and existing global models for the preparation of highly qualified personnel in the graduate schools of institutions of higher education. It is concluded that the social issues of graduate schools are significantly more important than issues related to the development of educational programs.