Education Levels and Stages — I Confused Them Myself Once

Honestly, when I first looked at this topic, I was confused myself. I had been admitted to university, my parents said "bachelor's," my teacher said "the first level of higher education," a friend said "no, you're still a sub-bachelor" — none of them said the same thing to me, but in fact, they were talking about almost the same thing. Everyone just used different words. Pff. That's why I'm writing this post — to explain all the concepts in plain language in one place.

Most of the information below is taken from the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Education." I simply arranged it in a logical order and added a sentence or two to each to help you understand what it means when you read it.

Education — is the process of acquiring systematized knowledge, skills, and abilities, and its result. That is, it's both the path you take to learn and what you achieve in the end. Both.

Education Levels and Degrees

• Sub-bachelor — is a professional qualification degree awarded to graduates at the level of higher vocational education and the stage of secondary vocational education. That is, those who graduate from college.
• Bachelor's degree — is the first level of higher education that provides training for broadly qualified specialists in relevant fields. Upon completion, individuals are awarded a bachelor's degree. This is what we call the "first 4 year" of university.
• Master's degree — is the second level of higher education. Upon completion, individuals are awarded a master's degree. You continue for 2 years after completing your bachelor's degree.
• Residency — is a form of training for medical specialists based on basic higher medical education. This is the path for aspiring doctors instead of a master's degree.
• Dissertation — is a research work submitted to obtain a relevant academic degree. The person who completes the dissertation is called a dissertation candidate.
• Doctoral studies — is the highest level of higher education, a form of high-level scientific personnel training aimed at obtaining a doctoral degree. A person studying in doctoral programs is called a doctoral student. Doctor of Philosophy is a high academic degree awarded in specific fields of science; Doctor of Sciences is the highest academic degree.

Let's move on to the forms of education — that is, the "how you study" part.

Forms of Education Applied in the Republic of Azerbaijan

• Formal education — is a form of education that concludes with the issuance of a state education document. That is, you get a diploma at the end.
• Informal education — is a form of acquiring knowledge through self-study. Watching courses on YouTube, reading books, learning on your own — these count.
• Non-formal education — is a form of education acquired in various courses, clubs, and individual classes that does not result in the issuance of a state education document. You pay, attend a course, and receive a certificate, but not a state diploma.

Educational Institutions

Educational institutions differ by type and kind:

• Preschool educational institutions (nurseries, nursery-kindergartens, kindergartens, sanatorium-type preschool educational institutions, special preschool educational institutions for children with disabilities).
• General education institutions (primary, general secondary, and full secondary general education schools, general secondary boarding schools, educational institutions with integrated learning for boarding students, special schools and special boarding schools, special schools and boarding schools for children with disabilities, institutions for children requiring special care, schools for gifted students, gymnasiums, lyceums, and other institutions).
• Extracurricular educational institutions (creativity and development centers, ecology and tourism centers, children's and youth chess schools, children's and youth sports schools, children's and youth chess schools, etc.).
• Vocational education institutions (vocational schools, vocational lyceums, vocational education centers).
• Secondary vocational education institutions (colleges).
• Higher education institutions (universities, academies, institutes, etc.).
• Continuing education institutions (universities, institutes, centers, etc.).
• Other institutions carrying out educational activities (children's music, art, and painting schools, etc.).

Stages and Levels of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan

Now we come to the main question — the stages. These need to be memorized in order, as many people confuse them.

• Preschool education.
• General education: primary education; general secondary education; full secondary education.
• Vocational education: initial vocational education; technical vocational education; higher technical vocational education.
• Secondary vocational education.
• Higher education: bachelor's degree (basic higher medical education); master's degree (residency); doctoral studies (adjunctura).

Source: Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Education."

FAQ

What is the difference between education stages and education levels?

Honestly, many confuse them. Stage is a broader category (e.g., "higher education"). Level refers to the steps within that stage (bachelor's, master's, doctorate). The stage is the box, and the levels are the shelves inside the box.

What is a sub-bachelor, is it the same as a bachelor?

No, they are different. A sub-bachelor is a degree awarded to graduates of colleges and higher vocational education. A bachelor's degree is for university graduates. In terms of level, a bachelor's is higher.

Are non-formal education and informal education the same?

No, they are different. Informal education is when you learn on your own, with no one else involved (books, YouTube, blogs). Non-formal education is when you attend courses or clubs, there is a teacher, but you don't receive a state diploma at the end, only a certificate. They seem similar, but they are different.

Does residency replace a master's degree?

For medical specialties, yes. After a bachelor's degree, aspiring doctors do not go for a master's degree; they go into residency. This is equivalent for their field.

What degree is awarded at the end of doctoral studies?

There are two degrees. Doctor of Philosophy is a high academic degree. Doctor of Sciences is the highest academic degree. Doctor of Philosophy comes first, Doctor of Sciences comes after and is more difficult.

Anyway. The topic is long, and the law is long, but when you read the main concepts one by one, they no longer seem confusing. After writing this, I realized again that the system's logic is actually simple — the names are just a bit intimidating. I hope they don't intimidate you anymore.