One of the first educational programs opened at M. Utemisov West Kazakhstan University, which has a 93-year history, is aimed at training highly qualified, competitive, and in-demand specialists in the field of biological education and science. One of its key values is the scientific and pedagogical heritage of Kazakhstan scholars.
The high professionalism of our faculty allows us to train specialists who are in demand not only in the West Kazakhstan Region but also in neighboring regions and beyond. Most biology, geography, and chemistry teachers in the West Kazakhstan Region are graduates of our university. By maintaining close ties with our graduates, the university has objective information about their demand, level of professional competencies, adaptation to the work environment, and their future academic and career development.
Specialist training is provided through full-time and shortened full-time programs based on general secondary, technical, vocational, post-secondary, and higher education. Upon completion of the program, graduates are awarded the academic degrees of "Bachelor of Education in an Educational Program" and "Master of Education in an Educational Program."
For two consecutive years, the 14th and 15th Republican Student Subject Olympiads were held among students from higher education institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan under the B013 "Biology Teacher Training" educational program group. The goal of the Olympiads was to determine the level of development and competency of future specialists for their subsequent involvement in scientific research and the expansion of the country's scientific potential.
Specialist training is provided under the following educational programs:
Bachelor’s Degree Programs:
• 6B01507 – Chemistry;
• 6B01508 – Chemistry–Biology;
• 6B01509 – Biology;
• 6B01510 – Geography;
• 6B01512 – Geography–History;
• 6B01526 – Biology–Geography;
• 6B01532 – Biology–Psychology;
• 6B01533 – Biology (IP);
• 6B01534 – Chemistry (IP);
• 6B01535 – Natural Sciences (IP);
• 6B01519 – Geography (IP).
Duration of study: based on general secondary education – 4 years (full-time), 5 years (part-time); based on technical, vocational, and specialized secondary education – 3 years (part-time); based on higher professional education – 2 years (part-time).
Master’s Degree Programs:
• 7M01507 – Chemistry;
• 7M01509 – Biology;
• 7M01510 – Geography;
• 7M01512 – Biology;
• 7M01537 – Biology (within the system of general and professional education of the Russian Federation: Biology and Ecology).
Duration of study: 2 years – scientific and pedagogical direction; 1.5 years and 1 year – specialized direction.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography operates a Zoological Museum and a Herbarium Fund, which are regularly replenished with new specimens. The V.V. Ivanov Herbarium Fund contains more than 30,000 sheets and is registered in the international herbarium database “Index Herbariorum.” The University administration pays great attention to the equipment and design of educational and methodological laboratories.
The number of full-time faculty members teaching basic and professional disciplines within the educational programs is 34, of whom 19 hold academic degrees (56%).
To improve educational programs, experienced practitioners are involved in the educational process, including highly qualified teachers with extensive pedagogical experience, as well as specialists working in institutions directly related to biology, geography, and chemistry. Practitioners serve as reviewers and co-supervisors of diploma projects, supervisors of professional practice, and deliver lectures and master classes for students.
The involvement of specialists is driven by the demand for these fields of training and the need to enhance practice-oriented education, as well as to link course projects with industry needs. During teaching practice, classes are conducted directly in professional environments.
The official University website (http://wku.edu.kz) provides faculty profiles containing information about personal details, professional development, participation in seminars, conferences, and competitions, publications and authored works, developed electronic textbooks, participation in and supervision of research projects, as well as the list of courses taught.
