Education: More Than Economics
When it was first founded in 1992, HSE University was an economics university that trained economists, managers, and sociologists. But modern education is interdisciplinary in nature, with major breakthroughs and discoveries often taking place at the crossroads of different disciplines. HSE University follows the example of world-famous universities such as MIT and Caltech that integrate the study of economics, engineering, and the humanities.
HSE is now a fully comprehensive university with campuses in four cities and composed of more than 15 faculties, including electronics, computer science, mathematics, communications, media, and design, world economy and international affairs, urban and regional studies, and, most recently, physics, chemistry, biology, and geography.
| All levels of academic instruction – from secondary school to doctoral programmes | A wide range of academic subjects – instruction not only in economics and other social sciences, but also in the humanities, engineering, and computer science |
Russia’s largest intake of undergraduate and graduate students studying on government scholarships |
| Support for students and instructors to carry out entrepreneurial initiatives |
The learning process is closely intertwined with research work |
Exchange and double-degree programmes with universities around the world |
Pre-University
Since 2013, the HSE Lyceum has operated in Moscow, providing secondary school education to more than 1,000 students. Ranking as one of the top ten schools in Russia, the school takes an innovative approach to education, giving students the opportunity to design their own curricula and take classes from HSE professors.
Preparatory Programmes were launched in 2014 and provide pre-university training to international students who seek to join Russian-taught programmes but could benefit from intensive Russian language courses of various duration. Students choose a track (humanities, economics, or engineering) reflecting what they intend to study so that they can acquire the specific vocabulary they will need to succeed in their programme.
Undergraduate Studies
- Independent study starting from the first year under the supervision of an appointed teacher;
- Opportunity to receive several scholarships at a time for high grades and active participation in university life;
- Opportunity to conduct research as part of a research laboratory or project group;
- All students are required to earn an international certificate attesting to their English-language skills;
- Participation in international academic conferences alongside leading international scholars;
- Participation in student exchange programmes with partner universities in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Canada, China, the USA, South Korea, France, Japan, and other countries;
- Opportunity to work as a paid teaching assistant;
- Access to one of Russia’s largest university libraries.
Graduate Studies
(This information is up to date for the 2021 admissions period)
- Opportunity to change one’s field of study and master a new area of specialization;
- Participation in international internships and student exchange;
- Participation in double degree programmes;
- Opportunity to work as a paid teaching assistant or instructor;
- Participation in research and project work at HSE University laboratories and research institutes.
Study Abroad and Double Degree Programmes
HSE University maintains close cooperation with leading international universities, business schools, and research centres. Today, HSE University has over 300 international partners from 60 countries and is involved in over 770 international agreements (including about 400 student exchange agreements, some of which are implemented at the faculty level).
Double Degree Programmes
HSE University offers 64 double degree programmes at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. One of the key university’s partners is the University of London. Since 1997, HSE University and the London School of Economics and Political Science (a division of the University of London) have been implementing programmes at the International College of Economics and Finance (ICEF) that are approved by LSE and award dual degrees from HSE University and from the University of London. HSE University also implements undergraduate double degree programmes with the University of London in International Relations, Data Science, English Legal System, and Digital Innovation in Management.
Doctoral Studies
HSE University was the first Russian university to introduce the system of subject-area-specific doctoral schools that implement unified internal standards of research and thesis preparation. Another task of doctoral schools is to promote peer-led intellectual and collaborative exchange among doctoral students.
HSE University has 20 doctoral schools in the following fields:
It is not uncommon in Russia for doctoral students to have to work full-time and not have enough time for research. At HSE University, doctoral students are deeply involved in research. The University therefore offers scholarships as part of the Full-Time Advanced Doctoral Programme. Students of the programme are required to focus solely on research. They are paid a monthly stipend of 30,000 roubles and may work in a paid position at one of HSE University’s research departments.
Full-Time Advanced Doctoral Programme Features:
- Full-time employment and participation in research projects at HSE;
- An academic supervisor who is an international scholar;
- Compulsory internship at a foreign partner university.
In 2020, HSE University launched a new form of support for students who plan to pursue academic careers – the Combined Master's-PhD Track. It supports those who, upon earning their undergraduate degree, know that they would like to work as researchers in the future. For those who choose the combined track, the individual Master’s curriculum is coordinated and adjusted by the relevant doctoral school based on the topic and tasks of the student’s research. The academic supervisor of the student’s Master’s thesis is potentially the supervisor of their PhD thesis. Meanwhile, students complete all the compulsory elements of their Master’s education.
Continuing Professional Education
HSE University has implemented educational programmes for adults for over two decades: they help upgrade their skills or get professional retraining in management, finance, HR management, accounting and other fields, as well as prepare for certificate and attestation exams. The programmes are developed on the basis of the best Russian and international practices, taking market demands and professional standard requirements into account. Programme instructors are HSE University lecturers, Russian and international experts with vast practical experience, top executives of successful companies, expert professionals, business consultants, and governmental representatives.
Instruction is offered in Russian and foreign languages.
Today, HSE University offers the following programmes:
- МВА (Master of Business Administration)*;
- EMBA (Executive Master of Business Administration);
- DBA (Doctor of Business Administration);
- Professional retraining programmes;
- Continuing education programmes;
- Double degree programmes.
HSE University has a wide selection of corporate education programmes.
* HSE University’s MBA programmes have been accredited by NASDOBR, the National Accreditation Council of Business and Management Education.
Massive Open Online Courses
HSE University has been partnering with Coursera since 2013. Since then, HSE has become one of the top 10 global universities with the highest number of MOOCs (massive open online courses) on the platform.
In 2018, HSE University’s most popular Coursera specialization, Advanced Machine Learning, was included on the ‘Best Contents on Coursera’ list, and in 2019, HSE University won Coursera’s Outstanding Educator Award for this specialization. HSE University offers a total of ten specializations on Coursera.
HSE offers courses on Coursera in theoretical and applied economics, finance, applied mathematics, data science, psychology, and the humanities. All courses have been developed and maintained by the University’s leading faculty and staff. The number of subscriptions to HSE’s 123 online courses and 10 specializations on the platform exceeded 3.5 million in 2020. Students from 195 countries have taken MOOCs offered by HSE University.
At the beginning of 2020, HSE University launched Russia’s first English-taught Master’s programme to be offered completely online, the Master of Data Science Programme. The Programme aims to prepare experts in modern data analysis, machine learning development, and data science.
HSE University also offers a wide range of courses on Russian National Education Platform, launched in 2014 by major Russian universities.