Admission process in Russia

Admission to Russian universities for foreigners

Bachelor’s programs

The admission process to bachelor’s programs for foreigners is a bit more complicated than for Russian citizens. You have three main paths:

• Contract training. You need to submit documents to your chosen university, pass exams (chosen by the university), participate in a competition based on the results of entrance examinations, and sign a contract. This option is for paid education only.
• Education on equal terms with the citizens of the country. Another way is to pass the competitive selection together with applicants from Russia. To do this, you need to pass the USE or internal university exams. Subjects on the exam depend on the program, usually 3-4 exams are required. According to the general competition, you can apply for free education at the university — in Russia, this is called a "budgetary placement" or simply "budget". This option is only available to citizens of specific countries and migrants. For more details, navigate to the Study in Russia website.
• University quota system (state scholarships). The Russian government annually allocates free places in 450 state universities for foreign applicants. To enter this quota, you need to apply and go through two stages of selection. The first is an interview with a representative of Rossotrudnichestvo or the Russian consulate in your country; the second is an internal test at the university. You can apply for a state scholarship even if you do not speak Russian. You will have a year to study the language during preparatory courses.

  Another option to study for free is to participate in university olympiads available to foreigners. Winners have the right to enroll in a university without entrance exams.

Regardless of the path you choose, for admission you will need a:

• Completed application
• Copy of an identity document (passport)
• Copy of a diploma and transcript

Everything must be translated into Russian, notarized or approved at the consular department of the embassy^[1]. Upon arrival in the country, you will need to provide original documents and a medical certificate confirming that there are no contraindications for studying in Russia.

For admission, foreigners do not need to prove Russian language proficiency, but if an applicant takes the Unified State Examination or entrance examinations, it is assumed that he already speaks Russian and will be able to demonstrate this during testing. Those who follow the government's quota show knowledge of the language during an interview.

If you do not speak Russian well enough, but still want to study in the country, then you should enroll in a preparatory program. During the preparatory year, foreigners study the language and basic subjects in their specialty. Afterwards, they take exams in the disciplines they have passed, including Russian. Such programs cost from 1,200 USD/year to 3,500 USD/year, but if you enter under the quota of the Russian government, you can study for free. Read more about preparatory courses in Russia here.

Everything about the admission process to a Russian university can be found on the university's website or on the Study in Russia website.

Master's and postgraduate programs

Admission to master's and postgraduate programs is carried out:

• Directly through the university website
• Through the Study in Russia website
• Through the Education in Russia portal

As in the case of bachelor’s studies, foreigners can study for free at the master’s level. To do so, you must either apply on equal footing with applicants from Russia (participate in the general competition for budgetary placements), or apply for a government scholarship and be enrolled according to the quota. In the first case, you also pass entrance examinations and/or a portfolio competition (for details, look at the website of your university and program). For the second option, you will go through a dual stage competition with an interview.

Documents for admission to a master’s program:

• Completed application for enrollment
• Bachelor’s degree and transcript — the original and a copy
• Identity document (passport) and a copy
• Medical certificate of HIV absence
• Motivation letter

For a postgraduate program, you will additionally need to prepare an abstract or thesis of a research paper, and provide a list of scientific publications.

For master's and postgraduate studies, universities may require a language proficiency certificate in which the program will run, be it Russian, English, German, or French. However, they are more often needed as an element of the portfolio, for which they give points when participating in a competitive selection. Master's and postgraduate students also have access to preparatory programs and Russian language courses, but only for a fee.

Legalization of a diploma in Russia

To confirm previous foreign education in Russia, it is necessary to go through the procedure of consular legalization or by apostille. You can check what type of legalization is required for your document on the National Information Center portal. After legalization, the document will be recognized by Rosobrnadzor. You can submit documents in person, by mail, through your Personal Account^[2] or through the State Services portal. The term for consideration of the application is up to 45 days. The cost is 78 USD^[3].