Moscow-based universities for residents of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Turkmenistan.
Commonwealth of Independent States residents often ask to recommend a Moscow university to prospective students. Russia has no dedicated universities for CIS citizens, so they can sel ect a higher education centre in any Russian city. However, Moscow can indeed offer a larger choice of universities. In Russia, international students have the right to competitively enter any of 250-odd Moscow-based universities. Prospective students in Moscow are attracted by the city’s developed infrastructure, comfortable dormitories, a large number of theatres and entertainment centres.
Medicine, economics and civil engineering are the most sought-after professions with CIS applicants. Russian language courses, including short programmes, are in great demand. Powerful economic and medical schools are found not only at Moscow universities but also in other cities; they usually have Preparatory Departments for foreign nationals. Choose the appropriate course here.
Medical education for CIS nationals
Medical professions can be learnt at dedicated institutions like I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, a multi-disciplinary university such as Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia or a specialised university which might have several medical programmes, for example National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.
Sechenov University is the Russian medical education leader incorporating seven hospitals and seven research centres. MSMU campus life is active and diverse with the tutorship system for international students (volunteers help the newcomers settle into life), university clubs, a student theatre and numerous sport clubs. The dormitories have recently been renovated; all conveniences and wi-fi are available. MSMU rounds out the top ten Russian universities by the size of the international student body (2,645 people1).
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia has the largest number of international students (14,896). It is an international university; its graduates work in 112 countries across the world; in 2010, UNESCO awarded it a gold medal for contribution to training specialists for developing countries. The Medical Institute is RUDN University’s largest subdivision.
To get a specialist degree in General Medicine, students have to train for six years. Tuition fees for a programme in General Medicine: Sechenov University 552,000 rubles ($8,492) a year; RUDN University 340,000 rubles ($5,230) a year. The fee for same programme in English at RUDN is 617,500 roubles ($9,500) a year.
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI also provides training for medical professions. There are 1,408 foreign nationals among MEPhI students. The university mainly specialises in engineering, but it also offers several programmes in medicine including General Medicine. Tuition fee is 282,000 rubles ($4,350) a year. Russian universities have no bachelor’s degree programmes in medicine, with the exception of Nursing Care programmes. However, CIS applicants might be interested in biomedical research. Lenth of study for this profession at MEPhI is four years (graduates get bachelor's degree); tuition fee is 89,000 rubles per semester ($1,370). The university also offers masters programme in nuclear medicine; tuition fee is 357,000 rubles ($5,492) a year. Students fr om the Commonwealth of Independent States are provided with comfortable rooms in dormitories which are located next to teaching blocks, wi-fi is free at dormitories; there is an adaptation programme for first-years. Find more information on medical education for foreigners in Russia in the article.
Economic education in Moscow for CIS nationals
Higher School of Economics offers quality economic education. Tuition fees for programmes in economics at Moscow universities range fr om 300,000 to 500,000 rubles ($4,600-$7,690) a year. You can save a lot if you choose an economics major at HSE branches in Nizhny Novgorod, Perm and St Petersburg wh ere tuition fees range between 170,000 and 270,000 rubles ($2,615-$4,153) a year.
HSE has the sixth largest international student body among Russian universities (3292 people). The university’s department for CIS and Baltic countries helps prospective students and first-years during the application and adaptation periods. HSE student life is busy and exciting, aside from research societies, the university has sport clubs, theatre groups and a standup comedy (KVN) team.
National University of Science and Technology MISIS offers interesting programmes in business analytics and information technology in economics. Tuition fee: 183,000 to 205,000 rubles ($2,815-$3,153) a year. MISIS provides training to 2,115 international students. It has a support service to help first-years to solve various issues, from registration in the Russian Federation to getting a travel card.
© MEPhI
IT education in Moscow for CIS nationals
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology provides excellent training in computer technology. Four of five core fields at MIPT are focused on IT: Applied Mathematics and Informatics, System Analysis and Management, Informatics and Computer Science and Cybersecurity. The average tuition fee for these fields is 300,000 roubles a year ($4,615). A large portion of MIPT teaching blocks and the dormitory are located in the towns of Dolgoprudny and Zhukovsky outside Moscow. MIPT currently has 800 international students. The campus has a cafe, a stadium, a swimming pool, three gyms and a concert hall.
Applicants can study for IT professions at National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. The programmes “Safety of Automated Systems” and “Information Security and Intelligence Analysis for Financial Monitoring” are popular with foreigners. Tuition fees range fr om 221,800 to 332,600 rubles ($3,410-$5,120) a year.
Higher School of Economics also offers a large choice of IT programmes such as Software Engineering, Computer Systems and Networks, Information Security etc. Tuition fees: 160,000 to 440,000 rubles ($2,460-$6,770).
Read more about IT professions.
Civil engineering education in Moscow for CIS nationals
CIS students can study for civil engineer, designer or architect at RUDN University. Undergraduate programme fees: 147,000 rubles ($2,260) a year; graduate programme fees: 284,100 rubles ($4,370) a year. Students have practice in design organisations, utility companies and construction sites.
Higher School of Economics Urban and Regional Development Faculty programmes in civil engineering are focused on large-scale and strategic planning and innovative technologies and put much emphasis on economic and administrative aspects of construction in addition to technicalities. HSE trains not only civil engineers, but also executives to manage municipal infrastructure. The faculty has Russian and English mediaum bachelor’s and master’s programmes in civil engineering. Tuition fee: 370,000 to 450,000 rubles ($5,690-$6,923) a year. Masters programmes include serious research and internships abroad.
