Preparatory departments
In the Russian education system, the preparatory schools for applicants from around the world are departments inside the universities with courses in specific subjects.
These are usually paid year-long programmes mainly to study Russian. Basic Russian can be learned quite quickly if you choose an intensive programme with classes 4-6 hours a day. This skill will allow you to apply for Russian-language bachelor's and master's programmes. Their cost is lower than the English-taught ones, and subject range is much wider.
In addition to the Russian language, the preparatory departments also teach specialization subjects – history, mathematics, biology and others necessary to pass entrance exams. The programmes may vary in their specifics – different programmes will help prepare for a bachelor's or master's degree.
You can find such a department in every Russian university. Here, we have collected for you the most popular programmes. You can easily apply for them through our website.
Far Eastern Federal University prepares applicants in four disciplines, each course 2 semesters long. Biomedical provides advanced knowledge in biology, physics, and chemistry. Engineering and Technology focus on mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering graphics. The economic profile focuses on the study of mathematics, history, social studies, economic geography. Humanities – is an in-depth study of literature, history, social studies and cultural history.
The Kazan Federal University preparatory department has been operating since 2010. Their Special Russian language program is considered one of the strongest in the country and has been running since 1979. The faculty prepares applicants for admission to bachelor's, master's and PhD studies in five areas: humanitarian, biomedical, natural science, engineering and economic.
The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University) offers a one-year online education programme at the preparatory faculty. It will equip you for the admission process in technical universities in Russia for the natural science and engineering specialities. The Russian language is a core subject, so by the end of the course, your level of proficiency will be at least B1. Students study independently through a MIPT own distance learning system with the interactive check of the assignments. After a successful final examination, students receive a certificate that allows them to apply to any university in Russia.
The National Research University Higher School of Economics has the International Preparatory Programmes centre for training international students. Here, applicants prepare to apply for the Russian-language bachelor's and master's programmes. You can enrol at the centre with any level of Russian language proficiency. You can study both free of charge (through a scholarship) and on a paid basis. Graduates of preparatory courses receive a 50% discount on basic educational programmes upon applying at the Higher School of Economics on the contract base.
HSE University has several preparatory programmes for international applicants. A basic course for beginners, an intensive course for 6 months and advanced course for one year.
The Pre-University Program of the National Research Technological University of NUST MISIS operates a preparatory program. Its main task is to comprehensively prepare foreign applicants for admission to specialized specialities. The course includes the study of the Russian language, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Classes are conducted by university teachers. The term of study is 7 months.
The National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod has two pre-university training programmes for bachelor studies two and three semesters long. The programmes vary by speciality profiles and the level of the Russian language.
At the National Research Tomsk State University, there is an entire Pre-courses Department. In addition to the in-depth study of the Russian language, there are also additional specialized courses: the history of Russia, journalism, biology, chemistry, mathematics, IT. If applicants plan to enrol in a bachelor's degree at TSU, the preparatory department exams for them will equate to the entrance exams. After graduation, students also take a test in Russian and receive a language proficiency certificate with the B1 level.
The National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University also helps international applicants to prepare for admission. The Pre-University and Language Courses for the bachelor programmes offers five areas to choose from: Engineering (mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering graphics, computer science), Medical and Biological (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, anatomy), Humanities (literature, social science, geography, linguistic and cultural studies, computer science), economic (mathematics, social science, fundamentals of economics, computer science, geography) and natural science (physics, computer science, chemistry). All of them include the study of the Russian language and the history of Russia. Preparation for the master's programme runs in three areas: technical (scientific style of speech, in-depth chemistry and physics, computer science, modern technologies, philosophy, specialization introduction), economic (scientific style of speech, history of Russia, social studies, fundamentals of economics, management, specialization introduction) and natural science (advanced physics and chemistry, computer science, history of Russia, philosophy and research methods). The curriculum always includes an in-depth study of the Russian language and mathematics.
Founded in 1960, the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia is especially popular among international applicants as almost 10,000 students from more than 150 countries of the world study at RUDN University every year. The very first programmes for teaching Russian as a foreign language were developed right here, at the preparatory faculty of the RUDN University. In addition to the full-time Russian language programmes, now the university prepares applicants in the trendy distance format at the Digital Preparatory Faculty. You can choose a course depending on the duration and intensity to study Russian and general education subjects. Alternatively, create your own programme from 18 modules available. The Digital Preparatory Faculty courses consist of over 1000 hours worth of educational audio and video content, communication with native Russian speakers and more than 500 online classes.
A preparatory department for applicants from other countries also operates at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Over 15,000 students from all over the world have studied here. Half of the educational process is devoted to the study of the Russian language.
There are three types of programs at SPbPU – standard, intensive and advanced study of Russian. You can also additionally attend classes in humanities, engineering or economics profiles. The educational standards for the pre-university training programmes fully comply with the requirements of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It also takes into account the peculiarities of the adaptation processes of international citizens in a new country.
All students of the preparatory department have access to a library, digital resources, computer and language laboratories, as well as free Wi-Fi throughout the campus. At the end of the course, students take exams and receive certificates of completion. Final exams are equated to entrance exams for bachelor's or master's degrees at SPbPU.
The University of Tyumen also offers programmes at the multidisciplinary preparatory department. Training is held in four fields: economic, engineering and technical, humanitarian and natural science. For each, a separate curriculum has been developed, including an intensive study of specialized subjects. Students can also attend discussion clubs and Russian language courses. At the end of the programme, a completion certificate is issued.
These courses are your opportunity to prepare as much as possible and pass the entrance exams successful. It is also a way to get to know the country and its culture in advance and start learning Russian.
