Final State Certification

Regulations on Final State Certification of Students in Bachelor’s, Specialist and Master’s Degree Programmes at National Research University Higher School of Economics

The Final State Certification (FSC) on the Bachelor's Programme "HSE University and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics and Politics in Asia" in 2026 is a defense of the Bachelor's Graduation Thesis.

Students who have successfully completed the theoretical courses of the Programme are allowed to take the FSC. The list of students admitted to the FSC is approved by special directive.

Defense of the Graduation Thesis (GT)

The defense takes place in offline format. Students who are not present at the defense without prior notice are considered not present at the Final State Certification without a valid reason.

A video recording is made for the whole duration of the defense.

Defence procedure

• The defense begins with a student's report on the theme of graduation thesis.
• The report should take 15 minutes.
• The student must state the main content of his graduation thesis freely, without reading a written report.
• During the report the student may use a computer presentation, prepared visual aids (tables, charts) or other material to illustrate the main provisions of the GT.
• After the student has finished the presentation, the members of the examination committee ask the student questions directly related to the topic of graduation thesis, as well as closely related to it.
• When answering the questions, the student has the right to use his graduation thesis.
• When defending a graduation thesis it is necessary to have a review from the supervisor and from the reviewer.
• After the discussion is over, the student is given the final word.
• In his/her final speech the student must respond to the reviewer's comments.

- After the final word of the student the procedure of defending the graduation thesis is considered finished.

• The  committee's decision on the final grade is based on the committee members' assessment of the graduation thesis content, its defense, including the report, responses to questions, and the reviewer's comments, taking into account the assessments of the supervisor and the reviewer.

In the case of a failure to appear at the Final State Certification for a valid reason

A valid reason is an illness confirmed by a prescribed medical certificate submitted to the Student Service Centre on the day on which the student is scheduled to start classes, as well as other exceptional reasons confirmed by documents" - see clause 5.2. of the Regulations on Final State Certification of Students in Bachelor’s, Specialist and Master’s Degree Programmes at National Research University Higher School of Economics.

In order to reschedule the Final State Certification, a student must submit a document to the Study Office confirming a valid reason for failure to appear and write an application for rescheduling of the FSC.

The directive document for postponing the FSC should be signed as "Noted".

At the end of the Final State Certification

A graduate who has successfully passed the FSC receives the following documents:

1. Bachelor's Diploma of state standard.

2. Diploma Supplement.

3. HSE Diploma and Diploma Supplement (in English).

4. Bachelor's Diploma of Kyung Hee University.

5. Certificate of Specialization in 'International Business', 'International Relations' or 'Quantitative Economics and Finance in Asia' from Kyung Hee University.

Upon graduation from university, graduates also receive the original documents of their previous education (if the original documents were kept at the university).