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 that integrate the study of economics, engineering, and the humanities.
HSE is now a fully comprehensive university with campuses in four cities and comprising more than 30 faculties, including electronics, computer science, world economy and international affairs, urban and regional development, physics, chemistry, biology and biotechnology, and geography and geoinformation technology.
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All levels of academic instruction—from secondary school to doctoral programmes
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A wide range of academic subjects: social sciences, humanities, engineering, computer science, creative industries, mathematics, and law
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Russia’s largest intake of undergraduate and graduate students studying on government scholarships
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Support for students and instructors to carry out entrepreneurial initiatives
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The learning process is closely intertwined with research work
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Exchange and double-degree programmes with universities around the world
Pre-University
Prep Year
HSE International Preparatory Year programmes provide pre-university training in the Russian language to international students who intend to join Russian-taught or English-taught programmes and could benefit from Russian language preparatory programmes.
Scholarship students choose a track (for example, humanities, economics, or engineering) relevant to their intended field of study so that they can acquire the specialised vocabulary needed to succeed in their full-degree programme.
HSE Lyceum
Since 2013, the HSE Lyceum has operated in Moscow, providing secondary school education to more than 2,000 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. In 2022, a Lyceum also opened at HSE University in Perm.
Degree Programmes
- Students from all over the world
- Visa and migration support
- One of Europe’s most modern campuses
- An advanced international environment
- Adaptation support from mentors throughout the study period
- Grants and scholarships
Undergraduate Studies
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40
areas of study
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116
bachelor’s programmes
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6
English-taught bachelor’s programmes
- Independent study starting from the first year under the supervision of an appointed teacher
- Opportunities to receive several scholarships at a time for high grades and active participation in university life
- Opportunities 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 many countries across the globe
- Opportunities to work as a paid teaching assistant
- Access to one of Russia’s largest university libraries
Graduate Studies
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39
areas of study
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195
master’s programmes
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30
English-taught master’s programmes
- Opportunities to change one’s field of study and master a new area of specialisation
- Participation in international internships and student exchange
- Participation in double degree programmes
- Opportunities to work as a paid teaching assistant or instructor
- Participation in research and project work at HSE University laboratories and research institutes
Learn more about admissions to HSE University’s undergraduate and graduate programmes.
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 390 international agreements (including about 200 student exchange agreements, some of which are implemented at the faculty level).
HSE University offers double degree programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels with world-class universities.
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 23 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 35,000 roubles and may work in a paid position at one of HSE University’s research departments.
Features of the Full-Time Advanced Doctoral Programme:
- Full-time employment and participation in research projects at HSE
- An academic supervisor who is an international scholar
- Guaranteed 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 (link in Russian). 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 Development
HSE University has implemented educational programmes for adults for over two decades, allowing them to 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.
Learning Online
The HSE Online digital campus launched in 2023, combining the best practices of digital learning and expanding the university’s presence in the online environment.
Student enrolment is open for 33 full online degrees, as well as programmes with an online track, including 28 master's programmes and five bachelor's programmes. In total, more than 4,700 students are enrolled in online programmes.
To enable students to study from anywhere in the world, HSE offers online bachelor's and master's programmes for international applicants, including fully English-taught options. All communication with students is conducted online, as are dissertation defences. The flexible learning format allows students to balance work and study, with lectures available to watch at a convenient time and at their own pace. Webinars with lecturers are held in real-time, with recordings available afterwards. Students have continuous access to materials, and the programmes are practice-oriented, focusing on real business cases.
In 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 the Russian National Open Education Platform, launched in 2014 by major Russian universities. In 2024, the platform hosted 197 online courses with a total of 2.86 million registrations.