ITMO Postgraduate Department. Postgraduate studies at ITMO University: features of admission and training

Regulations

List of documents for admission to graduate school

3. Document proving the identity and citizenship of the applicant

4. Diploma (copy of diploma) of a state standard specialist or master and an appendix to it

Information on the specifics of conducting entrance tests for applicants with disabilities is contained in the Admission Procedure.

Attention!

Acceptance of documents for admission to graduate school for full-time study within the admission target numbers -from June 08 to July 02, 2020

The last day for submitting the original higher education diploma with an attachment is July 15, 2020.

The date for obtaining consent to enroll in graduate school on a contractual basis is July 19, 2020.

Additional admission for full-time and part-time studies outside the admission target numbers for contractual basis

The University provides admission according to the following conditions for admission to study:

• for each postgraduate program (training profile), competition within the field of study;
• separately within the framework of control figures (state budget) and under contracts for the provision of paid educational services;
• separately for places within the target quota and for places within the control figures minus the target quota;
• separately under contracts for the provision of paid educational services for full-time and distance learning.

Entrance tests

Entrance tests are conducted in Russian. The form of entrance examinations is an exam, conducted orally on tickets, in the form of an interview on questions, in accordance with the federal state educational standards of higher professional education (specialist or master's level) and a passport of the corresponding scientific specialty. The applicant’s level of knowledge is assessed by the examination committee using a five-point system. The minimum number of points confirming successful completion of the entrance test is 3 points (satisfactory). Each entrance test is assessed separately.

Applicants to graduate school take the following entrance tests:

a special discipline corresponding to the profile of the area of ​​training;

foreign language;

philosophy.

Entrance test programs:

Schedule of entrance exams to graduate school:

The exact schedule for specialties and groups in foreign language and philosophy will be known no later than June 20.

Criteria for competitive selection

Higher number of points scored in entrance examinations;

A higher score on the entrance exam in a special discipline with an equal number of points scored;

Availability of individual achievements on the topic of the proposed dissertation research (taken into account by the admissions committee if the sum of points is equal):

Admission to budget places is carried out in accordance with the decision of the admissions committee until the established number of places is filled.

The form of admissions tests for foreign citizens is an interview.

Conducting entrance examinations in the areas of training scientific and pedagogical personnel at MIET graduate school using distance educational technologies is not used.

Documents are accepted by the Department of Doctoral and Postgraduate Studies of MIET (Zelenograd, Shokin Square, 1, room 1116). Acceptance of documents required for admission to MIET graduate school in electronic form or through postal operators is not provided.

Number of places in the dormitory in 2020 – 25.

Entrance tests for graduate school have ended at ITMO University: almost 400 young scientists plan to conduct research and defend academic degrees at the most non-classical university in Russia.

Maria Skvortsova, Dean of the Faculty of Training of Highly Qualified Personnel, talks about how the process of admission to graduate school is evolving and what advantages a PhD degree provides.

How is graduate school different from previous levels of study? Why is this relevant and important?

At ITMO University, we strive for continuity of education levels and the formation of a single track of bachelor’s-master’s-postgraduate degrees. If a bachelor's degree presupposes general fundamental and specialized practical training sufficient to perform professional tasks, then a master's degree is aimed at the maximum specification of knowledge, skills, and conducting independent research work. By the time they complete their studies, a significant portion of master's degree graduates have an impressive portfolio for admission to graduate school.

De facto, graduate school is scientific creativity in its purest form: here they help you discover an idea, implement a unique project, and try yourself in teaching. There is a huge space for self-realization, and, naturally, all this is accompanied by full support from scientific supervisors, departments and international scientific laboratories, the university administration and our department in particular. Our tasks include informing graduate students and young researchers, scientists about all ongoing competitions and assisting in the preparation of relevant documents. An example of this is the victory of Evgeny Cherny and Alena Shchelokova in the competition for a scholarship from the President of the Russian Federation.

Graduate school is definitely worth going to for those who want to become a leading specialist in their field, participate in and manage fundamental and applied projects, and implement developments in high-tech business, education, and the social sphere in general. In addition, the PhD degree is prestigious and plays a significant role in careers both in the real economy and in the academic field.

What training programs are most in demand among applicants to graduate school?

This year, the most popular programs among applicants are in the areas of Physics and Astronomy and Photonics, largely due to the fact that these are the most actively developing areas of modern science. ITMO University has a number of international laboratories and centers that help young scientists realize their creative and research potential in these areas. Traditionally, there is a very high competition for the field of “Informatics and Computer Science”, the profile “Mathematical Modeling, Numerical Methods and Program Complexes”, which is implemented at the Department of High-Performance Computing under the leadership of the Director of the Research Institute of High-Tech Computer Technologies of ITMO University Alexander Bukhanovsky. The program is available in both English and Russian.

Nevertheless, we have always tried to structure the reception in such a way that all directions would be in demand. This year, almost 650 electronic applications from 34 countries and 83 universities were submitted for 270 budget places.

How timely does ITMO University’s graduate school respond to the emergence of new scientific directions or areas or specialties?

The university responds very flexibly and quickly to new trends in scientific fields. In 2015, we opened two new profiles - “Systems, networks and telecommunication devices” and “Condensed matter physics”, and in 2016, due to the growing demand for research in the field of radiophysics and quantum electronics, we opened admission to a new profile “Radiophysics” on the initiative of Head of the International Research Center for Nanophotonics and Metamaterials Pavel Belov. We continue to research market needs and are ready to follow current trends.

We also support international academic mobility of graduate students: we currently have twenty joint educational programs with leading foreign universities. Twice a year, a competition for individual funding is held to support the most capable young scientists and send them for an internship at one of the partner universities. We consider it equally important to stimulate active scientific activity. As a rule, those who present evidence of outstanding scientific achievements upon admission receive an increased scholarship from the first semester. Special bonuses are provided for publication activity and research work.

What work is being done to attract applicants to graduate school?

The work of attracting talented young people for postgraduate study is one of our key tasks, which we implement continuously throughout the year. Traditionally, we organize Open Days, and separately for foreign citizens, and organize targeted information for graduates.

Completely different applicants come to us, from those who want to try themselves in science and are just starting their journey, to established researchers. We have noticed that recently the number of applicants with a very impressive scientific portfolio, publications in serious scientific publications and extensive experience in public speaking has increased. The guys are very active and ambitious - having gone through a serious competition for admission to graduate school at ITMO University, they not only eagerly participate in university projects, but also show outstanding results in extra-university activities. Representatives of the graduate school take part in major exhibitions and conferences - GEEK PICNIC, See Congress, Laser Optics, “From Science to Business”.

Of course, in a non-classical university, graduate school is non-classical. We try to communicate with graduate students in the same language; we maintain a VKontakte group for them and actively use other social and professional networks.

How is the graduate school admissions process evolving?

First of all, I would like to note that this year we conducted admissions tests remotely for the second time, and, in my opinion, more than successfully. If in 2015 we conducted more than sixty online sessions, then according to the results of the current admissions campaign - already more than ninety. Moreover, more than 10 sessions were supported by staff from the Department of International Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies in English. In addition, the geographic scope of applicants has expanded significantly: applicants from the USA, China, Italy, Iran, Algeria, Libya, and Myanmar took the exams remotely. Of course, we plan to develop the use of remote technologies further. This year, not only exam tests were conducted in this format, but also a written exam with a full interview with a commission.

As for legislative changes, first of all I would like to have greater freedom in determining the list and forms of conducting entrance tests. The role of a motivation letter for admission to graduate school still remains undeveloped - in its current form it is nothing more than a formality, although starting next year it will become one of the mandatory documents. Having such serious competition for graduate school, we will try to move to formalized requirements that will be understandable to our applicants.

On August 16, you took the position of dean of the faculty of training highly qualified personnel at ITMO University. What is this structure and what purposes does it serve?

It is important for us that a graduate student not only study at our university, but also defend the idea that he has been nurturing for several years and successfully defend his Ph.D. thesis. Defense of a dissertation is a very complex, bureaucratic procedure that requires processing a huge number of documents. Therefore, in 2003, the Faculty of Training of Highly Qualified Personnel was created: it combines the department of international graduate and doctoral studies, which works directly with graduate students, and the department for working with dissertation councils, which supports them at the “finish line.” In this case, we adhere to the idea of ​​complementarity of departments and form a single track of personnel training from a postgraduate student to the award of a candidate of science degree.

Our goal is to make all the main processes as easy and simple as possible for children: from submitting documents for admission, forming individual plans, attestation reporting, and to submitting documents to the DS. PhD candidates often describe graduate school and defense as a lot of stress and a lot of paperwork. We try to make sure that this stress does not exist, and that young scientists feel as comfortable as possible at ITMO University. So we are faced with the most serious task of optimizing document flow, transferring the main part of it to an electronic, contactless format, and eliminating bureaucratic barriers.

A program that has no analogues in Russia was developed specifically for the implementation of distance admission to graduate school. ITMOproctor allowing you to carefully monitor the progress of the exam. The new opportunities have gained popularity among postgraduate candidates from all over the world. System ITMOproctor provides video recording of the applicant’s behavior during the exam, as well as his desktop. In this way, the integrity of the candidate is monitored. In addition, the program records the behavior of the inspector who monitors the entrance examinations and completely audio-records the negotiations. Based on the results of the exam, all information in audio and video format is entered into a protocol, which is transferred to the selection committee for further objective decision.

To pass the tests for admission to graduate school in a remote format, those interested had to submit an application in advance on the ITMO University International Postgraduate School website http://aspirantura.ifmo.ru After that, all that was left was to provide themselves with a webcam, headphones, microphone, high-speed Internet and a computer with suitable characteristics, and of course, prepare for the exam itself. The system requirements turned out to be quite feasible: ITMOproctor runs on Windows XP and higher, as well as Linux.

“The system consists of two parts – the examinee’s application and the inspector’s application; it allows the use of biometric identification methods based on physiological or behavioral characteristics, and analyzes the psychophysiological state and behavior of the examinee,” commented Andrey Lyamin, director of the Center for Distance Learning at ITMO University.

The exam proceeds as follows: after completing all technical operations, the applicant is identified by comparing his photo in the passport with the image transmitted by the web camera. If this point is passed, the subject makes a thorough video review of his workplace in real time, which should not contain anything resembling reference materials. While completing assignments, the applicant must adhere to the time frame, however, the inspector may extend the exam time due to objective circumstances. If there are no problems, the inspector signs the exam, and then the protocol goes to the selection committee for consideration. If the program and the inspector record any violations, then the exam is interrupted and its result is canceled.

“The ITMOproctor system is able to guarantee compliance with the regulations of any computer-based assessment procedures. The development was created in the shortest possible time using open sources. At the moment, it is the only open solution among systems of this kind on the market,” Andrey Lyamin emphasized. – I would like to note that thanks to the implementation of ITMOproctor, we were able to improve the quality of selection for graduate school and attract talented applicants from all over the world. For those who are not able to come to the exam, but want to engage in scientific work, there are no longer any obstacles. We hope that this format of entrance examinations will become a new tradition for our university.”

Acceptance of documents from applicants entering graduate school at ITMO University in 2016 has already started. Potential graduate students can go through all stages of admission remotely using a special information and communication system. This year, the university is opening two English-language postgraduate programs, and some courses will be partially taught in a modular system, including using electronic and distance technologies. In addition, double degree programs are still available for graduate students, implemented in partnership with leading universities around the world.

In 2015, graduates from 70 universities were admitted to ITMO University’s graduate school, including foreigners from the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, China, Kenya and other countries. This year, the university has announced a recruitment of graduate students in twenty areas of training highly qualified personnel. There are 270 budget places open for applicants, but you can also become a graduate student on a contract basis.

In 2015, ITMO University was the first and only university to transfer all stages of the admissions campaign to a remote format. This year, applicants can also go through the entire admissions process remotely - from submitting documents to exams. This is possible thanks to the unique ITMOproсtor remote control system. The tool was developed at ITMO University to increase accessibility to the educational and research resources of the university for both Russian and foreign researchers.

“Last year, more than 60 people took exams remotely; this year we plan to conduct entrance tests on a larger scale. This allows us to expand the geography of accepting graduate students. In addition, such a system is convenient for foreigners: there is no need to issue an invitation to the Russian Federation and spend extra money on a trip to St. Petersburg to take exams. Of course, the system is also relevant for young scientists from distant regions of Russia, for whom it is inconvenient and expensive to come to the Northern capital just to take exams,” commented Maria Skvortsova, head of the department of international graduate and doctoral studies.

The training of enrolled graduate students will also take place without unnecessary paperwork. All document flow - from submitting applications for grants to drawing up individual work plans for graduate students and their approval - is also carried out electronically.

“It is much more convenient for a graduate student to put one tick in the system than, relatively speaking, to put a hundred signatures on a dozen documents. We worked hard to ensure that graduate students felt like they were at an information technology university and felt that we were keeping up with the times,” noted the head of the department of international graduate and doctoral studies.

Programs for international graduate students

This year, ITMO University is launching two postgraduate training programs in English. There are very few such programs throughout Russia. According to Maria Skvortsova, they are expected to be in great demand, especially from young scientists from other countries who do not speak Russian.

The emergence of English-language programs does not exclude the presence of courses that are taught to Russian-speaking graduate students in a foreign language. Much attention is paid to the development of writing and speaking skills in English: for three semesters, young scientists study with native speakers.

International double degree educational programs

ITMO University graduate students also have access to 16 joint educational programs with partner universities from Europe, Australia, and the USA. Training in such programs is carried out under the guidance of two scientific supervisors - from native and foreign universities. A postgraduate student who successfully defends his dissertation is awarded the degree of Candidate of Sciences in Russia and the title of PhD abroad.

Thus, at the end of last year, the first defense of a dissertation for the academic degree of Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences took place with the simultaneous awarding of a PhD academic degree under a joint program of ITMO University and ENS Cachan (France). The defense took place in Russian with simultaneous translation into English for two expert councils. At the same time, the French commission was present remotely, observing what was happening via online video broadcast.

“We also want to completely switch to a modular training system. Our university already has such a teaching practice - series of lectures are given by leading scientists from scientific and research-educational centers from all over the world. Upon completion of the next module, graduate students are tested on the material studied and receive certificates reflecting their results. These certificates can be counted as an exam or test provided for by the individual curricula of the graduate student,” explained Maria Skvortsova.

Support for young scientists and employment opportunities

This year, the most talented graduate students can receive an increased scholarship already from the first semester of study at ITMO University. To do this, they need to prove significant results of their scientific activities during admission to the university.

“The University actively uses various methods to stimulate young scientists who conduct their research on its basis. The university has increased scholarships for publication activity, receipt of grants, and any outstanding academic achievements. Not all higher education institutions provide such financial support. In addition, many structural divisions of the university, when recruiting graduate students, open vacancies that can be filled by “first-year students” who are most prepared for scientific and research activities. This is a step forward, a step towards the transition to a grant system and a system of co-financing of education, which are common in Europe,” commented Maria Skvortsova.

About 80% of ITMO University graduate students remain working at the university after completing their studies. After all, by this time they usually have several years of work at the university behind them. It is convenient to do science while studying, since the lecture schedule is designed so that a graduate student can combine work and study.

On February 25, the Department of International Graduate and Doctoral Studies held an Open Day, which was also broadcast online. In the future, two more open events will be held for those interested in applying to graduate school at ITMO University.

Natalya Blinnikova,

Editorial staff of the ITMO University news portal

Meeting with graduate students November 2012 Dean of the Faculty of PPO G.V. Lukyanova Agenda: 1. Educational process 2. Certification and transfer to the next year 3. Regulations on increased scholarships 1. Educational process 1.1. Foreign language Postgraduate students from NRU ITMO and IHBT study according to different schedules!!! Lists of groups and schedules are posted on the website. Transfer to another group is possible ONLY with the approval of the manager. Department of Foreign Language. Admission to the foreign language exam is the passing of the “thousand” (translation of 300,000 characters of technical text) and an abstract. The deadline is April 15! 1.2. History and philosophy of science The subject is divided into two cycles: history of science and philosophy of science. On the history of science it is necessary to write and DEFEND an abstract. Philosophy of science consists of two parts: - general problems of philosophy of science (lectures); - philosophical problems of certain spheres of science and knowledge (seminars). For postgraduate students at NRU ITMO: The cycle of the history of science begins in November and ends in February - March (each teacher has his own schedule) with the defense of an abstract. The cycle of the history of philosophy begins on the 20th of January and ends in May with an exam. Postgraduate students who have passed the essay for the first cycle are allowed to take the exam. An essay with a grade for the exam is required! In the cycle “History and Philosophy of Physics” postgraduate students are trained: 01st branch (all specialties starting with the numbers 01), 02nd branch, specialty 05.27.03 Teacher - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Prof. Stafeev Sergey Konstantinovich. Postgraduate students study in the cycle “History and Philosophy of Technology”. specialties: 05.02.18 05.09.12 05.11.01 05.11.03 05.11.07 05.11.14 Teacher – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Prof. Medunetsky Viktor Mikhailovich Postgraduate students study in the cycle “History and Philosophy of Informatics”. specialties: 05.13.01 05.13.05 05.13.06 05.13.11 05.13.12 05.13.18 05.13.19 08.00.13 Teacher – Ph.D., Associate Professor. Muromtsev Dmitry Ilyich Postgraduate students study in the cycle “History of Social Sciences and Humanities”. specialties: 08.00.05 09.00.07 23.00.02 25.00.35 25.00.36 Teacher – Doctor of Economics, Prof. Ivlev Alexander Fedorovich The following postgraduate students study in the cycle “History of Legal Sciences”. specialties: 12.00.01 12.00.02 12.00.03 12.00.14 Teacher – Doctor of Law, Prof. Geldibaev Movlad Khasievich For graduate students of Institute of Science and Technology: The full course “History and Philosophy of Science” for graduate students of Institute of Science and Technology is held on Wednesdays from 16:40 in room. 2505 at st. Lomonosov, 9. Lecturer Doctor of Philosophy, Prof. Polotayko Sergey Vasilievich. 1.3. Examination sessions In accordance with the Regulations on the organization of examinations and admission to graduate school, postgraduate study sessions are set in April - May and October - November. Candidate's exams in foreign language and history and philosophy of science are taken in May 2013. Graduate students who missed the exams for a good reason (illness, business trip) take the exam in October 2013. in agreement with the graduate department. The candidate exam in the specialty is taken in the 2nd – 3rd year of study (when the dissertation is 70% ready), but no later than half a year before the end of the study period. To take the candidate exam, a graduate student brings an application, a memo and an additional program to the graduate school department 2 weeks before the exam (samples are posted on the website). 2. Certification and transfer to the next year “Regulations on the certification of graduate students, doctoral students, applicants” Graduate students undergo certification once a year, a month before the end of the current year of study. Postgraduate students of the 2nd year of study who do not have a publication in a journal recommended by the Higher Attestation Commission are expelled from graduate school by decision of the University Scientific and Technical Council. Materials submitted during certification: a list of published scientific articles (at least two) and abstracts of speeches at conferences or seminars certified by the head of the department; copies of grant application cover pages; an extract from the minutes of the department meeting with a recommendation for transfer to the next year of study; a signed report with the manager’s feedback. 3. Increased scholarship Who is awarded an increased scholarship: postgraduate students of the second year of study who have completed a fully individual plan for the first year, passed certification on time and passed the corresponding candidate exams with “good” or “excellent” - 1,500 rubles; postgraduate students of the second year of study who have completed the individual plan of the first year, passed certification on time and passed the corresponding candidate exams with “excellent” ratings - 3,000 rubles; third-year graduate students who have completed a fully individual plan for the second year, passed certification on time and passed the candidate exam in their specialty with “excellent” ratings - 3,000 rubles. Appointment to an increased scholarship is made on the basis of a personal application from a graduate student addressed to the Vice-Rector for Development, certified by the supervisor. The application must be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of the current year of study. NRU ITMO scholarship for a period of 1 month, payment of a NRU ITMO scholarship in the amount of 15,000 rubles. postgraduate students of the third year of study who have completed a fully individual plan for the second year and have passed the departmental pre-defense no later than 5 months before the end of their postgraduate studies. payment of a scholarship to NRU ITMO in the amount of 10,000 rubles. third-year postgraduate students who defended their defense early no later than 1 month before the end of their postgraduate studies. The NRU ITMO Scholarship is assigned on the basis of a personal application from a graduate student addressed to the Vice-Rector for Development, certified by the supervisor and subject to the provision of an extract from the minutes of the department meeting on the consideration of the dissertation and/or a certificate from the dissertation council on defense to the graduate department. The application for the NRU ITMO Scholarship must be submitted no later than 5 days after the pre-defense/defense. Sample applications are posted on the website. Employees Dean of FPPO – Galina Vladimirovna Lukyanova Head of the Department of Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies – Olga Aleksandrovna Fedorova Documentation specialists: – Bazganova Tatyana Aleksandrovna – Mikhedko Natalya Vladimirovna – Fedotova Victoria Nikolaevna Contacts tel.: 232 – 04 – 64 e-mail: [email protected] website: http://aspirantura.ifmo.ru Reception hours at graduate school Tuesday and Friday from 11.00 to 13.00 from 15.00 to 17.00 DAILY lunch from 13.00 to 14.00 Thank you for your attention!