Contents
- Key dates
- Application procedure
- Priorities
- Points and admission lists
- Entrance exams
- Personal achievements
- Enrollment at ITMO without exams
- Tuition-based admissions
- Useful resources
Getting a PhD at ITMO means choosing one of 50 specializations within 16 fields, including IT, AI, information security, physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, engineering sciences, and robotics.
The university has 16 Academic Degree Councils in 35 specializations and a fully digital thesis defence system – the only one of its kind in Russia. Students apply for defence digitally, while the Academic Degree Council and opponents can join the defence online and the PhD graduate diploma contains a QR code leading to all the thesis-related materials.
ITMO PhD students regularly excel in competitions for Government and Presidential scholarships.
Nearly every specialization includes a choice of two tracks: industrial or scientific. The industrial track is a good fit for those who plan to combine theoretical studies with practical work and grow as a tech leader, while the scientific track will suit those planning to build a career in academia.
PhD students publish papers in high-ranking journals, take part in grant competitions, intern at Russian and international laboratories, and work on real-world projects supplied by industrial partners and governmental bodies. Among them are Yandex, Tatneft, Gazprom Neft, Elektropribor, and others.
Key dates
June 20 - August 5 – submission of applications.
July 17 - August 25 – entrance exam dates.
August 28, 6 pm (GMT+3) – enrollment confirmation deadline for those applying to tuition-free positions.
August 31, 6 pm (GMT+3) – by this date, tuition-based applicants have to have signed a contract with the university and paid for their first semester of studies.
August 29 and 31 – the publication dates of enrollment lists for tuition-free and fee-based positions, respectively.
Application procedure
The admission regulations no longer include the option of submitting documents online. In 2026, there are only three ways to submit your application:
- In person at ITMO’s Admission Office;
- By mail;
- Via Gosuslugi (the only digital format).
When applying to a PhD program, you need to provide: a copy of your educational certificate (Master’s or Specialist’s), a copy of your passport (with a notarized translation into Russian), as well as any documents confirming your personal achievements (articles, patents, etc.).
Important: more information about enrollment confirmation and application procedure for international citizens will be available later on ITMO International. For any questions, reach out to the International Admissions Office at international@itmo.ru.
Important: you won’t need to provide the original copies of your documents upon enrollment; instead, you need only to confirm your enrollment within the correct timeframe.
Photo by ITMO University
Priorities
When filling out their applications, next to each chosen specialization, applicants need to indicate their priority levels, where 1 is the top priority specialization and 3 – the lowest priority specialization.
If you pass the selection for all the chosen specializations, you will be enrolled in the one that has the highest priority on your list.
Important: priorities are set within a university – so you have to choose them anew in each one.
Points and admission lists
An applicant’s score is a sum of their points for the entrance exams in their specialization and the English language, as well as the points they received for individual achievements. The bigger the sum, the higher the applicant’s position on the list.
Each applicant can score a total of 100 points: 80 points for entrance exams (50 for their specialization and 30 – for English) and 20 for personal achievements.
If two applicants have the same amount of points, they are ranged progressively by the following criteria:
- the total of their points;
- the sum of their exam scores;
- the points they received for a specific entrance exam based on the priority of the exams;
- the points they received for personal achievements;
- the personal achievements considered in case of equal amount of points in other ranking criteria.
Photo by ITMO University
Entrance exams
Applicants to PhD programs need to pass two exams: one in their specialization and one in the English language. In 2026, these exams will be held at ITMO online between July 17 and August 25 – you can choose the preferred date when submitting your application. The exam schedule, as well as all the relevant materials for exam preparation will be published on ITMO’s admissions website.
Important: this year, the exam grading system has changed. The total amount of points is 50 for the specialization exam and 30 for the English language. Earlier, the specialization exam was graded on a 5-point scale and the English exam – on a 3-point one.
Personal achievements
PhD students can get personal achievements points for:
- a letter of recommendation from an ITMO supervisor (up to 10 points):
- publications in peer-reviewed journals (2-4 points for each publication depending on the type);
- patents for inventions (2 points and up),
- grants for research (personal grants – 3 points, team grants – 1 point);
- other personal achievements specified in the admission guidelines.
The total number of personal achievements points can’t exceed 20.
You can start gaining personal achievement points in advance with a federal program that supports young scientists. According to its conditions, students can intern in a PhD program while still completing their Master’s studies.
For this, before April 1, they will need to sign a work contract with ITMO active until December 31, 2026. Under the contract, students will conduct research, engineering, and technological tasks.
The intern status is equal to the maximum 20 points for personal achievements. Take note that participation in some ITMO projects cannot be counted as an internship (for instance, projects completed on interuniversity student grants for R&D solutions and ITMO Collab).
Photo by ITMO University
Enrollment at ITMO without exams
ITMO is one of the few universities in Russia that offers a fast track – a Master’s and PhD program in one. This format is a great option for Bachelor’s graduates who at the moment of applying for a Master’s program know that they are planning to build a career in academia.
Students of the fast track have the opportunity to select their PhD supervisors while doing their Master’s and thus shorten the time to complete both degrees from 6 to 4 years. The exams included in the PhD program can also be taken during one’s Master’s studies and counted towards the points for PhD enrollment.
To be admitted to the fast track, students need to first enroll in a Master’s program within the general competition. After that, students can choose to study in the conventional format or join the fast track – and submit an application for the latter option. To their application, they will need to attach a CV listing their academic and career achievements, as well as a letter of motivation describing their research interests and potential supervisors.
Tuition-based admissions
For fee-based positions, the application procedure is the same: applicants submit their applications to ITMO in person, via mail, or on Gosuslugi; they can choose several educational programs, indicate the tuition-based form, and then join the competition. All who have passed will have to sign a contract with the university and pay for their first semester of studies.
The only difference is the deadline for signing the contract and paying the first tuition installment – August 31.
Useful resources
Up-to-date information on educational programs, open days, and important dates is published on ITMO’s admissions website, as well as on VK and Telegram. International applicants can get more updates on the university’s official English communities on VK and Telegram. Additionally, you can reach the ITMO Admission Office directly by phone: +7 (812) 480-03-70, email: aspirantura@itmo.ru, or in person: St. Petersburg, Kronverksky Pr. 49; Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm. Find more contact details for international applicants here.
