Engineering

1. Science Needs You (in Russian)

Deadline: June 2, 2023.

Programs: Advanced Data Transfer Systems and Megascience Laser and Synchrotron Technologies 

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s students or graduates with academic and project achievements and a GPA of 4 and above.

How to apply: via your personal page  (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam) on the admissions website.

Application content:

• A letter of motivation (up to 2,500 characters with spaces) describing the applicant’s academic achievements and reasons to join the program;
• A GPA and certificates of achievements: contests, courses, language proficiency tests, etc. 

Selection process: students who pass the first stage of the selection process will be invited for an interview where they will be asked about their research interests, why they chose to pursue the particular program, and what they plan to do next. Students who get 100 points win the contest.

2. Portfolio contest I Am a Master’s Student (in Russian)

Deadline: June 7, 2023.

Programs: the opportunity is valid for six programs offered by ITMO’s Higher School of Engineering and Technology, including Digital Systems Engineering, Applied Optics, Light Guide Photonics and Programmable Electronics, and Optical Infocommunication Technologies.

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s students or graduates with excellent academic and professional achievements in engineering sciences. 

How to apply: via your personal page (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam) on the admissions website.

Application contest:

• A letter of motivation (500-800 words) specifying why the student wants to study the field, what their thesis will be about, and what they plan to do afterwards;
• A detailed CV; 
• A recommendation letter from representatives of the academic community (professors) or high-profile specialists from the field of choice (obligatory, no more than 2 letters)

3. Portfolio Contest Turn the Light On! (in Russian)

Deadline: June 30, 2023.

Programs: Digital Systems Engineering, Light Guide Photonics and Programmable Electronics, Optical Infocommunication Technologies, and Applied Optics. 

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s students or graduates with implemented engineering projects or solutions, or applied scientific studies (including as part of their graduation papers).

How to apply: via your personal page (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam)  on the admissions website.

Application content: applicants need to submit a detailed CV, as well as an abstract (4-6 pages) and presentation of their project.

Selection process: the assessment criteria include the novelty and potential of commercialization possibilities, technological competence, the quality of the research and analytical review, as well as the quality of presentation. Applicants can earn up to 10 points for their CV and as many as 10 points for each criteria listed. Those who score the most win the competition.

4. Contest of Best Projects by the Gazprom Neft-ITMO Research and Education Center (in Russian)

Deadline: June 20, 2023.

Programs: Bioeconomics and Resource Management and Chemoinformatics and Bioengineering.

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s, Specialist’s, or Master’s students who have interned at the Gazprom Neft-ITMO Research and Education Center.

How to apply: via your personal page (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam) on the admissions website.

Application content:

• An internship certificate proving the applicant has completed an internship at the center;
• A letter of recommendation certified by the head of training. 

Selection process: the experts take into account the applicant’s reasons to join the program (up to 20 points) and the field of interest (up to 20 points), as well as the grade they received during their training at the center (up to 60 points). Students who get 100 points win the contest. 

Design

Product Design contest

Deadline: 

• June 12, 2023 – for the first stage;
• June 13 - August 14, 2023 – for the second stage. 

Applicants: final-year students or graduates with UX/UI projects or a Netology certificate in their portfolio.

How to apply: an application should be sent to ux@itmo.ru.

Selection process: 

• If you have a ready-made UX/UI project, you need to attach it in the *.pdf format (up to 30 slides) to your application. You will earn points for the design and layout of your presentation (max. 25 points), project skills (max. 25 points), analytical abilities (max. 25 points), and ability to formulate your thoughts and present your project (max. 25 points);
• If you have completed an associated Netology course, you will automatically receive the maximum score after attaching the certificate of completion to your application.

Digital Humanities

Digital Humanities contest (in Russian)

Deadline: June 8, 2023.

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s students with implemented projects or conducted studies or online surveys, or project ideas. 

How to apply: via your personal page (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam) on the admissions website.

Application content:

• A detailed CV and a letter of motivation;
• A description of implemented or planned projects and studies.

More opportunities for international students

1. Portfolio Contest (in Russian and English)

Deadline:

• June 1, 2023 – for the first stage;
• June 20 - July 14, 2023 – for the second stage. 

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s students or graduates with academic, research, and professional achievements;

How to apply: via your personal page (Personal page ⇒ Chosen programs ⇒ (Name of program) ⇒ Type of exam) on the admissions website.

Application content:

• A letter of motivation;
• A CV;
• A list of academic and non-academic achievements.

Selection process: you can receive a maximum of 25 points for your motivation letter, a maximum of 25 points for your academic achievements, and a maximum of 50 points for your CV. If your portfolio scores more than 89 points, you’ll be considered a winner of the competition and be admitted into one of ITMO’s international Master’s programs without exams. 

2. Art & Science Entrance Competition (in English) 

Deadline: June 20, 2023.

Applicants: final-year Bachelor’s, Specialist’s, or Master’s students with an existing art project or a project idea. 

Application content:

• A letter of motivation (350-700 words), in which you answer why you want to study art & science and explains how your prior experience could be applied during your studies; 
• A video presentation (1-3 minutes) of your project in English; 
• A letter of recommendation from representatives of the academic community (professors) or high-profile specialists from the field of choice (obligatory, no more than 2 letters)
• A digital portfolio in the *.pdf format (photos, video and audio projects, installations, interactive projects, blogs, street art, and sketches) or information about scientific publications or research activities. 

Selection process: the applicants’ projects will be evaluated in accordance to the chosen track. If you opt to submit an artwork, you will need to explain in detail its concept and tools used; in case of research, you will be required to state your hypothesis, as well as materials and methods to be applied during research, as well as key literature; whereas the description of a curatorship project should contain a clearly defined concept of the project, its social and historical context, and artworks involved. If you score 80 points or more, you will be invited for an interview where you need to answer at least one out of five theoretical questions. 

You can find more enrollment opportunities for international students here.