ITMO University’s Department of Academic Affairs has already shared some tips on choosing your learning track, but we decided to elaborate on that a bit more. Don’t worry – even if you have already made your choice, you still have a chance to change it until September 15. 

Why do I need to make the choice myself?

Studying at ITMO University is not only about acquiring hard skills, but also about improving your soft skills and basic professional competencies. Educational programs at ITMO University are developed in accordance with the university’s own set of standards, which allows students to create personalized learning tracks suited to their personal and professional needs. 

What do I get to choose?

First-year Master’s students are the ones who get to make the most decisions. They get to choose:

  • Core modules – the first thing you study at ITMO University. This is the foundation of your professional knowledge and hard skills. Core modules include Digital Culture (you get to choose the level of this subject – Basic or Advanced), Soft Skills courses (you get to choose one of three courses in English: Emotional Intelligence, International Research Management Essentials, or Negotiation, Influence and Conflict Management), and also one of the following modules – Entrepreneurial Culture (High Tech Business Creation), Creative Technologies, or Thinking (Conceptual Analysis of Trends in Science Today). 

  • Russian language – first-year international Master’s students have already been assigned to Russian language groups. You should have received an email from the university regarding how to choose the right subject in ISU. Classes are held on Wednesdays. 

  • The major. Master’s students get to choose one of the majors that are available within their educational program. They will begin to study according to the chosen major starting with the second semester. 

More information about these courses is available on the Student Services Office website. For more information on soft skills courses, follow this link and scroll down to find descriptions of the courses that are taught in English. The Creative Technologies course is described here, Conceptual Analysis of Main Trends in Science Today course – here, and the Digital Culture course – here.

Second-year Master’s students get to choose optional disciplines. These aren’t compulsory, so it’s entirely up to you whether you want to study them or not. However, once you’ve chosen an optional course, you must complete it. It may be included in your diploma supplement.

These courses are meant to provide our students with the skills and knowledge they might need to broaden their outlook and advance their professional career. There is a wide variety of optional disciplines available: you can find the full list on ISU (see below). Optional disciplines are a great opportunity to develop additional competencies.

How do I make my choice or change it?

You can make your choice by going to ISU – Личный кабинет (My page) -> Образование и наука (Education and Research) -> Учебный план (Curriculum) -> Выбор дисциплин (Discipline selection).

When’s the deadline?

This year, you can make your choices for the core subjects from September 2 to September 15, 2020. For information on optional disciplines, follow the news on ISU. As for your major – you’ll be able to choose it in November. More information will become available later.