Graduates of the new program will be able to work as mid-level or full-stack developers, as well as team leaders, designing and implementing complex software systems. Starting from the first semester, the program will immerse students in software development – with tons of practical development opportunities. The best in the course will receive special stipends and the chance to land a job at Yandex.

Aimed at beginner-level developers and graduates in relevant fields, the program High-Load Systems Software will focus on study projects and real-world IT products, all under the guidance of practicing experts from Yandex. Experienced students can opt for the fast track, which would allow them to complete the program in just one year. 

The program’s modules concern subjects like algorithms and data structures, computer networks, databases – and modern industrial programming in Python, Java, C++, and Golang, the languages found to be most in-demand by a 2022 study that analyzed 12 million job ads.

“We’ve created a platform for those who want to start engaging with big and complex projects right from the get-go. Each module is based on practical tasks frequently encountered by developers at major companies. This kind of training can truly kick-start a career: this experience will allow our graduates to advance to senior developers and team leaders at major IT companies,” says Alexander Krainov, the head of the program and director for development of artificial intelligence technologies at Yandex. 

Alexander Krainov delivering a talk at ITMO. Photo by  Dmitry Grigoryev / ITMO.NEWS

Alexander Krainov delivering a talk at ITMO. Photo by  Dmitry Grigoryev / ITMO.NEWS

“Having completed the program, our students will master the current technologies related to high-load systems, allowing them to land jobs at leading Russian IT companies. The curriculum includes courses delivered by industry representatives, as well as a great amount of practical training with supervision from Yandex’s own experts. This way, students will be able to quickly join any ongoing projects at their future employers right after graduation. We believe that there is potential in combining ITMO’s academic background with the expertise accumulated by Yandex. Through this collaboration, we’ve developed a program that will meet the expectations of students and their future employers,” adds Anton Kuznetsov, the director of ITMO’s Institute of Applied Computer Science.

Applicants to the new program will need to pass a test and an interview. Registration for both will open in April on this page, with the studies starting in September. The program will welcome 50 students, 30 of them tuition-free.

ITMO University's Press Office