Bachelor’s programs for international students

Do you love science, innovation and entrepreneurship? Did you build your first robot at the age of twelve? Are you dreaming of having your own startup? We train those who will fulfill the professions of the future. That’s why our programs blend fundamental scientific knowledge with the latest R&D and new convergent fields. With hands-on experience, practice-oriented training and mentorship by leading international experts in your field, you will be well-equipped to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

We offer 23 Bachelor’s majors taught at 6 academic Schools.

As of now, all ITMO University Bachelor’s programs are taught in Russian (with a range of English-taught courses included in the curriculum), so knowing Russian is one of our admission requirements. If you're interested in improving your Russian language skills, ITMO University offers a special Foundation Program. This intensive Russian course aims to equip you with all the skills needed for studying at a Russian university, also providing you with additional training in the study subjects (options include maths, physics, IT, chemistry, and social studies) ITMO holds admission tests in.

Check out our top areas of expertise, including: IT & Programming, Computer Technologies, Photonics, Food Processing, and Innovations. Prepare for lift-off, and launch into the future!

Bachelor’s Degree Programs Application Guide

Choose Your Program

ITMO University offers 25 innovative Bachelor’s majors in a wide range of contemporary scientific research fields. You can find the full list of programs here.

Check the Application Deadlines

Admission to tuition-free places at ITMO University starts on April 1, 2024 and concludes on:

  • July 10 (6 pm MSK) – for prospective students applying on the basis of ITMO's own entrance examinations
  • July 22 (6 pm MSK) – for prospective students applying on the basis of Unified State Exams or Centralized Testing (for citizens of the Republic of Belarus)

Admission to fee-based positions starts on April 1 and concludes on August 20, 2024.

Brush Up on Your Russian Language Skills

As all ITMO University’s Bachelor’s programs are currently taught in Russian, you will need to take an entrance exam in Russian.

ITMO University offers a special Foundation Program, an intensive Russian course aimed at equipping international students with all the skills needed for passing the entrance examinations.

Submit your application

In 2024, your application and supporting documents can be submitted to ITMO University’s Admission Office in person, by post or courier service, or online via ITMO University Admission Campaign website.

Before submitting your documents, you need to register on the ITMO Admissions website and fill in all the information.

The list of application documents includes:

  • Personal profile and application form (which you need to fill out in your account on the ITMO Admissions website)
  • A scan or copy of your passport or non-citizen travel documents
  • A scan or copy of a notarized Russian translation of your passport (the pages with your photo, name and surname), if it is not completely in Russian
  • A scan or copy of your official educational documents with an academic transcript indicating the subjects you studied and the grades (points) you received, as well as a notarized Russian translation of these documents, if it is not completely in Russian
  • Your photo (type: for official documents): no smaller than 250х300px, 300dpi, acceptable formats: .jpg, .jpeg or .png (which you need to upload to your account on the ITMO Admissions website)
  • Medical documents

Please note! When submitting documents online, all documents should be scanned to obtain a color or black-and-white image with a resolution of 300 dots per inch (300 dpi). Scans should be saved in *.pdf format. 

If you receive an offer of enrolment, you will need to provide a scan or copy of a signed Statement of Consent for Enrolment and your original official educational documents. If you will be enrolling in a fee-based position, you can provide a notarized copy of your educational documents.

How to fill in the application:

Personal profile and application form – you will need to fill in all the data in Russian according to your passport (if applicable – according to its translation), if any word has an “ё” in it in your passport, make sure to keep the diaeresis (two dots on the letter). A patronymic should be added only if it is indicated in your passport. The “Place of Birth” and “Issued by” fields must also be filled in strict accordance with the passport information (if applicable – according to its translation). 

Permanent registration address – the address you reside at in your home country (country, city/town/village, street, building number (apartment number if applicable)).

Please note that inputting the data in your ITMO Admissions account is just a preliminary stage of the application process. You can submit the indicated documents in person, by post or courier service, or online by uploading their scans or copies to your ITMO Admissions account in the Печать и подача документов (Print and Submit the Documents) section, and then click on Отправить документы (Send Documents). 

The application process is only deemed complete when the number of your personal file appears on the application page in your ITMO Admissions account.

Taking the entrance examinations

Foreign citizens can enroll into tuition-free and fee-based places at ITMO University based on their results of the Unified State Exam or ITMO University’s own entrance examinations. Citizens of the Republic of Belarus can apply to the programs based on the results of the Centralized Testing in subjects that correspond to that of entrance examinations. The list of the subjects for the examinations, the programs and the examples of previous years’ examination tasks are available on the ITMO admissions website.

You can test your knowledge and prepare for the entrance examinations with the help of the special ITMO TEST-DRIVE training project. Prospective students get access to practice tasks in maths, physics, computer science, chemistry and social studies. 

Apply for a Student Visa

To enter the Russian Federation all international visitors are required to have the official visa stamp in their passports. Citizens of some countries do not require visa to enter the Russian Federation, but in most cases the duration of their stay in Russia is limited. Please contact the Russian consulate in your home country to check the visa requirements.

You can get a Russian student visa at a Russian consulate in your home country. ITMO University provides all successful applicants with the official Invitation Letter needed for applying for student visa. The electronic invitation will be sent to the e-mail you indicated in the application form. You will be required to print it and submit it to the Russian Consulate.

This Invitation Letter entitles you to an entry visa, which is issued by a Russian embassy or consulate in your home country. The visa is valid up to 90 days, but the period will be extended to cover the whole period of your Bachelor’s program after you’ve signed a study contract with ITMO University.

Please note that all international visitors to Russia are required to get a migration registration upon their arrival in Russia. ITMO student support services will guide you through this process.

Pay the Tuition Fees

Students are responsible for paying their tuition fees, airplane tickets, housing and living expenses, as well as health insurance. Tuition fees are calculated based on the cost of the chosen program and housing option, as well as the availability of grants and scholarships.

Please visit your chosen program’s webpage or contact international@itmo.ru. for more information on the available grants and scholarships.

Click here to learn about other opportunities for applicants.

Get a Migration Registration

Please note that all international visitors to Russia are required to file for a migration registration upon their arrival in Russia.

Migration card is a document certifying international citizens’ stay in Russia. You can ask for a migration card form when boarding your flight to Russia or get it at a special information desk near the passport control.

Within three working days, including the day of your arrival, you must visit ITMO University Migration Services Office (9 Lomonosova St., room 2139d) to get your migration registration.

Please bring the following documents with you:

  • Your passport
  • Your migration card (not required for citizens of the Republic of Belarus)
  • Your registration at the hotel (if you lived therу before moving to a dormitory).

All international prospective students also need to have valid health insurance! You can obtain a health insurance policy at any insurance company in St. Petersburg. When obtaining an insurance policy, pay attention to its type (it should be for international students) and coverage territory (it should be St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast). To get a consultation on obtaining a health insurance policy, contact ITMO University’s International Students Learning and Support Center (int.students@itmo.ru, +7 (981) 158-97-78, Lomonosova St. 9, room 2139b).

Get Ready for Student Life

Welcome to ITMO University!

You know the drill: all work and no play is never a good option. We at ITMO University want to make your student experience as enjoyable and memorable as it can be. Find out about the fun ITMO students are having by following this link. There are also lots of things happening sportswise. And here’s what other international students say about their time at ITMO.

Worried about the housing? Don’t be! ITMO University offers a wide range of housing options, all conveniently located either within the limits of the university’s student town or in close proximity to St. Petersburg metro stations. Please follow this link to find out more. And here is some information about living in St. Petersburg, including some useful relocation tips and tricks to make your move go as smoothly as possibly. 

Moving to another country for studies can seem daunting, but rest assured that ITMO’s international students are assisted each step of the way, from arriving to St. Petersburg to navigating studies and fun, through a variety of student support programs operating at the university – these include Study Abroad at Home and Buddy System.

Upon your arrival in Russia, you’ll get a Russian buddy who will help you feel right at home: from housing at one of the dorms to buying metro passes to finding new friends, you’ll get settled in and on your way to your great adventure. And in the meantime, check out ITMO University’s English news portal to get a feel of lots of exciting things happening in ITMO!

Bachelor’s Programs

I registered on ITMO Admissions and chose the dates of my entrance examinations. What now?

Registering an account on ITMO Admissions is just the first step. Before you take your entrance examinations, you must submit your application documents in electronic form in the “Print and Submit the Documents” section. This must be done in advance so that your personal file is registered before your first entrance examination or application deadline.

Do I have to obtain a certified translation of my paperwork in Russia or can I do that in my home country?

Certified translations can be obtained in Russia or in any foreign country.

Can I submit my application documents online?

Yes. In 2023, you can submit your application documents online. This can be done in your account on the ITMO Admissions website: here, applicants can submit scanned copies of their ID, official education documents, certificates confirming their accomplishments and other documents as indicated in the Application Guide. 

The application process is only deemed complete when the number of your personal file appears on the application page in your ITMO Admissions account.

Do I need to obtain a notarized copy of my official educational document if it is available in two languages, one being Russian?

If the information in your official education document is fully duplicated in Russian, you do not need to obtain a notarized translation or a copy. A regular scanned copy will be sufficient.

If I, as a foreign national, have taken the Unified State Exam (USE) but am not satisfied with my results, can I still take the entrance exam at ITMO?

Yes, while submitting their documents, international prospective students can indicate that they want to take online entrance examinations in one or several subjects even if they have already taken the corresponding USE. Please note, however, that after you sign up for ITMO’s own entrance examinations, your USE results for the corresponding subject will no longer be valid at our university. Therefore, we advise you to approach this decision carefully. 

The entrance exams are split into groups. Can I take an exam several times?

No. The entrance examinations are split in groups to accommodate the applicants’ different circumstances. Applicants get to choose the date of each exam, but each exam can only be taken once.

Are there any specific requirements for foreign nationals taking the entrance exams?

There are no specific requirements for foreign nationals taking the entrance examinations. It is only mandatory that you have your passport based on which you submitted your documents. You also have to have a pen, pencil and paper. The tasks involve no need for a calculator, so you cannot use one.

How long do the exams take?

With the exception of Computer Science, all the exams last 1.5 hours. The Computer Science exam lasts 2 hours.

Is there a way to take the exam in my own country?

We do not carry out exams or tests abroad. However, there are various international entrance competitions held fully online. You can read more about them here.

How can I take the entrance examinations remotely?

After the Admission Office received an applicant’s documents as indicated in the Application Guide, their personal file is activated. Among other things, this means that they are admitted for participation in the online entrance examinations. Several days before the exam, a mailout will be sent containing the instructions regarding the online entrance examinations’ procedure and other important information.

Do foreign citizens have the right to apply for tuition-free positions?

Citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as compatriots residing in the CIS countries can apply to tuition-free positions along with Russian citizens. Citizens of other countries can only apply for fee-based or government quota positions.

How can I confirm my status of a compatriot?

When submitting your paperwork, fill in a request form and provide documents proving that your ancestral relatives were citizens of the USSR (Your birth certificate with a translation, passport with a translation and a birth certificate of one of the USSR-born relatives). If the relative has had a change of surname, you must also provide a document to prove that (a translated copy of a marriage certificate).

How many points should I score to be admitted?

The higher is your entrance examinations score and the more achievements you have, the better are your chances to be admitted. The minimum required for the prospective Bachelor’s students applying on the basis of the Unified State Exam can be found here. ITMO University offers a wide range of opportunities for applicants if you want to boost your score or enroll at ITMO with no exams or tuition fees.

How many programs can I apply to?

In your application, you can apply for 3 tuition-free positions and 1 fee-based position.

Can I stay at the dorms during my entrance exams?

The entrance examinations are held online, so temporary accommodation in ITMO University’s dormitories is not provided.

Are international students provided accommodation in the dorms?

All foreign citizens are provided accommodation in the dorms as required. You can read more about our dorms here.

Still got questions?

International Students Learning and Support Center

Lomonosova St. 9, office 2139b, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191002
int.students@itmo.ru

+7 (812) 480-09-12; +7 (812) 480-09-19