How to Apply

Preparatory educational programs  

The study language at the Faculty of Geography is Russian. If your knowledge of Russian is not high, you can take a preparatory course in Russian for admission to Moscow State University at the Institute of Russian Language and Culture of Moscow State University. This will allow you to increase your level of knowledge of the Russian language prior to your studies and help you better adapt to the Russian social environment.

Educational process of foreign citizens 

The education of foreign citizens at the Faculty of Geography is similar with the education of Russian students: classes are held in Russian in joint groups. Foreign students can live in the MSU dormitory on contractual terms together with Russian students. The studying of foreign citizens at our faculty is carried out on a fee-paying basis. Admission to budget places is possible on equal terms with citizens of the Russian Federation, provided that the applicant passes the general competition (on equal terms and as a compatriot: living or related to citizens of the countries of the former USSR). More information about admission on equal terms or as a compatriot is on the website of Moscow University

Educational programs of the Faculty of Geography

Foreign students can choose the program of study: bachelor's degree (4 years), master's degree (2 years, with previous education in the framework of a bachelor's or specialist's degree), postgraduate study and doctoral studies. The faculty also implements training in additional general educational programs.

Bachelor's degree programs: the integrated group of training areas «Earth Sciences» («Cartography and Geoinformatics», «Physical Geography», «Hydrometeorology», «Ecology and Environmental Management»), direction «Tourism».

Master's degree programs: the integrated group of training areas «Earth Sciences» («Cartography and Geoinformatics», «Physical Geography», «Hydrometeorology», «Ecology and Environmental Management»), direction «Tourism».

Up-to-date information on the structure and admission plan of the Faculty of Geography can be found in the relevant section of the website.

Branches of the Faculty of Geography of MSU

The Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University has several branches where it is possible to obtain a geographical education:

• Sevastopol branch of Moscow State University (Sevastopol)

• Kazakhstan branch of Moscow State University (Astana)

• Cooperative University of Moscow State University and Beijing Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)

Admission to Moscow State University

Is it possible to participate in the MSU Open Day online?

The Faculty of Geography holds online meetings every spring semester, posting information on the official website of the faculty. In addition, for applicants who are unable to attend the Open Days in person, there is a general website for the Virtual International Applicants Day at MSU.

Which categories of foreign citizens have the opportunity to enroll at MSU?

Before submitting documents, it is necessary to make sure that there are no restrictions on the country of citizenship of the foreign applicant according to the Conditions for Entry and Stay of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation. Information about the possibility of entry and further stay in Russia during the period of study should be clarified at the consular offices of the Russian Federation.

What is the basis for admission to the Faculty of Geography at MSU?

Training of foreign citizens at our faculty is carried out on a contract basis, as well as on a state-funded basis in accordance with interstate and interuniversity agreements.

• Applications for the contract basis are accepted through the MSU service "Веб-анкета" fr om June 20 to 25 and fr om July 12 to 15. Registration on the "Веб-анкета" portal to fill out the applicant's profile is available since the beginning of June. Applications for the contract basis can also be submitted through the "Online University Admission" superservice in the ruID app during the established dates for Russian citizens. After successfully passing the entrance exams, if the applicant passes the general competition, a contract for the provision of paid educational services is concluded with the student as an individual, and contracts with legal entities are concluded in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.
• Admission to the state-funded basis is possible on equal terms with citizens of the Russian Federation, provided that the applicant passes the general competition (on equal terms: the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic; as a compatriot: those who live or have relatives who are citizens of the USSR). For more information about admission on equal terms or as a compatriot, please visit the website of Moscow University. Documents and applications are accepted through the Unified State Register of Education (or "Gosuslugi") through the "Online Admission to a University" superservice or through the ruID app within the same timeframe as for Russian citizens. Please note that in order to be admitted on a contract basis on an equal footing with Russian citizens, it is also necessary to specify this admission condition - otherwise, the application will be submitted on a contract basis for foreign students (department with the study of Russian as a foreign language and a different cost).

How can I submit my documents and application?

• For foreign citizens with a verified account on the Gosuslugi portal and an SNILS (in particular, foreign citizens who have previously spent a long time residing or residing in Russia), application submission is carried out through the "Online University Admission" super service of the federal government information system "Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services (Functions)" (EPGU or Gosuslugi). Learn more about the procedure. To successfully complete the application process, you need to log in to the webanketa.msu.ru website using your phone number and SMS password, go to the “Support” section, create an application to the Faculty of Geography, and attach the necessary files.
• For foreign citizens who don't have a verified account on the Gosuslugi portal (in particular, those who are outside the Russian Federation and have not previously visited the Russian Federation), documents for budgetary and contractual basis can be submitted remotely through registration and submission of documents via the ruID app. Learn more about the procedure.
• In addition, for foreign citizens, the admission of documents for a contract basis is carried out remotely on the online platform of Moscow State University – "Веб-анкета" – within the declared period of the admission campaign (limited time for submitting applications). You will be able to register on the platform and submit documents.

What documents are required for admission?

• Identity card (passport) and a notarized translation of the document into Russian.
• A document on secondary general education (school certificate), on secondary vocational education (if any), on higher education/qualification (if any) and notarized translations into Russian of educational documents and grades in the subjects studied.
• If you submit original documents before they are issued by the educational institution wh ere you are completing your studies, you must provide a certificate of completion (with information on the date of issue and your academic performance).
• In case of admission as a compatriot, it is necessary to additionally provide the relevant documents (to confirm this status), if necessary, as well as notarized translations of documents into Russian.
• If you are already in the Russian Federation, you must also provide details of a valid visa and other migration documents.
• If you have a previous foreign education and/or qualification (FEQ) obtained outside of Russia, you must undergo the procedure for recognizing your FEQ documents in accordance with the current law "On Education in the Russian Federation". MSU provides this service to applicants free of charge on the MSU online platform AIS "Recognition".

Wh ere can I find information about the entrance exams?

The entrance exams are held in a remote format in several "streams" as groups of applicants are formed, starting in mid-June, in accordance with the decision of the Central Admissions Committee of Moscow State University (CAC). The exact dates and times of the entrance exams will be announced later.
You can find information about the admissions committee of the Faculty of Geography and the results of the entrance exams conducted by our faculty (undergraduate: geography; master's: geography, theory and practice of tourism) in the relevant sections of the website. The results of the entrance exams in history and Russian are published on the official websites of the Faculty of History and the Faculty of Philology at Moscow State University.

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Admission to the Faculty of Geography

After successfully passing the entrance examinations, you must contact the Department of International Relations of the Faculty of Geography for further instructions on enrollment at Moscow State University or the Admissions Office of the Geography Department of Moscow State University for budget-based studies.

What to do if the entrance examinations have already been passed?

• It is necessary to check the results of the entrance examinations, whether the minimum score threshold has been passed.
• It is also necessary to check the possibility of admission to the faculty with the existing total number of points for the entrance examinations according to the available number of places in the training area.
• After making a final personal decision in the "Web-anketa" service, indicate the faculty you have chosen as the highest priority and "Submit documents". Next, you must contact the the Department of International Relations with an application for consent to enrollment in the Geography Faculty. Please note that consent to enrollment can only be submitted to 1 faculty of Moscow State University.
• After making the final personal decision, contact the Department of International Relations with an application for consent to enrollment in the geography department.
• Then, with a contract form of study, it is necessary to conclude an agreement on the provision of paid educational procedures between you and Lomonosov Moscow State University. After its approval, pay for tuition.
• Wait for information about enrollment on the official resources of the Central Admissions Office and the geography department of Moscow State University.

Arrival in Russia and accommodation in Moscow

After successfully passing the entrance exams and being admitted to Moscow State University, you officially become a student of the Faculty of Geography. But upon arrival in the Russian Federation, you are also a foreign citizen studying in another country and are required to comply with all migration laws and requirements. Before entering Russia, you need to know the main general points:

• Citizens of countries with which the Russian Federation has established a visa regime must obtain an official invitation from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow to enter the country. To do this, you must contact the Department of International Relations.
• Upon entry into Russia, citizens of countries with a visa or visa-free regime are issued a migration card by border service officers. You must indicate "study" as the purpose of entry, and "Lomonosov Moscow State University" as the inviting party. You also put your "signature" (in accordance with your passport) on the migration card, which has legal force.
• A mandatory step upon arrival in Russia is registration with the migration authorities at your actual place of residence by the host party (obtaining "registration") within the timeframes established by law.
• After arriving in Russia, it will be necessary to undergo mandatory medical procedures within the timeframes established by law, and promptly submit documents for registration of applications to the territorial Migration Departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the extension of "registration" and/or a student visa.
• In addition to migration procedures, it is necessary to provide the faculty with original educational documents and their notarized translations, a notarized translation of the passport. These personal documents will be stored in the student's personal file until completion of education at Moscow State University.
• It is mandatory to obtain medical insurance for the entire period of your studies (voluntary or compulsory medical insurance policy).

The general algorithm for entry into the Russian Federation of foreign students of Moscow University and other useful information can be found on the website of the Department for the Development of Internationalization of Moscow State University.