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.

How to submit documents and take entrance examinations?

• Documents are accepted remotely on the MSU online platform through the "Web-anketa" service during the admissions campaign. You will be able to register on the platform and submit documents.
• Entrance examinations are held remotely in several "streams" as groups of applicants are formed, starting in mid-June, in accordance with the decision of the Central Admissions Office of MSU.
• Announcements of the Admissions Office of the Faculty of Geography and the results of the entrance examinations conducted by our faculty can be found in the relevant sections of the website. The results of the entrance examinations on History and the Russian language are published on the official websites of the historical and philological faculties of MSU.

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 where you are completing your studies, you must provide a certificate of completion (with information on the date of issue and your academic performance).
• 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".

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