Studiare ingegneria in Russia

An overview of engineering education in Russia

Russia's engineering expertise spans a broad range of fields, from aviation to energy and from shipbuilding to software. Our partner sources describe computer, software, mechanical, electrical and electronic, civil, aircraft, naval, industrial and mechatronics engineering, as well as architecture, on separate pages. On this page you can see what they have in common and how the departments differ, all in one place.

According to the sources, undergraduate engineering programmes generally last four years, while architecture lasts five. The vast majority of programmes are taught in Russian; for this reason, international students who do not speak Russian first join a one-year preparatory course. Alongside the language, the preparatory year focuses on technical terminology and academic study habits. The first two years are spent on common courses such as mathematical analysis, linear algebra, physics, engineering mechanics and programming; from the third year, each department moves on to its own specialist courses and internship periods.

Note on fees: The amounts below are the annual tuition fees shown in the department tables in our partner sources. Some are given in roubles, others in dollars or euros; they may change due to exchange rate differences and universities' periodic updates.

Computer and software engineering

In the early years, the two departments share discrete mathematics, data structures and programming fundamentals. Computer engineering then moves closer to hardware: computer architecture, microprocessors, embedded systems and networks take centre stage. Software engineering, by contrast, places emphasis on algorithms, probability and statistics, web and mobile application development, machine learning and cybersecurity.

Computer: Saratov State University $2800, Ural Federal University 311,000₽, ITMO University in St. Petersburg 419,000₽, Moscow State University 520,000₽.
Software: Kazan Federal University $2100, Saratov State Technical University $2600, Bauman Moscow State Technical University 549,000₽.

Mechanical, electrical and electronic, and mechatronics engineering

In mechanical engineering, the programme starts with thermodynamics, materials science and technical drawing, and continues with fluid mechanics, heat transfer, manufacturing methods, robotics and automotive courses. Electrical and electronic engineering starts with circuit theory and signals and systems, and extends to power systems, microelectronics, communications, renewable energy and signal processing. Mechatronics combines these two fields with software; sensors and actuators, industrial robots, automation and machine vision are among its key topics.

Mechanical: Saint Petersburg Mining University 300,000₽, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University 328,000₽, Bauman Moscow State Technical University 439,000₽, Ural Federal University $3400.
Electrical and electronic: Kazan National Research Technical University 260,000₽, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University 288,000₽, Bauman Moscow State Technical University 439,000₽.
Mechatronics: Ural Federal University 172,000₽, ITMO 339,000₽, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University 358,000₽, Bauman Moscow State Technical University 459,000₽.

Civil engineering and architecture

Civil engineering is built on statics, strength of materials and technical drawing; the advanced years bring structural analysis, reinforced concrete and steel structures, geotechnics, hydraulics, transportation, earthquake engineering and construction site management. The inclusion of earthquake engineering in the curriculum is particularly noteworthy for students from Turkey. Architecture, meanwhile, is a five-year, studio-based programme: it begins with freehand drawing, basic design and the history of architecture, and progresses to urban planning, landscape, interior architecture, restoration and sustainable architecture.

Civil: Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering 180,000₽, Kuban State Technological University 217,000₽, Moscow State University of Civil Engineering 298,000₽, RUDN $5450.
Architecture: Kuban State Technological University 217,000₽, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering $3600, Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering 396,000₽.

Aircraft and naval engineering

Aviation and the maritime sector are among the fields where Russia's industrial tradition is most visible. In aircraft engineering, aerodynamics, flight mechanics, aircraft structures, propulsion systems, avionics and computational fluid dynamics are at the forefront. Naval engineering focuses on ship design, hydrodynamics, ship structures, marine propulsion systems, offshore engineering and maritime safety.

Aircraft: Astrakhan State Technical University 240,000₽; Moscow Aviation Institute 352,000₽ for the Russian-taught programme and 480,000₽ for the English-taught programme; Saint Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation €2750.
Naval: Astrakhan State Technical University 280,000₽, Saint Petersburg State Marine Technical University 300,000₽, Far Eastern Federal University 350,000₽.

The example of the Moscow Aviation Institute shows that a limited number of English-taught options also exist in engineering; nevertheless, most departments are described in the sources as Russian-taught programmes.

Industrial engineering

Industrial engineering sits at the intersection of engineering and management sciences. Beginning with probability and statistics, operations research and engineering economics, the programme is completed with courses in production planning, supply chain, quality management, logistics, simulation and lean manufacturing. The sources list annual fees of 180,000₽ for Nizhny Novgorod Polytechnic University, 280,000₽ for Ural Federal University and 328,000₽ for Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

A first idea of living costs

Alongside tuition fees, the department tables also give ranges for dormitory, city expenses and insurance. For example, city expenses are shown as $500/800 for institutions in Moscow, $300/600 for institutions in St. Petersburg and $350/500 for Ural Federal University. As the tables do not clearly state which period these items cover, we recommend using the figures to compare cities and confirming your exact budget with the university.

After graduation and recognition

Graduates receive a diploma carrying the relevant engineer or architect title; according to the sources, they can go on to work in the sector or pursue master's and doctoral options. If you plan to work in Turkey, recognition of the diploma by YÖK (Council of Higher Education) is the first step; in engineering and architecture, registration with the relevant professional chamber may also be required. Since recognition conditions are assessed under YÖK's current legislation, we recommend taking this aspect into account when choosing a university.

If you would like to discuss which department and city fit your goals, you can reach the Weroglobal Student team; we can plan the process together, from the preparatory year to enrolment.