Skoltech is an international graduate research-focused university that was founded by the group of world-renowned scientists in 2011. Skoltech's curriculum focuses on technology and innovation, offering Master's programs in 11 technological disciplines. Students receive rigorous theoretical and practical training, design their own research projects, participate in internships and gain entrepreneurial skills in English. The faculty is comprised of current researchers with international accreditation and achievements.
Education Orientation Resources
Welcome to Skoltech Education!
Skoltech is a new model in the Russian higher education system, bridging science and innovation to have an impact in Russia and in the world in which we live. Within our international community of scholars and researchers, we are doing more than graduating leaders, we are preparing agents of change to have both a scholarly and economic impact. Students are essential peers and actors in this path and are expected to be self-responsible, proactive and engaged in their educational process here at Skoltech. This is not a passive education.
Skoltech has formulated its educational programs to foster students’ interdisciplinary understanding and ability to solve open-ended problems. Unfettered by departmental barriers, students continually cross disciplinary boundaries during their education and applied learning experiences. In team environments and project-based learning activities, they also build communication skills, learn how to work in teams and attain the confidence necessary to take risks and innovate. International experience is also a central part of a Skoltech education.
The academic year at Skoltech is divided into four 8-week academic terms. There are two terms in fall and two terms in spring. In addition, there is an 8-week Summer Term between Year 1 and Year 2 for Masters students. The Summer Term is reserved for industrial immersion projects and there are no MSc courses offered. In addition, there is a 2-3 week Independent Studies Period (ISP) in a short January Winter Term, beginning after the January vacation/holiday break.
Academic Year Structure is depicted in a more thorough way in Academic Calendar 2021/22.
The standard 8-week academic term is intensive by nature. Although the structure described is not prescriptive, most courses will organise themselves around these principles. The term is typically divided into an instruction period ending with an assessment of student learning, followed by an application period.
Teaching and learning activities are concentrated in Weeks 1 – 6. This will include activities for assessment and feedback (e.g. homework, assignments, etc.). Some courses are also designed to be practical and applied throughout, so will have group (or individual) projects from early on, even from the first week.
The formal summative assessment typically takes place in Week 7. The aim is to assess the factual understanding of the subject matter, as well as to assess conceptual understanding. These assessments can be written, oral, project-based or some combination.
The application period typically begins already at the end of Week 7 and continues through the entire Week 8. The goal of the application period is to apply practically and experientially the knowledge gained in the previous weeks. In the majority of courses, there will be a group project with final presentations.
For the Masters of Science degree, students must satisfy the following broad degree requirements totaling 120 ECTS over the two (2) years of study:
- Coursework (36 ECTS). Educational programs include a combination of core (mandatory) courses for all students, as well as a series of recommended elective courses, which are discussed and decided upon in consultation with the research advisor;
- Sector (12 ECTS). Students use the Summer Term in between the first and second academic years to engage in an industrial immersion project;
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) coursework (12 ECTS). Starting with the Innovation Workshop, the E&I courses help instil a culture of innovation, fostering a link to E&I and commercialization;
- Research and MSc Thesis Project (36 ECTS). Beginning with early research in the spring terms of the first year, students work with their research advisors to develop and perform high quality research in the area of most relevance to the students’ future career;
- Options (24 ECTS) allow students the ability to take additional recommended elective courses and/or courses from other programs and/or short-term research/E&I projects that are not connected to their Thesis project.
Students can access the curriculum plan of his/her particular educational program in Canvas (“Resources for Students”).
Skoltech students who successfully satisfy the degree requirements will receive two separate degrees upon graduation: a Russian state diploma and state diploma supplement (in Russian), as well as a Skoltech diploma and European diploma supplement (in English).
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to degree requirements, please place your request via Education Support System - Educational Process/Degree requirements category.
Irina Shakirova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3392)
Skoltech follows the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The ECTS system utilizes a credit concept to compare courses by average workload for a typical student. At Skoltech, one (1) ECTS is calculated as being the equivalent of 27 hours (astronomical) of workload, both contact and non-contact hours. Most courses and projects are based on 3 credits (81 total hours) or 6 credits (162 total hours).
At Skoltech, students are expected to be engaged in their studies full-time, which according to the ECTS system, translates as a minimum (and standard) workload of at least 12 ECTS per term. (This is the equivalent of 324 hours or, divided by the 8-week term, approximately 40 hours per week.) While 12 credits is the minimum (and standard) workload, students can take up to 18 credits per term, as long as they are in good academic standing and have no academic performance issues. (Courses outside the curriculum – known as “fakultativni” courses – do not count towards the 18 credit limit.)
For MSc-1 students, in Term 1, we strongly recommend that students limit themselves to the 12-credit standard load. There is a period of transition and many (most) students are surprised by the intensive nature of courses at Skoltech, including the expectation of full attendance. It is best to start slow and not over-extend yourself. Thereafter, students can and often do take more than 12 credits (but not more than 18).
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to ECTS, please place your request via Education Support System – Registration (term reg, drop/add, full-time status) category.
Irina Shakirova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3392)
Compulsory:
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Early Research Project – Term 3-4 (Year 1), 6 credits;
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MSc Thesis Project – Term 5-8 (Year 2), 21 credits.
Optional:
- Additional Thesis Research
This is additional workload to spend on your Thesis research project on top of MSc Thesis Project credits (see above).
- Short-term Project – Research
This is a completely different research project that is not connected to your thesis in any way, typically not with your research advisor.
- Short-term Project – E&I
This is a separate project focused on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (not connected to your thesis in any way). (Please note: these credits do not count towards the E&I degree requirement, but would count in Options.)
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to types of research, please place your request via Education Support System – Educational Process/Research projects: MSc category..
Irina Shakirova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3392)
Skoltech students start exploring their potential areas of interest in research already during Terms 3 and 4 of the first academic year. These early research projects are of an exploratory nature mainly helping students to identify possible themes for further development into final thesis projects. First year MSc students have their Early Research Project as a compulsory graded 6-credit educational component developing over Terms 3 and 4.
Second year students start their formal thesis development process with a thesis proposal submission at the beginning of the final year. In a course of the second year MSc students undergo a number of stages in their final thesis preparation culminating in final MSc thesis submission and defense in June, following the end of Term 8. The two key milestones of this process are MSc Thesis Status Review in January of the second year and MSc Thesis Pre-defense in May (with written MSc Thesis draft submitted prior to Pre-defense). Both checkpoints require students to summarise their research achievements and present their research findings to the evaluation committee. Thesis research workload is standardized at 21 credits distributed across the four terms (Term 5 – Term 8) of the second academic year. Final MSc thesis defenses contribute additional 9 credits in Term 8 thus making a total of 36 credits for the overall thesis work (Term 3 – Term 8) to comply with degree requirements.
To summarise, the basic thesis research timeline comprises the following stages:
YEAR 1 (6 credits)
Term 3: Early Research Project
Term 4: Early Research Project
YEAR 2 (30 credits)
Term 5: Thesis proposal submission
Term 6: Research in progress
January (Winter Term): MSc Thesis Status Review
Term 7: Research in progress
Term 8: MSc Thesis Pre-defense (including MSc Thesis draft submission)
June: Final MSc Thesis submission and defense
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to MSc Thesis Research, please place your request via Education Support System – MSc Thesis Project category.
Daria Tokmeninova
Project Manager
Centre for Teaching & Learning Excellence
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3209)
Innovation Workshop (IW) is a unique course that unites the entire Skoltech incoming class with Skoltech faculty and esteemed invited mentors to create a foundational experience in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) for all, as well as to instill a positive “can-do” teamwork attitude in the culture of the student cohort. Students engage in experiential project-based and inquiry-based learning to live through the entire technology innovation cycle, progressing from idea to product along the three pillars of innovation: (i) Impact (a.k.a. End User Need), (ii) Embedded Technology Prototype (provided and validated by good science), and (iii) End User Delivery (a.k.a. Business Model). This work is performed in cross-disciplinary teams that create real life experience of complex innovation projects. The course is less about knowledge and more about developing skills and attitudes necessary to lead a successful life in innovation.
Innovation Workshop is not a business accelerator or a business plan competition. Some student projects may remain very early-stage and even immature. The other student projects may become developed enough to be continued beyond IW into the student Skoltech tenure. In both cases, the success of the IW project is measured not in quantitative terms of raising financing or starting operations, but in academic terms of diligently developing the projects along the three pillars of innovation.
The only way to fail in Innovation Workshop is to give up or to free ride. Any other route along the three pillars is success: students are encouraged to reshape and even restart their projects as they find appropriate. There are no project failures in IW, only character and experience failures. We learn to be productively wrong and strikingly right.
All Master’s students are required to participate in an industrial immersion project during the Summer Term of the first study year; the aim is to familiarize Skoltech students with the demands of Russian industry and to prepare graduates for job placement.
Industrial Immersion is a mandatory 12 credit educational element comprising (1) your internship in a business setting; (2) formal reporting; and (3) poster presentation at the Industry Day. The completion of all above elements leads to Sector Stream requirement fulfillment towards your Master degree at Skoltech.
The key principles of Industrial Immersion are the following:
- The priority is for team projects
- Industrial Immersion should be in a company only
- The priority is for Russian companies and/or international companies located in Russia
- Each student will be proposed an internship by the corresponding Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator
- All issues with projects should be resolved with your Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator
Overall Timeline
1. Students profile/CV submission: February
- Students profiles/CVs update and final submission: by February (Year 1)
Detailed request will follow from your Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator
IMPORTANT: Strong and competitive profile will increase your chances to be selected into a high-quality project with a prestigious company.
- Short list of potential employers is formed and projects get approved
If you initiate your own project within a company of your choice this is the time to approve it with your Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator and submit into a project book for further collaboration.
2. Students placements: March – April
Industrial Immersion Program Coordinators within each program arranges for students’ profiles/CVs to be submitted to companies and appropriate candidates are nominated by company project leaders via a competitive process. The profile selection process is followed by invitations to face-to-face selection interviews in companies.
3. Formal Orders: May
Students’ placements announced and formalized by official orders signed by Skoltech President.
4. Project Team Work in a Company: June – July
Students’ teams work in companies over a period of eight weeks during Summer Term, typically in June – July, however, other eight-week time slots are also acceptable subject to confirmation with Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator and Education Office. The project work is performed under close supervision of a company project leader and Skoltech industrial immersion supervisor.
5. Reporting: August – September
Following the end of the industrial immersion students are expected to fill in the on-line report form and submit to Education within a week after the end of the internship.
The report will then be approved by company project leader and Skoltech supervisor (the exact procedure to be confirmed).
Together with their individual reports the students must also submit their team project posters.
6. INDUSTRY DAY: October
Participation in the Industry Day is mandatory for all students.
All students exhibit their projects at a poster session during the event.
Industrial Immersion at Skoltech is managed by the following parties:
• Industrial Studies Office – general policies, program control, signing contracts with companies;
• Education Department – general policies, program control, sponsoring trips across Russia, reporting, grading students with credits;
• Dean of Education – program control, dispute resolution;
• Each Education Program has its own Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator. Industrial Immersion Program Industrial Immersion Program Coordinator is responsible for the quality of the technical assignment in the company and for placing students into the companies.
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to Industrial Immersion, please place your request via Education Support System – Industrial Immersion category.
Julia Mochalova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3568)
ISP is a special three-week term in January. This is a time of flexible interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences, which serves Skoltech’s mission to raise the next generation of science, technology and business leaders.
Students often have diverse passions but no means to explore them, especially if it is not related to their specialisation. The Independent Studies Period offers them a world of opportunities to explore their passions and go beyond their main educational field, making their academic learning truly interdisciplinary and allowing them to gain experience in creation of innovative projects.
Basically, ISP courses focus on professional hard skills training, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) courses, soft skills workshops and enjoyable active learning.
Skoltech students had a chance to try on the role of real pilots, to design and control aircrafts, to participate in VR-marathons, as well as to deepen their language and public speaking skills, explore Russian culture, to create artworks based on the knowledge received from the course on contemporary art and very much more.
We strive to offer courses that combine practical skills, theoretical knowledge and to pursue studies in exciting and very new fields.
The following formats of participation are available for students:
1) Course lead of ISP activities: students are encouraged to lead their own courses, such as pilot school, aircraft manufacturing, software master classes, personal interest, and/or soft skills related.
2) ISP activities participant. Most students will participate in ISP activities proposed by Skoltech faculty, researchers, students and invited lecturers.
REQUIREMENTS
Skoltech MSc-1 students must participate in the ISP actively and be engaged full-time during January period, in order to maintain good standing and receive the scholarship.
You can find general requirements here. The detailed requirements are announced by the Education Office in Fall.
WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES CAN I PARTICIPATE IN
- List of all ISP activities can be found here.
- You are welcome to fill in this short survey and share your ideas for us to develop and support proposals satisfying your needs.
- See some photos, interviews with course instructors and participants to get inspiration of the most creative and diverse period of the Academic Year :
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to ISP, please place your request via Education Support System – ISP category.
Anastasia Tyagusova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3440)
Students are encouraged to be proactive in learning more about Education at Skoltech. This means accessing and reviewing information, which can primarily be found in the Student Information System (SIS) Sonis. SIS is used for term registration and shows the annual course catalog. Students can also access their course history and grades.
To access SIS, students will need their Skoltech email credentials, so first locate the relevant email from IT Helpdesk with alias and password (all systems use LDAP, so the same alias and password work across all systems, including SIS).
Follow the link to https://sonis.skoltech.ru/. Click “Login” – “Student”, then insert your username (email alias) and password:
YouTube Video instruction: Login
Course Catalog
All courses are available through Course Catalog accessible via SIS. The courses are organized by academic year and the term when they begin. To access Skoltech Course Catalog, please, click “Courses by semester” in Sonis and then choose the relevant academic year and term:
YouTube video instruction: Course Catalog
For an overview of the courses relevant to your program you can also browse the public Course Catalog on the web-site: https://skoltech.ru/en/education/course-catalog (filter by your program).
Registration for Courses
In principle, you can take any Skoltech courses. However, keep in mind the formal requirements:
● you must earn from 12 to 18 credits per term;
● you must take any compulsory (core) courses (for a list of compulsory courses see curriculum for you educational program);
● you must discuss your plans with your research advisor (who you will work to identify in the first fall terms);
Registration for courses happens via the online Student Information System Sonis
Please refer to Course Syllabus for a detailed description of the course. Course syllabi are available in the Course Catalog on the web-site. Syllabi show the structure and grading system of the courses for your information.
To enroll in a course:
i. Log in to your portal;
ii. Click “Academics” – “Registration” in the pop-up menu on the left. To view MSc courses, please click M in the “Select beginning course letter” section (1);
iii. You are now able to see a list of courses/projects open for registration in the current term under “Course Offerings”.
You can also see scheduling notes for each course – “Time Desc”. Please take note, Sonis will prevent you from registering for courses with overlapping meeting times;
iv. Click on the course/project ID code (2);
v. The course you are currently enrolling in is highlighted with red color;
vi. Click “Continue registration process” twice (3, 4);
vii. Click “Return” (5, please disregard any billing/charges text as well as “Delete all unposted courses option unavailable”);
viii. You are now registered for the course/project you had chosen – “Pending registration – none”. If you do not finish registration process (by clicking “Continue” twice – see above), your pending registrations will disappear with time.
Note that your research advisors and program coordinators will be able to view and reject your enrollments during registration. After registration is closed, they will not be able to do so.
Skoltech has a one-week drop/add period (usually the first week of the term). You can drop courses, but you must keep in mind the formal requirements mentioned above. It is also possible to add a new course (with the course instructor’s approval). You are fully responsible for all course requirements, even from the first day of classes.
To drop a course:
i. Log in to your portal;
ii. Click “Academics” – “Registration” in the pop-up menu on the left;
iii. You can see the list of courses/projects you enrolled in, for the current term (above “Enrolled credits” and “Total credits”);
iv. Click on the course/project ID of the activity that you want to drop (above “Enrolled credits” and “Total credits”) – 1;
v. Click “Confirm removal” – 2;
vi. You have dropped the course/project you had chosen.
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to registration, drop/add or full-time status, please place your request via Education Support System – Educational Process/Registration (term reg, drop/add, full-time status) category.
Irina Shakirova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3392)
Canvas is Skoltech’s Learning Management System. A welcome guide can be found in Canvas (“Resources for Students”), but the strength of Canvas is its simple and intuitive navigation and features. In addition, Canvas has a very active user community and a vast array of online resources.
To access Canvas, follow the link to http://skoltech.instructure.com, using your same Skoltech email alias and password to access.
You will only have access to active term courses and only after registration results are synced (from SIS). This happens no later than the first day of the term and courses are archived soon after the end of the term.
You can also access student resources in Canvas. For general information, forms and templates, check the “Resources for Students” course. You can also reference the Policies there. Information can also be found in the relevant section of the Skoltech website. If something is not found or not clear, students are expected to place a request via Education Support System or stop by during business hours (9:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m) for clarification.
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to Canvas, please place your request via Education Support System – Educational Process/Other category.
Irina Shakirova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3392)
Students are expected to perform at the best of their abilities and have a full-time commitment to educational activities at Skoltech. Students should review all relevant policies, regulations and guidelines, which are found in Resources for Students (“course” in Canvas).
Please pay close (but not exclusive) attention to:
Full-time Status and Attendance Policy
In order to maintain full-time status, students are required to obtain at least 12 credits per each term and a total of 60 credits per academic year. If a student is enrolled in a class, he/she is expected to attend all scheduled in-class activities (including the application period). Exact requirements per course are outlined in each course syllabus. It is the responsibility of the student to understand and follow the expectations outlined by the course instructor. In case of sickness and absence for medical reasons, the student is required to officially inform Education office via Education Support System of absence from studies as soon as possible and simultaneously inform relevant course instructors to confirm absence from classes. As a next step the student needs to submit the official medical lists in original hardcopy to Education in person as justification for absence from studies for medical reasons.
Academic Performance and Implications
Skoltech expects students to perform to the best of their abilities at or above a “B” average each term.
If a student fails to fulfill this requirement, he/she will be put on academic probation for the following term and will receive a notification from the Education office accordingly which may lead to disciplinary procedures and affect a student’s scholarship.
All relevant policies concerning attendance, performance, scholarships and Disciplinary Board can be found in Canvas (“Resources for Students” course).
Education Office is here to help you get the most out of your Skoltech experience. It is a place to go for answers, information and guidance. Whether you need a student certificate, an academic transcript, or apply for academic mobility, and many more, we are here for you!
We use a special online ticketing tool for student requests and questions – Skoltech Help Center (Jira). Therefore, all of the requests must be via the Jira tool and will be automatically re-directed to the responsible specialist of the Education Office.
In order to streamline the processing of your request via Help Desk, please make sure that you include basic information in your requests:
Within the message SUBJECT:
- YOUR FIRST and LAST NAME – LEVEL – PROGRAM
For example, “Ivan Ivanov – MSc – Data Science” or “Anna Ivanova – MSc – Life Sciences.”
Within the message CONTENT:
- The text of the request should clearly indicate what exactly you are requesting or what your question is, along with other clear, relevant details (e.g. name of advisor/supervisor, applicable deadlines, justification/reason, etc.). It should always answer the basic questions: who, what, where, when, how and why.
- You can refer to Resources for Students in Canvas to find instructions and guidelines for most requests and questions.
The timeline for processing your request is 3 working days. You will receive notifications about the status of your request. You can also see the status of your request in Skoltech Help Center.
While the proportion of independent study during Skoltech education programs is substantial (up to 70%), there is a number of academic resources and facilities that students may use at Skoltech to boost their academic achievements, including a library, laboratories and workshops, English toolkit and academic writing courses, short-term and long-term academic mobility.
Skoltech’s library is temporary located E-B2-3015, close to the future permanent site of the extended Learning Commons (including Library).
Skoltech faculty, researchers, students and employees have direct access to the following:
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Textbooks and e-books;
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Full text journal databases;
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Bibliographic databases;
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Patent databases and more.
Users can access the databases from campus and remotely.
For more information go to the library’s page at Skoltech’s official web-site https://www.skoltech.ru/en/education/library or contact the librarian at library@skoltech.ru.
Library open hours:
Monday-Friday, 9:30-18:30.
For any enquiries librarians Ivan Smagin and Daria Nasedkina are accessible via email library@skoltech.ru
Academic Mobility (academic trips)
COVID note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, regular international academic mobility at Skoltech is handled under special procedures until further notice.
Skoltech is pleased to support and enable opportunities for the best performing students, who are in good academic standing,to participate in academic mobility from short-term programs, such as international conferences or workshops, to long-term visits to partner host universities to conduct research or take courses as a part of students’ educational program.
Academic mobility aims to immerse you into a global international ecosystem of science, research and innovations during your study at Skoltech. Student mobility provides a unique opportunity for its participants to gain invaluable field experience and a broader professional network, to develop interpersonal skills in a new and culturally diverse environment, to open new career prospects.
On a competitive basis, Skoltech selects students proposals and provides support to the approved academic trips from the perspective of its motivation and justification on how this proposed opportunity specifically contributes to the student’s overall educational experience and path, as well as how this will enable students to complete their degree at Skoltech and achieve their career goals post-graduation.
WHO CAN APPLY
1) Short-term academic trips: MS students who have passed Term 1, Term 2 and have outstanding academic performance. The students should be active and contributing participants of the event/opportunity. Participation in scientific events requires a full-time presentation with a paper or a poster. Please note, short-term trips are not allowed during the Summer Term.
2) Long-term academic mobility: MS students who have outstanding academic performance can apply for trips starting in Fall of the 2nd year of the MSc program (and later*). There is a range for every grade and for academic mobility, because it is meant for the truly exceptional, given the high budget and uniqueness in the Russian HEI environment. The threshold is set separately and is expected to be at the high end of that range.
*NOTE: Regardless of the start date, all students must return to Skoltech by the end of April of the final term.
HOW TO APPLY
The selection process for this opportunity is competitive and the number of slots is limited. The Education Office will process and make final determinations on approval, in consultation with program coordinators and research advisors.
1) Guidelines and instructions for submitting applications for different types of academic trips are located here
2) Policies to be reviewed before application are located here
- a) Policy On Students Academic Trips
- b) Scholarship Policy
- c) Skoltech Student Attendance And Full-time Status Requirement
3) Q&A file answering the most popular questions is located here
4) Guidelines for reporting after the academic trip are located here
HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS
● Outstanding academic performance
● Comprehensive justification and motivation describing institutional and educational impact, contribution to the educational plan and Skoltech MSc degree completion, contribution to future scientific and career goals.
● Level of scientific event and/or collaboration with the hosting institution.
● Language
● Recommendations
CONTACTS
In case of any questions related to the Skoltech Academic Mobility program, please place your request via Education Support System – Academic Mobility category.
Anastasia Tyagusova
Senior Specialist
Department of Education
Tel.: +7 (495) 280 14 81 (ext.: 3440)
Please, send your questions and/or request via online Skoltech Help Center.
