The Russian State University of Trade and Economics offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, non-degree and professional improvement courses for students, and anyone who is interested in making a successful career in the field of commerce and economics.
The curriculum process at RSUTE is outlined in the Figure below. This, in effect, sketches the structure of higher education and post-graduate studies in most Russian universities.
The main study program has a length of 5 years and leads to a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE). Applicants who wish to enter RSUTE must have a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and successfully pass the entrance examinations or tests.
The curricula of the first two years of study are designed to form students’ general knowledge and introduce them to their future field of interest. General education subjects are largely the same for students from all the faculties. The curriculum they follow includes: Mathematics, Computer Science, Political Science, Natural Science, Philosophy, History, Ecology, Law, Foreign Language, Physical Education etc.
In the 3rd year, students take the core economic courses, which form a solid foundation of their professional expertise in their field of study. In the 4th and 5th years the curriculum becomes even more specialized (See the Faculties for specialization and a list of courses in each field).
In the 4th year, students choose their specialization and follow it until graduation. After successfully completing the last two years of studies RSUTE students take a Final Interdisciplinary Examination and defend a graduation paper – a Diploma. There are two work placements in the 4th and 5th years. After that, students are awarded a Diploma of Higher Education, which grants graduates the right to carry out independent professional activities, and pursue further postgraduate studies (a degree of the Candidate of Science (similar to Ph.D; 3-4 years) and a degree of the Doctor of Science.
DipHE and the qualification of the specialist in a particular field is a standard and the most common academic program offered by Russian higher education institutions. Although there is no one-to-one correspondence between the western and Russian education systems, DipHE can be compared to a Master’s degree.
Exchange (non-degree seeking) students coming to RSUTE can attend courses, according to their needs and the requirements of their home institution. Their academic program and study load is, to a large extent, self-tailored. Exchange students can be allowed to select courses from the curriculum of different Faculties to meet their individual needs more precisely.
The language of instruction is Russian and exchange students are expected to be fluent in Russian, both oral and written. Foreign students may sign up for the course of Russian as a foreign language. The foreign languages taught at RSUTE are English, German, French and Spanish. Advanced foreign language courses are offered at the Faculty of International Trade.