You are here: Home → INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS → STUDY

Study


Semester dates

The academic year is officially divided into two semesters (terms): First Semester: 1 September – 20 January, followed by winter vacations for about 10 days. Second Semester: beginning of February – 30 June, followed by summer vacations in July and August.
So if you wish to go home for Christmas or just for vacations, you have to plan well in advance.


Enrolment

After applying for admission you have to get a matriculation. In Russia it means that an order about your matriculation is issued. When you matriculate, you’ll get a student’s book where all the courses you take with notes will be recorded. With a student’s book and a photo you can go to the library and get a library card. You also get a student ID for entering the university and the dormitory.


Language requirements

USUAA currently provides instruction in the Russian language only.

Students enrolling at USUAA are normally required to provide proof of their Russian language skills. The most common kinds of proof are:

  • A Russian State Certificate of Russian language - not lwoer than B1.
  • Certificate from your professor of Russian at your home university that your level of Russian is at least B1 (http://pushkin.edu.ru/index.php?m=030201d).

Course & grade structure

All courses are graded. Some are graded with notes; others are graded pass/fail. The grading system consists of notes, on a scale of 5 to 2. 5 is best – “excellent”, “4” – “good”, “3” – satisfactory, and 2 is failing.

In many programs the primary degree students will be working toward is the BA or “specialist diploma”. After that there are MA programs and PhD-similar programs which in Russia are called “candidate of science”.

There are generally required courses for each program of study. Be aware that you’re required to attend lectures, and, especially, seminars.

If you need to provide your home university with a transcript, you can go to the Study Office and apply for it. You will get a transcript of records in form of a complete listing in English of all courses you have attended, with your final grades. Don’t forget to apply and get your transcript of records or learning agreement signed by USAAA prior to leaving Ekaterinburg. After you’ve left, it’s often complicated, time-consuming and expensive to get them certified.