Studying economics and business in Russia
4 years · €2,200 / year
Economics and management form the most accessible programme in the network, with tuition from €2,200 per year and a four-year course. It is also the most flexible route: the degree travels easily and opens onto varied sectors, from international trade to finance. RusStudy supports every applicant from the file to settling in: admission, official invitation, visa, university accommodation and follow-up throughout the course.
Programme overview
Unlike medicine or pharmacy, which follow the specialitet track, economics follows the bachelor-master structure. The core course is a four-year bachelor (bakalavriat), which can be extended by a two-year master (magistratura) at the same university or elsewhere.
Teaching is mainly in Russian, after a preparatory language year for students who do not master the language. English-taught courses exist, particularly in international trade and finance, and are generally more expensive.
- ✓ Degree awarded: bachelor (bakalavriat), extendable by a 2-year master
- ✓ Duration: 4 years full-time, excluding the preparatory language year
- ✓ Languages of instruction: Russian (after the preparatory year) or English depending on the university
- ✓ Admission: on school record, with no eliminating entrance competition
The fields covered
"Economics and business" brings together several distinct specialties: general economics, management, finance and credit, accounting and audit, international trade, marketing. Each carries its own official code in the Russian nomenclature.
There is therefore no single code to check but the code of the precise specialty you are targeting. Ask for it explicitly before enrolling: it will appear on your degree and will govern your equivalence procedures, and two neighbouring titles can cover quite different content.
Year-by-year curriculum
Years 1 and 2 — fundamentals: microeconomics, macroeconomics, mathematics applied to economics, statistics, general accounting, law and management computing. It is a broad, deliberately generalist foundation that precedes the choice of specialisation.
Year 3 — specialisation: depending on the track, corporate finance, management, marketing, international economics, financial analysis or taxation. Case studies and group work take on an important role.
Year 4 — professionalisation: a company placement, deepening of the specialty, then a final dissertation defended before a panel. It is that defence that validates the bachelor.
Admission requirements
Admission is open to baccalaureate holders from any stream, with a real advantage for profiles comfortable with mathematics: contrary to a widespread idea, economics in Russia is a quantitative discipline, and the first two years include a significant share of mathematics and statistics.
Admission rests on a file: transcripts, translated and legalised diploma, passport and medical documents. Once validated, the university issues an official invitation that opens the student visa application.
- ✓ Baccalaureate, any stream, with an advantage for mathematical profiles
- ✓ Useful subjects: mathematics, economics where it was on the syllabus
- ✓ File: transcripts, translated and legalised diploma, passport, medical certificates
- ✓ Preparatory language year for the Russian-taught course
Detailed costs
Economics tuition starts at €2,200 per year, the lowest rate among the network programmes, and varies by university and city. Combined with a four-year duration instead of five or six, that makes it the programme with the most contained total cost.
The annual budget also covers accommodation, daily living and compulsory medical insurance: between €30 and €90 per month in university halls, €140 to €260 per month of daily living depending on the city, and around €180 per year for insurance.
The first year adds one-off costs of around €900: visa, translations, legalisations and the flight.
- ✓ Tuition: from €2,200 / year
- ✓ Duration: 4 years, giving the lowest total cost in the network
- ✓ Hall accommodation: €30 to €90 / month depending on the city
- ✓ Daily living: €140 to €260 / month depending on the city
- ✓ Compulsory medical insurance: around €180 / year
Partner universities offering these programmes
Economics and management are among the most widely offered programmes: most multidisciplinary universities in the network open them to international students. The exact list of specialties and languages of instruction is confirmed when choosing the institution.
Career paths and degree recognition
The degree awarded is a Russian state degree, subject to a recognition procedure specific to each country. As with engineering, working in the private sector generally does not require prior professional authorisation, which simplifies matters compared with the health professions.
One point deserves to be said plainly: this is also the most competitive programme on graduation, because it is the most widespread in the world. What will make the difference on your CV is not the degree alone but what you have added to it — languages, placements, a specialised master. Russian, English and French together make for a rare and genuinely marketable profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be good at mathematics to study economics in Russia?
It is a clear advantage. Economics is taught there as a quantitative discipline: the first two years include a substantial share of applied mathematics and statistics.
How long is the course?
Four years for the bachelor, excluding the preparatory language year. A two-year master can extend it, at the same university or elsewhere.
Why is economics cheaper than the other programmes?
Fees start at €2,200 per year, against €2,800 in engineering and €3,500 in medicine. The shorter duration — four years instead of five or six — reduces the total cost further.
Can it be studied in English?
Yes, particularly in international trade and finance. These courses are generally more expensive than Russian-taught ones, and fewer in regional universities.
Is a master necessary?
It is not compulsory, but it is common and often decisive for specialising. It is a decision to take in the third year, once the field is settled.
What is the total annual budget?
Tuition from €2,200, plus accommodation (€30 to €90 per month in halls), daily living (€140 to €260 per month) and insurance (around €180 per year). The first year adds about €900 in one-off costs.
Is the degree recognised abroad?
It is a state degree, subject to a recognition procedure specific to each country. In the private sector, no prior professional authorisation is generally required, unlike the health professions.