Four Modules, Ten Points, and Mandatory Minor Courses: What Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg Are Like
HSE University–St Petersburg is launching a special project to tell prospective students about faculties, educational programmes, and student life—everything to help you make an informed choice. This first article focuses on the most important aspect: the educational process at HSE University and how it differs from other universities.
The Academic Year: Four Modules Instead of Two Semesters
Instead of the common division into autumn and spring semesters, HSE University's academic year is divided into four modules, each lasting 8–12 weeks. After that, there is an exam period and a short holiday. The winter exam period finishes before the winter holidays, and there is always time off at the beginning of May as well.
The schedule of the study process is formalised in the academic calendar. This rhythm helps to distribute the workload smoothly; it doesn't feel like the first half of the year lasts forever then the second half flies by.
The exam periods are very intense. However, students have no more than one exam per day, and each lasts no longer than four academic hours. There are no pass–fail tests, only exams or interim grades if an exam is not included in the curriculum.
The Ten-Point Grading System
A ten-point grading system might seem unusual, but in fact, it helps to assess work more accurately than a simple 'A' or 'B.' Under this system, 5 means 'satisfactory,' 7 means 'good,' and 10 means 'outstanding.' This scale is easily converted into the regular five-point system and ECTS credits, which is important for academic mobility.
Grades are determined based on the cumulative system principle. In a course curriculum, a professor provides a calculation formula beforehand, which considers all the control elements over a module. These include home assignments, tests and self-study work, essays, laboratory work, term papers, projects, exams, and other formats. It makes the process transparent: you always know how the final grade is composed and how many points you need to get for the desired result. Some courses have blocking elements—for instance, an exam that you have to pass to complete the course. All the rules are formalised in the course curriculum, so there will be no surprises.
The Student Rating: How It Works and What It Effects
The rating is a list of students of your intake and field of study ranked by academic performance. It doesn't turn studies into a race, but rather provides clear benchmarks. A student's position in the rating helps to distribute places in popular minor courses and also influences the size of the tuition fee waiver for fee-paying students. There are current ratings (over six months) and cumulative ratings (over the whole period of studies). Students can check their position in the digital credit book or in HSE App X.
One University, Shared Extracurricular Life
All four HSE campuses—Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm—are united by a shared system. When graduating, you will receive an HSE University diploma of a single standard. Moreover, students from different cities participate in joint events, festivals, contests, and conferences. Research schools, student clubs, volunteer projects, and sports tournaments unite everyone regardless of the campus. Students can also participate in intra-HSE academic mobility and spend a semester at another HSE campus.
Minor Courses: A Second Major
One thing that makes HSE stand out is its minor courses. These are mandatory elective courses that allow students to get an additional qualification. In a nutshell, they are a second major which you choose simultaneously alongside your main programme. A historian can study data analysis, an economist can try their hand at design, a political scientist can dive into digital communications, and a lawyer can master the basics of programming. Minor courses last for several modules. As a result, students get not just a core education but also a set of skills from a different field. After completing your studies, you will get a micro-qualification certificate and an official professional retraining diploma in addition to your degree diploma.
SET: Student Evaluation of Teaching
HSE University has a system of student evaluation of teaching (SET). This is a key mechanism for HSE University to collect feedback on the study process. The two main principles of SET are its obligatory nature and anonymity. After every module, students evaluate the completed courses: the clarity of the material, the class format, and feedback from professors. Students can share their opinions and suggestions about the organisation of the whole study process. These grades influence the decision-making on courses, help to amend curricula, and make education more student-oriented. Professors can polish their courses, heads of educational programmes can improve curricula, and the university administration can enhance the level of the educational process in general. For students, it is a real opportunity to influence the quality of their studies.
Artificial Intelligence in Studies
At HSE University, there is no university-wide taboo on the use of artificial intelligence by students. HSE is one of the first universities in Russia to state clear rules of AI use in studies. Students can implement generative models when writing coursework, but they have to do it transparently. If you use a neural network to generate text, code, or images, you have to specify in a dedicated section of the paper which parts were generated, which model was used, and why. For term papers and theses, the system includes a dedicated input field for this declaration.
If a student doesn't declare their use of AI and the check system finds the hallmarks of a generated text, it is seen as a violation of academic norms. A professor can also fully prohibit the use of AI in their course, but they must state this in the course curriculum. In all the other cases, artificial intelligence is becoming a full-fledged working tool which students can use deliberately and responsibly.
