Competitive advantages of the programme

1. Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ is the only English-language programme in Russia that combines the international academic discipline of comparative political science with specialist knowledge and study of the post-Soviet space.
2. The programme offers unique, high level training in political (social) research methods. The programme is taught by the Department of Political Science and International Affairs in cooperation with the Department of Sociology and a number of research laboratories at the HSE St. Petersburg campus. This high degree of cooperation allows students to take part in high-level research projects.
3. The programme offers a set of interdisciplinary courses teaching the processes of socio-political transformation in the vitally important global region of Eurasia.

4. For international students, the program's location in St. Petersburg offers unique opportunities for both cultural and language learning.

The English-language master’s programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ (henceforth ‘the program’) has been designed to train highly qualified specialists capable of:

- Conducting research in the field of comparative political science at a high international level;

- Teaching different disciplines within the field of political science;

- Providing policy advice and consulting businesses on political risk management;

- Participating in the preparation, adoption, implementation, evaluation and expert support of public authorities in their decision-making processes regarding social and political community development;

- Participating in the development, implementation, evaluation and expert support of public projects in the third sector and in education;

- Conducting analysis of socio-political issues covered by the media.

The master’s degree programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ has been designed to provide graduates with the professional skills and competences expected by NRU HSE and to meet the requirements of both the university’s and the Federal state’s educational standards.

During the course of the master’s program, students will acquire the skills required to carry out professional tasks across the following areas: 

Scientific research and teaching:

- Study political systems, institutions and processes, and policy actors and how they interact at different levels of society and across a wide range of societal structures;

- Analyze the results of research using state-of-the-art scientific techniques and a wealth of both foreign and domestic advances made in the field of political science;

- Develop and improve theoretical and methodological approaches and research methods with applications in the professional world;

- Define and structure research problems with professional applications. Independently choose and justify the object, subject, purpose, objectives and methods of research on relevant and topical issues which are applicable to the professional world;

- Collect and process political, social, economic and other empirical information using a wide range of sources including modern methods and technologies of data processing, computer technology and communications;

- Forecast changes based on analysis and research results;

- Prepare and conduct classes in political science and other social and humanitarian disciplines in secondary schools and higher education institutions.

Expert analysis:

- Provide analytical support for the development, adoption, implementation and evaluation of political decisions, develop recommendations for political actors, and offer expertise in the field of public policy;

- Identify the interests of political actors and propose mechanisms to coordinate those interests between political actors as a means of further advancing social and economic development;

- Develop recommendations for public authorities, businesses, civil society, and international organizations to solve socially significant problems.

Informational communication and consulting

- Prepare analytical studies, reports, and notes as well as scientific publications and informational materials on the results of expert-analytical work and research;

- Organize and support communication with research groups and analytical centers on the question of information exchange, scientific consulting, analytics and expertise;

- Create, analyze, communicate and consult with negotiation platforms on how to coordinate the interests of various policy actors;

- Inform and consult authorities and managers in non-state political organizations.

Having completed the master’s programme, graduates will have acquired the following professional skills and competences. They will be able to:

• Apply the results of scientific research in political science and related disciplines to develop applications that can be used to solve problems in a professional context (PC-1);
• Work using modern scientific literature (including literature in English) to analyze the state and trends of development in political science (PC-2);
• Use modern empirical databases (including foreign ones) in scientific research and projects to independently create databases that assist in the completion of that research and other practical tasks (PC-3);
• Analyze empirical data (taken from political, economic and sociological research) using modern qualitative and quantitative methods and the appropriate software (PC-4);
• Build and analyze mathematical models of socio-political systems and processes (PC-5);
• Develop scientific applied research designs – including those carried out by teams of researchers – based on modern political science methodologies and general scientific approaches (PC-6);
• Organize and conduct political science reviews of socially significant projects (PC-8);
• Conduct professional communication with state and municipal authorities and management (PC-9);
• Independently prepare and summarize analytical materials (reviews, notes, reports, studies, recommendations, etc.) and make proposals for decision-makers in the political sphere (PC-11).

In accordance with the requirements of both the HSE educational standard and the university’s approach to the formation of master's programmes, the curriculum is structured in such a way that students can steadily attain the above skills and competences through the duration of the master’s programme.

The curriculum is divided into three main areas: general modules; programme modules (both core and elective); and specialized modules. In the first year of the programme, students will primarily study general modules as well as the bulk of the program’s core subjects and some elective modules. While specializations will be taught within the framework of the programme’s elective modules. In the second year, however, students will study two independently taught specializations and all modules will be conducted in English. Elective courses are available in both the first and second years of the program.

The curriculum consists of modules, practicals, certification tests, state examinations and other types of educational activities, all of which are weighted according to their credits and shown according to their order and distribution within the study period. For each module and practical, student certification is held in the form of an exam.

Tracks for 2024 — 2026 cohort

Issues of Eurasian Countries Development

Characteristics of the studying modules

Module 1 — Key seminars — includes 1) the mentor’s seminar which is aimed at assisting students to form the content of their educational tracks; 2) the core seminar “Eurasian (Post- Post-Soviet) Area Studies”. Module 2 — Internships — implies that a student has the project activity which corresponds with the topic of his or her thesis thereby contributing to the preparation of the graduate paper. At the end of the 1st year students defend their term papers which are prepared in the format of research proposals. Also in the frameworks of this module the students prepare their theses which can be written in the format of the academic paper or analytical paper. Module 3 — Major — contains a number of elective courses which a student (assisted by a mentor) selects based on his or her individual learning trajectory. Module 4 — Magolego — is dedicated to disciplines that are implemented by other educational programmess, faculties, and campuses of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Within the module, students of the track have the opportunity to take 15 credits in order to study disciplines necessary to obtain a deeper or broader expertise in the areas of interest to them.  Module 5 — State Final Examination — includes the defense of the theses.

Advanced Theory and Methods

Module 1 — Key seminars — includes 1) the mentor’s seminar which is aimed at assisting students to form the content of their educational tracks; 2) the core seminar “Advanced Theories and Methods in Political Science”. Module 2 — Internships — implies that a student participates in a research project organized by the university’s research team. At the end of the 1st year students defend their term papers which are prepared in the format of research proposals. Also in the frameworks of this module the students prepare their theses which can be written in the format of the academic paper. Module 3 — Major — contains a number of elective courses which a student (assisted by a mentor) selects based on his or her individual learning trajectory. Module 4 — Magolego — is dedicated to disciplines that are implemented by other educational programmes, faculties, and campuses of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Within the module, students of the trajectory have the opportunity to take 9 credits in order to study disciplines devoted primarily to methods of social and political research, or allowing them to deepen their expertise in the field of socio-political theory. Module 5 — State Final Examination — includes the defense of the theses.

Tracks for 2023 — 2025 cohort

Eurasian (post-Soviet) Area Studies

Module 1 — Key seminars — includes 1) the mentor’s seminar which is aimed at assisting students to form the content of their educational tracks; 2) the core seminar “The Key Issues and Methods in Post-Soviet Area Studies”; 3) research seminar “Methodology and Research Design”. Module 2 — Internships — implies that a student has the research internship in an organization which corresponds with the topic of his or her thesis thereby contributing to the preparation of the graduate paper. At the end of the 1st year students defend their term papers which are prepared in the format of research proposals. Also in the frameworks of this module the students prepare their theses which can be written in the format of the academic paper or analytical paper. Module 3 — Major — contains a number of elective courses which a student (assisted by a mentor) selects based on his or her individual learning trajectory. Module 4 — Magolego — is dedicated to disciplines that are implemented by other educational programmes, faculties, and campuses of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Within the module, students of the track have the opportunity to take 15 credits in order to study disciplines necessary to obtain a deeper or broader expertise in the areas of interest to them. Module 5 — State Final Examination — includes the defense of the theses.

International Politics of Eurasia

Module 1 — Key seminars — includes 1) the mentor’s seminar which is aimed at assisting students to form the content of their educational tracks; 2) the core seminar “The Key Issues and Methods in Post-Soviet Area Studies”; 3) research seminar “Methodology and Research Design”. Module 2 — Internships — implies that a student has the research internship in an organization which corresponds with the topic of his or her thesis thereby contributing to the preparation of the graduate paper. At the end of the 1st year students defend their term papers which are prepared in the format of research proposals. Also in the frameworks of this module the students prepare their theses which can be written in the format of the academic paper or analytical paper. Module 3 — Major — contains a number of elective courses which a student (assisted by a mentor) selects based on his or her individual learning trajectory. Module 4 — Magolego — is dedicated to disciplines that are implemented by other educational programmes, faculties, and campuses of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Within the module, students of the track have the opportunity to take 15 credits in order to study disciplines necessary to obtain a deeper or broader expertise in the areas of interest to them. Module 5 — State Final Examination — includes the defense of the theses.

Advanced Theory and Methods Training

Module 1 — Key seminars — includes 1) the mentor’s seminar which is aimed at assisting students to form the content of their educational tracks; 2) the core seminar “The Key Issues and Methods in Post-Soviet Area Studies”; 3) research seminar “Methodology and Research Design”. Module 2 — Internships — implies that a student participates in a research project organized by the university’s research team. At the end of the 1st year students defend their term papers which are prepared in the format of research proposals. Also in the frameworks of this module the students prepare their theses which can be written in the format of the academic paper. Module 3 — Major — contains a number of elective courses which a student (assisted by a mentor) selects based on his or her individual learning trajectory. Module 4 — Magolego — is dedicated to disciplines that are implemented by other educational programmes, faculties, and campuses of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Within the module, students of the trajectory have the opportunity to take 9 credits in order to study disciplines devoted primarily to methods of social and political research, or allowing them to deepen their expertise in the field of socio-political theory. Module 5 — State Final Examination — includes the defense of the theses.

Приложение

к протоколу №31 от

академического совета

образовательной программы магистратуры

«Сравнительная политика Евразии»

Организация распределения студентов на образовательные траектории образовательной программы магистратуры «Сравнительная политика Евразии»

1. Распределение по траекториям студентов осуществляется путем оценивания результатов собеседования экзаменационной комиссией, которое является частью вступительных испытаний.
2. В срок до 31 августа включительно академический руководитель образовательной программы направляет результаты распределения студентов по траекториям менеджеру учебного офиса англоязычной магистратуры.
3. Академическим руководителем образовательной программы или наставниками траекторий количество мест на траектории может быть увеличено или уменьшено в пользу другой траектории.
4. Распределение студентов на траектории публикуется менеджером отдела сопровождения учебного процесса на интернет-странице образовательной программы и доводится до сведения студентов посредством уведомления по корпоративной электронной почте.
5. В процессе обучения переход студентов между траекториями возможен по согласованию с наставниками траекторий и академическим руководителем образовательной программы в исключительных обстоятельствах после оценки соответствующей возможности в соответствии с учебным планом.

1. The placement of students to the trajectories is carried out by the examination committee as a part of the entrance examinations.
2. By August 31 the academic director of the program sends the results of the placement to the manager of the study office.
3. The academic supervisor or trajectory mentors can increase or decrease the number of places on the trajectory in favor of another trajectory.
4. The distribution of students on the trajectory is published by the manager on the website of the program and is brought to the attention of students by notification by corporate e-mail.
5. During the learning process, the transition of students between trajectories is possible in agreement with the mentors of the trajectories and the academic director in exceptional circumstances.

This degree programme of HSE University is adapted for students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. Special assistive technology and teaching aids are used for collective and individual learning of students with SEN and disabilities. The specific adaptive features of the programme are listed in each subject's full syllabus and are available to students through the online Learning Management System.

All documents of the degree programme are stored electronically on this website. Curricula, calendar plans, and syllabi are developed and approved electronically in corporate information systems. Their current versions are automatically published on the website of the degree programme. Up-to-date teaching and learning guides, assessment tools, and other relevant documents are stored on the website of the degree programme in accordance with the local regulatory acts of HSE University.

I hereby confirm that the degree programme documents posted on this website are fully up-to-date.

Vice Rector Sergey Yu. Roshchin

Summary of Degree Programme 'Comparative Politics of Eurasia'