About

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Politics in Western and Non-Western Countries
Politics of Transition
History of International Relations
Law of International Treaties
Mathematics, Statistics, and Data Science for IR Scholars

Applications
Eligibility: Russian high school diploma for Russian nationals; IB, A level, other international high school diplomas for non-Russian nationals
Deadline: July 15

Faculty

Leading Moscow-based scholars, policy analysts, entrepreneurs with unique international teaching and practical experience

Careers

Staff members at international organizations
Journalists and writers
Political analysts and consultants
Public servants

Unique selling points

Globally competitive mix of backgrounds in international conflict resolution and political economy
Potential double degree with a world’s leading partner university
Training in advance techniques of research and academic writing

Double Degree Program delivered by MGIMO and partner universities

This program builds on the unique experience that we have acquired operating a unique Double Degree BA Program collaboratively with Reading University in the UK since 2018. The Double Degree was designed for those looking to increase their international exposure by splitting their time of study between two countries — Russia and the United Kingdom. Having spent the first two years of the program at the MGIMO School of Government and International Affairs in Moscow, qualified students moved on to continue coursework at Reading.

Students admitted to the program in 2020 and 2021 will be able to advance to Reading University at the end of their second year at MGIMO—in 2022 and 2023, respectively. For the 2022 intake, however, the UK component of the program has been suspended. Instead, MGIMO will give the students enrolling in 2022 the opportunity to either study towards a second degree in Years 3 and 4 at a partner university or to complete the final two years in our BA Program in Government, International Politics and Law taught at MGIMO. We shall assist the students willing to continue their education at Reading University to apply and transfer in their personal capacity from Year 3.

The program is designed for the students who studied at high school in Russian and will therefore require additional intense training in the English language. Admission for Russian nationals is based on ЕГЭ scores in the English Language, Russian Language, and History.

The core parts of the Moscow curriculum will continue to be delivered by native English speakers with advanced degrees in politics and linguistics from leading universities across the globe.

Students are expected qualitatively to improve their English-language skills and achieve proficiency in one more foreign language over their two initial years at MGIMO.

Tuition fee for the Russian nationals joining the BA Program in Politics and International Relations in 2022 will be 850,000 rubles per academic year.

Alumni Speak

Richard Cop | Slovakia
Class of 2019

I decided to apply to MGIMO due to first-hand knowledge I had from a friend of mine who was studying at the University at the time. I found the University fascinating and realized that getting accepted to such an institution would provide me with a lot of possibilities, career-wise, and on top of that, I would be able to establish international relationships, due to high concentration of foreign students at SGIA.

Yana Chikvashvili | Israel / Russia
Class of 2019

MGIMO is considered to be one of the best universities in Russia especially for International Relations that I have always been excited about. I had studied in English at the British International School in Moscow, so I was looking for a Bachelor program that would also be taught in English. I also knew I wanted to stay in Moscow for my Bachelors, and SGIA was one of the very few highly reputed educational institutions offering social sciences degrees taught fully in English. The choice was limited, but at SGIA I found exactly what I wanted, given my interest in social sciences and languages.

Ekaterina Chabykina | Russia
Class of 2019

It was a completely new experience. Before enrolling in SGIA I attended a high school in Canada and spent a few years at a university where we only had 15 hours of classes per week. When I arrived at MGIMO, I was almost shocked — especially during the first year. We were so busy, with so many classes, including languages, that I thought I wouldn’t survive. Then I realized that a broad variety of courses actually help you to broaden your worldview, look at the world from different angles. It was a good experience; tough, but very useful.

Alina Polyakova | Russia
Class of 2019

SGIA is an innovative attempt at an integrated English-medium study program for Russian-speaking and non-Russian-speaking students alike.

Benjamin Pegon | France / the United Kingdom
Class of 2019

Russia is a country I enjoy being in, but it is easy to get lost at first as few people speak English. However, when I did travel, I absolutely loved it! You don’t always need to travel far to get new experiences, as Moscow is absolutely massive! There is always something interesting going on in Moscow, and it feels like the capital of Eurasia, not just the capital of Russia. Every time I come back to the city, I feel like I have the time of my life.

Felix Portier | Switzerland / Chile
Class of 2019

A very interesting aspect of studying in MGIMO is that it has partnerships with many of the best universities in the world, so you can apply for an exchange semester or do a double degree in Paris, Rome, the USA etc. Last but not least, MGIMO also has excellence in language teaching, and in fact it holds the Guinness world record for the number of languages taught in a university: 53!

Vitalija Kuprenaite | Sweden
Class of 2018

I absolutely loved it. It was a good four years. It was rich in new knowledge and left me with unforgettable memories of student life and dorm life. The SGIA curriculum covered a lot of diverse subject matter. As for me, it sparked my attraction towards criminal law.

Mariana Corea | Nicaragua
Class of 2017

They advertised what was truly available. Student support was certainly great, they arranged various seminars, workshops and so on. The university is really up for supporting the students, ultimately it is down to each individual to reach their goals but all the tools were there. Meaning that if a student truly wants to achieve something, they have such an opportunity to do so, thanks to the resources that are available in the university. The dean’s office was very supportive and also impartial in advising us if we had any academic issue. I felt that the students were always the priority.

Felix Porret | France
Class of 2018

The SGIA course completely met my expectations, I found it quite deep and comprehensive. The main advantage of this type of course is its multi-disciplinary nature that allows you to choose a follow-on Master’s program from a wide variety of options based on your knowledge of International Relations. The fact that you are studying with students from different countries and with varied backgrounds is also a plus: it helps you to understand and see things from a different angle and to build and maintain a very interesting international network.

Boian Venev | Bulgaria
Class of 2018

MGIMO did meet my expectations. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of international students. The course of study was very diverse and engaging. In addition, I got the chance to live in Moscow and travel a lot around Russia.

Jin Sun Park | South Korea
Class of 2018

MGIMO provided me with a strong background in international affairs. It also allowed me to meet with inspiring Russian and international experts, interact with students from various countries, and understand Russia and its position on key international issues and trends.

Christian Wollny | Germany / USA
Class of 2018

I would argue that what I learned outside of the lecture hall was more important than what I learned inside. MGIMO and SGIA have a lot to offer to the interested and engaged students who look beyond just passing time in the classroom. SGIA gives you the opportunity to meet some interesting and/or famous people and travel around the world, experiencing firsthand what it means to be a diplomat. Come my third year, I had no real idea what I wanted to do after graduation.

Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations

About

Student Ambassadors

Student Ambassador: Ekaterina Chabykina

Student Ambassador: Yana Elbert

Alumni Speak