Voronezh State University

1 Universitetskaya pl., Voronezh 394018, Russia

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Overview

Voronezh State University, established in 1918, is a research-focused institution of higher learning located in the city of Voronezh in the European part of Russia. With over 21,000 students, it is a vibrant center of academics, sports, and culture in its city.

The organizational structure of the academic and research side of Voronezh State University contains 18 Faculties (including Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Geology, History, Journalism, Law, Mathematics, and Philosophy and Psychology), 6 Research Institutes, and 16 Research Lab...

University Highlight

Establishment year	1918 (roots can be traced back to 1802)
Total Students	21,000+
International Students	1,000 (number of international graduates per year)
QS World University Rankings 2024	1201-1400
Campus Size	N/A
Total Number of Campuses	1 (academic buildings spread throughout the city of Voronezh)
University Website	https://www.vsu.ru/english/
No. of Schools and Divisions	18 Faculties and 6 Research Institutes
Nobel Prize Winner Alumni	1 (Pavel Cherenkov)
No. of Education Programs	49 (undergraduate), 138 (Master’s), 15 (PhD), 11 (Specialist)
Student to Faculty ratio	13:1

Course Highlight

Voronezh State University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses through 18 Faculties, which are further subdivided into Departments.

The Faculty of Applied Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics provides UG and PG taught and research programs through seven Departments: Mathematics and Applied Analysis, Computational Mathematics and Applied Information Technologies, Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Computer Software, Technical Cybernetics and Control Theory, System Analysis and Control, and Software Development and Information Systems Administration.
The Faculty of Chemistry conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through six Departments: Analytical Chemistry, High Molecular Compounds and Colloids, General and Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science and NanosystemsTechnologies, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry.
The Faculty of Computer Sciences teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research via its five Departments: Information Systems, Programming and Information Technology, Digital Technology, Information Security and Processing Technologies, and Information Technologies in Management.
The Faculty of Economics provides UG and PG taught and research programs through eleven Departments: Economic Analysis and Audit, Economics and Organization Management, Accountancy, Credit and Finance, Regional Economics and Territorial Administration, Labour Economics and Management, Information Technology and Mathematical Methods for Economics, Human Resource Management, Marketing, General Economic Theory, Economic Theory and International Economics.
The Faculty of Geography, Geo-ecology and Tourism conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through five Departments: Geo-ecology and Environmental Monitoring, Physical Geography and Landscape Optimization, Human Geography and Regional Studies, Natural Resource Management, and Recreational Geography, Country Studies and Tourism.
The Faculty of Geology provides UG and PG taught and research programs through seven Departments: General Geology and Geodynamics, Historical Geology and Paleontology, Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, Mineral Resources and Mineral Management Studies, Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology and Geoecology, Environmental Geology, and Geophysics.
The Faculty of History conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through eight Departments: Russian History, Contemporary Russian History, Historiography and Records Management, Modern and Contemporary World History, Archaeology and Ancient History, Medieval History and Foreign Slavic Studies, Political History, and Sociology and Political Studies.
The Faculty of International Relations provides UG and PG taught and research programs through three Departments: International Relations and Global Politics, International Economics and International Business, and Regional Studies and National Economies.
The Faculty of Journalism conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through six Departments: History of Journalism, Theory and Practice of Journalism, TV and Broadcast Journalism, Design and Advertising, Public Relations, and Stylistics and Literary Editing Journalism.
The Faculty of Law teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research via its eleven Departments: Theory and History of State and Law, Administrative and Municipal Law, Criminal Procedure, Employment Law, Criminal Law, Criminalistics, Civil Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law of the Russian Federation and Foreign Countries, Organization of the Judicial Power and Law Enforcement Activities, International and Eurasian Law, and Financial Law.
The Faculty of Mathematics provides UG and PG taught and research programs through six Departments: Algebra and Topological Analysis Methods, Geometry and Functional Theory, Mathematical Analysis, Mathematical Modeling, Operational Equation Studies and Functional Analysis, and Partial Differential Equation Studies and Relativity Theory.
The Faculty of Medicine and Biology conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through twelve Departments: Biophysics and Biotechnology, Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Zoology and Parasitology, Ecology and Systematics of Invertebrates, Botany and Mycology, Biochemistry and Cell Physiology, Human and Animal Physiology, Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Soil Studies and Land Resources Management, Ecology and Land Resources, Molecular Biotechnology, and Medical Subjects.
The Faculty of Military Education provides UG and PG taught and research programs through two Departments: the Reserve Officer Training Department, and the Military Training Centre.
The Faculty of Pharmaceutics conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through four Departments: Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Economics and Management in Pharmaceutics and Pharmacognosy, Clinical Pharmacology, and Pharmacology.
The Faculty of Philology provides UG and PG taught and research programs through nine Departments: Russian Language, Russian Literature, Slavic Philology, Foreign Literature, Russian Literature of XX–XXI Centuries, Theory of Literature and Folklore, Humanities and Arts, General Linguistics and Stylistics, and Publishing.
The Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through five Departments: Cultural Studies, General and Social Psychology, History of Philosophy, Ontology and Epistemology, and Pedagogy and Pedagogical Psychology.
The Faculty of Physics teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research via its ten Departments: Mathematical Physics, General Physics, Optics and Spectroscopy, Semiconductors and Microelectronics, Radiophysics, Solid State and Nanostructure Physics, Theoretical Physics, Experimental Physics, Electronics, and Nuclear Physics.
The Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology provides UG and PG taught and research programs through eight Departments: English Philology, German Philology, Romance Philology, French Philology, Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Translation and professional communication, English for Arts Faculties, and English for Science Faculties.

Eligibility Criteria

All international applicants to Voronezh State University must satisfy the following criteria:

Fluency in Russian: The minimum level required is B1, which allows students to follow coursework and manage social situations with ease.
Possession of a foreign passport: The international passport of any applicant must be valid for at least one and a half years after the expected date of arrival in Russia.
A letter from a local or international sponsor, if required, to show that the applicant has access to the funds needed to complete the course and to pay accommodation and living fees.

In addition, applicants to different courses must be able to submit proof of qualifications gained. For example, postgraduate applicants must be able to show a degree certificate and academic transcripts, duly certified by the issuing authorities. Undergraduate applicants need to submit a high school year 12 leaving certificate. Competitive courses may mandate a certain minimum level of performance in prerequisite subjects.

Admission

International applicants to VSU must start by filling out the online application form on the university's website. The following steps are involved:

Uploading the relevant documents required. In addition to certified degree certificates and transcripts (these can be in either English or Russian; no translation is required if they are in either of these languages), candidates must also upload passport scans, Russian language certificates, and a letter from the sponsor, if any.
The deadline for application is July 15.
Once the relevant Department has shortlisted the best applications and conducted online entrance tests, if any, the University issues invitation letters. This process usually takes 30-40 days after the decision is made, and these documents are sent out from June to August.
Selected candidates can apply for a Russian student visa with the letter of invitation.
Fees for the first year can be paid online prior to arrival, or in cash after arriving at Voronezh State University. This is the final step that confirms admission.

Fees

Undergraduate tuition fees at VSU vary according to Faculty and Department. Some indicative numbers before give the range of annual fees for international students:

The lowest tuition fees are $2,000 per year, for courses in Tourism and Journalism.
The Bachelor’s degree in Geography has tuition fees of $2,100 per year.
Several programs have annual tuition fees of $2,150, including Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Geology, Soil Studies, and Biology.

Master’s program tuition fees for international students also vary by Department:

The Master’s degree in Tourism has tuition fees of $2,050 per year.
Some programs have tuition fees of $2,300 per year; for example: Geology, Soil Studies, and Geography.
Some programs have tuition fees of $2,750 per year, including Medical Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Cybernetics.

There are three accommodation options available to students of Voronezh State University, each with their own associated costs. The most popular option is renting a flat near the city center, which comes to 250-400 Euros per month for a maximum of 4000 Euros per year for ten months spent on campus. Campus dormitories are cheaper, but have limited spaces and do not offer food. International students can also stay with host families; this option costs roughly the same as renting a flat. Students must also budget for food, travel, and personal costs, which usually come to a fraction of the accommodation cost. The University estimates that these other living costs add up to 10,000 rubles (approximately 125 USD) per month, not including annual insurance purchases.

Campus facilities

VSU is unique among other top Russian universities in that it has a large number of museums on campus, which together enable interested students to learn much more about certain subjects, and appreciate the history of the University more deeply. The different collections are housed in the Anatomy Museum, the Museum of Books, the Museum of University History, the Ethnographic Museum, the Zoological Museum, and many more.

There are sports and fitness options for all levels of skill at the University, from novice to advanced. The Sports Club organizes regular training and match fixtures in several disciplines, including aerobics, athletics, badminton, chess, football, sambo, swimming, table tennis, tennis, wrestling, and volleyball. These are all free, and there are many excellent gyms and fitness clubs in the city of Voronezh, near the University. The best athletes compete in inter-faculty championships in all these sports. For recreational fitness enthusiasts, the city has many reasonably priced swimming pool memberships, with kayaking clubs, athletics, skiing, and cycling options available.

Elite athletes abound at the University, with hundreds of nationally ranked players in different sports, and 18 National champions enrolled at VSU. To hone the skills of all skilled players, the VSU University Olympics are held every year, in 14 different sports. A total of 2000+ students take part in these.

Cultural clubs at VSU organize regular training sessions and events in various areas like fine arts, performing arts, dance, and theater. These clubs come together to organize unique events like the Theater of Equals, where disabled actors perform at an equal footing with other actors. This allows equal access to cultural performances for all talented students of the university and is a major step towards creating a truly inclusive atmosphere. VSU is also a partner of the Platonov Arts Festival, and is therefore a member of the larger cultural landscape of the city of Voronezh.

The Joint Students' Board of VSU coordinates the activities of all student clubs, organizes events related to extracurricular activities, and makes plans for the development of student organizations e.g. through additional resources required.

The VSU Volunteer Club is the umbrella organization for most social work activities on campus. Through this, students can volunteer to spend their spare time helping towards good causes in the environmental, charitable, and educational spheres.

Scholarship

The flagship financial award for international students at VSU is the Oxford Russia Fund (ORF) Scholarship. Master’s and Doctoral students in the Humanities are eligible to apply, and it covers tuition fees related to these degrees. The selection procedure is extremely robust, with applicants going through a first selection stage within Voronezh State University, followed by a national selection round in Moscow. The final round of interviews happens in London. Winners of this scholarship also receive other benefits such as academic mobility: they can take part in an exchange program with another elite university in a partner country.