Education

We are one of the most multidisciplinary faculties at HSE.

This is thanks to the 2014 merger of the faculties of Sociology, Applied Political Science, Psychology, State and Municipal Administration, as well as laboratories, research centres and institutes.

The Faculty of Social Sciences implements:

  • 5 

    Bachelor’s Programmes

  • 19 

    Master’s Programmes

  • 5 

    Doctoral Programmes

The programme trains professionals with a deep knowledge of social sciences and advanced competencies in data analysis and mathematical modelling. Students who want to dive deeper into the nuances of quantitative data analysis and programming can pursue a dedicated track in Applied Mathematics and Informatics.

This programme trains high-class managers capable of working at all levels of public service, in private companies, and in organisations in the non-profit sector. Graduates of the programme are fluent not only in management theory, but also in methods of managerial decision-making in stable conditions and crises alike.

The innovative programme, which is implemented at the Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with the Institute for Applied Political Studies, combines fundamental and practice-oriented training. Along with the study of such disciplines as political technologies, modern Russian politics, comparative politics, and political theory, students gain knowledge of economics, sociology, law, statistics, and programming languages.

This programme was developed with consideration of the structure and content of training systems in leading Russian, European and American universities. It trains researchers and practitioners specialising in the fields of cognitive, social and organisational psychology, personality psychology and psychological counselling. Students become experts in the latest interdisciplinary areas at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, economics, mathematics and sociology.

This programme trains specialists with the skills necessary to analyse and make recommendations in the economic, political and social spheres. It combines teaching, research, and practice. Students have the opportunity to get involved in research activities and develop project work skills by collaborating with leading Russian marketing companies and scientific and educational laboratories.

This programme trains graduates to work in federal state agencies, local government, state and municipal institutions, public sector entities, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and various analytical structures, as well as private firms that often do business with government agencies.

A distinctive feature of the programme is that brings in public administration professionals to teach, thereby allowing students to develop relevant skills in public administration in combination with fundamental theoretical knowledge.

The programme trains demographers in two tracks: Demography in Sociology and Demography in Economics.

The master’s programme in Demography is focused on training highly qualified specialists with in-depth knowledge of demographic trends, analytical and theoretical methods, and fundamental training in sociology and economics. During their studies, students will gain skills that allow them to process and analyse information about the population (including big data), organise and conduct socio-demographic surveys, and apply a variety of methodological tools to solve practical and research problems.

This programme is a balanced combination of three blocks of disciplines aimed at developing cognitive competencies in social theory, fundamental training in methods of sociological study, and the development of professional analytical skills and practical competencies. Students can enhance their knowledge and skills thanks to a broad spectrum of optional applied disciplines.

One of the programme’s key advantages is the combination of fundamental theoretical training with education in methods of sociological research at an advanced level.

This programme trains professionals in the field of practical, academic and hermeneutic personality psychology. Students obtain unique experience in research, and at the same time, consulting skills in the field of patient-centred treatment, existential analysis and transactional analysis (elective chosen by the student). Graduates are employed in the fields of psychological research, psychological consulting, non-medical psychotherapy and life-coaching.

The Master’s in Population and Development programme is intended for individuals with different backgrounds who want to understand the connections between development and population growth. The programme provides a strong background in both the theory and history of population development issues together with a grounding in contemporary approaches to analysing and projecting population structure and resource requirements.

Positive psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on studying the quality of life, as well as humans’ health and well-being. It seeks to answer fundamental questions like: “How do you live a good, decent life?” “How do you find enjoyment and meaning?” “Where can you find life’s positives?” “How do you develop as a person and contribute to the life of your loved ones and society?” The Positive Psychology Master’s Programme aims to train competitive specialists in the positive psychology of personality and motivation under the guidance of the field’s leading Russian and foreign specialists. The programme also offers an opportunity to receive a second diploma from Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge/Paris).

The Master’s Programme ‘Politics. Economics. Philosophy’ offers training that cuts across core disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. This programme combines attention to current challenges and an emphasis on rigorous social research methods in order to produce evidence-based policy advice and expertise with sensitivity to normative and ethical issues required to implement policies in the real world. In this respect, the Master’s Programme ‘Politics. Economics. Philosophy’ follows in the traditions of the great thinkers of the past (‘standing on the shoulders of giants’) and the spirit and purpose of the Oxford-style ‘Politics, Philosophy, and Economics’ (PPE) programmes to address the pressing issues of today.

The key aim of the programme is to train modern market analysts who will be able to combine basic theoretical knowledge in economic theory and economic sociology received during their undergraduate programme with modern methods of data collection and analysis and practical marketing skills. Hence, this course combines theoretical, methodological and applied training, gives the students some space for academic development and most importantly, opens opportunities for employment in the applied research market.

Applied Politics is a unique Master’s programme offered at HSE, where:

— the latest advances in political science are taught, relying primarily on recent publications from leading international journals;

— students have an opportunity to develop their skills in quantitative analysis;

— the best specialists with practical experience in regional studies, GR and government decision-making technologies offer quality instruction to students.

Graduates can apply their acquired knowledge and skills in such areas as political consulting, expert review and analysis, and mass media, as well as participate directly in various types of research projects. Furthermore, the programme offers broad opportunities for learners to continue their studies in HSE’s doctoral programmes, as well as PhD programmes at internationally renowned universities.

The Applied Statistics with Network Analysis Master’s programme is for students who wish to develop their statistical knowledge and credentials by obtaining a graduate degree in Applied Statistics, regardless of their primary field of study. Given the focus of the ANR-Lab, an emphasis on network analytic methods will further enhance the programme’s offering, since networks recently became a popular source of data in a variety of fields.

The Applied Social Psychology programme is an online Master’s programme offered by the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences, which explores different fields within social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, economic psychology, and work and organizational psychology.

Taught in Russian by world-renowned scholars in social science, it is a unique master’s programme that gives students the opportunity to choose which areas they want to focus on, as well as the ability to complement their training in social psychology with minors in management, sociology, economics, and other disciplines.

The programme brings together representatives of various psychoanalytic approaches and trains a new generation of psychoanalytic psychotherapists who think creatively and feel deeply. We offer a large-scale programme of seminars and master-classes with leading foreign experts, as well as the newest techniques and practices of teaching.

Psychoanalytic coaching and business consulting is a new and unique field of study in Russia. Its development was facilitated by close cooperation between the HSE University Department of Psychoanalysis and Business Consulting and INSEAD, the leading French business school, as well as business consultants, executive coaches, and the heads of HR departments at international and Russian companies. Our students work closely with our international colleagues to gain unique experience and knowledge, and to expand their understanding of international coaching and psychoanalytic business consulting practices.

This programme aims to train expert psychologists for work in businesses including profit making companies, firms and other institutions aimed at production of goods and services. In international practice such experts are called business psychologists. The main subject area of theoretical and practical education within the course is related to the psychology of business—a modern branch of psychology which is at the cross-section of organizational and social psychology, labour psychology and psychology of personality, as well as economics, sociology and management. Much attention is paid to the problems of economic psychology related to the study of economic conscience of personality and society as well as the psychology of entrepreneurship and consumer behaviour psychology.

This programme trains specialists in providing psychological help in cases of marital conflict and problems associated with child-parent interaction, a child’s emotional development and behavior, and starting a family. Students are trained in modern methods of studying family systems and their structure and interaction, and in methods for evaluating the effectiveness of psychotherapy. It is the only programme of its kind in Russia which meets the standards of the Training Institutes Chamber of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA-TIC).

This programme aims to train highly-qualified experts who will be able to understand the system of political challenges facing individuals, society and the state in the modern world.
The programme is aimed at secondary school teachers of social science. During the course, the student will develop expert skills in political science. The programme includes a research seminar dedicated to methods of teaching political science in secondary school. After studying the compulsory and elective disciplines, graduates will be able not only to understand the most complex processes of global political development but to explain their essence to a wider audience.

The master’s programme in Sociology of Public Sphere and Digital Analytics offers two tracks –Sociology of the Public Sector and Digital Analytics of Social Processes. The programme focuses on training sociologists and analysts who are able to articulate social issues, set appropriate tasks and conduct analytical research, as well as provide sociological and socio-humanitarian expertise for social projects at various levels, including society-wide, local community and organizational.

The Master’s programme in Comparative Social Research provides students with the theoretical and methodological skills they need to investigate and analyse similarities and differences among nations, cultures, and other social groups in order to understand the evolution of contemporary societies, social issues, and conflicts around the globe. Students have the opportunity to engage in an international learning environment, with lecturers and other learners from all over the world. They also take part in international research projects, participate in research internships, either in Russia or at one of our partner institutions abroad, as well as have an opportunity to earn a second degree in Germany or France through one of our double degree tracks.

Health Care Administration and Economy is the first master’s programme in Russia aimed at professional economists with experience in health care administration. The programme aims to give students practical management skills and advanced knowledge on modern methods of administration. The students are directly involved in the process of developing the most progressive methods for solving current problems in health care. A unique combination of theoretical and applied disciplines, as well as compulsory practice in health care administration bodies, medical institutions and insurance companies will prepare managers to face contemporary challenges.

The Doctoral School in public and municipal administration trains highly qualified specialists in the field of public administration capable of conducting independent scientific research on topical issues of public administration. Students will develop their competencies in scientific, expert-analytical, consulting, scientific and pedagogical activities, as well as in education, rule-making, law enforcement, organisation and management.

The school offers opportunities to conduct research at the intersection of sciences using a multidisciplinary approach. After their defence, students receive a PhD Diploma in Education. Postgraduate students have the opportunity to study for free, and can get involved in various activities at the Institute of Education.

The Doctoral School of Political Sciences was built to serve as a united school of political science at the university. It unites faculties and campuses, graduate students, supervisors, professors and teachers involved in the implementation of postgraduate training programmes for scientific and pedagogical staff in the fields of political science and regional studies.

The Doctoral School offers a doctoral training programme in a wide range of specialties within the psychological sciences. The school’s main priority is to involve doctoral students in promising interdisciplinary research projects in the areas of modern psychology, sociology, economics, linguistics, and neuroscience. Doctoral students will have the opportunity to attend courses and seminars in English and to participate in internships in leading Russian and European university laboratories that collaborate with the Faculty of Psychology.

The Doctoral School of Sociology offers a full-time doctoral programme and full-time advanced doctoral programme at HSE University’s Moscow and St Petersburg campuses. Doctoral students can choose one of the following sociology tracks: the theory, methodology and history of sociology; economic sociology and demography; and social structure, social institutes and processes.