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Question: I am an international student hoping to study at the St Petersburg Masters program for International Relations. I am currently studying Russian but am not yet very good. I will be entering St Petersburg in early February next year to take preparatory and language courses for a few months. I will be sponsored by by government, and will take the fee-paid course. However, I am worried I may not be able to acquire TORFL Level 2 by the admissions application date. If I acquire TORFL Level 1 by that time, can I still be accepted to your school? I am going to study hard and try to acquire Level 2 by next year, but I am still very worried. Thank you for your assistance.
The answer of Vice Rector of Academic Affairs Marina Lavrikova: Admission to SPbU is conducted on competitive basis on base of admissions examinations results. The entrance examinations list is confirmed by the Admission Committee of SPbU. Applicants who successfully passed the entrance tests are enrolled in SPbU. To be admitted to the main educational Master programme "International Relations" on fee-paying (contractual) basis in 2013 foreign citizens had to pass entrance exams on Russian in oral-written form (level TRFL-2). In 2013 SPbU also held admission of foreign students to places financed from the Federal budget on basis of official assignment letters issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. To be enrolled to the places financed by Russian Federation budget foreign citizens had to prepare a motivation letter, complete an individual task and write an essay. The results were estimated with due consideration of Russian language proficiency level. Admission Committee paid attention to the skills of the candidate such as being able to express his point of view in Russian , to argue his position basing in scientific concepts, to describe the problem on theoretical level. These skills were supposed to demonstrate the Russian language proficiency level of the candidate.
Information on Russian as foreign language courses can be found here.
Please note that in 2013 SPbU held admission to main educational master programme "International Relations" instructed in English. To be admitted to this programme candidates had to take part in the portfolio competition.
Information on admission procedures for foreign citizens to SPbU in 2013 can be found here. Admission procedures to SPbU in 2014 will be published on SPbU Admission Committee webpage not later than 01.02.2014.