Fall 2021 applications are now open! Learn about the program at the upcoming webinar | Sign up now
Recently ranked first place in Forbes' "Universities for the Future Elite: 100 Best Russian Universities According to Forbes – 2020" ranking, National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University) is a leading university for multidisciplinary research, international cooperation, and digital education in Russia. A dynamic institution serving more than 40,000 students at campuses in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm, HSE University is a leader in combining Russia’s education traditions with the best international practices in teaching and research.
HSE’s Master of Data Science is the first fully English-taught online data science Master’s from a Russian university. Unlike many online degrees in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, this degree has no on-campus requirements. All meetings, coursework, and live class sessions are taught in English and replicate the practitioner’s work environment of real data scientists using Python, Github, and modern apps like Slack and Zoom.
HSE has partnerships with some of Russia’s largest and most impressive technology companies, such as Yandex. HSE’s Yandex partnership is a deep collaboration, with several faculty members working concurrently at Yandex and HSE. In this degree, you will complete applied projects designed with HSE in collaboration with its industrial partners.
This degree is designed for students with or without prior coding experience. HSE provides a career-relevant curriculum for analysts, data and computer scientists, software engineers, academic researchers, or machine learning engineers by utilizing three distinct tracks: Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, and Researcher in Data Science.
Throughout the degree, students are paired with faculty member advisors and industry experts as they work through their final project, which involves solving a real-world problem with techniques taught in the program. Students benefit by making connections with faculty members and learning from some of the most impressive technology companies in Russia and beyond. In addition, they are encouraged to connect with faculty during live class sessions and weekly office hours with tools like Slack and Zoom.
Depends on geographic location | Subject to change with currency exchange rate | Any currency exchange commissions charged shall be borne by students
Fall 2021 cohort applications are now open! The deadline is June 17, 2021
To get started, please visit the application page and register for an account.
If you have any questions about the admissions process or the program, please do not hesitate to get in touch via mds@hse.ru.
Ready to become an expert in data science? Prospective students can take courses from HSE before they commit to the MDS degree. HSE courses on Coursera will cover topics such as discrete mathematics, calculus, and linear algebra, in the form of video lectures, readings, and quizzes.
The Specialization, Mathematics for Data Science, is now open for enrollment on Coursera. There are four courses in this Specialization – Discrete Math and Analyzing Social Graphs, Calculus and Optimization for Machine Learning, First Steps in Linear Algebra for Machine Learning, and Probability Theory, Statistics and Exploratory Data Analysis.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning. Credit transfers will not be available for the first two cohorts.
HSE welcomes students with bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in any field. The admissions process includes an exam that tests basic mathematics proficiency.
Learn more about AdmissionsThis program emphasizes hands-on, project-based training. The curriculum features math, programming, and algorithm-focused courses. Students that do not have a degree in computer science can learn these concepts as they complete the courses.
Learn more about AcademicsThe MDS prepares students for successful careers in fields like analytics, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence, research, and academia.
Learn more about CareersLearn more than just theory. Solve real-world DS problems with experts from academia and leading technology companies like Yandex, completely online through live chats and video conferences.
Learn more about Student ExperienceFounded in 1992, National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University) is one of the largest and most prestigious institutions of higher education in Russia.
Learn more about HSE UniversityRegister for an open course from HSE University to see if the Master of Data Science is right for you.
Learn more about HSE courses on CourseraAdmissions Webinar (Option 1) @ 10 am Moscow Time | Sign up now
Admissions Webinar (Option 2) @ 7 pm Moscow Time | Sign up now
Fall 2021 application deadline
Read about how HSE's online Master of Data Science program helped Alexey Babenkov, a student in the inaugural cohort, gain new knowledge and skills and secure a new job.
HSE University is now 31st place in the QS Top 50 Under 50 Ranking, climbing seven places from last year, even in the face of growing competition.
Read about how HSE's online Master of Data Science program helped Alexey Babenkov, a student in the inaugural cohort, gain new knowledge and skills and secure a new job.
HSE University is now 31st place in the QS Top 50 Under 50 Ranking, climbing seven places from last year, even in the face of growing competition.
To be considered for admission, you must have a bachelor’s degree or a master's degree and fill out an application form. You must also pass an online entrance exam.
Once you receive your login and password to access the application portal, you’ll need to complete and sign hard copies of the the following documents (all documents are available at https://www.hse.ru/en/ma/mds/apply):
You must submit scanned copies of your documentation by December 10th, 2020. You should also aim to submit hard copies of your documents by December 10th to to HSE at the following address: Online Master of Data Science Faculty of Computer Science NRU HSE Pokrovsky Boulevard, 11 Moscow, Russia 109028.
Please note that if you are successfully admitted to the programme (the list of recommended for enrollment will be published on December 28th), you will also need to submit hard copies of the following documents to HSE in order to be officially enrolled in the Spring 2021 cohort. While HSE will be accepting hard copies of your documents until January 25, 2021, you must submit scanned copies of your documents by December 10, 2020, before sending the hard copies to HSE. We recommend that you prepare them in advance:
If your Diploma is not issued in Russia, please, check the rules of legalization here: Legalization of documents
Yes, the program is conducted fully online.
Yes! To be admitted to the program, applicants must pass an entrance exam.
To study in the program, you don't need to have prior background in the Data Science field.
To be accepted into the program, you will need to take an entrance exam and pass the exam. The entrance exam tests your understanding of basic knowledge of mathematics. You can find the list of topics covered in the entrance exam, as well as references here. Additionally, an exam preparation webinar with an explanation of how to solve the exam tasks is available here.
Upon completion of the program, students receive a Master of Data Science degree from HSE University, issued by the Russian government. The online mode won’t be mentioned on the Diploma. You will receive the same Diploma as on-campus students.
It’ll be issued in Russian and you'll receive the Diploma Supplement (Supplement to Degree Certificate) — an official document that facilitates recognition of national higher education certificates in Europe and confirms students’ qualifications.
No, the GMAT/GRE are not required for the MDS program. Applicants will be required to complete an online exam that tests their proficiency in basic math.
You don't need to pass English proficiency tests or provide us with any certificates. The official language of the program is English and all courses and communication are conducted in English, so you need to have a sufficient level of the language to be able to complete the program successfully.
The program length is 2 years. You can’t complete the program earlier because all the courses have their own launch date and become available at the same time for all students.
The program is part-time, to complete it successfully, we recommend you to spend 20-30 hours on courses per week. However, the amount of time which you’ll need to devote to your study also depends on your background. Please, also note, that mostly all students study two courses in parallel.
Yes. There are students who successfully combine their work and study in our program.
All the lectures are pre-recorded and you can study the courses on your own schedule; however, there are special assignments that have strict deadlines. There are also several live events in each course. We highly recommend attending live sessions so that you can ask questions directly to the instructor and immediately get a response. Live events are conducted twice a day, to accommodate people from different time zones.
Spring 2021 tuition fees: 675,000 - 1,350,000 Russian rubles, depending on the applicant's geographic location.
No. The tuition is divided into 3 equal parts (by semesters).
No, but some tuition fee discounts are available on the basis of country of residence. The discount is valid for the whole period of your studies and the tuition fee is paid in 3 equal installments before each semester starts.
During the learning process, we host some career events on Zoom with our partners (e.g. Yandex). Also, career sessions from our program’s partners are available for the students with the best academic progress.
Yes, you can continue your studies as a PhD student after you complete the program, however, please note that the requirements for each position in different universities may vary.
Coursera does not grant credit, and does not represent that any institution other than the degree granting institution will recognize the credit or credential awarded by the institution; the decision to grant, accept, or transfer credit is subject to the sole and absolute discretion of an educational institution.
We encourage you to investigate whether this degree meets your academic and/or professional needs before applying.