Faculty of Political Science

Dean: Prof. Andrey Yu. Shutov

The tradition of education in the field of political science was set up in Russia in 1755, when the department of political science was founded by M.V. Lomonosov together with the first ten departments of Moscow University. In the early nineteenth century there was a faculty of ethical and political sciences at Moscow University which trained students in various areas: political science, diplomacy, political economy etc.

Modern political science has been taught at MSU since 1989, when it was introduced to the Russian universities’ register of specializations and the Department of Political Science was opened at the Faculty of Philosophy.

The Faculty of Political Science was founded in 2008 in accordance with the decision of MSU Academic Council.

The mission of the faculty is to train specialists on the basis of the classical university traditions combining them with modern international expertise and innovative research in the field of practical politics.

Our graduates are highly-qualified specialists majoring in various specific subjects that a degree in Political Science embraces.

Our students specialize in the History and Theory of Politics, the History of Political Doctrines, Political Analysis and Forecasting, Comparative Politics, Political Conflictology, Political Sociology and Psychology, State Policy and Administration, World Politics, International Policy and Geopolitics, Political Processes in Russia, Electoral Systems and Election Processes, Political Informatics and Research and Information Analysis, Global Studies, Ecological Political Science.

The 5-year full-time Specialist’s Degree program in Political Science leads to the qualification “Politologist. Instructor in Political Science”.

Our curriculum includes the following blocks of disciplines:

• The Liberal Arts and Socioeconomic disciplines: Foreign Languages, Logic, Basics of Economics, Law, Theory and Practice of Argumentation, Microeconomics, Macroeconomic, etc. A course of one foreign language (English, German, or French) is obligatory, additional courses in other European languages and the English language in the sphere of professional communication are optional. Students may take up an optional course in translation: “English in the sphere of politics”, “Political Rhetoric: translation problems”, “Professional translation for politologists”.
• Science: Informatics and Basics of Programming, Mathematical Methods for Social Sciences and Humanities etc. Special stress is laid on methods and technologies of information processing.
• General professional disciplines: Theory of Politics, History of Political Doctrines, Political History of Russia, Political Relations and Processes in modern Russia, Political Analysis and Forecasting, Comparative Politics, World Politics and International Relations, Political Philosophy, Political psychology, Political Sociology, etc.
• Special professional disciplines: State Policy and Administration, Political Conflictology, Political Area Studies, Etnopolitology, etc.

We widely use innovative educational technologies, such as master classes of the leading specialists in the sphere of applied political science, business games, round-table discussions, students’ research projects and applications of modern interactive and multimedia technologies.

Senior students gain practical experience during their work placements and externships in the Presidential Administration, the RF Government, the State Duma, the Council of Federation, the Federal Assembly of RF, regional and local governmental institutions, offices of political parties and non-governmental organizations, information, analytical and PR-departments of leading Russian business corporations, political and consulting agencies, mass media, international organizations.

To meet the current needs of labor market, we have introduced a number of additional programs. To enroll on these programs students are to pay tuition fees.

The program ‘Political management and public relations” is to train specialists in the sphere of political administration and communication, who are highly demanded by administrative institutions at various levels of government, by political parties, social non-governmental associations, political consulting agencies and the media. Our students are taught a range of specialized courses: “Organization and planning of political PR campaigns”, “Political communications technologies”, “Election systems and electoral process”, “Theory and practice of public relations”, “Political advertising”, etc.

The program “Economic politics” is to train specialists in the sphere of strategic planning and administration, financial and economic analysis, development of the long-term programs of national economic development. Our students are taught special courses in “Income policy”, “Monetary management”, “Analyses and evaluation of political risks in economics”, etc., together with the traditional block of economics disciplines, such as “Political economy”, “Finances and credit”, “Accounting”, etc.

Students have an opportunity to gain practical experience during their work placements in governmental institutions: offices of RF Government, ministries and federal economic agencies. Graduates of the program work in large corporations, analytical and rating agencies, in public administration.

The program “ Ecological politics” deals with the sphere whose role was recognized many years ago abroad, but in Russia it is still comparatively new though receiving more and more recognition , as the growing demand for specialists shows. Our students are trained in development and realization of ecological politics, efficient management of natural resources, organization of public environmental campaigns. We teach courses “The concept and policy of sustained development”, “Environmental policy abroad”, “Environmental policy in Russia”.

The program “Political area studies and ethnopolitical science”is oriented at training specialists in the sphere of regional political processes in Russia and abroad. Among traditional disciplines the program covers highly demanded courses in “Ethnopolitical science”, “Geopolitics”, “Political processes in the former Soviet countries”.

The program “Political communication science” trains professionals in the sphere of information processing and communication, with a special stress on social and psychological aspects of political communication. Our graduates are highly demanded by the political media, press agencies, PR departments of the government and business companies.

We offer the following 2-year evening Master’s Degree programs: “Political analytics and informatics”, “Political communication and public relations”, “Electoral systems and election process”, “Human rights and democratization”. Graduates are awarded Master’s Degree in Political Science.

Traditionally, the Faculty of Political Science trains post-graduate and higher doctorate students for institutions of higher education, for research and analytical centers in Russia and abroad.

Our graduates compete successfully in the labor market. The faculty is planning to develop a complex program to assist graduates entering the workplace and seeking professional self-realization.