12 Master's Programmes You Didn't Expect to Find at the HSE
The Higher School of Economics, in keeping with its name, has long been a university where people study subjects well outside the realm of economics and the social sciences. One can understand how broad the spectrum of educational programmes is by looking at the HSE’s graduate school, where it is possible to learn how to work in the most diverse areas – from the nano-industry to art auctions.
Foresighter
Graduates of the English-language Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation Master’s Programme are in fact able to foresee the future – more precisely, to see those technologies and research areas that humanity will need most in the coming decades. It is specifically the ‘foresighters’ who determine, for example, which industry the country takes its chances on, and they dictate the trends in science in economics. In addition, they find the most demonstrably successful start-ups among the hundreds that exist, and these foresighters take innovative ideas from their conceptualization stage to their full implementation. With such knowledge and abilities, they can work in a large technology corporation, in governmental positions, or in science.
Language of study: English.
Data Scientist
The Data Science Master’s Programme brings together the experience of leading companies – Yandex, ABBYY, Infobright – and leading international universities – the University of Blaise Pascal (France), University of Texas (U.S.), KU Leuven (Belgium), TU Dresden (Germany). Students of the programme study computational architecture, modern programming methods, data storage and retrieval, and mathematical methods for modelling and forecasting. The programme is built to have a trajectory for both analysts (the creators of mathematical models and methods) and developers (the creators of intelligent systems). Programme graduates can find themselves in practically any field – from medicine to modelling Internet search engines.
Language of study: English.
Neuropsychologist
For thousands of years, scientists have been trying to uncover the motives and decode the signals that cause a person to do things that form memory, emotion, and cognitive ability. Students of the English-language Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition Master’s Programme can ‘see’ inside the human brain with the help of the latest equipment, such as that used for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Get into the programme and you can rightfully be called ‘the ruler of the minds.’
Language of study: English.
Computational Linguist
At a time when some people think that the computer can already pass as a human, the task of finding a common language with this computer takes on an entirely practical meaning. People have a use for ‘interpreters’ who can translate from a computer language into human language and back. The Computational Linguistics Master’s Programme of HSE’s Faculty of Philology was created specifically to prepare such specialists. Companies involved in managing textual content or analysing unstructured data (brokerage firms, head-hunters, or legal advisers), jump at the programme’s graduates, and this naturally includes giants in the field of automatic text processing, such as Yandex and ABBYY.
Languages of study: Russian and English.
For more information on English-language Master's programmes at HSE click here.
Art Director
In just two years of study, students of the Communication Design Master’s Programme not only polish their design talents, but also master the science of leading creative teams in design studios, advertising and branding agencies, as well as organizations that carry out publishing and PR activities independently. This means students will be able to put together and lead a working group capable of thinking up and implementing complex design projects with their conceptual, technological and economic groundwork.
Language of study: Russian.
Auctioneer
Graduates of the History of Artistic Culture and the Art Market Master's Programme understand what lies behind the strange word ‘rheology’ and are able to examine works of art and antiques. They know how to properly organize an exhibition space and effectively carry out business art projects. Graduates of the programme are even capable of writing criticism when needed. The renowned Sotheby's Institute of Art (London) directly participated in developing the programme, and students can to do an internship at the institute and even find a job there.
Language of study: Russian.
Islamic Law Expert
You have likely heard of Sharia, but did you know that certain elements of Islamic law, the foundations of which were laid in the Middle Ages, are also used today in the jurisprudence of not only Muslim countries but also of European ones and in some Russian regions? In the Islamic Law Master’s Programme, the student will learn what waqf is, how to resolve family and property relations in Muslim families and how to do business with banks and investment funds of countries where usury and risk transactions are prohibited.
Language of study: Russian.
Metrologist
The Higher School of Economics has an entire array of engineering programmes. One of such programmes, the Measuring Technology in Nano-manufacturing Master’s Programme, saw the participation of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Optical and Physical Measurements in its creation. The programme’s students will literally set the standards for the use of modern technology. A significant part of training will involve practical exercises on the most modern equipment. It will not be difficult for well qualified metrologists to find a job, as they are sought after by enterprises of the defence, nuclear, aerospace, electronic and related industries. And it is possible that a student will go directly to the Federal Agency on Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart).
Language of study: Russian.
Visual Culture Specialist
Visual imagery and visual perception are increasingly impacting the life of modern society – in art and politics, in science and advertising, on television and in urban areas. In the Visual Culture Master’s Programme, students will gain skills in ‘visual literacy,’ as well as be able to read and interpret visual information and understand how it affects people’s daily behaviour and habits. Graduates can then apply their acquired knowledge in the field of education, as well as in the development of advertising strategies, social programmes, political campaigns, film, journalism, design, architecture and museology.
Language of study: Russian.
Specialist in Evaluating Educational Achievement and Qualifications
Do not be turned off by the long name – graduates of the Measurement in Psychology and Education Master's Programme will definitely be in demand with companies and in the general and higher education system. After all, businesses need specialists who can assess the level of employees’ skills and expertise, indicate gaps in their professional training and help eliminate these gaps. Additionally, the government needs experts to develop professional standards and a proper way of evaluating the quality of school education (even the Russian Unified State Exam (USE) is constantly improving).
Language of study: Russian.
Urbanist
We all want to live in beautiful, comfortable and intelligently designed cities. Real urbanists are trained in the Urban Development and Spatial Planning Master’s Programme. In their work, urbanists must take into account the social, economic and cultural processes that affect the life of a city and choose a suitable location for each of these processes. It is for that reason that students in the programme not only study modern concepts of the city and gain practical knowledge in the field of spatial planning and zoning, but also carry out urban research.
Language of study: Russian.
Language Arts Instructor
Russia was once considered the most well-read country in the world. Is the same true today? Is what’s most important what and how Russians read, how they comprehend what they read and who they can teach all of this to? HSE’s Hermeneutics in the Language Arts Master’s Programme was started specifically for teachers of literature – not only for those interested in mechanisms of analysing literary texts, but also for those who, in addition to teaching, would like do research and write articles. This, incidentally, is what many pre-revolutionary teachers did as well. One of the programme’s objectives is to return a lost art to the modern educator.
Language of study: Russian.