Programme overview

Established in 1997 with academic support from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The main goal of the ICEF International Bachelor's Programme in Economics and Finance is the preparation of highly qualified specialists in the sphere of economics and finance. The programme combines the best of Russian and internationa higher education. The programme implements a unified integrated curriculum based on the educational standards in economics of both HSE and the University of London.

Our graduates hold profound knowledge in modern economic theory and its applications consistent with the international requirements. BSc graduates possess all necessary skills, qualification, and knowledge which allow them to start their professional or academic career in the global world in different language, cultural and professional environment.

The main academic principles of ICEF BSc programme are intellectual freedom and sell-fulfilment, critical approach to social and economic processes, high quality education and research, openness and transparency of teaching and assessment, equal high selection criteria and equal opportunities for all students and teachers.

Educational documents received (any combination of three degrees is possible):

ICEF BSc International Programme in economics and finance specifics

• ICEF BSc programme is a four-year programme.
• All courses are taught in English but students have an opportunity to gain knowledge in professional communication in Russian as well by selecting optional courses taught in Russian.
• The main professional subjects are taught by the professors with PhD degrees received in the leading international universities. All professors are selected on competitive basis by the ICEF International Academic Committee. The teachers of the programme are highly qualified specialists and researchers in their professional spheres. Moreover, there are visiting professors from leading Russian and foreign universities who also teach at ICEF.

Upon completion of the first year, students may enroll in the University of London’s international programme as independent learners. Enrollment in the University of London is based on the full completion of the first year programme of ICEF; ICEF students are not required to take additional entrance exams to the University of London. From the 2nd to the 4th year, students take exams at the University of London in addition to the HSE exams and receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of London at the end of their studies. There is no requirement to travel to the UK to take the University of London exams. Studying at the University of London is not a mandatory option: a student may not choose it or pay for it.

To study in the dual degree programme of HSE with the Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), you must complete the first year of the ICEF and pass the selection for the dual degree programme. In the 2nd and 3rd years, students of this program study full-time at SWUFE University, RIEM (Research Institute of Economics and Management) Faculty, Chengdu, China. In the 4th year, training takes place at the Moscow campus of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Students selected for the dual degree program do not pay additional tuition fees at the Chinese university.

When studying simultaneously at all three universities, graduates have an opportunity to receive three bachelor's degrees (Russian, Chinese and British).

• There is a double system of students’ knowledge assessment which guarantees its independence. It includes internal exams of HSE, ICEF international exams, external independent exams of the University of London international exams and International English Language Exam. Internal HSE exams take place two times a year (in the end of the academic year external exams are held: ICEF international exams and International English exam on the year 1) and the exams of the University of London once a year at the study years 2-4.
• BSc students are actively involved in research activities of ICEF by working in the international laboratories, working on specific research projects, writing term papers and bachelor theses under the supervision of ICEF full-time academics hired from the international labour market.

ICEF graduates

ICEF graduates possess necessary skills, qualification and knowledge needed for successful professional and academic career. The education based on international standards gives our graduates an opportunity to work in the biggest international commercial and investment banks, audit and consulting companies, corporations in different industries, government organisations and other companies.

Those graduates who are interested in academic career are admitted to the leading MSc and PhD programmes in the best Russian and foreign universities such as LSE, University of Oxford, MIT, University of Cambridge, University of California, Yale, Berkeley, London Business School, Imperial College London, Carnegie Mellon University, Bocconi University and other universities (about one third of all graduates every year). The most popular fields of study in which graduates continue their education are financial analysis, quantitative methods in finance, business analytics.