Final State Certification
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Master Thesis defense schedule
NOT LATER THAN APRIL 15
Changing the topic of the thesis. (until March 15 it is possible to change the supervisor) through the LMS. Instructions: https://confluence.hse.ru/x/dxXeAg
BY MAY 15 (18:00 Moscow time)
Uploading the final variant of the final thesis in LMS
Instructions on how to upload thesis in LMSPlease take this step responsibly, as the deadline final, without extending possibility. In case a student did not upload their thesis in time (for unexcused reasons and without warning the academic office in advance), they are not allowed to defend the thesis and are subject to dismissal from the University for failure to pass the state final attestation
MAY 20
The study office downloads the final versions of the theses from LMS and sends them to the reviewers. The reviewer's feedback will be available to you in the module "Thesis/Paper" in LMS no later than 5 days before the defense date.
5 DAYS PRIOR TO DEFENSE
Reading the supervisor's and reviewer's reviews in LMS
MAY 29 - JUNE 10
Thesis defenses in offline format
Webinar Materials with Students on April 23
The final state certification for includes the defense of the graduate qualification work (thesis).
Final State Certification at HSE University
Regulations on Final State Certification of Students in Bachelor’s, Specialist, and Master’s Degree Programmes
Admission to the Final State Certification
Students who have successfully completed the theoretical course of study and who have submitted their thesis with the supervisor's review by the deadline are allowed to take part in the FSC.
Those who are not admitted to the defense of a graduate thesis are expelled from HSE for failure to pass the FSC.
The defense is conducted by the State Examination Commission, which is headed by the chairperson approved by the Academic Council of NRU HSE. Topics and supervisors of master's theses are approved by the order of the university in the second year of study.
The procedure of defending the Thesis
The procedure for the preparation and defense of the Thesis is regulated by Regulations on Practical Training of Students under Core Bachelor’s, Specialist and Master’s Programmes at HSE University.
The defense begins with the student's report on the topic of the thesis. Up to 20 minutes are allocated for the report on the master's thesis.
The decision of the Comission on the final evaluation is based on the criteria:
- the supervisor's assessment of the quality of the work, the degree of its compliance with the requirements for the thesis;
- a reviewer's assessment of the work in general, taking into account the degree of novelty, practical significance and validity of conclusions and recommendations made by the author according to the results of the research;
- members of Comission for the content of the work, its defense, including the report, answers to questions and comments of the reviewer.
Appeal on the results of the Final State Examination (Master Thesis defense)
Appeals may be filed if a student believes that there has been a procedural irregularity in the conduct of the thesis defense.
Rescheduling the defense of the Master Thesis
If a student fails to defend his graduate thesis for a valid reason, they will be required to read the algorithm and write a statement to postpone the defense of his/her graduate thesis.
A student who fails to pass the Final State Attestation without a valid reason, including those who received unsatisfactory results at the Final State Attestation, will be dismiss from HSE and will be issued an academic transcript. The student can take the final state attestation again no earlier than 10 months and no later than 5 years after the final state attestation for the first time.
Conditions for receiving a diploma with distinction (Red diploma)
According to federal regulations, a diploma with distinction is awarded to a graduate of HSE who has passed examinations with a grade of "excellent" in at least 75% of all subjects (term papers, projects, internships) that have a form of final control "exam" listed in the Diploma Supplement, and in the remaining subjects listed in this supplement - with a grade of "good", and has passed the Final State Examination only with excellent grades.
It is not allowed to retake a positive grade at HSE.
Postgraduate leave
Students who successfully complete the FSC in June have the right to be dismissed not immediately after the defense, but after the end of the postgraduate vacations. In 2025, postgraduate vacations may be taken until August 12, 2025. To take post-graduation vacation, you must complete the appropriate section in the "Graduation/Completion of Studies" module of the MyHSE profile https://lk.hse.ru.