educational model
SAS was the first institution of higher education in Russia to introduce the core curriculum, "2 + 2" model and a large proportion of elective courses in the rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum. We continue to perfect this model, taking advantage of our diverse and highly qualified faculty body, which includes citizens of 10 countries who studied and worked in the world’s leading universities.
Spending 4 years at SAS prepares our students to an array of MA programs in best universities in Russia and abroad, as well as to diverse employments in places ranging from large tech companies to cultural startups. Most importantly, our students develop a broad interdisciplinary outlook, intellectual depth and a set of soft skill, allowing them to realize their potential and become successful in any walk of life they choose for themselves.
SAS BA program
The SAS BA program offers a world-class education. It features:
- International professors, the majority of whom received their PhDs from universities ranked in the top 100 in the world (according to THE and QS World University Rankings);
- Seven majors in science, social sciences, and humanities;
- Choice of major and minor at the end of the second year;
- Freedom to tailor students' curriculum: elective courses constitute 1/3 of the entire program;
- Highly engaging study experience: 80% of classes are smaller than 20 students, SAS believes in continuous assessment, and close contact with the professor (see also Professor in the Box)
- Undergraduate research and project processes: a year-long project under close supervision of SAS professors;
- Internships, exchange programs, visiting professors from foreign and top Russian universities, and guest lectures by prominent figures in business, academia, and the arts.
core curriculum, majors, and electives
SAS students' academic journey unfolds across four years, seamlessly integrating Core, Major, Minor, and Elective courses.
The Core Curriculum spans the initial two years, creating a shared educational foundation.
In Years 3–4, students transition to Major and Minor courses, delving into specialized studies accompanied by internships and research activities.
Electives, constituting around 1/3 of the curriculum, provide personalized intellectual and academic endevour, with faculty autonomy.
This holistic approach fosters interdisciplinary connections, ensuring a well-rounded education that combines breadth and depth of knowledge, and individualized exploration for a comprehensive undergraduate experience.
Our Core Curriculum features a set of custom-made courses designed to develop students’ critical thinking, analytical and soft skills, broad interdisciplinary horizon, and character.
We prioritize understanding human experience, including its limitations, drive for excellence, and aspiration. Such design ensures having students cultivate a certain intellectual taste, a notion of situational truth, and a vision of one’s role in the emerging world.
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year 1
- Paideia
- Writing, Thinking, Analysis, Interpretation
- ESL: Academic Writing
- History of Russia
- Mathematics
- Ecce Homo
- Great Books: Philosophy & Social Thought
- Metanarratives & Perspectives
- IT Literacy
- City as Text
- World Through History
- Personage of the First Year
- Data Analysis
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year 2
- Visual & Auditory Arts
- Professional Russian Language
- Society: Economics and Beyond
- Design Thinking
- Human Behavioral Biology
- Great Books: Literature
- Law and Order
- Communications in the Modern World
- Science. Technology. Society
- Emerging Horizons
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years 3–4
- Research Seminar
By the conclusion of Year 2, every SAS student must choose a major for focused study in Years 3 and 4. Students can choose any major offered at SAS, no matter which major they entered originally, with the exception of “Contemporary Social Sciences” major.
The curriculum during Years 3-4 includes mandatory major courses, demanding substantial independent study. Most major courses at SAS are intense and require students to engage in rigorous and challenging academic work, aiming to stimulate a cohesive understanding of the chosen field and develop a high level of academic proficiency. Each major is complemented by dedicated internships, providing practical experience.
Starting from the end of Year 3, students undertake an undergraduate project within their major, culminating in the Bachelor’s thesis or creative product, leading to graduation.
- Information Technology and Systems Analysis
- Cultural Studies
- Economics
- Film and Media Studies
- Anthropology and Sociology
- International Relations under Uncertainty
- Philosophical Dialogue in a Deglobalizing World
minors
In addition to selecting their major, at the end of Year 2 students also choose a minor. Minor options are available in all majors offered at SAS, except “Information Technology and Systems Analysis” and “Contemporary Social Sciences”.
Each minor is an abridged version of the corresponding major; it allows students to develop substantial additional expertise and become more competitive after graduation. The mandatory minor system is an indicator to SAS commitment to cultivating interdisciplinary mindset among its students.
- Information Technology and Systems Analysis
- Cultural Studies
- Economics
- Film and Media Studies
- Anthropology and Sociology
- International Relations under Uncertainty
- Philosophical Dialogue in a Deglobalizing World
Fate, Time, and Language. The Philosophy of David Foster Wallace
Political Communication
History of Energy
Individual and Society: Socialization, Education, Violence
Work Stories
History of Capitalism
Philosophy of Physics, or How to Invent New Science
The Problem of Free Will: When Philosophy Meets Modern Science
Après ’68: An Introduction to Contemporary French Theory
Ecology, Technology and Anime
Performance in Tyumen
History and Memory through Cinema
History of Russia’s Religions
An Imperial Affliction: Depression in Literature
Contemporary Philosophy of Science
Law and Love
Introduction to Game Studies
Memories, Dreams, Confessions: Writing the Inner Life
Introduction to Economic Growth
Introduction to phylogenetic inference based on molecular data
Species concepts and species delimitation employing molecular data
IT Security
History of Economic Thought
The Making of Europe: Medieval Culture, c.500–1500
The Making of Economic Society
The Theory of Market Organization
Time Travel and Philosophy of Time
Language and Ethics
C# programming fundamentals
Introduction to Post-human Politics
SAS curriculum
At the end of Year 2, any SAS student can choose any major which they will study in Years 3 and 4. In addition to the major, all students might complete a minor by selecting five eligible elective courses across their four years of study. Available major and minors include:
- Information Technology and Systems Analysis
- Cultural Studies
- Economics
- Film and Media Studies
- Sociology and Anthropology
- International Relations under Uncertainty
- Philosophical Dialogue in a Deglobalizing World