How the SPbGASU Admission Rules Will Change in 2021
The coronavirus pandemic has affected not only the format of learning for students of Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, but also the university entry procedures. What should you expect fr om the admissions campaign 2021?
Photo: @spbgasu_priemnaia
Natalia Orlova
According to Executive Secretary of the SPbGASU Admissions Office Natalia Orlova, next-year applicants will be able to choose any of the following four methods for submitting their documents: in person, by mail, via the unified portal of public services “Gosuslugi” or in a specially created virtual personal account of SPbGASU. The latter method is very convenient for those who cannot attend in person. The period for submitting documents has not changed – admissions campaign starts on June 18.
✔ The main change involves the lists of enrolment. Now, enrolment takes place in one phase – on July 30, an official list of applicants enrolled through targeted education and state benefit programmes will be published, and on August 5 – a common list of regular applicants’ enrolment according to the admission control figures. In case there are vacant places after the admissions completion, additional enrolment will be arranged on the basis of competitive lists. In 2021, the applicants’ names and surnames will no longer appear in the ranked lists: they will be replaced with the number of the insurance policy or the individual identification number. This is done to maximize the protection of personal data.
In addition, there are changes in the list of the Unified State Exams required for admission to the technical specializations at SPbGASU. Applicants will have to pass obligatory examinations in the Russian language and Mathematics (profile) and in one elective subject: Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science. For those applying to programmes of the Economics profile, the compulsory exams are the same, while the elective can be chosen from Social studies, History and Computer Science. You can find a complete list of examinations for all areas of study including the information on obligatory and elective subjects on the university website.
“It is important that now applicants entering the university after completing secondary vocational educational institutions have the right to choose whether to take the Unified State Examination or the entrance examination at the university. They can also use both options and take advantage of the results with the higher score”, emphasizes Natalia Orlova.
Another convenient innovation concerns the maximum number of study programmes for which an applicant can apply: now it is equal to ten – twice as many as before.
The number of student places funded from the federal budget will not be reduced next year. On the contrary, state-funded places will be reopened for specializations "Restoration" and "Housing and Utility Infrastructure".
The SPbGASU preparatory courses were also affected by the pandemic. For instance, classes in general education subjects are not held this year. The Small (Preparatory) Faculty of Architecture continues to work remotely, conducting preparatory training for entrance examinations in drawing and volumetric composition. Thanks to the online format, the faculty managed to recruit a large number of learners.
In case the epidemiological situation becomes more favourable by summer 2021, the entrance examinations in creative disciplines will be conducted in person. However, according to Natalia Orlova, the university is fully prepared to conduct these exams remotely. She evaluated the experience of holding entrance examinations to the Faculty of Architecture in 2020 in a distant mode via MS Teams as very successful.
✔ Traditionally, in the autumn SPbGASU organizes career guidance events, wh ere potential applicants from different regions have the opportunity to get to know the university. This year's open days are held exclusively online. Every Thursday, the Admissions Office arranges webinars with the participation of Faculty Deans and Heads of Departments, comprehensively covering the issues of admission to a particular faculty. Anyone can connect to the live streaming on YouTube, and the recording is saved on the channel for further viewing.
In the future, it is also planned to hold webinars on the rules of admission.
➠ List and priority of entrance examinations for admission to the first year of Bachelor's and Specialist Degree programmes for full-time, part-time and correspondence forms of study
➠ List of entrance examinations and the minimum scores required for admission to the first year of Master's programmes
➠ Admission tests conducted by SPbGASU
Text: Alexandra Podolnikova