The master program includes disciplines of general and professional educational cycles, pedagogical and research experience during practical classes, research cruises, traineeships in Russian and foreign research centers, as well as during work on the master’s thesis. This approach permits students to be incorporated in scientific research of the University from the first days of their studies. Our best students present their results at various international and national conferences, publish their research as scientific articles, get scientific awards and research scholarships.
Students specialize in various scientific fields by taking courses of specialized professional disciplines. Optional courses and the master’s research work form an individual educational trajectory for every student. Selection of their individual training trajectories are designed by students independently or with assistance of his/her scientific advisor or professors of the program.
All professors and associate professors of the Institute, who participate in this program, lead scientific research and use their original scientific results for complementing modern presentations of theoretical and methodological issues during classes. Professors of other Departments of the St. Petersburg State University, as well as leading specialists from various academic and branch institutions, are also involved in the process of education within the program.
V.V. Putin awards the honorary professor of the SPSU, a participant of PHOBOS Master’s Program, V.R. Foux with the gold medal of F.P. Litke.
The Master’s thesis takes a particular place in the students’ educational process. Every thesis represents a complete scientific research of topical character with the elements of scientific novelty and significance. Students have a possibility to select leading researchers from other organizations, including the foreign ones, to be co-advisors and consultants of the thesis.
In this case, the students are allowed doing a part of their theoretical or experimental work in the corresponding foreign laboratories. The topics of Master’s theses are typically closely linked to different current research projects of the SPSU, or of other scientific and industrial organizations. The students may also present their own suggestions, basing on their previous experience or on prospectives of their anticipated employment activity.