About faculty

The Faculty of Geography at Moscow University was created in 1938 as a result of the division of the geography soil faculty into soil geology and geography. Director of the Research Institute of Geography of Moscow State University, Associate Professor S.M. Lutsky was appointed Acting Dean of the Faculty of Geography. 

The first dean of the faculty in 1940 was Professor B.P. Orlov, then the deans were: associate professor. A.V. Gedymin (1941), professor I.A. Witwer (in evacuation, 1941 – 1943), Professor M.V. Karandeeva (in evacuation, 1943), Professor S.D. Muraveysky (1943 – 1945), academician of USSR Academy of Sciences K.K. Markov (1945 – 1955), Professor A.M. Ryabchikov (1955 – 1966; 1970 – 1980), corresponding member of USSR Academy of Sciences A.P. Kapitsa (1966 – 1970), Professor G.I. Rychagov (1980 – 1990), academician of RAS N.S. Kasimov (1990-2015). From April 2, 2015, acting dean; from April 1, 2016, academician was appointed dean. RAS S. A. Dobrolyubov, acad. RAS N.S. Kasimov is the President of the faculty. Academician of RAS C.A. Dobroluybov was assigned as an acting dean since April 2, 2015, and the dean since April 1, 2016. Since that time, Academician of RAS N.S. Kasimov is a President of the faculty. 

Currently, the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University  is the world's largest educational and scientific team of geographers. The faculty has over 800 undergraduate and 140 graduate students, 650 employees, including 100 professors and doctors, 200 PhD. Among them there are 2 academicians and 2 corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, honoured scientists of the RSFSR and the Russian Federation, laureates of the State Prizes of the USSR and the Russian Federation, the Russian Government Prize in the field of education, science and technology, the Lomonosov Prize of Moscow State University for scientific work and teaching activities, the Anuchin Prize, etc.

The faculty structure includes 15 departments and 7 research laboratories, 5 educational and scientific bases. The faculty has four Councils for the doctoral and candidate dissertations, at which, on average, 30% of all Russian dissertations in the field of environmental and geographical sciences are presented. The faculty operates the Interuniversity Aerospace Centre, the Interuniversity Scientific Coordination Council at Moscow State University on the problem of erosion, channel and estuarine processes, and the Student Council.

Education

The Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University trains highly qualified personnel - bachelors and masters - in five main areas: «Geography», «Hydrometeorology», «Cartography and Geoinformatics», «Ecology and Environmental Management», «Tourism». Duration of study for a bachelor's degree is 4 years, a master's degree is 2 years if you have a bachelor's degree. Postgraduate training is provided in 9 specialties.

Admission to the Faculty of Geography is carried out for 147 budget-funded bachelor's degree places and 136 budget-funded master's degree places. It is conducted based on the results of entrance examinations for the enlarged group of training areas «Earth Sciences» (multidisciplinary competition: training areas «Geography», «Hydrometeorology», «Cartography and Geoinformatics», «Ecology and Environmental Management»), as well as for the training area «Tourism». 

The faculty actively participates in university, federal and international geographical Olympiads for schoolchildren; their winners have benefits upon admission. 

All successful students receive a scholarship; the most distinguished students receive personal scholarships from the President and Government of the Russian Federation, the Rector and the Academic Council of Moscow State University, named after D.N. Anuchin, named after M.V. Lomonosova and others.

The faculty has departments in the branches of Moscow State University in Sevastopol with training in «Geography»; in Astana (Kazakhstan) in «Ecology and Environmental Management» field, and in the branch of MSU-PPI (China) with training in  «Ecology and environmental management» (master's degree).

The Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University provides the opportunity to obtain additional education through programs of professional retraining, advanced training, educational and scientific internships, and distance education. There is an MBA program «Master of Business Administration in Tourism and Hospitality».

The responsibility of the Faculty of Geography includes the activities of 4 Educational and Methodological Councils (EMC) in the areas «Geography», «Cartography and Geoinformatics», «Hydrometeorology», «Ecology and Environmental Management» of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association (FUMO) «Earth Sciences». Dean of the Faculty of Geography, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.A. Dobrolyubov is a Deputy Chairman of the FUMO Geosciences. EMC coordinates the educational and methodological activities of more than 120 universities of the Russian Federation that train students in these areas. Federal state educational standards are being updated according to new professional standards. Examination of educational and methodological materials is provided. Meetings to discuss current educational and methodological issues are annually organized. There is an established interaction between universities with corresponding educational programs. 

The School of Young Geographer (YNG), working since 1948, makes a significant contribution to the faculty. Faculty teachers teach schoolchildren the basics of general physical and economic geography, conduct field educational practices and excursions. 

Preparatory courses at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University have been held since 1991. The courses provide training for applicants to pass the additional entrance test (DTE) in geography at the Faculty of Geography and the Faculty of Soil Science (direction «Ecology and rational use of natural resources»), for the University Olympiad «Lomonosov» and to the Unified State Examination in Geography. Traditionally, preparations are also carried out for the Unified State Exam in Russian language and mathematics. 

Preparatory courses operate in different forms - full-time, part-time (full-time evening classes at the faculty) and distance learning. In the part-time format, along with the one-year course, student can undergo training in a two-year form of training with in-depth study of the most complex sections of the disciplines (geography, mathematics, Russian language – subjects can be chosen). There are also express courses for preparing for the Unified State Exam.

Field training practices play a vital role in the training of geographers. They account for more than 25% of the total curriculum, since expeditionary research is the most visual method of consolidating theoretical knowledge acquired during lectures and seminars. In recent years, the equipment of environmental-geochemical and hydrometeorological training workshops has been updated. Modern equipment makes it possible to study the material composition of the components of the natural environment, determine the meteorological characteristics of the atmosphere, and the hydrological parameters of land and ocean waters. The hardware and software equipment of the geoinformatics workshop has also been updated.

The faculty has created a Centre for Collective Use «MSU Geoportal». This geographic information system with promptly updated satellite data provides unique access to satellite images of the Earth. Materials obtained through the Geoportal are widely used by students when writing coursework and dissertations.

The Museum of Geography of Moscow State University plays an important role in the training of specialists. In terms of the richness and clarity of the exhibitions illustrating various sections of the Earth sciences, this is the only scientific and educational centre of its kind in the country.

Every year up to 250 specialists graduate from the faculty. Graduates of the faculty work in institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and academies of sciences of the CIS countries, in research and survey institutions of ministries and departments, in higher and secondary educational institutions, in the system of the Roshydrometcenter of Russia, Rosprirodnadzor, Roscosmos, in state and commercial organizations of environmental field, tourism, etc. Their successful activities are facilitated by the fundamental training received within the walls of the country’s largest university.

Science

In 2021 – 2025 Scientific research at the faculty is conducted on 22 topics of state assignment within «Global and regional changes in the environment and society». Faculty researchers and teachers actively and successfully participate in competitions of leading Russian scientific foundations, including the mega-grant program («Assessment of the risks of natural disasters in the coastal zone», 2010–2014; «Megapolis as an island of pollution and heat: interdisciplinary hydroclimatic, geochemical and environmental analysis», 2021–2023). Faculty members also participate in large international projects within the framework of HORIZON EU, IAEA, FAO, UNEP, BRICS, etc.

The Faculty of Geography is an active participant in the development program of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, as well as one of the organizers of the Interdisciplinary Scientific and Educational School of Moscow State University «The Future of the Planet and Global Environmental Changes».

The country's first analytical laboratory for optical-luminescence scan was created. The latest instrumentation makes it possible to carry out detailed reconstructions of paleoconditions to understand the driving mechanisms of climate-related changes in paleoenvironmental conditions and to predict natural trends in environmental development.

Founded in 1954, the Meteorological Observatory of Moscow State University is an educational and methodological centre and scientific base for studying the climate of Moscow. The observatory has a unique complex of continuous observations of the ecological and climatic characteristics of the atmosphere which are carried out based on modern methods in accordance with accepted international and domestic standards established by the WMO and Roshydromet. Currently, a unique instrumental aerosol complex operates on the territory of the Observatory. The installed equipment allows to assess the ecological state of the environment, using the data from a comprehensive analysis of the air quality of the metropolis.

The faculty has a modern instrumentation base for field and laboratory analytical research, including a «cold» laboratory, which makes it possible to simulate cryospheric processes and their influence on the properties of natural and artificial materials under controlled conditions.

In recent years, faculty scientists have received more than 10 copyright certificates in the field of geography for inventions that have commercial potential. Every year, dozens of research and applied projects are implemented at the faculty, and at least 10 national and international conferences and symposia are held on problems of geographical science and human interaction with the environment.

Faculty members annually publish about 40 textbooks and teaching aids, about 30 scientific monographs and collections, up to a thousand articles, including articles in the world's leading scientific journals. The faculty actively participated in the creation of the National Atlas of Russia, the atlas «Russian Arctic in the 21st century: natural conditions and risks of development», «National Atlas of the Arctic», a series of regional atlases of the country were created: Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug, Kaliningrad and Moscow regions, Oceanographic Atlas of the Atlantic Ocean, the «Ecological Atlas of Russia», a series of medical and geographical atlases.

Traditions

The Faculty of Geography is famous for many traditions. It is the only one at Moscow State University where a theatre studio has been working for 55 years. The permanent director of the studio from the moment of its formation to the present is Natalia Semyonovna Perlova. 

The Comedy club team of the faculty is a repeated winner of university competitions.

Winter expeditions of the Scientific Student Society are one of the most remarkable traditions of the faculty, which has no analogues in other faculties of Moscow State University and in other universities. Every year, during the student winter holidays, 15-18 expeditions are conducted. Based on the results of their research, students write scientific reports and then make presentations at the Lomonosov conference.

The holiday of Gaia is celebrated annually in Satino, a place of cult for every geographer. This is where first-year students practice. Gaia Day is a holiday of fun, adventure, discovery, love, friendship, bright hopes, and impressions. Other Satino traditions include guitar evenings on the floodplain, and an annual football match between students and teachers.

The faculty pays great attention to improving the health of students and staff, and playing sports. The faculty football team is an active participant in university tournaments. In addition, the Faculty of Geography also hosts its own football competitions: the GeoCup Football Champions Cup of the Faculty of Geography, Cup of Pasha Samoilov.

One of the main traditions is maintaining contacts between the faculty and its students. Since 1998, the Association of Graduates of the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University which provides charitable assistance to students, honors veterans and heroes, participates in cultural and sports events, etc.