ITMO University in Saint Petersburg — one of Russia's strongest universities in IT (world champions in competitive programming more than once). Its Mega-Olympiad covers 27 tracks across all of the university's fields, and winners join the Master's without entrance exams — competitive and not guaranteed, like any olympiad.
Last season's window: mid-November – early January
Registration last season ran from November 15 to January 4 — and the number of tracks you can enter is unlimited. The new season's dates are updated on the website — we'll add them here as soon as they're officially confirmed.
27trackscovering all of ITMO's fields
2stagesqualifying + online final
Two languagesRussian/English by program
Onlinetheoretical and practical tasks
The opportunity
What is the Mega-Olympiad?
ITMO University's olympiad, open to Bachelor's students and graduates — including international ones — for admission to Master's programs. 27 tracks covering programming, artificial intelligence, photonics, physics, robotics, cybersecurity, management and more.
The format is online, in two stages (qualifying + final), with theoretical and practical tasks that vary by track — and you can take part in any number of tracks.
The potential prize
What could you gain?
Admission to an ITMO Master's without entrance exams — for winners, per the official source.
Per the official source, the offer may include a relocation package (travel to Saint Petersburg and university housing during your studies) — details and conditions come from the university directly, and no figures are published.
Program languages are Russian/English depending on the track — some tracks are fully in English.
Keep in mind: this special offer is for winners and under the official source's conditions — not a blanket promise. And our rule stands: covering tuition ≠ covering full living costs, so prepare your budget.
The path
The stages
1
Register and pick your tracks
On mega.itmo.ru — the number of tracks is unlimited, so choose wisely the ones closest to your background.
2
The online qualifying round
Theoretical and practical tasks depending on the track — try the demo versions and check each track's language before choosing it.
3
The final
Also online — winners complete the Master's admission procedures with the university.
The core documents for most Master's olympiads: proof of a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Russian or English, or with a certified translation — the exact list comes from the official website.
Tracks
The tracks
27 tracks covering all of the university's fields — the official site names precise tracks such as «Physics: applied track», «Physics: fundamental track» and «Low-temperature systems and technologies». The main areas:
ProgrammingArtificial intelligencePhotonicsPhysics (applied/fundamental)RoboticsCybersecurityManagementLow-temperature systemsand more
Eligibility
Who can take part?
According to the official site: Bachelor's and Master's students and graduates — including foreign citizens. So even if you're still studying, or graduated a while ago, the door is open.
Common questions
💬How many tracks can I enter?▾
The number of tracks is unlimited per the official source — but focus your energy on the ones genuinely close to your background instead of spreading yourself thin.
💬Are there tracks in English?▾
Yes — the language is Russian/English depending on the program and track. Check each track's language before choosing it, and if you'll compete in English, get your academic English up to level.
💬What's this relocation package about?▾
Per the official source, the winners' offer may include paid travel to Saint Petersburg and university housing during your studies — the final conditions and details come from the university, and no figures are published. And again: prepare an independent living budget.
💬How is it different from the regular quota?▾
The official site is clear: winners enter the Master's without exams — meaning your path to a place here is the university's own competition, not the federal portal's selection. Both can be pursued in parallel.
The opportunity is competitive and not guaranteed — dates and tracks are updated every year on mega.itmo.ru.
Share
Know someone this could matter to?
Send it to them — a minute from you could change a year of theirs.
