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.
Next step
Pick your tracks and try the demos
As soon as the new season's dates are confirmed, you'll get an alert on the channel right away.
