Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical Academy (SPCPA)

Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical Academy was founded in 1919 and is now the oldest pharmaceutical institution of higher education in Russia. The Academy has been training specialists for foreign countries for 50 years. The graduates of the Academy are citizens of more than 30 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The Academy is the leading higher educational establishment in the field of general and industrial pharmacy, having the highest raiting among the pharmaceutical institutions of higher education in Russia. 75%of the faculty members have PhD and DSc degrees. They include great scientists widely known both in Russia and abroad. The departments and research laboratories (sectors) of the Academy carry on investigations in various fields of applied and fundamental sciences related to pharmacy.

The Academy has available necessary classroom facilities and laboratories, nurseries of medicinal plants, reading rooms, up-to-date apparatus and equipment for research, computer classes, hooked up to the Internet system. At present foreign citizens from 21 countries are taught at the Academy, making up 25% of the whole number of students. For the most part they include students from Arab countries (Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Tunis, Lebanon, Jordan and others) and Israel, as well as from the states of Western and Central Europe, South America and Southern Africa (Greece, Turkey, Pakistan, Tanzania, Kenya, Venezuela and others).

EDUCATIONAL AND DEGREE OPTION The Academy offers education within the following two faculties: Pharmaceutical Faculty and the Faculty of Drug Industrial Technology. THe duration of study at both faculties is 5 years.

The academic year is divided into two semesters, starting in September and February. The entry date is September the 1st.

you are guaranteed a place at the Academy; you pay very reasonable and affordable fee without any hidden costs;

Pharmaceutical Faculty trains Masters of Pharmacy - managerial staff for chemist's shops, pharmaceutical warehouses, centres of drug quality control, forensic-chemical laboratories and other pharmaceutical establishments and enterprises.

Bio-technological Faculty (drug industrial technology) trains qualified engineers-biotechnologists, the most prestigeous specialists in the field of engineering, prospective managerial staff for the pharmaceutical factories, perfume and cosmetic factories, design studios.

At present time a number of the Academy graduates hold supervisory posts in the Public Health Service and pharmaceutical industry, as well as in leading research centres and institutes, they own the largest cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, chemist's shops and other pharmaceutical enterprises in different countries of the world.

Preparatory Faculty is intended to train foreign students not knowing the Russian language for entering the faculties of the Academy and other pharmaceutical, medical and engineer-technological institutions of higher education in Russia. Students of this Faculty study the Russian language, fundamentals of biology, chemistry and other basic desciplines, get acquainted with Russian culture and traditions. The duration of study is 10 months.

The Russian language course (3-10 months of study) is also offered, as well as the course training translators - Russian language teachers, the duration of study -1-2 years.

Having completed the MSc programme, foreign students may apply for the PhD course, the duration of study is 3 years. If agreed in advance, in some separate cases one may be taught in the English language.

HOUSING A modern hostel is available, dormitory-type rooms for two, single rooms are also available for additional pay.

The hostel is connected with the Academy by a direct metro extension, it takes some 25 minutes to get to the Academy. Many foreign students acquire inexpensive ($ 1,500 - $ 2,000) second-hand cars.

MEALS A great number of shops with high quality food. both home-produced and imported are available in St. Petersburg. At the Academy there are a canteen and a cafe where you can have a lunch for a reasonable price. You can also visit more expensive restaurants and try cuisine of different countries. Furthermore, students can cook their specialities by themselves in the hostel.

RELIGION St.Petersburg is a traditionally religion-tolerant city, representatives of different denominations have been living here for centuries. Russian Orthodox Church is predominating, but a lot of temples, cathedrals and churches of other Christian denominations are also available.

A good few people profess Islam, there is a mosque in the city. For Muslim students a special room in the hostel is set aside for prayers. Some people in St.Petersburg profess ludaism, for these a sinagogue is available.

HEALTH Every foreign student must have a medical insurance-policy. There are a lot of highly qualified physicians in the city, first and emergency medical service is highly developed. There is a medical aid station in the hostel, where foreign students are provided with medical service free of charge. There is a dental surgery at the academy, students are provided with dental service at a discount.

SHOPPING You can buy goods from all world known firms here in St. Petersburg, most of them have their own shops in the city. Recently the quality of the Russian home-produced goods has become

Graduates from the Preparatory Faculty of the Academy are admitted without entrance procedures. Graduates from the Preparatory Faculty of some other higher educational institution must undertake an interview in Chemistry, Biology and Russian. Graduates from foreign higher educational institutions, including those having BSc degree, can be admitted to the Academy for further studies after passing an interview or examinations (entrance procedures are determined in every concrete case judging from the student's progress in educational programmes and other factors).

Foreign citizens with corresponding university degrees are admitted to the post-graduate course at the Academy departments after passing examinations on the subjects of research and the Russian language. Those who do not know Russian will have to finish a 6-month's course of the Russian language. The scientific degree is awarded to a post-graduate student by a specialized Academic Council after submitting and defending a thesis.