INRTU Launches Innovative English-Taught Master's degree Program in Digital Technologies in Applied Geophysics

The Siberian School of Geosciences (SSG) at Irkutsk National Research Technical University (INRTU) is expanding its range of international English-taught programs designed to train a new generation of specialists equipped to tackle contemporary and future challenges. The 2026 admission campaign will see the launch of an English-taught Master's degree program “Digital Technologies in Applied Geophysics” within the field of study 09.04.02 “Information Systems and Technologies”.

The program is designed for a broad target audience, extending beyond just graduates with Bachelor's degrees in geology and related fields from Russian and international universities. In objective terms, there are few strong geophysical schools in the world, and INRTU is developing one of the best in a number of areas, particularly in the comprehensiveness of its methods and approaches, their proven practical effectiveness, and solid digital foundation.

The two-year Master's degree program “Digital Technologies in Applied Geophysics” is intended for applicants familiar with basic geoscientific disciplines. It provides a diverse range of geo-specialists (geologists, geographers, ecologists, archaeologists, etc.) with relevant practical knowledge and skills in applying all existing market geophysical methods for studying the Earth, as well as technologies poised for widespread adoption in the near future.

Furthermore, applicants from Russian and CIS universities with relevant basic education, who aspire to gain modern, comprehensive knowledge and skills in digital geophysics and geospatial analysis, will gain genuine Russian and international experience. Graduates will also receive a verified project portfolio in using geophysical methods for Earth studies, which is often crucial for a successful career.

Specialists with non-core basic education wishing to retrain or expand their professional profile in this relevant interdisciplinary field will be able to apply their research and management skills.

The Master's degree program is particularly attractive for international applicants from Africa, Asia, and the CIS interested in gaining international experience of quality education and mastering modern digital technologies in geophysics, which opens up prospects for global employment.

The value of the program is evident for practicing specialists from companies in the Irkutsk region, Russia, and abroad, who aim to upgrade their qualifications, master new digital tools, and data analysis methods to enhance the efficiency and innovativeness of their work.

It is important to emphasize that a key feature of the program is training specialists for geological exploration, ecology, and engineering using an interdisciplinary approach (geophysics, geochemistry, robotics, computer science, and geospatial data). The curriculum includes mastering the theoretical foundation and honing practical skills in modern geophysical methods using digital technologies for data processing and interpretation, all through an activity-based learning approach.

The curriculum includes 9 compulsory disciplines that develop the soft and hard skills of a systems-thinking, highly qualified specialist (ranging from the philosophy of science to data analysis methods; from physical-geological models of deposits and prospecting methods to robotic systems for Earth studies and the creation of radio-electronic equipment, etc.). Furthermore, the curriculum allows for the individualization of learning.

Students are offered options for additional specialization: management positions, UAV-geophysical technologies, well studies, data processing, or non-traditional applications of geophysical methods in fields other than subsurface exploration (agriculture, archaeology, ecology, etc.).

The program supervisor, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, INRTU Vice-Rector for Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences Alexander Parshin, commented on the graduates' competitiveness and the uniqueness of the international educational program:

“Our school conducts research and development in applied geophysics and carries out a large volume of commercial projects for major Russian and foreign companies. Consequently, students are involved in the most advanced commercial work performed for industry leaders. Therefore, there is no doubt that their skills and knowledge are in demand.

During their studies, our students work and gain experience. Master's degree students study, conduct research, and carry out field projects, acquiring a set of truly unique competencies. And our professors from other countries, who have proven their qualifications at the world's best universities, will support me on this point”.

According to Alexander Parshin, graduates of the Siberian School of Geosciences have practical experience confirmed by a reference list of participation in real projects, presentations at scientific conferences, and publications in high-quality peer-reviewed scientific journals:

“Such specialists possess deep interdisciplinary knowledge and have brilliant career opportunities open to them both in Russia and abroad. Our graduates work for international corporations because they are genuinely prepared for it. The new English-taught program, in turn, fosters participation in international projects and expands career opportunities”.

Strategic partners of the international English-language Master's degree program include Nanjing University (China), Sigma-Geo LLC, Siberia Geoinformation Technologies, LLC, Irkutsk Electroprospecting Company JSC, among others.

It is also worth summarizing the educational outcome as a talent pool for the labor market. According to leading job aggregators (hh.ru and jobfilter.ru), the in-demand professions include geophysicist, geophysical interpreter, lead/chief geophysicist, GIS specialist, UAV-geophysics specialist, and specialist in modeling geological and geophysical processes.