Tomsk Polytechnic University in Tomsk, Russia, is the oldest technical university in Russia east of the Urals. The university was founded in 1896 and opened in 1900 as the Tomsk Technological Institute. In 1923, the school was renamed the Siberian Technological Institute and in 1930, the institute was split into five divisions, three of which remained in Tomsk.

In 1934, the three institutes in Tomsk reunited to form a new institute that would be named the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute. The university has more than 22,000 current students and has graduated more than 100,000 technical specialists.

International cooperation has been recently one of the priorities of Tomsk Polytechnic University activities. The University's goal is the enhancement of teachers’ professional development in the advanced world universities; speeding up the research activities in common with the foreign partners; strengthening international relations between different organizations and companies of the world; expansion of the variety and amount of educational services; speeding up students and teachers exchange.

The important part in a system enlargement of international academic contacts and applying the international experience in order to modernize the University plays cooperation with international organizations, funds and programmes, namely: TEMPUS, TACIS, DAAD, INTAS, Marie Curie Fellowship, FP6 (INCO), SABIT (Special American Business Internship Training Program), RUSERA (Supporting the Russian Participation in EU-RTD Programs), SITE (Siberia, Information Technologies and Europe), British Council.

First LevelThe programme of the first two years of study, excluding the Preparatory Course, consists of required humanities, socio-economic, natural sciences, and some general professional subjects. A First Level Diploma testifies that the graduate has raised his/her general level of education and culture to a degree greater than a person with a secondary education, and that he/she is trained for self-achievement in society.

Bachelor of ScienceSecond LevelThe professional educational programmers of the second level (the next two years of study) consists of general professional courses and training, elective humanities, socio-economic, natural sciences, and electives from special courses. A Bachelor's Degree permits a graduate to find a work as a specialist of the middle rank. If qualifies, he/she can continue his/her studies on the next level and become a holder of the Engineer's Diploma or Master's Degree.

Engineer's/Specialist's DiplomaMaster of ScienceThird LevelThe professional educational programmers for the Engineer's Diploma ensure the training of fully qualified engineers. The programmers include special disciplines and courses in modern technology and technological equipment oriented toward engineering creativity and invention, through carrying out the interdisciplinary projects and practice in industry. Upon successful completion of the full course (5 years of study, totally) graduate is awarded an Engineer's Diploma in the respective major.

Programmers differ by level and trajectory and obviously encompass different training and specialist qualifications. For example, the trajectory "4+1" corresponds to an Engineer's/Specialist's Diploma conferred after one year of study beyond the 4-year Bachelor's programme and the trajectory "2+3" results in an Engineer's/Specialist's Diploma for a graduate who skipped the Bachelor's programme and went directly to the 5-year Engineer's programme.

The professional educational program for the Master's Degree includes special disciplines and courses about new achievements in science and subjects oriented towards scientific creativity, pedagogical activity, and practical research work. Upon successful completion of the full course, a graduate is awarded a Master's Degree in the respective major.