International Black Sea University (IBSU) is a private university in Tbilisi, Georgia, founded in 1995, teaching in English and Georgian. As of November 2026 international students pay 4,900 USD for most English-taught bachelor's programmes and 5,900 USD for Medicine, before scholarships. You apply by email with notarised documents, and the Georgian Ministry of Education confirms your enrolment before you get a D3 visa.
International Black Sea University (IBSU) is a private university in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, registered as a limited liability company. Its Georgian name is შავი ზღვის საერთაშორისო უნივერსიტეტი. The European quality register EQAR lists 1995 as its founding year, and IBSU says it has taught and done research since then.
The campus is at D. Aghmashenebeli Alley, 13th km, 2, on the northern edge of Tbilisi. IBSU has five schools: Business; Law and State Governance; Education, Humanities and Social Sciences; Computer Science and Architecture; and Medicine. It describes about 50 accredited bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, taught in English and Georgian.
International students usually choose the English-taught programmes, because the Georgian-taught ones need fluent Georgian. IBSU's own pages show these English-taught options as of November 2026:
| Level | English-taught programmes | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | Business Administration (Marketing, Management, Finances, Tourism, Accounting and Audit), Computer Science, Graphic Design, International Relations, Psychology, American Studies, English Philology | 180 ECTS, 3 years |
| Bachelor's | Architecture | 240 ECTS |
| One-cycle | Medical Doctor (MD) | 360 ECTS, includes a 1-year clinical internship |
| Master's | Finance, MBA in Management, MBA in Marketing, Computer Science, Management and IT (dual degree with Zwickau University of Applied Sciences, Germany), International Relations, US Foreign Affairs, Education Administration | 120 ECTS, 4 semesters |
| Doctorate | Business Administration, Computer Science, Education Sciences | 3 years (Business Administration) |
Note that most IBSU bachelor's degrees last 3 years, not 4. There is no Russian-taught degree track: Russian, like Georgian for foreigners, is only a language course at the IBSU Foreign Language Center.
IBSU publishes one flat fee in US dollars for international students in most programmes. The figures below come from the IBSU tuition fees page as of November 2026.
| Programme | Fee for international students | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Business programmes (Marketing, Management, Finances, Tourism, Accounting and Audit) | 4,900 USD | up to 1,000 USD |
| Computer Science, Architecture, Graphic Design | 4,900 USD | up to 1,000 USD |
| International Relations, Psychology, American Studies, English Philology | 4,900 USD | up to 1,000 USD |
| Master's in Computer Science | 4,900 USD | up to 1,000 USD |
| Medical Doctor (MD) | 5,900 USD | up to 500 USD |
| Doctorate (Business Administration) | 5,900 USD | not listed |
Before you pay, ask the International Relations Office to confirm in writing the fee period (per year or per semester), the payment schedule and the scholarship you will receive.
Foreign applicants do not take the Georgian Unified National Exams. Under Order No. 224/N of the Georgian Ministry of Education, they are enrolled through a document check and a ministry decision. IBSU describes the steps on its Study at IBSU page:
Documents IBSU asks for:
The Medical Doctor programme asks for English at B2 level as well. Univenter is an official partner of International Black Sea University and accepts applications to it.
IBSU does not publish a foundation or preparatory year for foreign students, so reach B2 English before you apply.
Georgia issues the D3 study visa only after you are enrolled, so the ministry order comes first. You apply through the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs system and a Georgian embassy. One embassy checklist published by the Georgian MFA asks for the admission letter, the ministry order on your acceptance, the ministry order on the university's accreditation, travel insurance covering at least 30,000 GEL (≈ $11,600), proof of funds, proof of accommodation in Georgia, a flight booking and a photo. Your own embassy may ask for more, so check its list. The full process is in our guide to studying in Georgia.
Within 3 months of arrival you apply for a residence permit at the Public Service Hall. IBSU lists the fee by processing time: 300 GEL one-off (≈ $116) for 30 days, 450 GEL one-off (≈ $173) for 20 days, 600 GEL one-off (≈ $231) for 10 days.
IBSU's admission page describes transport, food and everyday goods in Tbilisi as affordable and cites Numbeo, where Tbilisi ranks 15th of 374 cities for safety. Ask current students what they spend on rent and food.
Public transport is cheap. A standard ride costs 1 GEL one-off (≈ $0) and gives 90 minutes of unlimited travel on the metro, buses, minibuses and the Bagebi-University ropeway, according to the Tbilisi Transport Company. Cash and app payments do not get the 90-minute package.
IBSU's admission page does not describe a dormitory, and the embassy wants proof of accommodation. Ask the International Relations Office what housing help it offers before you book your visa appointment.
Tbilisi has hot summers and cold winters, so bring warm clothes for December to February. Learning some Georgian at the IBSU language center makes shops, doctors and landlords much easier.
IBSU degrees use the European credit system (ECTS), and Georgian programme accreditation is done by NCEQE, an agency listed in the European register EQAR. Every IBSU programme accreditation decision, with its validity date, is public in the EQAR database. Find your own programme there before you apply and check that its accreditation runs past your planned graduation.
To practise in India, the National Medical Commission's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 require a course of at least 54 months taught in English, a 12-month internship at the same foreign institution, registration to practise in the country of study at par with its citizens, and later the licensing exam in India (NMC FAQ on FMGL Regulations). A further 12-month internship in India follows.
The IBSU Medical Doctor page states that the programme is taught in English, totals 360 ECTS and includes a 1-year clinical internship. Ask IBSU to confirm in writing that the internship is done at IBSU itself and that it leads to a Georgian licence, because these are the points the NMC checks. Read more in our NExT exam guide.
The best part for her was the mix of people: the class felt international from the first week, the teachers spoke strong English, and lessons were built around case studies of real companies rather than pure theory. Guest lecturers from partner universities ran workshops.
— a Master's in Marketing student at IBSU, in the university's own video recorded around 2017 (video)
He taught groups of about 20 master's students, many of them already working, and the classroom discussion relied on their job experience. He describes Georgia as a hospitable country with a growing economy where new marketing ideas are easy to test.
— a visiting marketing professor who first taught at IBSU in December 2015, in the same IBSU video (video)
Between classes the Bangladeshi group plays basketball, football and table tennis, or foosball and billiards in the student recreation room. Lecture rooms have tiered seats and ceiling projectors. Lunch is often fresh Georgian bread from the bakery next to campus; the first time they bought far more than they could finish.
— a Bangladeshi student at IBSU filming campus life (video)
IBSU is a private university in Tbilisi, registered as a limited liability company. It has taught since 1995 and runs bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes in English and Georgian.
As of November 2026 IBSU lists 4,900 USD for international students in most English-taught bachelor's programmes and 5,900 USD for Medicine, with scholarships up to 1,000 USD and 500 USD respectively. Confirm the fee period and payment schedule with IBSU in writing.
No degree programme at IBSU is listed as Russian-taught. Degrees are taught in English or Georgian, and Russian is available only as a language course at the IBSU Foreign Language Center.
IBSU accepts IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 78 or another B2 certificate. If you have none, you take an English test organised by IBSU, and graduates of English-taught programmes are exempt.
Last updated: 3 November 2026. Fees and regulations change; check the official sources above before you apply.
Dagestan State Medical University (DSMU) in Makhachkala teaches General Medicine in English and Russian over 6 years, and its other degrees in Russian. As of November 2026 the first year in English costs 420,000 RUB a year, the hostel is 2,500 RUB a month, and you sit chemistry and biology exams in Makhachkala in July or October.
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) is a state technical university in St. Petersburg, founded in 1899, with over 5,000 international students. For 2026/27, Russian-taught Bachelor's degrees cost from 354,000 RUB a year for applicants who need a visa and English-taught Master's from 476,000 RUB a year. Visa-country applicants must apply by 1 July.
Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University (SPbGAU) is a state agricultural university in Pushkin, Saint Petersburg, founded in 1904. Foreign students pay from 280,000 RUB a year for a bachelor's degree in 2026/27, most programmes are taught in Russian after a preparatory year, and a hostel bed costs 1,627 RUB a month.
Create a free applicant account. We check your documents before submission, and a Univenter coordinator guides you to enrolment.