The Russian Federation Higher Education system has been essentially reforming for the last ten years. One of the major trends of such significant modernization consists in extension of universities’ academic freedoms in design and implementation of their educational programs. Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) developed its own Standards and Guidelines for TPU Academic Programs Quality Assurance based on the new generation of Federal State Educational Standards and international requirements to competences of engineering programs graduates (Washington Accord Graduate Attributes, EUR-ACE Framework Standards, etc.). To improve the quality of academic programs at bachelor level and to strengthen the leadership position in Russian engineering education TPU joined the CDIO Initiative in October 2011. This paper offers a survey of Tomsk Polytechnic University starting process in adoption and adaption of CDIO approach in undergraduate engineering programs reforms.