Course description
Course description
BA (Hons) Russian Studies provides a broad grounding in Russian language, culture and society. It enables you to develop your Russian language skills to a superior level; and simultaneously to develop your interests in and knowledge of a variety of other subject areas (such as film and media studies, sociology, history and politics, literary and cultural studies).
Russian can be studied with various other subjects at the University of Manchester.
Joint Honours (1 Language)
You can combine study of Russian with many other subjects from across the School and University. These include business and management, history, history of art and English literature, which draw on expertise from the wider academic community.
Joint Honours (2 Languages)
You can also combine Russian with another language for a joint honours degree. In most cases, prior advanced study of one language or the other (to A2 or equivalent level) is required for entry.
Masters of Modern Language
These are enhanced undergraduate degrees for students who have studied two languages to A2 (or equivalent) level.
Special features
The foundation of our degree programmes is a unique two-course series, comprising 'Beyond the ''Iron Curtain'': Critical Perspectives on Russia, Past and Present' (Level 1) and 'Petersburg: History, Myth, Text' (Level 2). These courses, which do not have equivalents at any UK university, are interdisciplinary and multimedia-focused. Both courses are team-taught, in order to provide exposure to different sub-disciplines in Russian and East European Studies (such as sociology, history, literature and culture studies); and they draw upon a wide variety of resources (e.g. websites, film and music, as well as texts), to explore ways in which various media can be used to further our understanding of Russia's rich historical, sociopolitical and cultural heritage.
Language courses are team-taught by native speakers of Russian and English-speakers with a superior command of Russian; these courses are supplemented by a carefully structured independent language-learning programme.
There are separate language courses for beginners, post-A level students and Russian native speakers in the first two years of study.
Key features of the programme include:
-intensive Russian language courses, including an optional final-year Business Russian course
-unique, interdisciplinary core content courses with a multimedia focus
-the integration of training in crucial study skills and concrete -transferable skills into compulsory core courses
-access to a wide range of Russian cultural events that further your study of Russian language and culture outside the classroom
Course content for year 1
During the first year of study, you develop crucial Russian language skills through dedicated grammar classes, language laboratory work, oral practice with a native-speaker lector and a programme of independent learning. Separate language pathways are offered for beginners, post A-level students, and native speakers of Russian.
You also take a number of (largely compulsory) content courses that provide a solid base for your further studies. The centrepiece of these is the first in our unique two-part series of core courses, which provide a thorough grounding in concepts and debates crucial to an understanding of Russian society and culture. Topics and themes introduced in these core courses are explored in depth in our optional content courses. As a result, these core courses also help you to make informed choices for subsequent years of study based on your own particular interests.
Course content for year 2
During the second year, you continue with your intensive study of Russian language and with the second in our compulsory core course series. You also choose from optional courses in a range of areas (such as Russian culture and thought, literature and Polish language).
Designed not just to underpin your studies at Manchester but also to prepare you for the compulsory year abroad, our Level Two core course focuses on St. Petersburg and its central role in Russian history, society and culture. In this course, you will study (through texts, images, film and music) numerous monuments and locales-from the Bronze Horseman to the world-famous Hermitage Museum-that you can then explore firsthand during your year abroad.
Course content for year 3
Your third year of study is spent abroad under approved conditions.
Course content for year 4
In your final year, your compulsory studies comprise an advanced language course and a dissertation, which is supervised by an appropriate member of staff within Russian and East European Studies. In researching and writing the dissertation, you explore in depth a subject of particular interest to you. The topic of your dissertation may be related to one of the final-year optional courses, but this is not obligatory.
Optional courses in subjects including Business Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet cinema, Russian popular culture, and Russian and Soviet politics round out your studies.
Career opportunities
Languages qualify you for a wide range of employment. Your high-level language skills will open up numerous paths with an international dimension (e.g. business, industry and finance). You will also have excellent all-round communication skills making you a strong contender for openings in the media, PR and similar areas.
In our experience, many graduates go straight into business services, marketing, advertising, management, banking or communications. Others opt for postgraduate study or further vocational training to become accountants, lawyers, teachers (in England or abroad) or enter the Civil Service.
