The Politics and Economics of Eastern Europe MRes

London, Bloomsbury

Our Politics and Economics of Eastern Europe MRes is a research training degree in methods and approaches for studying politics, economics and society in post-communist Europe including Russia and other post-Soviet states.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£8,750
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£28,100
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 05 Apr 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Entry requirements

Normally an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

You will gain a robust multidisciplinary foundation in social science research methods and an introduction to approaches in cultural and historical studies. You will also develop interdisciplinary and discipline-specific research techniques, as well as language skills oriented towards carrying out research in Eastern Europe.

Further details on the structure and modules can be found in the Programme Handbook

Who this course is for

The programme is intended primarily for applicants planning to do a PhD or MPhil or make a professional career in research, who have some background in the social sciences.

What this course will give you

The UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) is one of the largest national centres in the UK for the study of central, Eastern and south-eastern Europe and Russia.

SSEES' location on the edge of Bloomsbury offers you access to the British Library, British Museum, University of London Library and other similar research centres, which are all close by.

You will have access to the SSEES Library which is unequalled in Britain for the depth and breadth of its collections, the majority of which are on open access in the SSEES building.

The foundation of your career

The MRes is intended primarily for applicants planning to do a PhD or MPhil or make a professional career in research.

Employability

With their specialist knowledge and language skills, SSEES Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, charities, diplomacy, international security organisations, the law, and academia. Graduates have gone on to advise the Russian, Polish, American, and other governments, and the European Commission.

Networking

The SSEES Employers Evening hosts a range of employers with relevant job opportunities for SSEES students, enabling networking with key organisations to help further your career. SSEES scholars have developed strong links with a range of institutions in London, including the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Roubini Global Economics, NGOs such as Health Prom, Amnesty International and others through the BEARR Trust, Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), as well as with the European Commission. SSEES also cultivates connections with the London embassies of the region, which regularly co-sponsor round-table events and lectures by leading international figures relevant to our area interests.

Teaching and learning

You will be taught via a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars, classes and language classes.

You will be assessed by unseen and written examinations, coursework assignments, essays and the research dissertation.

For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. Contact hours may vary depending on module choices, but full-time students will have approximately 8-10 contact hours each week during term time, spent in lectures and seminars.

For a part-time postgraduate course, contact hours would usually be 4-6 hours per week across 2-3 days and we recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study per week.

Those undertaking language modules may have additional contact hours. There is minimal teaching during Term 3, as students focus on the dissertation and assessments.

Modules

You will take modules in research methods and/or languages, a specialist elective and a free-standing dissertation worth 105 credits. In addition, all MRes students are obliged to attend regular Research Centre Seminars.

All MRes students are also encouraged to attend the MA/MRes Dissertation Preparation Programme. This programme is not compulsory for MRes students, but it will help to review and update your library and information management skills (essential for undertaking good research) and provide you with a detailed, subject-specific dissertation briefing. Although attendance is not compulsory, all MRes students will be automatically registered on the Programme in order to give access to Moodle resources and timetable information for particular sessions.

Further details on the structure and modules can be found in the Programme Handbook

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MRes in The Politics and Economics of Eastern Europe.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £8,750
Tuition fees (2024/25) £28,100

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, or conference registration fees and associated travel costs.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study the Politics and Economics of Eastern Europe at graduate level
  • why you want to study the Politics and Economics of Eastern Europe at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging and truly international academic environment
  • about your research interests and where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

In addition to the standard UCL application form, applicants should submit a short research proposal, outlining their areas of interest. Please download and  complete the proposal form on the SSEES webpages. This should then be uploaded with your application.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

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