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Russian and Post-Soviet Politics MA

London, Bloomsbury

Our MA in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics offers the opportunity to study the politics, societies, and international relations of states and societies of the former Soviet Union from an in-depth area studies perspective. Core options allow students to focus on Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltic states, or Central Asia, as well as Russia. Additional optional modules enable students to explore theoretical approaches from political science, sociology, and international relations, or to study a language of the region. The programme develops specialist knowledge of a strategically important but complex region, equipping students with analytical and research skills relevant for future work or further study.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

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 course 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


This degree offers you a structured, focused programme as well as flexibility to pursue individual interests. Study of Russian and post-Soviet politics is supplemented by a wide range of options on other regions of the former Soviet Union and broad thematic issues such as corruption and governance, ethno-political conflict, nationalism, sexual identity and security. You are also encouraged to learn Russian, Ukrainian or Estonian language. 

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

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for those of you who seek to develop expertise in Russian and eastern European politics and society, and draw on the latest insights from political and social science. Students with backgrounds in social sciences and humanities are particularly welcome to apply but we will consider applicants from a range of undergraduate degrees..

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) is one of the largest UK centres for the study of Russia and the post-Soviet region.

The school has superb research facilities and can point to expertise in a range of disciplines, including language training which allows you plenty of choice in your module options and ability to pursue your own areas of interest. Our SSEES Library, in particular, is unequalled in Britain in the scope and size of its specialist collections, meaning you have access to unique resources when researching for your dissertation.

Our central London location, regular workshops and events, and close links with employers and alumni afford you excellent opportunities for networking and career development.

We also run the weekly Post-Soviet Press Group, which will give you the chance to discuss up to date events in the region with likeminded individuals and have a chance to present to the group. 

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Popular career paths for SSEES Politics and Sociology graduates include Scientific Research, development & analysis; Charities, NGOs and international development; Policy and Government; PR, Advertising, Marketing; Publishing, Journalism, or Translation; and Security and Intelligence.

Employers of our graduates include the UK Government; Home Office; Alaco Ltd; Wallbrook; Center for Strategic Foreign Policies; Ministry of Justice; Energy Industries Council; and House of Commons.

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2022 cohorts.

Employability

The programme allows you to develop a blend of specialist area knowledge, analytical expertise and language skills tailored to their individual interests and requirements. The programme together with regular workshops and events such as the weekly Post-Soviet Press Group discussion forum - provides opportunities to develop understanding of current developments in Russia and the post-Soviet region alongside deeper theoretical and historical insights into their politics and societies. This skill set leaves you well placed to meet the requirements of employers and policy-makers, or to move on to further study.

You will acquire transferable skills such as critical reasoning, independent thinking and application of theoretical concepts which strongly place you to find employment in international organisations, and particularly careers which cross international boundaries and value  linguistic and cultural knowledge.

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 through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, film viewings, tutorials and specialist language courses.

You will be assessed through unseen examinations, long essays, coursework 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

Student take 180 credits in total.,

The taught modules comprise a 30 credit compulsory modules on Russian Politics;  a choice of core modules on aspects of politics and society in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union; and  a choice of modules including methodology; the culture and history of Russia and the former USSR; thematic courses dealing with political and social issues in the post-communist world; and a language course in Russian, Ukrainian or Estonian. In addition all students must undertake a free-standing dissertation and a Dissertation Preparation Module.

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

The MA can be taken part time over 2 years. Student take 180 credits in total, so 90 credits in each year.

In Year 1 the taught modules comprise a 30 credit compulsory modules on Russian Politics;  a choice of core modules on aspects of politics and society in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union; and  a choice of modules including methodology; the culture and history of Russia and the former USSR; thematic courses dealing with political and social issues in the post-communist world; and a language course in Russian, Ukrainian or Estonian.

In Year 2, alongside electives outlined above, all students must undertake a free-standing dissertation and a Dissertation Preparation Module.

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

Compulsory modules





Optional modules





Post-Soviet Politics

Cities in Eastern Europe



Popular Culture and International Politics









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 MA in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

Masaryk Common Room, SSEES, 16 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom - Open day

Graduate Open Events: School of Slavonic & East European Studies

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We are thrilled to invite all prospective and current applicants for our postgraduate programmes to join us at the SSEES Open Evening. This informal evening will allow you to network with our Admissions Tutors and academic colleagues from across our subject areas, ask questions and take a tour of the school. Our range of MA and Research degrees covers our four main programme areas: Economics and Business; Politics and Sociology; History; and Languages and Culture.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: SSEES Politics and Sociology

We are excited to announce the return of the SSEES Graduate Open Series, with a focussed session on each of our subject areas: Economics and Business; Politics and Sociology; Languages, Literature and Culture; History; and IMESS. Our virtual Zoom event series promises an invaluable experience for prospective Master’s students as they explore a diverse range of postgraduate master's opportunities.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

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 in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

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.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

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.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Russian and Post-Soviet Politics at graduate level
  • why you want to study Russian and Post-Soviet Politics at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen progamme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • 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.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

School of Slavonic and East European Studies
School of Slavonic and East European Studies

maadmissions@ssees.ucl.ac.uk

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