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Russian and East European Literature and Culture MA

This MA is one of the most wide-ranging programmes of its kind, offering a rich variety of modules on the region, ranging from the premodern period to the 21st century, from Russia and Poland to the Czech Republic and Croatia, and from film and philosophy to literature and cultural studies.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years

Application dates

All applicants
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£11,170 (FT)
£5,660 (PT)
Overseas:
£23,340 (FT)
£11,830 (PT)


Note on fees: The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website.

Location: London, Bloomsbury

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. Applicants with a good lower second-class Bachelor's degree (pass of 55% or better) or equivalent may also be considered on their individual merits.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good

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

International students

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.

Select your country:

About this degree

Students develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of aspects of Russian and/or east European literature and culture, including art, film, philosophy, and linguistics. They gain key research skills, enabling them to solve problems of conflicting sources or interpretations, locate primary and secondary materials, and use research aids and resources effectively.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of one core module (30 credits), optional modules (90 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MA in Russian and East European Literature and Culture.

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 is subject to change.

Compulsory module

  • Literary and Cultural Theory

Optional modules

Students take up to 90 credits of optional modules.  Subject to approval, elective modules up to the value of 30 credits may be taken from other SSEES MA Programmes or from other UCL MA Programmes. Options may include: 

  • All Quiet on the Eastern Front: Culture, Politics and Everyday Life in Central and Eastern Europe
  • Beyond Stereotypes: The Jews in Polish Culture
  • Introduction to Hermeneutics: How to Read and Interpret Texts
  • Contemporary Cultural Studies: Between Post-Communism & Post-Modernism
  • Contemporary Art and Politics in Russia and Eastern Europe
  • How to Read/Interpret Texts: Introduction to Hermeneutics
  • Literatures of Rupture: Modernism in Russia and Eastern Europe
  • The 19th-Century Russian Novel
  • The Reflecting Screen: Russian and Soviet Cinema in its Cultural Context, 1896 to the Present
  • Language Modules
  • Russian Monarchy: Court Ritual and Political Ideas, 1498-1917
  • Comparative Literary Studies
  • Translation Studies
  • Nabokov and Russian Émigré Literature
  • Crossroads of Culture: Language & Identity in Literatures of Ukraine - Crimea to the Shtetls
  • Languages in Contact Along the Danube: Intercultural Frictions and Flows
  • Russian Monarchy: Court Ritual and Political Ideas
  • Linguistic Methods
  • Nations, Identity and Power in Central and Eastern Europe
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Dissertation/report

All MA students undertake an independent research project, which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000–12,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations, film viewings and private study. Students are assessed by a variety of methods, including unseen examinations, long essays, coursework and the research dissertation.

Each 15-credit module is equivalent to 150 hours of study and a 30 credit module equivalent to 300 hours of study. Contact hours may vary depending on module choices, but full-time students will approximately have 8-10 hours of contact hours each week during term time. 

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 face-to-face teaching updates
All lectures and seminars in Term 1 will be undertaken online. Learning will be supplemented by face to face academic activities including personal tutoring, study groups, book discussion groups, and small group work. However, if you are unable to join on campus in Term 1, you will be able to fully carry out your studies remotely wherever you are in the world. Your department will keep you updated on face-to-face activities and any changes will be communicated to you as soon as they are available.  
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

Additional costs

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

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Detailed module information

See full details of modules for this programme.

Funding

AHRC Scholarships may be available.

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

Careers

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 academe. Some of our graduates advise the Russian, Polish, American, and other governments, and the European Commission.

Employability

Students who have successfully completed the programme have progressed to further academic research on the region, or have obtained employment in such organisations as the European Parliament and the Ministry of Defence, as well as roles in business, think tanks, NGOs, or similar, both in Britain and abroad. Internship opportunities and excellent links with other universities in the region as well as suite of leading events and research seminars complement your studies. 

Why study this degree at UCL?

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-east Europe and Russia.

Located on the edge of Bloomsbury, SSEES offers an ideal location for scholars. The British Library, British Museum, University of London Library and other similar research centres are all close by.

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

Department: SSEES - School of Slavonic & East European Studies

What our students and staff say

Staff view

"UCL is an energetic place that is clearly on an upward trajectory, bustling with original thinkers doing cutting-edge work and incredibly talented students from all over the world. Definitely the place to study and do research at the beginning of the 21st century."

Professor Jan Kubik


UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies

Application and next steps

Applications

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 programme of £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.

Who can apply?

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have degrees in the study of the region; others have no acquaintance with central and Eastern Europe and Russia. We welcome students with one or more of the area's languages, and encourage those without a language to take one up.

Application deadlines

All applicants
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

What are we looking for?

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Russian and East European Literature and Culture at graduate level
  • why you want to study Russian and East European Literature and Culture 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
  • 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.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

Page last modified on 13 August 2020