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Italian and Russian BA

London, Bloomsbury

Our Italian and Russian degree offers huge scope for developing in-depth, comparative and intercultural approaches to the humanities. You will be able to choose from a wide range of modules including literature, linguistic traditions, history, sociology, philosophy, art, film or other aspects of the cultures associated with the language(s) you'll be learning.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
Programme starts
September 2025
Application deadline
29 Jan 2025
UCAS course code
R3RU
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
ABB
Subjects
A level or equivalent in a foreign language required (not necessarily one of the named languages). Applicants seeking to study two languages at beginner level should seek advice from the departments concerned.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBB more about contextual offers
Subjects
A level or equivalent in a foreign language required (not necessarily one of the named languages). Applicants seeking to study two languages at beginner level should seek advice from the departments concerned.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
34
Subjects
A total of 16 in three higher level subjects to include a foreign language, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
32 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 in three higher level subjects to include a foreign language with no higher level score below 5

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass, all from Level 3 units. Please note, where subject specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, a foreign language is required.

ABB at Advanced Highers (or AB at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher). A foreign language at Advanced Higher is required.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades ABB, a foreign language is required.

International applications

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

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview


In years one, two and your final year you will take language modules in your chosen languages, as well as cultural modules related to them. You may also take modules offered by the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS)  and SSEES, focusing on literature, film, linguistics and history from an interdisciplinary perspective.

You will spend your third year abroad, split between two countries where your chosen languages are spoken. You will achieve the same linguistic competence regardless of whether you start a language from scratch or have previous knowledge of it.

What this course will give you

We provide an ideal environment for language study. We offer a wider range of languages and state-of-the-art facilities, including a well-equipped language learning suite, and many of our academic staff are world-leaders in their fields.

The Year Abroad give you the chance to attend a university or work overseas. During this time you will finesse your language skills in your target language(s) and gain valuable experience which will enhance future learning as well as career prospects.

UCL has a very international population, meaning you will meet people from all over the world, which provides numerous opportunities to practise and speak your chosen languages with native speakers and learn about the associated cultures and societies from them.

Our location in London provides access to frequent and varied cultural events, a huge range of museums, galleries, specialist libraries and bookshops, theatres, cinemas, cuisines and cultural societies.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Italian and Russian.

Modules

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. 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 spend the first two years at UCL gaining expertise in the productive and receptive skills of your selected languages as well as gaining a more developed understanding of the literature, cinema, politics, linguisitcs, history, culture and society of the countries where the target languages are spoken. For all language combinations, there is a compulsory year abroad in year 3 during which you will spend term 1 in the country where one of your languages is spoken and term 2 in the country where the other language is spoken. You may spend the term studying at a partner university or on an approved work placement. The final year is based at UCL where you will continue to study a range of advanced-level modules on language, applied language (e.g. translation), literature, history, film and linguistics. A final-year dissertation module is available should you wish to undertake a self-initiated project which builds on the independent research skills developed over the course of your programme of study.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Compulsory modules




Compulsory module(s)

Modules in your chosen languages.
Literature, culture, history and linguistics modules related to your chosen languages.

Optional modules

You will also choose an interdisciplinary module offered by the School of European Language, Culture & Society (SELCS) and School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES). Options may include, for example, the study of literature, linguistics, film, politics or history.

Compulsory modules



Optional modules


Objects of Media History: Researching the Media II

Organized Crime: Gangsters in Life and Art





Reading European Poetry

Media Globalisation  -  Researching the Media III

Crisis and Disease in the West: Culture, Humanity and Data

Cinema and Literature from War to Reconstruction

Italian Culture during Fascism


Nation, Culture and Society in Italy, 1860-1914.



Ca'Foscari Year 2


How Words Work: Meaning and Modularity




Chekhov: The Quest for Freedom

The Petersburg 'Text' in Russian Literature and Culture: From Romanticism to Modernism


Compulsory module(s)

Modules in your chosen languages.
Literature, culture, history and linguistics modules related to your chosen languages.

Optional modules

You will also choose an interdisciplinary module offered by the School of European Language, Culture & Society (SELCS) or SSEES. Options may include, for example, the study of literature, linguistics, film, politics or history.

Optional modules




Year abroad

Your Year Abroad is split between two countries where your target languages are spoken. You can participate in a study placement with one of our partner universities, undertake a work placement or British Council language assistantship abroad or a combination of the two (subject to language choice/availability/approval). 

The experiences and skills developed while abroad further academic and personal development, cultural and social awareness, provide a foundation for further study and enhance career prospects.

For further information on the Year Abroad please visit the SELCS Year Abroad website and the SSEES Year Abroad pages. 

Compulsory modules




Optional modules

Saboteurs, Stakhanovites and Spies: Writing the Stalinist 1930s


Compulsory module(s)

Advanced language and other modules in your chosen fields.

Your learning

Your language classes focus on developing the active skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading through a variety of methods and media. You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, as well as undertaking web-based study and group work.

Each student will engage in 1200 learning hours every year, made up of teaching time (lectures, seminars and workshops), independent study, assessment and feedback.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a mixture of written and oral examinations, essays and other forms of coursework.

Accessibility

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

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

History, Politics and Economics Information Session

Watch this video to find out more about UCL's History, Politics and Economics programme, entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Politics and Sociology Information Session

Watch this video to find out more about UCL's Politics and Sociology programme, entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

Popular career paths for modern language graduates include the financial sector, the civil service, journalism, accountancy, publishing, education, advertising, the media and law. Some graduates pursue careers that make special use of their language skills, including translating, interpreting and teaching, while others continue with graduate training and research.

Employability

There are many career opportunities for UCL's modern language graduates. We seek to embed within our teaching the acquisition of transferable skills as well as linguistic and cultural knowledge.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,250
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs.

In addition, please note that if you study abroad during your programme at UCL, this is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We are looking for applicants who express a genuine interest in studying languages and culture and who can evidence independent engagement with the subject. We are interested in hearing your own views and opinions. For instance, if you have undertaken additional reading, tell us what you thought about the topic discussed. Relevant skills include: communication, critical evaluation, creative thinking.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

If your application demonstrates that your academic ability and motivation make you well-suited to our degree and you receive an offer, then we shall invite you to a Post Offer Open Day, where you will experience the sort of teaching we offer and life in SELCS.

Our admissions process aims to assess your linguistic abilities and attainments as well as cultural awareness and intellectual potential. We may interview candidates by telephone in order to establish a level of language ability.

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

SSEES - School of Slavonic and East European Studies
SSEES - School of Slavonic and East European Studies

ugadmissions@ssees.ucl.ac.uk

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