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Politics, Sociology and East European Studies with a Year Abroad BA

London, Bloomsbury

Gain a deep understanding of how politics, sociology and international relations influence Russia and Eastern Europe. Through this degree you’ll learn to analyse contemporary issues, benefit from the opportunity to learn a language, and spend a valuable year studying in the region. You’ll graduate with transferable skills ideal for careers in government, the charity sector, financial services and beyond. 

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,535
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
Programme starts
September 2026
Application deadline
14 Jan 2026
UCAS course code
LRF7
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
AAB
Subjects
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
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
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
36
Subjects
A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
32 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, 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 and 15 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.

D3,D3,M1in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects

AAB at Advanced Highers (or AA at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher)

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

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 3

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


This is a crucial time to study Russia and Eastern Europe. Many Central and East European states are part of the European Union but, instead of consolidating democracy, are witnessing the rise of right-wing populism. At the same time, Russia has re-emerged as an assertive authoritarian power with major global consequences. The war in Ukraine has upended European and international politics.

Against this shifting backdrop, the Politics, Sociology and East European Studies BA introduces you to major approaches in social and political science and teaches you how to use them to understand and analyse social and political change in Russia, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and beyond.

You take modules in politics, sociology and international relations — including some with a focus on political developments in Russia and the former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe — and draw on this region to study real-life examples of how these disciplines work in practice. You then choose from a wide range of options in politics, sociology, international relations, economics, history and East European languages to match your interests. In your final year, you write a dissertation based on an independent research project. 

What this course will give you

As a student of the Politics, Sociology and East European Studies with a Year Abroad BA, you are part of the interdisciplinary School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), home to leading experts in the field. Our world-class academics are regularly consulted by the media as well as organisations such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Union.

The School hosts an extensive events schedule, inviting high profile speakers such as the Booker Prize winner, Georgi Gospodinov, ministers from the region, and journalists who have reported on the frontline of the war in Ukraine. 

You also have access to the School’s dedicated building and the rich resources of the SSEES Library, a leading teaching and research collection for the study of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia.

The focus of your course on real-life case studies prepares you to enter a diverse and complex job market and opt for a range of career paths, equipped with sharp analytical and critical skills that help you dissect complex situations

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 480 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Politics, Sociology and East European Studies with a Year Abroad.

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.

In Years 1 and 2, you will take compulsory modules in politics, sociology and international relations, including modules on the political developments of Russia and Eastern Europe. Themes covered include security and conflict, governance and corruption, migration, and democracy and authoritarianism. 

You are strongly encouraged to make use of our excellent language learning opportunities to learn Russian or another East European language as part of your degree.

Your third year is spent abroad studying at a university in the region. During your year abroad you will be expected to develop your language skills where appropriate, to take modules (in English) related to your degree and to develop an enhanced understanding of relevant country-level issues.

In your final year, you will work on a dissertation based on an independent research project. Beyond this, you can choose additional modules in economics, history, language, politics and sociology to match your interests. 

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Compulsory modules






Optional modules





Compulsory modules




Optional modules








Compulsory modules




Compulsory modules



Optional modules



Migration and Society - Eastern Europe and Beyond

International and Regional Politics of Eurasia

The International Politics of Sexuality





Your learning

You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. You are expected to prepare presentations and papers on selected topics for your seminars and tutorials, sometimes as an individual and sometimes as part of a group, followed by class discussion. You receive regular written work, including essays, exercises and case study analyses.

Typical contact hours vary between 8-12 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practice-based activities and e-learning activities. Students will also display a level of independent study (25-30 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the programme.

Assessment

You receive feedback from tutors on both your oral and written work and your presentation skills to help develop your analytical ability in these areas. Your assessment is be based on unseen written examinations, coursework and a supervised final-year dissertation.

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

Virtual Open Event: Economics and Business with East European Studies BA (AM)

—

We are excited to invite you to the SSEES Economics and Business with East European Studies Virtual Open Events taking place on 6 May at 9:00 and on 12 May at 15:00. Join us online in an interactive Q&A session for prospective students interested in studying Economics and Business. The session will feature our Admissions Tutor and current students, providing an exciting opportunity for attendees to learn about the programme. The session will be held on Zoom and registration in advance is essential!

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: Economics and Business with East European Studies BA (PM)

—

We are excited to invite you to the SSEES Economics and Business with East European Studies Virtual Open Events taking place on 6 May at 9:00 and on 12 May at 15:00. Join us online in an interactive Q&A session for prospective students interested in studying Economics and Business. The session will feature our Admissions Tutor and current students, providing an exciting opportunity for attendees to learn about the programme. The session will be held on Zoom and registration in advance is essential!

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: History, Politics and Economics BA (AM)

—

We are excited to invite you to the SSEES History, Politics and Economics Virtual Open Events taking place on Thursday 15 May 2025 at 9:00 and 15:00. Join us in an interactive Q&A session for prospective students interested in studying History, Politics and Economics. The session will feature our Admissions Tutor and current students, providing an exciting opportunity for attendees to learn about the programme. The session will be held on Zoom and registration in advance is essential!

The foundation of your career

Previous graduates have entered a variety of fields across the public and private sectors, such as accountancy and financial services, charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international development, teaching, consultancy, IT, Technology and Telecomms, Law, and Performance Arts, as well as further study. 

Employers include the Ministry of Defence, Amazon, Bloomberg LP, Deloitte, European Parliament, Goldman Sachs Group, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and PwC.*

 *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.

SSEES alumni regularly return to meet our current students and talk about their careers and offer advice. Employers seeking experts on our region often approach SSEES to publicise their vacancies. 

Employability

By completing this course, you’ll acquire a solid understanding of politics and sociology, specialist knowledge of a region whose changing politics, economics and international relations are rapidly reshaping our understanding of the world, as well as a raft of transferable skills. 

On this course, you learn to challenge traditional Western perspectives on politics, sociology and international relations and develop the ability to see these multifaceted issues from the point of view of different cultures. We believe that being able to develop understanding and empathy for other ways of life and their perspectives gives our students the best possible preparation to enter the diverse and complex worlds of diplomacy, foreign policy, consultancy and think-tanks, to name a few. 

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,535
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800

Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 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 programme-specific costs for this programme apart from those associated with study abroad.

Please note that study abroad during your programme at UCL 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.

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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. 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 politics and sociology 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.

On the basis of our assessment of your application we will decide whether to make you an offer. If you are successful, you will be invited to a post-offer open day. The open day will include introductory talks providing more information about SSEES, our facilities and your chosen degree. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions, and take a tour of UCL led by current students.

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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