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Russian and Politics

Entry Year: 2025

Key information

Degree
BA (Hons)
Duration
4 years
Start
September 2025
UCAS code
RL72
Institution code
Q50
Typical A-Level offer
Grades ABB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees
£9,250
Overseas fees
£25,000
Funding information
Paying your fees

Year abroad cost

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

View details

Overview

Develop high-level Russian language skills and gain insight into the workings of today’s increasingly globalised world.

This four-year degree programme is jointly taught by the School of Languages Linguistics and Film and the School of Politics and International Relations, and combines two different, but often complementary, areas of interest.

You'll divide your time equally between the two subjects, with the flexibility to tailor your degree with a wide choice of modules. You'll gain an excellent grounding in Russian language, taking core modules in written and spoken Russian, and explore its fascinating culture, politics, society and history. You’ll also learn to engage with political theories, ideas and ideologies, governments and institutions, and comparative politics.

The programme will give you a sophisticated understanding of the cultural references that shape Russian identities. You’ll spend your third year studying or working in a Russian-speaking country such as Latvia, immersing yourself in its language and society. No prior knowledge of Russian is required.

 

Register your interest 

Structure

The Russian language modules you take will depend on your entry level. We offer separate classes for beginner, post-GCSE, post-A-level and native speakers.

Year 1

Compulsory

  • Culture and Language
  • Reading Contemporary Russia (for beginner or post-GCSE entrants only)
  • Foundations of Russian Studies (for post-A-level or native speakers)
  • Russian language module (streamed according to entry level)
  • Thinking Politically: Introduction to concepts, theories and ideologies

Choose from a range of modules including

  • Introduction to International Relations
  • Political Analysis

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 2

Compulsory

  • Modern Political Thought 1
  • Russian language module (streamed according to entry level)

Choose from a range of modules including

  • Short Stories and Important People: The 19th century
  • Accountability and Complexity in British Government
  • Colonialism, Capitalism and Development
  • Comparative European Politics I - Context and Institutional Development
  • Comparative European Politics II - Issues and Performance
  • European Integration
  • International Relations Theory
  • Modern Political Thought 2
  • Modernity: Theories of State, Economy and Society
  • Political Research
  • Politics of International Law
  • Power and Legitimacy in British Politics
  • Power in Global Governance
  • Researching Everyday Politics
  • The International Politics of Security
  • The International Politics of the Developing World
  • US Politics
  • War in World Politics

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 3

  • Year abroad

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 4

Compulsory

  • Russian language module

Choose from a range of modules including

  • Modern Languages Research Project
  • Africa and International Politics
  • American Politics, Carceral State and Social Movements
  • British Economic and Social Policy Since 1945 – Ideas, Interests and Institutions
  • British Economic and Social Policy Since 1945 – Independent Research
  • Contemporary Russian Politics
  • Doing International Politics
  • Gender and Politics
  • Globalisation: Issues and Debates
  • Global Politics of Health and Disease
  • Justice in a Global City
  • Latin American Politics
  • Modern Russian Literature II: Beyond the Monolith
  • Nationalism and Ethnicity in International Relations
  • Parliamentary Studies
  • Parliamentary Studies (Internship)
  • Politics of South Asia
  • Politics of South Asia – Independent Research
  • Political Violence and Liberal Modernity
  • Populism: A Global Perspective
  • Populism in 21st Century Europe
  • Race and Racism in World Politics
  • Race and Racism in World Politics: Independent Research
  • Radical Politics
  • Radical Politics Today – Independent Research
  • The Politics of the Post-Colonial Middle East
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Utopia and Dystopia: Political, Economic and Literary Dreamworlds
  • Utopia and Dystopia: Political, Economic and Literary Dreamworlds: Independent Research

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year abroad

You can choose to attend university at one of our Russian-speaking partner institutions in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Tver, Petrozavodsk or Kazan, or in a Russian-speaking part of Latvia with our Erasmus partner, Daugavpils University. Our exchange programmes are with major state universities as well as with smaller-scale private schools.

Testimonial

I really enjoy the discussions that take place in seminars. Trying to defend your point of view, whilst hearing the other side, allows everyone to see the strengths and weaknesses in both arguments. This enhances everyone’s understanding of the issues and allows you to challenge your own beliefs, which ultimately develops you as a person.

Alfie Joe Sudhir Khadka, Politics (2019)

Teaching

Teaching and learning

You'll receive approximately 16 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminars and language classes.

For every hour spent in class, you'll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.

Assessment

Assessment typically includes a combination of written exams and coursework, a final-year dissertation, independent projects and creative journals.

Resources and facilities

The Schools offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

  • the Queen Mary library
  • the Multimedia Language Resource Centre, equipped with digital labs and resource rooms, teacher and student workstations, interactive whiteboards, and software for viewing live international satellite TV broadcasts
  • subscriptions to foreign newspapers and journals
  • language clubs and social activities, including film screenings, discussion groups and debates.
  • the Centre for European Research, which welcomes students and academics interested in learning and researching on all matters relating to Europe
  • the Mile End Institute, a major policy centre that specialises in contemporary British politics, featuring regular high-profile speakers.

Learn another language

If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.

Entry requirements

A-LevelGrades ABB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking.
IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects.
BTECSee our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HEWe consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. For all other single and joint honours language programmes, experience of learning a language other than your mother tongue, and a demonstrable aptitude for language study are required. Applications are considered on a case by case basis, and we may request an interview. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSEMinimum five GCSE passes including English at grade C or 4.
EPQ

Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.

For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq

Contextualised admissions

Our standard contextual offer: BBC at A-Level.

Our enhanced contextual offer: BCC at A-Level.

More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page.

Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements.

Funding

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

  • additional sources of funding
  • planning your budget and cutting costs
  • part-time and vacation work
  • money for lone parents.

Careers

Russian and Politics graduates are highly employable, with invaluable political knowledge and research, analytical and communication skills that open doors to a huge variety of roles. They move into domestic and international careers in government, translating, policy research, education, journalism, media, marketing and business.

Recent Russian and Politics graduates have been hired by:

  • Amnesty International
  • British Council
  • House of Commons
  • Labour Party
  • PwC
  • UK Home Office.

Career support

You’ll have access to bespoke careers support every step of your degree, including personal academic support from the Russian and Politics Departments. You’ll benefit from regular careers events for language students, including a workshop for students returning from their year abroad, and a Make Languages Work For You speedmeet with alumni.

Our careers team can also offer:

  • specialist advice on choosing a career path
  • support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
  • feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
  • interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Course data

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the Schools

School of the Arts

The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)

School of Politics and International Relations

We’re a growing School invested in high-quality teaching, and we pride ourselves on our friendly and informal approach. Our London location is home to the nation’s Parliament, political think tanks and economic powerhouses, we host high-profile speakers, and we offer students regular contact with Westminster, Whitehall and the third sector.

Our staff are active researchers with diverse interests, from British politics to the Middle East, which is reflected in our teaching and the breadth of our programmes.

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