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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
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.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
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.
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.
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 typically includes a combination of written exams and coursework, a final-year dissertation, independent projects and creative journals.
The Schools offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
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.
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
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.
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.
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.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
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.
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:
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:
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:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
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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)
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.