Based at our Bloomsbury campus at UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) , we are the UK’s largest institution for research and teaching on Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the Baltics, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia . Russia and Eastern Europe have undergone dramatic changes throughout history, and change is far from over.
In this course, you will explore Russian culture from a variety of perspectives. You can specialise in literature and culture, social sciences or history, or combine modules into an interdisciplinary course. You are encouraged to develop your research skills, and can choose to learn Russian, or improve your command of Russian, through a language course. You will also be able to choose from optional modules including Informal Practices in Post-Communist Societies; Discourses of Empire and Identity: The Nineteenth-Century Novel in Russian; and Russian Foreign Policy.
We seek to recruit well-rounded, motivated students with a genuine curiosity about the world, alongside strong analytical skills. Applicants should be keen to explore materials beyond the school curriculum and engage with the histories, politics and traditions of the region. No prior knowledge of the region is required, but enthusiasm for working across cultures is essential. Whilst we encourage those with a background in the social sciences and humanities, we are open to prospective candidates from other disciplines and encourage you to get in touch with us to discuss your interest in the region and its culture.
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 academia. You will acquire transferable skills such as critical reasoning, independent thinking and application of theoretical concepts which strongly place you to find employment in international organisations, and particularly careers which cross international boundaries and value linguistic and cultural knowledge.
The School of Slavonic and East European Studies has its own Careers Tutor and advisor and careers events are held during the year to enable students to meet prospective employers and gain insights from sectors, enable networking and attend hands-on workshops.
Popular career paths for graduates of this degree include Policy and Government (12.2%); Publishing, Journalism or Translation (10.2%); Teaching or other educational activities (8.2%); Academic Research and Higher Education (6.1%); Performance and Creative Arts (6.1%); and IT, Technology and Telecomms (6.1%).
Employers for our graduates include the Department of Transport; Queen Mary University of London; Zinc Network; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Party of European Socialists; and the French Government.
Some of our most common job titles are: Business and related research professionals; Authors, writers and translators; and Business and financial project management professionals.