BARussian Studies and International Relations

Study location	United Kingdom, Birmingham
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA

Entry qualification	High school / secondary education (or higher) No A level in Russian required but evidence of language learning ability required such as a grade A in a Modern Language at GCSE.

Language requirements	English Accepted proof of proficiency: FCE or CAE, IELTS 6+ or TOEFL 79+

Other requirements	At least 1 reference(s) should be provided.

More information	birmingham.ac.uk/...aspx#CourseOverviewTab

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

First year

Russian: No prior knowledge of the Russian language is necessary to enter our programmes. In the first and second years, students are divided into groups according to whether they are beginners or have an A level or equivalent in Russian. Students with AS level Russian are placed in the advanced group and given extra tutorial support to catch up, while students with GCSE Russian will normally be placed in the beginners’ group.

At the end of the first year, beginners travel to the city of Petrozavodsk in Russia for an intensive four week language programme, for which many of the costs are covered by the University.

In addition, students choose from a variety of Russian Studies modules including:

Outlines of Russian History
Nineteenth or Twentieth Century Russian Literature
Twentieth Century Russian Politics.
International Relations: You receive a thorough grounding in the study of international relations, with particular emphasis on the major approaches to the discipline and core issues such as conflict, war, peace, security, international and regional organisations, and international law. You also take a number of complementary courses in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, and options offered elsewhere.

Second year

Russian: In addition to more advanced language classes you can choose from a variety of Russian Studies modules including:

Cultural Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe,
Contemporary Russian and East European Politics
Russia in Revolution 1900–1936
International Politics and Security in Russia and Eurasia,
Nineteenth or Twentieth Century Russian Literature.
You may also have the option of studying Beginner’s Polish.

International Relations: The second-year core course further develops your understanding of the discipline, introducing many new perspectives on international relations. As such, it is designed to develop your knowledge and theoretical understanding of this dynamic and changing field. In the second year you can also take a number of related courses within the Department of Political Science and International Studies.

Third year

You can choose to spend your year abroad in various locations including Moscow, St Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Petrozavodsk, Tver and Volgograd, spending either two semesters in one place or splitting them between two different places, for instance a semester in Moscow and a semester in Tver. There may also be the opportunity to spend a semester in Krakow, Poland under the ERASMUS scheme.

Fourth year

Russian: In addition to core modules, you can choose from a variety of modules including:

Advanced Cultural Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe
Advanced Contemporary Russian and East European Politics
Business Russian
Additional Russian (English-Russian translation and Russian-English aural translation)
The Russian Economy: from Plan to Market
Russian Political and Intellectual Thought from 1950 to 1989
Advanced International Politics and Security in Russia and Eurasia
Russia in the Modern World.
You also write an extended essay or dissertation on a Russian Studies topic of your choosing. In addition, modules in Ukrainian and Polish languages may be offered.

International Relations: In the final year you may take a range of options. These include:

Power in Britain Twentieth Century Political Thought Political Economy of the EU Contemporary US Foreign and Security Policy International Ethics Contemporary IPE Topics in British Politics Modern European Political Thought European Security Critical Security Studies International Organisations Advanced Modern Asia War-torn States and Post-conflict Reconstruction in the South