BARussian Studies and International Relations

Study location	United Kingdom, Birmingham
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA
Course code	RL72

Entry qualification	High school / secondary education (or higher) A level Russian grade B or equivalent is required if you plan to take the language at Advanced level. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English IELTS: 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill) CAE: 176 (with a minimum of 169 in each skill)

Other requirements	At least 1 reference(s) must be provided. A motivation letter must be added to your application.

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

Russian:
During your years of study you will take compulsory language modules depending on your language proficiency (Beginner or post A-Level). You will then choose amongst a wide range of optional modules depending on the number of credits you are taking in the language.

You can find out more about the available modules dependent on your credit weighting for your chosen language via the My Choices website. The modules listed may occasionally be subject to change.

International Relations:
First year
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 will study three compulsory courses:

Introduction to International Relations Theory
Research Skills and literacy: Philosophy and Method in Social Sciences
Understanding Politics

Second year
The second-year compulsory module ‘International Relations Theory’ 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.

Year Abroad
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.

Final year
In the final year you may take a range of options. These include subjects such as Power in Britain, Twentieth Century Political Thought, Political Economy of the EU, Contemporary US Foreign and Security Policy, International Ethics, European Security, Critical Security Studies and Advanced Modern Asia.

Joint Honours Flexibility
Every degree programme at the University is divided into 120 credits of study for each year of the programme. In the first year of a Joint Honours programme, you will study 60 credits in each subject as you learn the core elements of the disciplines. We recognise that students on Joint Honours programmes might come to favour one subject slightly more than another. To account for this, we have added more flexibility into the second and final years of our programmes. In the second year, you can stick with the 60-60 split between the two subjects or shift to a 80-40 credit weighting, effectively a major/ minor combination. You can either go back to 60-60 in the final year, maintain the same 80-40 split or reverse the major and the minor and go to a 40-80 weighting.

Career opportunities

Example employers:

Amazon.fr
Capita
Eurocity Group
Harper Collins
Deutsche Bank
Royal Bank of Scotland
IQD Frequency Products
Aura Financial
JC Decaux
Town Hall Symphony Hall Birmingham
British Airways
Deloiette
HSBC
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
The British Council
French Connection
NATO
BP
Ministry of Justice
House of Commons
Local and central government

Example roles:

Editorial Project Leader
English Teacher
International Sales Coordinator
Investigation Specialist
Operations Analyst
Consultant
Marketing Officer
Account Executive
Account Planner