This is a Major/Minor degree with Major in Russian Studies (80 credits per year) and Minor in Central and East European Studies (making up one-third or 40 credits per year).

Our aim is to provide you with the opportunity to develop an in-depth and wide-ranging understanding of Russia and Eastern and Central Europe, drawing on the cutting edge of research in these fields. You'll become familiar with general concepts in the social sciences, literary, cultural and historical studies, and will be able to apply these to the specific cases of Russia and other former communist countries in our region. Apart from your knowledge of the region, you'll also develop valuable skills, such as giving seminar presentations, use of IT, conducting research projects (for the final year dissertation), and the kind of skills that employers really look for in graduates.

First year

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.

As well as the core Russian language module (40 credits), there is a choice modules on Russian History, Literature and Culture, and Russian and East European politics.

Second year

In addition to more advanced language classes you can choose from a variety modules including Cultural Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe, Contemporary Russian and East European Politics, Russian History, International Politics and Security in Russia and Eurasia, and Nineteenth century Russian Literature. You also have the option of studying Beginner’s Polish.

Third year/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. In Russia you will gain confidence and a higher level of fluency in Russian language, studying either at an accredited specialist language college or a university depending on the location.

Fourth year

In addition to the core Russian language module, 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, Political History of Central Eastern Europe
• Russian Political and Intellectual Thought from 1950 to 1989
• Advanced International Politics
• Security in Russia and Eurasia, and Russia in the Modern World
• • Twentieth-century Russian Novel 

You also write an extended essay or dissertation on a Russian or Central East European Studies topic of your choosing. Polish language modules may also be available.

How will I be taught?

As a Birmingham student, you are joining the academic elite and have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts in their fields. Throughout your studies, you’ll be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner, thriving on challenge and opportunities to think for yourself. At first, you may find these new ways of working and learning a challenge, but we’ll help you to make the transition and you’ll soon be benefiting from some of the most highly regarded teaching in this subject in the country.

Support

Personal Tutor From the outset, you will be assigned your own Personal Tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies, providing academic and welfare advice, encouraging you and offering assistance in any areas you may feel you need extra support to make the most of your potential and your time here at Birmingham.

Student Mentors and Buddy Scheme Our enthusiastic established students act as mentors to our new Modern Languages students.  This provides you with a friendly face to help you settle in.  Languages students may also be offered a Language Buddy – English speaking Language students are paired with an Erasmus or International exchange student who is a native speaker of a language they are studying, in turn the Language student helps the exchange student with English language and settling into Birmingham.

Academic Writing Advisory Service The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) will provide you with individual support from an academic writing advisor and postgraduate subject-specialist writing tutors; You'll receive guidance on writing essays and dissertations at University-level which can be quite different from your previous experiences of writing.  Support is given in a variety of ways, such as small-group workshops, online activities, feedback through email and tutorials.

Contact hours

Your contact hours will be made up of a variety of different learning activities, which you’ll see described in more detail below. But personal reading and research is also a crucial part of your studies. As you progress through your studies, we encourage you to learn more independently, culminating in your personal research project in the Final Year for your Dissertation.

Learning settings

Lectures explore a particular text, topic or context, often involving brief factual descriptions and outlining major questions and interpretations. Their main purpose is to challenge and stimulate, encouraging you to come to your own conclusions based on further reading and seminar debates.

Language laboratory sessions allow you to practise your listening and spoken skills and are an essential part of all our language programmes.

Discussion-based seminars run alongside the lecture course, addressing any individual problems you may have and allowing you to consolidate lecture material, engage in constructive debate and expand your understanding.

Personal reading and research are a crucial part of your studies. As you progress through your degree, we encourage you to learn more independently, culminating in your personal research project in the final year for your dissertation.

The Guide to Effective Learning website aims to help you develop the skills you need to successfully complete your studies, and includes material on Strategies for Learning; Personal Development; Reading; Writing; Working with others; Revision and Examinations.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an excellent tool for supporting our academic modules, giving you access to extensive resources and information, and allowing you to share thoughts on assignments with other students via the discussion group facilities, and even submit your work electronically.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) means that learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors. This places you, the student, at the centre of your own degree: you learn through involvement and ownership, not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you.  We believe that this is the best way of learning while you’re at Birmingham as it’s very effective in enabling you to acquire the key skills and attributes that are valued by employers: creative and independent thinking, self-motivation, self-organisation, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving. 

Modern Languages graduates have a range of skills that are highly prized by graduate employers: oral and written communication in one or more foreign languages, critical thinking,  intercultural awareness and understanding. You’ll also develop leadership, teamwork and organisational skills through activities such as group projects and your year abroad.

Ninety per cent of our Modern Language graduates go into work or study within six months of graduation. Modern Language graduates from Birmingham have a higher than average starting salary of £18,000.  50% of vacancies advertised for new and recent graduates don’t specify a degree subject, and our graduates enter a wide range of careers similar to other arts and humanities graduates but with much greater scope in international settings. This includes business, government, journalism, the creative arts, teaching and law. Some go abroad to develop their language skills while working as TEFL teachers and university language tutors.

Modern Languages graduates from the University of Birmingham have excellent prospects after graduation. An impressive 75% of our graduates go into professional or managerial jobs within six months of graduation.  Our graduates have started careers with employers including British Airways, Deloitte, HSBC, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the British Council, NATO, BP, central and local government, and universities in the UK and abroad.

Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal. This is a unique careers guidance service tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team who can give you expert advice. This includes individual careers advice and talks and events, including ‘Careers with Languages’, to provide insight into careers of interest to our students. Many languages students will also find our events about careers such as teaching, law, marketing, journalism and advertising of interest.

We work hard to help students identify how the year abroad may help their future career. We also encourage all our students to apply their skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer; the work experience bursary scheme enables students to apply for funding for those career areas where placements are often unpaid. You can even apply for our ‘Global Challenge’ to work overseas on an expenses paid placement during your summer vacation.

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you will need to think about engaging in some extra-curricular activities while you're at university to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. This can include the many societies at the Guild of Students and also the many voluntary opportunities offered with local arts organisations. Our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Our College of Arts and Law undergraduate research scholarship scheme enables interested students to work on a current academic research project being run by one of the College's academic researchers. Undergraduate research scholars gain work experience over the summer after their first or second year and have the chance to develop skills in both collaborative and independent research.

Cultural Internships

Our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships are a unique opportunity to learn fundamental, transferable business and interpersonal skills, through experience of real work in an established cultural institution. Our current partners include Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham Royal Ballet, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust and the Library of Birmingham. We have plans to expand the scheme to include our own major cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This scheme will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market.