Master Program in Russian Studies 2017, University of St Andrews, UK

The MLitt in Russian Studies offers students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the inter-related fields of Russian literature, culture and history from the 19th century to the present day.

• Course type: Postgraduate; leading to a Master of Letters (MLitt)
• Course duration: One year full time

Entry requirements

A good 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in Russian or a similar course of academic study with substantial course components in the area of Russian studies. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements on the official website. English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications on the original webpage.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

Tuition fees

UK and EU: £7,500
Overseas: £17,090

Application deadline

Applications are accepted until shortly before teaching starts in September. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes.

Application requirements

• CV
• sample of academic written work (2,000 words)
• two original signed academic references
• academic transcripts and degree certificates
• English language requirements certificate.
• letter of intent (optional).

Course information

The MLitt in Russian Studies is a one-year taught programme run by the Department of Russian in the School of Modern Languages. The programme combines guided and independent study of some of the most notable Russian writers and ideas from the 19^th century to the present day.

Highlights

• Students receive training in theoretical and methodological issues relevant to their area of studies.
• Small group tuition in subjects that correspond to particular teaching and research strengths at St Andrews.
• Students have the opportunity to study in depth a topic of their choice and to build on this in the form of a 15,000-word dissertation.

Teaching format

The taught portion of the course consists of five compulsory modules involving literary theory, research skills, and Russian literature and culture. Classes are delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and fortnightly tutorials, with class sizes ranging from individual one-to-one teaching up to 20 students. Modules are assessed through coursework; there are no final exams for this programme.

You will spend the summer months focusing on researching and writing a final dissertation of no more than 15,000 words.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue on the official website which is for the 2016–2017 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2017 entry.

Compulsory modules

• Literary and Cultural Theory 1: explores a range of literary and cultural theories through which texts of all sorts may be conceptualised, criticised and analysed.
• Literary and Cultural Theory 2: continues on from part 1 by studying a broad chronological and national range of seminal thinkers and theories.
• Research and Professional Skills: introduces students to a range of skills which are essential to advanced researchers and key to many other non-academic workplaces.
• New Approaches to the Russian Literary Canon: explores how the ‘Russian literary canon’ has been constructed over the past two hundred years.
• Specialised Research in Russian Studies: offers students the opportunity to develop their skills of literary and textual analysis through directed reading on a topic of their choice. 

The modules listed ran in the academic year 2016–2017 and are indicative of this course. There is no guarantee that these modules will run for 2017 entry. 

Dissertation

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on an agreed topic and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of a MLitt.

For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.