Around 150 million people in the world speak Russian, which is widely used in global cultural and political contexts. It is the official language of four countries, and is commonly understood throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Today, there are also large communities of Russian-speakers in China, the United States, Israel and Western Europe.
Language learning
Through intensive language study on our flexible four-year programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, writing, reading, listening and translating skills in Russian.
Our Year 1 Russian courses are streamed according to how much of the language you already know, so it does not matter if you are a complete beginner.
Cultural studies
You will explore Russian and Russian-speaking (Russophone) literature and culture, past and present. You will also develop an awareness of Russia's international political and historical contexts.
In your honours years, you will choose from specialist options in:
Russian and comparative literature and culture
Russian language in its social context
Soviet and Post-Soviet culture
Why Edinburgh
As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place for language learning. The first lecture in Russian was given at the University in 1919, and Russian Studies was introduced as an undergraduate degree programme in 1949, the first of its kind in Scotland. Today, graduating with a degree in Russian Studies from Edinburgh gives you the blend of specialist skills and intercultural knowledge valued in a range of careers around the globe.
How long it takes to complete this degree programme
This programme is studied over 4 years, including a Year Abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.
Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in the Russian language and the study of Russophone history and culture. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This may enable you to change or widen your focus by, for example, moving onto a joint honours programme.
Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 studying abroad, gaining lived experience of Russophone culture. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Russian studies. You will also further develop your Russian language and translation skills and write a dissertation.
Programme benefits
Take the oldest programme of its kind in Scotland.
Study over four years, including one abroad.
Become fluent in a language.
Try out different subjects in your first two years.
Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.
The following entry points are available for this course:
This degree programme has a subject requirement of a language other than English. You may not use your own native language to meet this requirement. English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.
Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 92 | total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Trinity ISE | ISE II with distinctions in all four components. |
Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language
The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.
England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2026, the tuition fees will be £9,790. This is subject to Parliamentary approval and is an increase of £255 on the fee rate for academic year 2025-2026.
EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.
Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
Phone:0131 297 3272
Have a question about undergraduate study?
Email:futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:0131 650 1000
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL
At The University of Edinburgh
