Russian Studies and Social Policy

Around 270 million people in the world speak Russian. It is the official language of four countries and is widely understood throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. There are also large communities of Russian-speakers in China, the United States, Israel and Western Europe.

As the world's largest country, Russia plays an important role in cultural and political contexts, both local and global. This makes Russian Studies and Social Policy an ideal joint honours combination.

Russian

On this joint honours programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, writing, reading, listening and translating skills in Russian.

Our Year 1 and Year 2 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 when you join us. You also have the option to take a course in Ukrainian Language and Cultures in Year 2.

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.

You will spend Year 3 in a country where Russian is spoken.

Social Policy

You will focus on social and economic change, what causes it, and its consequences for society.

Our programme reflects on how policies are developed; for example, you will learn about the policy-making process in the UK. You will also study the influence of international bodies, such as the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

We deal with a wide array of policy areas, including:

• health and welfare

• education and labour markets

• family and childhood

We work closely with:

• governments

• NGOs

• third sector and interest representation groups

• international organisations and other external actors

International comparative analyses are one of our main strengths, and we place a strong emphasis on providing our students with empirical research skills.

Why Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a world-leading festival city filled with cinemas, theatres, galleries, libraries and collections.

A cultural powerhouse, it is also a political city; seat of the Scottish Parliament, and home to a range of embassies and consulates.

We have built time abroad into the programme, giving you lived experience of how social policies impact on different cultures.

When you graduate, you will have the combination of language and humanities skills and international perspective valued by employers worldwide.

Programme benefits

• Study over four years, giving you the choice and flexibility to try out different things.

• Go abroad for the first of your honours years - Year 3.

• Build up to fluency in the Russian language and specialise in different aspects of Russian studies and social policy as you move through your degree.

• Delve into fantastic libraries and collections at the University and in the city.

• Join societies, attend events, and try your hand at creative writing, publishing and more.

• Gain the skills and confidence for life after university.