Russian Studies and English Literature

For centuries, alongside English-speaking cultures, Russophone (Russian-speaking) countries have had a profound international influence on literature.

This joint honours programme aims to develop your critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills by engaging with a broad range of texts in both English and Russian, and a variety of approaches to reading.

Through intensive language study, you will also have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, listening and translating skills in Russian.

Our Year 1 courses are streamed according to how much Russian you already know, so it does not matter if you are a complete beginner.

Russian

Around 150 million people in the world speak Russian. It is the official language of four countries, and is commonly understood throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. There are also large communities of Russian-speakers in China, the United States, Israel and Western Europe.

In addition to language learning on this four-year programme, you will explore Russian and Russophone literature and culture in international political and historical contexts.

You can choose to focus on 19th or 20th-century Russian literature, take a comparative approach, or balance your literary studies with courses on other aspects of culture and language in its social context.

English Literature

Based in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, you will study in the oldest department of English Literature in the UK, one of the longest-established in the world.

You will gain the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of poetry, drama and prose and explore the cultural contexts of writing in English from the late Middle Ages to the present.

At honours level, you will select courses on the basis of your own interests in specific topics, periods or literary genres.

Combining literature with a language shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.

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 your subjects. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond.

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 Russian Studies and to specific topics, periods, genres or approaches to English Literature. 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.

• Learn at the heart of a UNESCO World City of Literature.

• Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.

• Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.