MSc in Russian, Central and East European Studies

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This course offers the postgraduate student an opportunity to undertake an advanced study of various subjects relating to historical and contemporary developments in the economy, politics, culture and society of Russia and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Students are required to take two substantive core courses (State and Society under Communism: Social and Economic Frameworks and Thematic Issues in Russian, Central and East European Studies) but may choose the profile of their degree themselves, by selecting courses from a wide variety of options offered by the Department of Central and East European Studies and associated members of Staff.

The course also provides training in a choice of Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Polish, Russian and Slovak with teaching available both for beginners and for those with an existing knowledge of any of these languages. Language study is a compulsory component of the MSc degree.

The dissertation component of the course entails considerable, supervised, individual study on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with an appropriate member of staff who will act as supervisor. The MSc in Russian, Central and East European Studies is appropriate both for students wishing to conclude their studies in this area at an advanced level and as excellent preparation for further study by research towards MLitt or PhD.

MSc Course Components

Term 1

• State and Society under Communism: Social and Economic Frameworks
• Thematic Issues in Russian, Central and East European Studies
• Language

Term 2

• MSc option I
• MSc option II
• Language

Term 3

• Dissertation (12,000 - 15,000 words)

Course options

Students choose any two from the following list of options (which may vary from year to year):

• Changing State and Society in Central Europe
• Economic Transformation in Central East Europe
• Gender and Identity in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia
• Globalisation and the New Security Agenda in Central and Eastern Europe
• Post-Soviet Russia: Renegotiating Global and Local Identities
• Society, environment and the concept of sustainable development in post-Soviet Russia
• Stalin and Stalinism
• Statehood and Nationality in Central and Eastern Europe

Plus, a maximum of one outside option from a cognate department in the Faculties of Arts and Law, Business and Social Sciences.

*will not run in session 2008-09.