Russian Studies and History of Art MA (Hons)

Around 150 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.<br/><br/>Russian is your gateway to a great many cultural and artistic movements. Studying Russian and History of Art helps you understand the contemporary world, and also sheds light on the past.<br/><br/>During your time with us, you will gain the skills to speak and write in Russian on a range of issues relating to Russia and the Russian-speaking (Russophone) world, including its visual and material culture.<br/><br/><strong>Russian Studies</strong><br/><br/>On this joint honours programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, writing, reading, listening and translating skills in Russian.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>You will explore Russian and Russophone literature and culture, past and present. You will also develop an awareness of Russias international political and historical contexts.<br/><br/><strong>History of Art</strong><br/><br/>Beyond the Russophone world, History of Art will introduce you to art from different periods and cultures around the globe.<br/><br/>You will learn how, and for whom, works of art were made. You will also explore their meaning and discover the ways in which they can be interpreted.<br/><br/><strong>Why Edinburgh</strong><br/><br/>Edinburgh is a world-leading festival city filled with galleries, cinemas, theatres, libraries and collections.<br/><br/>Highlights include the four National Galleries of Scotland, and significant Russian holdings in the National Library of Scotland.<br/><br/>We build a full year abroad into our four-year programme, enabling you to use your language skills daily and visit cultural sites first-hand.<br/><br/>When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.<br/><br/><strong>How long it takes to complete this degree programme</strong><br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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 and History of Art. You will also further develop your Russian language and translation skills and write a dissertation.<br/><br/><strong>Programme benefits</strong><br/><br/><br/>* Study over four years, including one abroad.<br/><br/><br/>* Become fluent in a language.<br/><br/><br/>* Try out different subjects in your first two years.<br/><br/><br/>* Join societies related to what you are studying.<br/><br/><br/>* Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.<br/><br/><br/>* Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.<br/>