One-year MA: Russian Studies

LUCRES offers a one-year programme in Russian Studies leading up to the degree of Master of Arts, issued by Leiden University. The language of instruction of this internationally oriented programme is English.

Expanding your knowledge

The one-year MA programme Russian Studies covers a wide range of areas. Even without a specific background in Slavic languages or Russian Studies, the MA programme in Russian Studies offered by LUCRES can be an interesting followup to your previous work. And although knowing Russian is obviously a great asset, our MA programme can be made language independent.

Whether you want to apply your general knowledge of political science or history on Russia, or want to know more about the specific relations between the European Union and Russia after having completed a BA in European Union Studies, the MA programme in Russian Studies may be just something for you! Courses on Russian politics, economy and history, Siberian and Eurasian topics or Russian culture and philosphy are among those offered by LUCRES.

Study load

The one-year MA programme in Russian Studies spans 2 semesters – or one academic year. The total study load leading up to the degree of Master of Arts is 60 ECTS, made up by 40 ECTS of disciplinary subjects and an MA thesis of 20 ECTS.

Entrance requirements

If you don't hold a BA from our Dutch programme Ruslandkunde, you will have to be admitted to the MA programme by a special committee. With a background in one of the following areas, admission to the MA programme Russian Studies will usually not be much of a problem:

• History
• Economics
• Political Science
• International Relations
• Law
• European Union Studies
• Eastern-Europe Studies

Depending on your specific background, the Admission Committee may decide to admit you to the programme on the provision that you follow a number of courses from our BA programme. This ensures that you'll be able to reap full benefits of our MA programme, yet will at the same time take into account the work you've done for your Bachelor degree. In other words, this special programme will be tailor-made.

For more information, contact our Student and Programme Councillor.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

For the MA programme in Russian Studies, LUCRES co-operates with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven) in Belgium. This university is the oldest university of the Low Countries and, like Leiden University, member of the prestigious League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Coimbra Group.

Students at LUCRES will be able to take a number of specially selected courses:

• Russian Politics
• Eurasia: Transnational and Global Perspectives
• Russian philosophy

Interaction

The co-operation with K.U.Leuven lets you take courses in Leuven. But you will also be able to get hands-on experience in organising extracurricular joint events in the form of workshops centred around a central topic. Delving into a topic with presentations and discussions and interacting between teachers and students, will deepen your knowledge and understanding of both the object of study as well as international co-operation.

Feasibility

Leuven can be reached by hourly train connections from Leiden in approximately two and a half hours. Not exactly close, but in practice perfectly doable. Of course, LUCRES will monitor the feasibility of the programme. Enrolling in the MA programme Russian Studies at LUCRES means that:

• credits obtained from the selected courses at K.U.Leuven count towards the 60 ECTS required to complete the MA programme;
• LUCRES will compensate towards the travel expenses;
• LUCRES will ensure that the course schedule at Leiden University and K.U.Leuven are compatible.