Russian MA (Honours) 2025 entry

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entry requirements as outlined on their pages.

• SQA Highers

  Standard entry grades:

  AAAB

  Minimum entry grades:

  AABB

  Gateway entry grades:

  Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

• GCE A-Levels

  Standard entry grades:

  AAB

  Minimum entry grades:

  ABB

• IB points

  Standard entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,6,5)

  Minimum entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,5,5)

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

• SQA qualifications

  SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing science
  • Geography
  • Applications of Mathematics
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

• GCSE qualifications

  GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No prior knowledge of Russian is necessary. Modules are not designed for speakers with C1-C2 level (or equivalent).

Alternative study options

Students interested in this course may also be interested in an integrated year abroad or study abroad.

Integrated year abroad

Students may choose to spend an additional year studying in a Russian-speaking country between their second and third year. Find out more about the integrated year abroad for this course.

Study abroad

Students studying Russian can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.

Course details

The MA (Hons) in Russian is a four-year course run by the School of Modern Languages. The course focuses on building a high level of competence in language skills and allows you to explore topics of interest within Russian-language culture and history. 

The course is available to both students who are beginners in Russian and to more advanced students who have an SQA Higher or a GCE A-Level qualification in Russian. Advanced students will follow a separate language course for the first two years. 

In the first two years, students of all levels will build on their Russian language skills and are offered a broad view of Russian-language literatures, histories and cultures. 

Alongside Russian, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised. 

During your third and fourth year, you will take modules focused on communication skills and can choose to specialise in a number of areas, such as Russian literature, film or cultural history. 

Graduates in modern languages from St Andrews can expect to have not only a high level of competency in language skills, but a highly developed appreciation for other cultures and peoples. Other transferable skills, including analysis, synthesis and communication, will prepare you for a career in almost any sphere. 

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours), you will take the required modules in Russian along with modules in at least one additional subject. 

A single Honours student will take one Russian module per semester during the first two years, and four Russian modules per semester during third and fourth years (known as Honours). 

Fees

Scotland
£1,820

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man

Following the decision of the UK Government to raise undergraduate tuition fees and maintenance loans in line with inflation from April 2025, we are reviewing the consequences of that decision for fees payable by students from the rest of the UK who have chosen to study in Scotland. We will update the information on this page as soon as possible.

EU and overseas
£31,670

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Joint Honours degrees

You can also take Russian as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Triple subject degree options

You can take Russian as part of a Modern Languages joint Honours degree. You would take French with two other modern languages or with one other modern language and one additional subject.

All Russian triple degrees are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

In taking a 'triple' modern languages degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects.

"With" degrees

You can take Russian as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first name subject. St Andrews offers the following "with" degrees in Russian:

• Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L1RR
• Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Russian - UCAS code L1RT
• Master of Arts (Honours) Mathematics with Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code G1R9
• Master of Arts (Honours) Mathematics with Russian - UCAS code G1RT
• Master of Arts (Honours) Russian with Geography (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code R7L7
• Master of Arts (Honours) Russian with Geography - UCAS code R7LR

"With" degrees taken with Russian are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

Careers

Russia’s political and economic significance in the world means ever-multiplying career prospects for those who can communicate in Russian.

Graduates of Russian have gone on to successful careers in: 

• accountancy 
• the armed services 
• the British Foreign Office 
• Civil Service 
• finance 
• journalism 
• law 
• management consultancy 
• translation and interpreting  
• teaching. 

Others work as educators in Russia and Eastern Europe or pursue graduate study. 

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Contact us

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 2948

Email

russianhod@st-andrews.ac.uk

Address

Department of Russian
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH

Department of Russian website