Do I need prior Russian to enrol in BA Russian Language Studies?

No. The standard route starts from beginner level. Applicants with prior Russian sit a short placement test and are offered an accelerated entry route that takes them from intermediate to high-advanced over the three years of BA Russian Language Studies.

Does BA Russian Language Studies include study abroad?

Yes — optional. Partner institutions in countries where Russian is a working language host BA Russian Language Studies students for a term or year. Current geopolitical conditions may affect availability; admissions briefs students at application.

How current is the Russian press analysis on BA Russian Language Studies?

Up-to-date. The module covers the active Russian-language outlets — state media, the remaining independent outlets, the exile press based across Europe and the post-Soviet space. The discipline of analysing each is taught as part of the module.

Can I study BA Russian Language Studies online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus syllabus with live language sessions, recorded grammar lectures and structured speaking practice in small groups. Distance learners follow the same outcomes with milestone-based deadlines.

What sort of dissertation will I write on BA Russian Language Studies?

A 10,000-to-12,000-word piece that uses Russian-language primary sources. Past examples include comparative studies of Russian state and independent press coverage, translation studies of contemporary Russian literature, and discourse analyses of Russian-language diaspora media.

BA Russian Language Studies in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Russian Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree that takes beginners or near-beginners in Russian to a working professional level — and gives advanced starters the academic and analytical training to use Russian seriously in research, translation, journalism, diplomacy or business. The degree pairs intensive language work with regional politics, Russian-language media and a final-year dissertation that uses Russian-language sources directly.

The course is built around the standards of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute and the Chartered Institute of Linguists. You graduate able to read Russian press in the original, translate working material between Russian and English, and write substantively about the Russian-speaking world.

Key Features

Intensive language strand from beginner to TRKI-3 (C1 equivalent) across three years.
Russian-language media analysis module using original Russian press across the political spectrum.
Translation laboratory covering news, policy and short commercial texts in both directions.
Regional politics seminars — Russia, the wider post-Soviet space, the Russian diaspora.
Optional study abroad at partner institutions in countries where Russian is a working language.
Final-year dissertation using Russian-language primary sources.

What You Will Learn

The BA Russian Language Studies is structured around the working practice of a professional user of Russian. You graduate able to hold a substantive conversation in Russian, read original press without losing nuance, translate a working text in either direction, and write about the Russian-speaking world from primary sources.

Russian grammar — case system, verbal aspect, motion verbs, complex syntax.
Reading the Russian-language press across the political spectrum.
Translation theory and practice — register, equivalence, political vocabulary.
Composition — essays, briefings, summaries in Russian to a working standard.
Listening for working speed — broadcast news, podcasts, recorded meetings.
Russian-language media analysis — state media, independent outlets, exile press.
Regional politics — Russia, the wider post-Soviet space, the Russian-speaking diaspora.
Research methods for area studies — archival, interview-based and discourse-analytical.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers ready to learn Russian seriously from beginner or near-beginner level.
International students seeking a UK honours degree in Russian language taught in central London.
Career-changers from journalism, diplomacy, finance or NGO work moving into Russian-speaking specialism.
Heritage speakers wanting a structured UK qualification to formalise their fluency for professional use.

Career Pathways

Graduates of BA Russian Language Studies go into translation, area-analyst, journalism and diplomatic-service roles across the UK and internationally. Typical first roles include:

Russian Translator (junior, in-house or agency)
Bilingual Editor (RU/EN — publishing, news agency)
Diplomatic Service Analyst (FCDO desk, embassy)
Russian Media Monitor (broadcaster, news agency, think tank)
Area Analyst (think tank, consultancy)
Russian-speaking Account Manager (firm with Russian-speaking customer base)

The degree is the natural prerequisite for an MA in Translation, Russian and East European Studies, or International Relations with a regional specialism.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
No prior Russian required for the standard route; accelerated routes available for applicants with prior Russian (placement test).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; some applicants are invited to interview.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.