Russian and East European Studies

In the first year of the programme you will study the following three core courses, along with Research Methods for Area Studies and Russian Language:

• History of Russia, the USSR and Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century
• Contemporary Russian and East European Studies Part 1: Politics and international relations. Covering topics in the politics, security and international relations of Russia and Eastern Europe.
• Contemporary Russian and East European Studies Part 2: Sociology and economics. Covering topics in the economics and sociology of Russia and Eastern Europe.

The specific provision of subject teaching in Contemporary Russian and East European Studies Parts 1 and 2 is dependent on teaching availability.

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and classes. You will be required to submit essays and make class presentations. Through the research methods course, you will receive training in relevant qualitative and quantitative methodologies to enable you to carry out research and writing for your 30,000-word thesis, while the Russian language course will deepen your connection with the region.

In the second year you will be able to specialise your knowledge through the choice of two special subject courses chosen from a list of options available for that academic year.

Russian language tuition will continue and you will work on completing your thesis which must be submitted by Monday in Week 4 of Trinity term.

Russian classes will focus on the development of language and communication skills relevant to research and study in the REES field. You will be required to pass the relevant Russian language qualifying exam as part of the MPhil programme.

REES students will have a weekly lecture, throughout the first two terms, delivered by a member of the department. Topics will include Twentieth Century Russian History, Central East European Politics, and Economics of the region. Students will also be required to participate in the departmental weekly seminar series, where they will get the opportunity to debate and discuss important topics concerning the region.

REES and the Russian and Eurasian Studies Centre (RESC) run an Advanced Research Seminar Series each term at St. Antony’s College. This is an essential component of the REES MPhil course and takes place each Monday during term time.

Presentations are made by leading REES researchers from Oxford and other universities. Students are expected to attend and participate in discussions with these experts during the seminar and afterwards in more informal settings.

In order to receive the MPhil degree, you must obtain pass marks in four three-hour written examinations and one extended essay (three core courses plus two optional courses) and for the thesis.

In addition you must also pass the Russian language qualifying exam and satisfy on a pass/fail basis each section of the Research Methods requirement (qualitative and quantitative). Whilst you must pass the Russian language and Research Methods components of the degree programme, any marks obtained are not part of the determination of your overall results but are only recorded as pass/fail grades on your transcript. The skills you learn will be used in the development of your thesis work.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA).

In the case of students who require specific help to adjust to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the supervisor will work with them to ensure that they have additional support.

The MPhil may be regarded as a qualification in its own right, or as preparation for a doctoral degree. A large proportion of REES graduates proceed to further research and to careers in academia. Recent MPhil in REES graduates have gone on to undertake DPhil courses in politics and history, and Area Studies at OSGA.

Graduates have also gone on to successful careers in many different countries in diverse areas of employment such as international organisations, the media, government, business and finance, diplomacy and teaching.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies

African Studies MSc

Area Studies DPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Latin American Studies MPhil

Latin American Studies MSc

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Russian and East European Studies MPhil

Russian and East European Studies MSc

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Entry requirements