Overview

The Department of Russian has an outstanding record of research. We pride ourselves on our strong, active research culture, and the research interests of staff span a broad range of disciplinary emphases.

We can support postgraduate research in many areas within the following broad fields:

  • Russian literature from the 19th century to the present;
  • Russian intellectual history from the 19th century to the 20th century;
  • Russian film and visual culture;
  • Soviet history;
  • British-Soviet relations;
  • Literary and cultural theory;
  • Issues of cultural identity (semiotics of space, perceptions of time and of modernity);
  • Urban studies;
  • Russian Orthodox theology and culture;
  • Gender in Russian literature and culture;
  • Translation studies;
  • Media studies.

Our postgraduates are a key part of the research community and are integrated into the research activities of the School of Modern Languages and the faculty.

Programme structure

MPhil: a standalone, one-year (full-time) research degree. Students will undertake their own research project, concluding in the submission of a 25,000-word dissertation. Students may have the option to audit units from our taught master's programmes if they are relevant to their research.

PhD: a research project undertaken across four years (full-time, minimum period of study three years), culminating in an 80,000-word thesis. As well as having the option to audit taught units, there may be the potential for PhD students to teach units themselves from their second year of study onwards.

The MPhil and PhD are available via distance learning.

Entry requirements

MPhil: An upper second-class degree (or international equivalent). Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of your readiness to pursue a research degree.

MPhil/PhD: A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent). Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study.

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

Go to admissions statement

If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.

Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.

Fees and funding

Home: full-time
£4,850 per year
Home: part-time
£2,425 per year
Overseas: full-time
£21,300 per year

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.

More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.

Alumni discount

University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.

Funding and scholarships

The University of Bristol is part of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (SWW DTP), which offers studentships annually. For information on other funding opportunities, including University-funded studentships, please see the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences funding pages.

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.

Career prospects

A large number of graduates from this programme develop careers in higher education or work on high-level research projects in the field of Russian; some graduates take up careers in translating and interpreting.

Meet our supervisors

The following list shows potential supervisors for this programme. Visit their profiles for details of their research and expertise.

ruth.coates@bristol.ac.uk;connor.doak@bristol.ac.uk;claire.knight@bristol.ac.uk;a.schonle@bristol.ac.uk;julia.sutton-mattocks@bristol.ac.uk;

Research groups

Research staff in Russian studies have been involved in the following initiatives at Bristol: