THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION FOR M.A. Honours in
Russian Studies
1)
Awarding Institution: University of Edinburgh
2)
Teaching Institution: University of Edinburgh
3)
Programme accredited by: The University of Edinburgh
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Final Award: MA (Hons)
5)
Programme Title: Russian
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UCAS Code:
7)
Relevant QAA Subject benchmarking Group(s): Languages and Related
Studies
8)
Postholder with overall responsibility for QA: Head of School of
Literatures, Languages and Cultures
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Date of production/revision: January 2011
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External Summary (200-250 words)
Russia is the world’s largest country and has the fifth most used language in the
world. After a period of political, social and economic transformation, Russia is
playing an increasingly bigger role in international politics.
Russian Studies at Edinburgh will give you a solid understanding of the Russian
language and culture. You will study Russian literature, art, music and film and the
country’s political history.
You will also have the opportunity to study in Russia to improve your language skills
and experience Russian culture first hand.
You can study Russian with another European language or as part of a joint honours
degree with Business Studies or European Studies.
Educational Aims
The programme aims to develop the student’s interest in and complex knowledge
and understanding of the target country or countries, including their language,
history, literature, culture and social issues. The programme offers society the
resource of intellectually trained individuals capable of acting as conduits of
knowledge and understanding between British and non-British cultures, as well as
using the acquired knowledge to contribute to the wealth creation of Britain and other
nations. The programme is taught within the School of Literatures, Languages and
Cultures.
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Programme outcomes:
11a)
Knowledge and understanding
1. The target language (spoken and written).
2. The target literature past and present.
3. The history and culture of the target country or countries.
4. Political, social, economic issues related to the target country or countries.
5. Linguistics issues related to the target language (its structure, functions, registers,
etc)
6. Key methods and concepts of literary, historical, linguistic and social analysis
Teaching and learning methods and strategies:
Acquisition of (1) through tutorials and regular, assessed coursework. Additional
support is provided through the self-access facilities for Language Learning in
Language and Humanities Centre, the Languages Microlab, and the recommended
materials on the Web. The Third year abroad provides total immersion in the target
language and culture.
Acquisition of 2-5 is through a combination of lectures and tutorials or seminars
including group discussions and individual or joint presentations.
Assessment:
Testing on the knowledge base is through a combination of assessed regular
language exercises (1 and 5), class presentation and (2-6), unseen written
examination (1-6), coursework essays and extended essays (1-6), oral examination
(1) and dissertation (1-6).
11b)
Graduate attributes: Skills and abilities in Research and Enquiry
Research and Enquiry:
graduates will be able to:
 retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources and media,
including those in the target language;
 analyse and interpret information and texts in Russian and English;
 reason critically and cogently, assessing and applying literary, historical,
social and linguistic concepts and approaches to translation;
 identify and solve problems, especially in the field of literature, culture, and
politics; and
 work independently
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Classes are given on literary, historical, social and linguistic concepts and on
approaches to translation. Throughout their studies, students take classes and
receive instruction in the target language. The Year abroad further promotes the
active learning of the target language to a high level.
Comprehensive bibliographies are provided for each course as are the guidelines for
the production of coursework essays, extended essays and dissertations.
Assessment:
All the listed skills are primarily assessed through the assessed coursework essays,
extended essays and dissertations, skills are manifested in degree exams on the
Literature, Culture and History of the target language and country/countries
concerned.
11c) Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Personal and Intellectual
Autonomy
graduates will be:
 able to work independently and be self-reliant;
 open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking;
 intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest;
 able to demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and creativity in
thought;
 able to distinguish relevant from irrelevant considerations in argument; and
 able to assess and respond to the ideas of others, constructing cogent
arguments through critical reasoning and the application of linguistic, literary,
historical & social concepts.
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme
outlined above. Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves
discussion of the key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing,
analysis and interpretation of material, and individual feedback on work produced.
Assessment:
The variety of assessment methods employed all place great emphasis (as shown in
their assessment criteria) on the learner’s ability to demonstrate skills through the
production of cogent and coherent written and oral responses to problems and tasks
set. Extended essays and dissertations produced in the Honours years provide an
especially valuable vehicle for training of those skills.
11d)
Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Communication
graduates will be able to:
 process, structure and communicate ideas effectively and at an
advanced/near-native level of proficiency, both orally and in written form in
both Russian and English;
 communicate clearly and accurately, constructing cogent arguments;
 participate constructively and efficiently in group discussions, assessing and
responding effectively to the ideas of others; and
 communicate effectively in English to inform and educate others about
Russian language and culture.
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
All courses require written work usually in the form of essays and regular feedback is
given to the learner in order to develop their understanding and power of expression.
Students are expected to contribute actively to content course tutorials/seminars,
both as group members and discussion leaders. Skills are developed in classes,
seminars and tutorials, which rely on discussion and interaction, as well as
presentation given by individuals and groups of students.
Assessment:
Effective communication of ideas is an important criterion in assessing all areas of a
learner’s work, and the regular feedback as well as the final mark reflects this.
Additionally, penalties are levied for late submission of coursework essays and other
assignments. Skills are assessed through regular coursework, essays, long essays
and dissertations, which although supervised are nevertheless a manifestation of
independent thought and work/research by the learner. Skills are also assessed
through the assembly of necessary information for essays etc. and their production
on PCs.
11e)
Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Personal Effectiveness
graduates will be able to:
 work autonomously, setting their own goals, self-motivating and organising
their own learning;
 manage their time and priorities and working to both self-imposed and
external deadlines;
 collaborate effectively and productively with others in the process of learning
and presenting conclusions, exercising leadership skills as appropriate;
 confidently rely on their own intellectual capacities;
 exercise sensitivity to ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings; and
 confidently interacting with, and think about, cultural difference.
Assessment:
Skills are assessed through regular coursework, essays, long essays and
dissertations, which although supervised are nevertheless a manifestation of
independent thought and work/research by the learner and are further developed
during the year abroad. Also through the management of time to meet the various
deadlines (all notified at the outset of each course) for submission of coursework.
11f)
Technical/practical skills
graduates will develop:
 IT skills – the ability to use computers for word-processing, information
storage and for retrieving information from the world wide web, including the
use of foreign language symbols on the computer, or foreign-language
computer keyboards; and
 library skills – the ability to use libraries for the recovery of information, and
related research skills, including the ability to discriminate between different
sources of information, suggested readings, and so on.
Assessment:
Skills are assessed by class and home exercises, tests and degree examinations
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Programme structure and features
Full details of the degree programme and structure can be found at:
http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/10-11/ipp/utrusst.htm
Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials.
Details of Russian courses can be found at:
http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/10-11/ipp/cx_sb_elcr.htm
EntranceRequirements:
http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/Undergraduate/prospective/infoschools.htm#admissi
ons
Progression Requirements: Students are normally expected to have gained
120 credits from each year of study.
Students who do not progress into Honours may graduate after three years of
full-time study, or a longer prescribed period of part-time study, with a B.A. in
Humanities and Social Science.
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Other Items
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all students are assigned a Director of Studies on admission to the degree
programme, who oversees the course of the student’s degree programme,
offers advice on academic matters (including degree-progression) and should
be the student’s first port of call for course-related worries or concerns
student opinion is actively sought through participation in Staff-Student
Liaison Committees, through the election of class- and tutorialrepresentatives, and by the wide circulation and review of detailed student
questionnaires each semester.
LLC have a student support office, where students can go for advice on
degree transfers, course changes, authorised interruption of studies,
confirmation letters and general support. Information can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languagescultures/current-students/undergraduate-support
further information about Division of European Languages and Cultures can
be found at http://www.delc.ed.ac.uk/