University College London (UCL)
Political Sociology (Russia and Eastern Europe) MA
London, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The program focuses on giving students a deep understanding of the political and social dynamics in Russia and Eastern Europe. It explores topics like post-communist transitions, state-building, political change, and societal developments in the region. Students will examine how history, culture, and politics shape societies in these areas and learn to analyze complex political processes and social structures.
Designed for those interested in the politics and society of Russia and Eastern Europe, the course combines theoretical analysis with real-world case studies. It encourages critical thinking and gives students tools to interpret contemporary issues, such as democratization, nationalism, and conflict. The program prepares students for careers in academia, journalism, policy analysis, or international organizations, offering a well-rounded education grounded in regional expertise and social theory. It also emphasizes research skills, supporting students to pursue independent analysis of political and social phenomena in this part of the world.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Master's Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Master's Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or an ethnic or religious background, it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory sessions, workshops, presentations, self-study and specialist language classes.
You are assessed by a variety of methods, including unseen examinations, long essays, coursework and a dissertation.
For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. Contact hours may vary depending on module choices, but full-time students will have approximately 8-10 contact hours each week during term time, spent in lectures and seminars.
For a part-time postgraduate course, contact hours would usually be 4-6 hours per week across 2-3 days, and we recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study per week.
Those undertaking language modules may have additional contact hours. There is minimal teaching during Term 3, as students focus on the dissertation and assessments.
Modules
Full-time
Students will select from a number of modules to create a programme of study for the year. You take 180 credits in total.
Some taught modules will be centred around methods of social and cultural analysis chosen from a list of core electives. The remainder are selected from a wider list of elective modules. All module choices focus on the societies and cultures of some or all regions of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Western Balkans, and Central and Eastern Europe. Courses deal with broad thematic issues related to these regions, such as ethnopolitical conflict, gender/sexuality or religion. Students also have the opportunity to opt to study a language of the region.
In addition, all students must undertake a free-standing dissertation, with an accompanying Dissertation Preparation module.
Full details on modules and structure can be found in the Programme Handbook.
Part-time
Students take 180 credits of study in total, which are split over two years if taking the MA part-time.
In Year 1, you'll take some taught modules centred around methods of social and cultural analysis chosen from a list of core electives. The remainder are selected from a wider list of elective modules. All module choices focus on the societies and cultures of some or all regions of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Western Balkans, and Central and Eastern Europe. Courses deal with broad thematic issues related to these regions, such as ethnopolitical conflict, gender/sexuality or religion. Students also have the opportunity to opt to study a language of the region.
In Year 2, you will take further electives, alongside a free-standing dissertation, with an accompanying Dissertation Preparation module.
Full details on modules and structure can be found in the Programme Handbook
Compulsory modules
- Political Sociology
- M.A. Dissertation
- SSEES MA Dissertation Preparation
Optional modules
- Comparative Analysis in Social and Political Research
- Introduction to Discourse Analysis
- Understanding and Analysing Data
- Qualitative Methods
- Nations, Identity and Power
- Informal Practices in Post-Communist Societies
- Governance and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe
- Politics of South-Eastern Europe
- Popular Culture and International Politics
- Central Asian Politics and Society
- The European Union and its Eastern Neighbourhood
- Politics of the Caucasus
- Political Culture
- Political Art and Protest in Eurasia
- Romania and Moldova
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment, and module content and availability are subject to change.
You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Political Sociology (Russia and Eastern Europe).
What this course will give you
The UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) is one of the largest national centres in the UK for the study of central, Eastern and south-east Europe and Russia.
This MA allows you to study the social and cultural issues in the region in unparalleled breadth and depth and to develop analytical and research capacities, language skills and practical insights.
Our nationally unequalled specialist library and central London location provide an ideal environment for research, while our close contacts with employers, policy-makers and alumni afford excellent opportunities for networking and career development.
The foundation of your career
The MA opens up a range of opportunities, and previous graduates from this programme have gone on to work in think tanks, political parties, national, European and international private and public sector organisations, and in the media and NGOs as political analysts. Other graduates have progressed to further academic study. Internship opportunities and excellent links with other universities in the region, as well as a suite of leading events and research seminars, complement your studies.
Employability
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, SSEES Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, charities, diplomacy, international security organisations, the law, and academia.
Some graduates advise the Polish, American, and other governments, and the European Commission.
Networking
The SSEES Employers Evening hosts a range of employers with relevant job opportunities for SSEES students, enabling networking with key organisations to help further your career. SSEES scholars have developed strong links with a range of institutions in London, including the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Roubini Global Economics, NGOs such as Health Prom, Amnesty International and others through the BEARR Trust, Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), as well as with the European Commission. SSEES also cultivates connections with the London embassies of the region, which regularly co-sponsor round-table events and lectures by leading international figures relevant to our area of interest.