Central and South-East European Studies

The Central and South-East European Studies MA is a multidisciplinary programme that enables students to gain specialist knowledge and understanding of the complex culture, history, literature, politics and society of the region from Western Bohemia to Wallachia and from Mazuria to Macedonia.

Students develop an advanced knowledge of central and south-eastern Europe from a multidisciplinary perspective, focusing on aspects of history, politics and culture. They develop generic research skills, interdisciplinary and discipline specific research skills, area specific research skills and language skills oriented towards carrying out research in the region.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of a choice of one of three compulsory modules (30 credits), and a research dissertation (60 credits). 90 credits can then be selected from a range of options across SSEES.

Core modules

This is a multi-disciplinary programme. Nevertheless, students are required to gain a thorough methodological and theoretical grounding in disciplinary study and hence must choose between one of the following three courses:

• Literary and Cultural Theory
• Historical Methods and Approaches
• Political Analysis AND Political Sociology

Optional modules

Total of 90 credits from options below. Subject to approval, optional courses up to the value of 30 credits may be taken from another SSEES MA programme or from another MA programme within UCL (Anthropology, History, European Studies, Comparative Literature etc.).

• All Quiet on the Eastern Front: Culture, Politics and Everyday Life in Central & Eastern Europe from Stalin to Present
• Little Hitlers? Right Radicalism in Central and Eastern Europe, 1900-1945
• Introduction to Discourse Analysis
• Beyond Stereotypes: The Jews in Polish Culture
• Cities in Eastern Europe
• Contemporary Cultural Studies: Between Post-Communism and Post-Modernism
• The Crisis Zone: Central Europe 1900-1990
• How to Read/Interpret Texts: Introduction to Hermeneutics
• 'Metropolis': History of Berlin, 1871-1990
• Nation, Identity and Power in Central and Eastern Europe
• Baltic Politics and Society
• Making of the Modern Ukraine
• Security, Identity, Polarity
• The Self and the World: Theoretical Approaches to Travel Writing
• Language Module
• Ethno-Political Conflict in Central and Eastern Europe
• Informal Practices in Post-Communist Societies
• Directed Reading Module

Dissertation/report

All MA students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory sessions and workshops. Students are assessed by a variety of methods: including unseen examinations, long essays, course work and the research dissertation.

Normally an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with a good lower second-class Bachelor's degree (pass of 55% or better) or equivalent may also be considered on their individual merits.