StudyQA — Master: Russian and European Studies (International Relations)

Description Contents Requirements

The Russian and European Studies Master's programme is a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural programme which focuses on questions of Russian and European politics, society, culture and language. The students can further specialise on EU-Russian relations with a special reference to northern Europe; or aspects of Russian society, or Russian language and culture.

The programme emphasises both conceptual and practical knowledge of Russian and European studies and the related methodologies, with an eye on professional work in the fields of Russian politics, society, culture and language. Internships and studies abroad, especially in Russia, are supported.

Duration: two academic years
Extent: 120 credits/ECTS credits
Programme Period: autumn semester 2015 - spring semester 2017
Specialization: International Relations, Sociology or Russian Language and Culture

The coursework includes lectures, seminars, group work and workshops; independent reading and writing; supervised research; and events with visiting speakers together with practical training. The students are assigned a personal tutor.

The International Relations specialization option in the programme is organised in cooperation with two Russian partner universities, St.Petersburg State University and Petrozavodsk State University. Students will take courses together with students form the partner universities, mostly in connection with seasonal schools in Finland and in Russia.

Opportunities for longer term student exchange between the University of Tampere and the Russian partner universities are also available. Students can also apply for a right to obtain a double degree from the St.Petersburg State University. The programme prepares students for professional activity on various aspects of Russian and European issues in the society; for independent research and for postgraduate studies.

Number of study placesA maximum of 25 students will be admitted to the programme

15 in International Relations
5 in Sociology
5 in Russian Language and Culture

Eligible to apply for the Master's Degree Programme in Russian and European Studies is an applicant who has a completed university level Bachelor's degree or equivalent in an area of specialization of the programme or in a closely related field.The Bachelor's degree or equivalent must be completed by the time the programme begins. If the degree is not completed by the end of the application period, an applicant can be accepted to the programme on the condition that s/he sends the degree certificate to the School office by the end of July. A successful applicant will, in this case, first receive a notification on conditional acceptance and later an official letter of acceptance once the degree certificate has reached the School office.Admission criteria: A successfully completed BA degree (or equivalent) in an area appropriate for the content of the Master's Degree Programme Fluency in English sufficiently advanced for academic studies. For requirements, please see "Language requirements" below. For students specializing in the major subject Russian Language and Culture, a solid knowledge of Russian is required. In addition, the subject of previous studies, relevant work experience as well as other relevant merits and qualifications may be taken into account (e.g. Russian/east European studies; European studies; knowledge of Russian or other relevant languages).Language requirements1) EnglishApplicants must submit evidence on a good command of English for academic purposes. We accept the following tests as a proof of a good command of English: TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language; 90/Internet-based, 575/paper-based IELTS (Academic), International English Language Testing System; 6.5 with no individual score below 5.5 PTE (Academic) 62Other acceptable ways of indicating English language proficiency: A Bachelor's degree in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, excluding MBA degrees and online degrees, with the applicant having stayed in the respective country when studying for the Bachelor's degree. Secondary education in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States.2) RussianApplicants to the Russian Language and Culture specialization need to have a solid knowledge or Russian, at least B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This is to be proven with, for example, course certificates or a transcript of records. Applicants who have taken their previous degree in Russia do not need to submit additional evidence.For applicants to International Relations and Sociology knowledge of Russian is not a requirement.Admission procedureStudent selection is made on the basis of the application documents, there is no entrance exam. Students can apply to two specializations within the Masters Programme in Russian and European Studies.Students are selected to the programme from those applicants who fulfil the official admission criteria. The following selection criteria are taken into account in the selection process: High academic motivation to study in this programme at the University of Tampere (evidenced in the motivation letter, including your career plans; CV) High enough academic performance in Bachelor degree studies General quality of all previous university studies Specific quality of all previous university studies: evidence of specialisation/documented interest in International Relations, Russian studies and/or European studies. English skillsAnnouncement of results and rectification procedureAdmissions results will be announced by 30 April, 2015. All applicants will be informed about the admissions results. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90