都柏林圣三一学院

Why study Russian?

Russian is the first language of nearly 150 million people; it is spoken by more than 260 million people around the world and is one of Europe’s most important languages. Russia is a significant force in present-day geopolitics and a major player in the global economy, with ties both to Europe and to Asia, and beyond.

Russian writers, musicians and artists have made a considerable contribution to European culture; Russian history has helped shape Europe as we know it today: exploring Russia’s past and present helps understand the interaction between Europe’s eastern and western traditions.

Russian: The course for you?

You will find the Russian programme exciting and rewarding if you enjoy language study, are interested in unfamiliar cultures, have a sense of adventure and are not afraid of a challenge.

Russian @ Trinity

Trinity is the only university in Ireland where you have the opportunity to study Russian to degree level.

The scale of the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies is such that we are able to give students a considerable amount of individual attention and support, and students are able to tailor the programme to develop their particular interests and skills, and to bridge the gaps between the study of Russian and the student’s other area(s) of study.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

Career paths followed by recent graduates are often ones where Russian-language competence is directly relevant. These include arts and media; education; business, finance and marketing; civil and public service; international organisations (UN, EU, NGOs) and diplomacy; journalism and tourism. Alternatively, each year several graduates will opt to pursue further postgraduate study in Ireland or abroad.

Advanced knowledge of a less-studied language like Russian, as well as the transferable skills (analytical and critical thinking, written and oral presentation skills) you will acquire in the study of the history, culture and literature of Russia, is generally a very attractive combination for prospective employers, even for career paths where Russian may not be directly involved in your day-to-day work.

Your degree and what you’ll study

At entry, Russian must be combined with one other subject. In later years, you will be able to select additional subjects and electives and will have the option to graduate with Russian as a Single Honours degree, a Joint Honours degree with another subject, or a Major with a Minor.

Most students start Russian as complete beginners, and take an intensive first-year language course (with six hours of language classes per week). Special provisions are made for students with prior knowledge of Russian (native, near-native speakers, those who have passed Russian in the Leaving Certificate or have taken another entrance qualification in Russian).

In addition to language study, you will take modules covering aspects of Russian literature, Russian history and Russian culture, society and politics. In later years, you will also have the option to study a second Slavonic language (Polish, Bulgarian or Croatian).