University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2022/23 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Department of Russian > Russian (BA) > Specification
Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
Programme code | 1RUSS001U |
---|---|
Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Connor Doak
|
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Department of Russian |
Second School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
This section sets out why studying this programme is important, both in terms of inspiring you as an individual and in considering the challenges we face. It describes how this degree programme contributes to:
The programme offers students the opportunity to study Russian language in the context of courses exploring aspects of Russia's rich and varied culture from the 18th century to the present day. The programme covers the following aspects of Slavonic Studies: Russian language; Russian literature; Russian culture; elements of Russian history; and, optionally, Czech language and literature. Students are introduced to a linguistic and cultural tradition, spanning some of Europe's most important writers, literary developments and ideological trends, against the unique background of Russia's often turbulent socio-political circumstances. As a relatively rare skill, fluency in the Russian language, together with detailed knowledge and appreciation of Russian culture and customs, is in demand among a wide range of employers.
The learning outcome statements shown below for your programme have been developed with reference to relevant national subject benchmarks (where they exist), national qualification descriptors (see the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) and professional body requirements.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies are listed to show how you will be able to achieve and demonstrate the learning outcomes.
This programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
---|---|
|
Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical language classes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
For non-linguistic elements of the programme:Essays (of varying lengths) and essay-writing exercises, testing understanding of a single topic in detail (2, 3, 5, 6)Class tests (seen and unseen), testing ability to interpret Russian literary or cultural texts (1, 2, 3, 5)Exams, testing breadth of knowledge of different subjects (2, 3, 5, 6)At levels I and H, assessment is mainly summative. Language is informally assessed through regular (weekly/fortnightly) coursework assignments; formally by examination at the end of each year (grammar and comprehension tests, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension, as appropriate to level) (1, 4). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
---|---|
|
Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, class discussions, oral presentations and essay writing, as well as by the independent reading and preparation these exercises necessitate. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
---|---|
|
Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. These oral skills are further developed in the language classes (1, 3, 4, 5). |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework, including the year-abroad dissertation. (2, 6, 9) |
This section describes what is expected from you at each level of your programme. This illustrates increasing intellectual standards as you progress through the programme. These levels are mapped against the national level descriptors published by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been designed to lay the foundations, in terms both of subject-specific knowledge and skills and of more general skills and abilities, which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Separate core units in language provide intensive initial instruction for ab initio students, and consolidate and develop the existing language skills of qualified entrants. Mandatory co-taught non-linguistic units provide all students with a chronological introduction to Russian history, culture and literature, focusing on areas of departmental expertise that students may explore later in more depth. Qualified entrants may additionally develop their understanding of contemporary Russia in a media-based unit and/or take up a new language, Czech, which they may continue to study in later years. The mix of lectures and split-group tutor-led seminars reflects the expectation that students' work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage. Students are also encouraged either to maintain existing academic interests or explore a new interest through open units. |
---|---|
Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate an increased range and detail of knowledge in relevant areas of the discipline. Continuing development of linguistic skills places increased emphasis on independent learning, and linguistic analysis of Russian texts and/or documents is introduced into non-linguistic units. Students follow their whole programme within the Russian department. The options at this level offer considerable variety, including in-depth studies of major authors, of medieval and religious culture, theatre, history of ideas and Czech language. All areas are treated in greater depth and specificity than before. Students will be expected in consequence to develop their analytical skills, their ability to formulate ideas and to present them cogently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Year 4. Linguistic skills acquired over the previous three years are refined though an increased use of 'creative' (essay-writing; oral presentation) and 'mediation' (translation) skills. Students also continue to expand their knowledge of the subject-area through the study of a varied range of optional units closely linked to staff research interests. Non-linguistic units now typically combine substantial breadth with analytical depth, and more sophisticated conceptual and methodological approaches are encouraged. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate challengingly complex information, to synthesise their findings in an appropriate way, and to engage in searching analysis of target-language texts. There is an increased emphasis on independent learning. |
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
UG Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive. At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20 credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Professional Programmes
Many undergraduates in the Faculty of Health Sciences will be following the professional programmes of:
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curriculum activities. This may not be available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through the curricula there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme regulations. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside of the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent meaning that students will more oftentimes be engaged in revision activities and self-directed learning.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty Assessment and Feedback Statement for Undergraduate Students. University of Bristol access only.
In addition to its Single Honours Russian degree, the Department also offers joint programmes in which Russian is combined with either a second language (any one of the following: Czech, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish), or with one of History of Art, Philosophy or Politics.
The Department has its own direct links with the following institutions for placement of students during their Year Abroad: Kuban State University, Krasnodar; The Alexandr Nevskii Orthodox School, Moscow; The Herzen University, St Petersburg; Vladimir State Pedagogical University; Voronezh State University; Republican Medical College, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Russian language units are must pass. For the definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
List A - Take one unit | |||||
Russian Language (ab initio) | RUSS10001 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russian Language (for qualified entrants) | RUSS10036 | 20 | Optional | A | TB-4 |
List B | |||||
Understanding Russia: History & Identity | RUSS10041 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Take 20 CP from this list. Students taking RUSS10036 from list A must also take RUSS10015 as listed below: | |||||
Czech Language 1 | RUSS10015 | 20 | Optional | A | TB-4 |
List D | |||||
Comparative Literature: What is it and how can we practise it? | MODL10016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List E | |||||
Understanding Russia: Literature & Visual Culture | RUSS10042 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Students must take at 80 CP of RUSS-coded units.
Mandatory unit RUSS20008 is must pass. For the definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Students must take at least 80 CP of RUSS-coded units | |||||
List A | |||||
Russian Language 2 for Single Honours | RUSS20062 | 20 | Mandatory | A | TB-4 |
List B - Choose 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Intermediate Czech Language | RUSS20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 | RUSS20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Migrations of Culture | MODL20024 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Choose 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 | RUSS20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List E - Choose 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B-E above | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Year Abroad units MODL20014 and MODL20015 are must pass. For the definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year Abroad TB-1 | MODL20014 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
Year Abroad TB-2 | MODL20015 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
Mandatory Unit RUSS30081 is must pass. For the definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Students must take at least 80 CP of RUSS-coded units | |||||
List A | |||||
Russian Language 3 for Single Honours | RUSS30081 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Take 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Russia and the World, 1991 - present | RUSS30083 | 20 | Optional | B,C | TB-1 |
Theatre and Theatricality in Russian Society | RUSS30085 | 20 | Optional | B,C | TB-1 |
List C - Take 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Advanced Czech Language | RUSS30070 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russia and the World, 1991 - present | RUSS30083 | 20 | Optional | B,C | TB-1 |
Decadence, Decay and Rebirth: Russian & Czech Literature, 1870 - 1914 | RUSS30084 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Theatre and Theatricality in Russian Society | RUSS30085 | 20 | Optional | B,C | TB-1 |
Dress and Identity in Russia through the Ages | RUSS30086 | 20 | Optional | C,E | TB-2 |
Translating in a Professional Context | MODL30010 | 20 | Optional | C | TB-1 |
Catalan Language (follow-on) | MODL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (follow-on) | MODL30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Follow-on Portuguese | MODL30037 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Liaison Interpreting | MODL30006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
List D - Take 20 CP from the list below | |||||
Decadence, Decay and Rebirth: Russian & Czech Literature, 1870 - 1914 | RUSS30084 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Theoretical Approaches to Language Teaching | MODL30036 | 20 | Optional | D | TB-2 |
Studying and Making Early Printed Books | MODL30040 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Narrative in pre-modern cultures | MODL30041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E | |||||
Independent Study 1 | MODL30005 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List F | |||||
20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B-D above | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Russian (BA) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
An oral distinction may be awarded.
The alternative classified honours degree of Arts (Modern Language Studies) may be awarded on this programme. For further details please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes
Please note not all optional units will be available in every academic year
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
Senate House,
Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000