Bulgarian and Ukrainian

Bulgarian and Ukrainian are two of the most important Slavic languages in Europe, each carrying a rich literary, cultural, and political heritage and each central to some of the most significant geopolitical developments of the contemporary period. Bulgarian is the language of one of the oldest literary traditions in the Slavic world, the language of the first Slavic alphabet, and the official language of a member state of the European Union. Ukrainian is spoken by over forty million people and has emerged as a language of profound international importance, with a literary tradition stretching back centuries and a cultural resilience that has attracted global attention.

At University College London, you will study both languages at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, one of the largest departments in the UK for the study of Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The programme develops your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in both languages while also giving you deep knowledge of the literature, history, culture, and contemporary affairs of Bulgaria and Ukraine. SSEES has unparalleled expertise in these regions, with faculty who conduct research in the countries they teach, ensuring that your study is current and contextually rich.

The programme includes a year abroad, offering immersive engagement with one or both language communities. A typical entry tariff of 152 points applies.

You will develop genuine linguistic proficiency alongside a sophisticated understanding of the political, cultural, and historical contexts that shape both countries and their languages.

Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, international organisations, journalism, translation, the civil service, NGOs, international business, security and intelligence, and academia. The rarity of fluency in these two languages is a genuine professional asset.