French and Russian

French and Russian is a combination that opens access to two of the world's most significant cultural and political traditions. French, spoken by over 300 million people across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and beyond, is one of the great languages of literature, diplomacy and international institutions. Russian, spoken by approximately 150 million people as a first language and widely used across the former Soviet space, carries a literary tradition of extraordinary depth, from Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to the poetry of the twentieth century, and remains central to geopolitical affairs in Europe and Asia.

At the University of Manchester, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year and work placement, giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience in a relevant environment before you complete your degree. You will develop advanced proficiency in both French and Russian, working on language skills, translation, literary and cultural analysis, and the historical and contemporary contexts of the countries and communities where each language is used. Manchester's strong tradition in modern languages provides a rigorous academic context, and the sandwich and placement components add professional depth to your language training.

Graduates from French and Russian programmes are well placed in careers in translation and interpreting, journalism, diplomacy, international organisations, the civil service, international business, cultural institutions, publishing and academia. The combination of a major Western European language with Russian is particularly valuable in any professional context involving European or Eurasian affairs, and the geopolitical significance of the Russian-speaking world means that expertise in both languages is genuinely rare and sought after. Postgraduate study in French, Russian, Slavonic studies, translation or international relations is a natural next step for those who wish to deepen their expertise.