Russian and Hebrew

Russian and Hebrew are two languages that carry within them the weight of extraordinary histories. Russian is one of the great literary languages of the world, the language of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Akhmatova, and the official language of a state whose actions have shaped and continue to shape global politics profoundly. Hebrew is one of the oldest languages of which we have significant written records, the language of the Hebrew Bible and the revived spoken language of the modern state of Israel, a case of linguistic resurrection without clear parallel in human history.

Studying both at the University of Oxford means engaging with these traditions at the highest academic level, through the tutorial system that places you in close intellectual dialogue with specialists in each field.

This four-year full-time programme will develop your Russian to an advanced level while developing your Hebrew, from whatever starting point, into a language you can use for serious academic and professional purposes. You will read literary and cultural texts in both languages, study the history and cultural contexts of the Russian and Jewish worlds, and develop the analytical and linguistic skills to work with complex material across both traditions. The combination is unusual and intellectually demanding, requiring sustained effort across two very different linguistic and cultural worlds.

Graduates from Oxford with this language combination are rare and genuinely distinctive in the graduate market. Careers in diplomacy, intelligence, international organisations, journalism, academia, the Jewish and Russian cultural communities, translation and the arts all offer pathways. The combination of Russian and Hebrew expertise is particularly valued in contexts involving Middle Eastern affairs, international security, migration and diaspora communities.

Many graduates also proceed to postgraduate study in Slavonic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Jewish studies or linguistics, and the Oxford degree provides an excellent foundation for advanced academic work.