Russian and Modern Greek

Russian and Modern Greek is an unusual and rewarding combination that brings together two of Europe's most historically significant literary and cultural traditions. Russian literature is among the richest in the world: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Bulgakov, and Akhmatova are only the most prominent points in a tradition of enormous depth and moral seriousness. Modern Greek opens the literature and culture of a nation with an ancient civilisation, a complex modern history, and a vibrant contemporary cultural life, as well as providing a bridge to the ancient world for those with a classics background.

At the University of Oxford, this four-year, full-time programme is taught within one of the world's finest linguistics and modern languages faculties. You will be taken to an advanced level in both Russian and Modern Greek, reading literature in the original languages and developing the linguistic and critical tools to engage with it seriously. Oxford's tutorial system provides intensive, small-group teaching that allows rapid progress and the development of precision in both languages.

You will study the cultural and historical contexts of Russian and Greek literature, film, and intellectual life, and you will engage with the scholarly literature on both traditions at a level that prepares you for the most demanding academic and professional environments. A typical entry tariff of 168 UCAS points reflects the intensity of the programme.

Mastering two languages with different scripts and grammar systems, one from the Slavic family and one from the Hellenic, is an exceptional intellectual achievement and produces very strong analytical and communicative capacities.

Graduates pursue careers in translation and interpreting, diplomacy, journalism, the cultural sector, education, international business, and the civil service. The combination of Russian and Modern Greek at Oxford level is distinctively rare. Many graduates also proceed to postgraduate study in Slavonic studies, Byzantine studies, or comparative literature.