Gilmorehill Campus
Year 1: You will study the processes behind the dynamic changes of vital importance in Central & Eastern Europe. In the first semester, you will explore the rise of Stalin to power in Soviet Russia and the impact of the beginning of the Cold War on Central & Eastern European countries. It considers the political, security, economic, social and cultural history of the states in the region from the collapse of the Russian and Hapsburg Empires until the death of Stalin in 1953.
In the second semester, you will explore political and societal developments in the Soviet Union and individual Eastern European states after the death of Stalin, the course of the Cold War, and the reasons for the collapse of Soviet Communism in the region during 1989–91. At its core in this semester, we ask if Soviet-style Communism was reformable.
Year 2: You will chart developments in the societies of the region from 1989 to the present day, including processes of economic, political & territorial change; aspects of social & cultural diversity; migration and the refugee crisis; populism and democratic backsliding; the role of the media; and international security and conflict. You will examine the impact of the end of the Soviet Union on regional and global dynamics through the transformation of national political regimes and civil societies, and integration of part of the region into the European Union and NATO. You will study the causes, dynamics, and consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Years 3 and 4: If you progress to Honours (years 3 and 4) you will choose from a wide range of subject areas which examine interdisciplinary themes, such as ethnicity and nationalism, identity and territoriality, peace and security, migration and mobility, sovereignty and geopolitics, and Cold War legacies.
2026 entry requirements
Standard entry: 6 Highers at AAAAAA (by end S6 with min AAABB after S5) including English and a humanities subject. Higher Maths recommended.
Widening access entry: 5 Highers at AAABB/ABBBB (by end S6) including English and a humanities subject. Higher Maths recommended. Completion of pre-entry programme is necessary.
September
Degree
MA Hons
Full time
Please refer to list below
4 years
College of Social Sciences
School of Social and Political Sciences
10
Central and East European Studies/Business Economics Central and East European Studies/Geography Central and East European Studies/International Relations Central and East European Studies/Philosophy Central and East European Studies/Politics Central and East European Studies/Psychology Central and East European Studies/Social and Public Policy Central and East European Studies with Quantitative Methods |
RL71 RL77 L252 RVT5 RL82 RG68 RL84 RG73 |