About the Programme

The BA programme in Philology offers a general humanistic education with an emphasis on comparative literature and linguistics. The programme is unique in combining essential philological training with the spirit of a liberal arts college. In particular, it brings together the traditional virtues of Russian university education, such as a carefully planned four-year curriculum, and the modern vision of humanistic knowledge, grounded in dialogue and admitting of diverse approaches and perspectives.

In particular, the programme includes solid training in languages (Latin, German, French, and – optionally – Old Church Slavonic, in addition to English) as well as ground-laying coursework in Linguistics, Literary Theory, and World Literature. Optional courses include Cultural Semiotics, Theory and Typology of World Folklore, Comparative Studies in Literature and the Arts, Cognitive Linguistics, Linguistic Typology, and The Russian Formalism. In addition every year students choose a Research Seminar, either in Linguistics or Literary Studies.  During their junior and senior years, each student pursues a specialized track in either “Russian and World Literature” or in “Linguistics and Cultural Semiotics.”

The new BA programme is designed to train specialists in literature, linguistics, discourse analysis, and cultural history, giving them all the tools necessary for a professional career in fields involving the humanities or for continued studies at the best MA or Ph.D. programmes in Russia, Europe, or the United States. Among the international faculty teaching courses for us are Boris Gasparov (Columbia University), Boris Maslov (University of Chicago), Michaël Meylac (University of Strasbourg), and Patrick Sériot (University of Lausanne). The programme is administered by the Department of Comparative Literature and Linguistics (the Head of the Department is Professor Boris Gasparov).

While the basic language of education is Russian, some courses will be taught in English. Foreign students will have the opportunity to take Russian as a Second Language.

Russian federal funding is available annually for Russian nationals, as well as for international students admitted to the programme (including students from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Union, the United States, China, and other countries).

Please address all questions to Professor Evgeniy Kazartsev, the Academic Director of the Programme:

Phone: +7(812) 786 32 77

Email: ekazartsev@hse.ru

Address: 190000 St. Petersburg, Promyschlennaia 17a; Room 227а