Linguistics, Literature and Regional Culture Studies (EN) (Germanic, Romance, Russian and Slavic studies)

The programme includes a set of common study courses, as well as specialization courses offered by the sub-programmes in literature and culture, linguistics, and interdisciplinary studies. It also contains an elective part, which allows students to individualize their studies and take courses that correspond to their specific interests.

All students in the programme take courses such as Comparative Literary Studies; Cultural Heritage and New Identities; Language Theories and Linguistic Diversity; Contacts between Regional Languages and Cultures; Research and Communication; and Project Development in the Humanities.

Sub-programme “Germanic Studies”:

Regional and transnational aspects of German-speaking cultural environments; Cultural studies paradigms in Germanic studies; Media, communication, and cultural mediation processes in Germanic studies; Development trends in contemporary literary theory; The word in diachrony and the history of lexicography; Language and regionality; Linguistic pragmatics; Contacts and contrasts of Nordic languages and cultures; Intercultural communication in economics and translation aspects of applied texts; Literary text translation, etc.
Language of instruction – German and English.

Sub-programme “Romance Studies”:

Intercultural communication; National specificity and current trends in the literature of the Romance-language area; Spoken language in Romance languages: theoretical approaches and linguistic analysis; Translation studies in the context of Romance languages; Romance language acquisition: approaches and innovations; Analysis of contemporary French literary texts; Semiotics of French culture: cinema and theatre; French lexicology and contemporary terminology; Language and diplomacy; Modernism in Spanish and Latin American art and literature; Contemporary Spanish culture and society; Spanish lexicology and contemporary terminology; Language contact and language policy in Spain; Society and discursive diversity in contemporary Italy; Italian lexicology and contemporary terminology; Linguistic diversity and variation in contemporary Italy; Language contact and language policy in Italy, etc.
Language of instruction: French, Spanish or Italian (depending on the student’s choice), and English.

Sub-programme “Russian and Slavic Studies”

Contemporary Russian literature and culture; Current issues in the theory and history of 20th–21st century Russian literature; Problems of contemporary Slavic folklore; Literature in Slavic countries and postcolonial studies; Russian language in theoretical and applied aspects; History and theory of Russian–Latvian language contact; Theoretical grammar of contemporary Slavic languages; Ethnopsycholinguistics and political linguistics of Russian and Slavic languages; Russian and Slavic literature in the Baltic region; Slavic literature in translation; Russian culture in the Baltic region at the beginning of the 20th–21st centuries; Ethnocultural stereotypes in Slavic languages, literature, and folklore, etc.

Language of instruction: Russian and English.

Graduates of the master’s programme “Linguistics, Literary Studies and Regional Cultural Studies”

can work in a wide range of public, non-governmental, and private institutions – in the diplomatic missions of Latvia and other countries, in various Latvian and European institutions (including translation services), in universities and schools, in research institutes, in mass media and advertising agencies, in editorial offices and publishing houses, in libraries, in language learning centers, in tourism agencies, as well as in companies of different profiles in Latvia and worldwide, etc.

After completing the master’s programme, graduates may continue their studies at the doctoral level.

Admission requirements for Germanic Studies:

1. Previous education:
    - First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in linguistics, literary studies, or cultural studies;
   or
    - First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in other humanities disciplines, or in teacher education (language, literature and/or culture teacher training), passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter in German on the topic: “German Language, Literature and Culture: Motivation for Choice and Research Interests in German Studies” (2,000–3,000 characters without spaces).
   or
    - First-cycle higher education* or an equivalent higher education qualification in another field, and one year of professional or creative experience in an area related to the humanities, passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter in German on the topic: “German Language, Literature and Culture: Motivation for Choice and Research Interests in German Studies” (2,000–3,000 characters without spaces).;
   *Bachelor’s degree or a diploma proving equivalent level of education
2. Language requirements:
    - English language proficiency (foreign applicants);
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate English language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised English language test results, other evidence of English proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in English on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale), except where previous education was obtained in English.
    - German language proficiency (foreign applicants)
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate German language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised German language test results, other evidence of German proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in German on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale), except where previous education was obtained in German.
3. Applicants must submit a CV to confirm their professional and/or creative experience

* Applicants whose previous education was completed outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or the Swiss Confederation must submit one of the following recognised standardised test results issued within the past five years:

• SAT: minimum score of 1200
• GMAT: minimum score of 595
• GRE: minimum score of 320
  If applicants submit SAT and GMAT or GRE results with equivalent scores, and the number of study places is limited, preference will be given to applicants with GMAT or GRE scores.

* Additional admission requirements for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and non-EU long-term residents

• The average grade in study courses must be 60% of the maximum;

• All grades must be passing (at least 4 in a 10 point grading system);

All non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, except University of Latvia graduates, will be required to take part in an online interview as part of the admissions process.

* Graduates of the University of Latvia’s 2025/2026 Bachelor’s programme in Philology, sub-programme German Philology with a Bachelor’s thesis grade of at least 8 (very good) are eligible to apply for a study place without participating in the selection competition.

*Information on 10 points grading scale

Admissions open: 1 January 2026 (Foreign applicants)

Admission requirements for Romance Studies:

1. Previous education:
    - First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in linguistics, literary studies, or cultural studies;
   or
    - First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in other humanities disciplines, or in teacher education (language, literature and/or culture teacher training), passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter on the topic ‘Romance Language and Culture Studies: Motivation for Choosing the Programme and Research Interests’ in French, Spanish, or Italian (according to their choice), consisting of 2,000–3,000 characters excluding spaces.
   or
    - First-cycle higher education* or an equivalent higher education qualification in another field, and one year of professional or creative experience in an area related to the humanities, passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter on the topic ‘Romance Language and Culture Studies: Motivation for Choosing the Programme and Research Interests’ in French, Spanish, or Italian (according to their choice), consisting of 2,000–3,000 characters excluding spaces.;
   *Bachelor’s degree or a diploma proving equivalent level of education
2. Language requirements:
   English language proficiency (foreign applicants);
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate English language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised English language test results, other evidence of English proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in English on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale), except where previous education was obtained in English.
   French, Italian or Spanish language proficiency (foreign applicants)
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate French, Italian or Spanish language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised French, Italian or Spanish language  test results, other evidence of French, Italian or Spanish  proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in French, Italian or Spanish on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale).
   *Proficiency in French, Spanish, or Italian may also be verified through an assessment provided by specialists from the Italian Studies, Iberian Studies, or French Language and Francophonie Centres of the UL Faculty of Humanities, based on an interview conducted as part of the applicant qualification examination.
3. Applicants must submit a CV to confirm their professional and/or creative experience

* Applicants whose previous education was completed outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or the Swiss Confederation must submit one of the following recognised standardised test results issued within the past five years:

• SAT: minimum score of 1200
• GMAT: minimum score of 595
• GRE: minimum score of 320
  If applicants submit SAT and GMAT or GRE results with equivalent scores, and the number of study places is limited, preference will be given to applicants with GMAT or GRE scores.

* Additional admission requirements for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and non-EU long-term residents

• The average grade in study courses must be 60% of the maximum;

• All grades must be passing (at least 4 in a 10 point grading system);

All non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, except University of Latvia graduates, will be required to take part in an online interview as part of the admissions process.

* Graduates of the University of Latvia’s 2025/2026 Bachelor’s programme in Philology, sub-programme French Philology with a Bachelor’s thesis grade of at least 8 (very good) are eligible to apply for a study place without participating in the selection competition.

*Information on 10 points grading scale

Admissions open: 1 January 2026 (Foreign applicants)

Admission requirements for Russian and Slavic Studies:

1. Previous education:
    – First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in linguistics, literary studies, or cultural studies;
   or
    - First-cycle higher education* qualification or an equivalent higher education qualification in other humanities disciplines, or in teacher education (language, literature and/or culture teacher training), passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter in Russian (2,000–2,500 characters excluding spaces), including the reasoning for their choice of studies, their professional experience, and information on the prospective application of the knowledge acquired.
   or
    -First-cycle higher education* or an equivalent higher education qualification in another field, and one year of professional or creative experience in an area related to the humanities, passed entrance examination. Additionally applicants must submit a motivation letter in Russian (2,000–2,500 characters excluding spaces), including the reasoning for their choice of studies, their professional experience, and information on the prospective application of the knowledge acquired;
   *Bachelor’s degree or a diploma proving equivalent level of education
2. Language requirements:
    - English language proficiency (foreign applicants);
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate English language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised English language test results, other evidence of English proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in English on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale), except where previous education was obtained in English.
    - Russian language proficiency (foreign applicants)
   *Latvian nationals are required to demonstrate Russian language proficiency. This may be confirmed through internationally recognised Russian language test results, other evidence of Russian  proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, or a grade in Russian on a previous educational certificate (the grade must be no lower than 6 on a 10-point scale).
   *Proficiency in Russian may also be verified through an assessment provided by specialists from the Centre of Slavic Studies at the UL Faculty of Humanities, based on an interview conducted as part of the applicant qualification examination.
3. Applicants must submit a CV to confirm their professional and/or creative experience.

* Applicants whose previous education was completed outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or the Swiss Confederation must submit one of the following recognised standardised test results issued within the past five years:

• SAT: minimum score of 1200
• GMAT: minimum score of 595
• GRE: minimum score of 320
  If applicants submit SAT and GMAT or GRE results with equivalent scores, and the number of study places is limited, preference will be given to applicants with GMAT or GRE scores.

* Additional admission requirements for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and non-EU long-term residents

• The average grade in study courses must be 60% of the maximum;

• All grades must be passing (at least 4 in a 10 point grading system);

All non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, except University of Latvia graduates, will be required to take part in an online interview as part of the admissions process.

Applicants must submit a CV to confirm their professional and/or creative experience.

*Information on 10 points grading scale

Admissions open: 1 January 2026 (Foreign applicants)

Students have the opportunity to participate in the international student exchange programmes Campus Europae and Erasmus+, and to study or carry out internships throughout Europe.

Admission information:
Email: studies@lu.lv

Study Program Coordinator:

Jeļena Sevastjanova

• Phone: +371 67034924
• Email: jelena.sevastjanova@lu.lv