Slavic Languages and Literatures

Graduate program.

Yale University’s Slavic Department is one of the most dynamic in the United States and takes great pride in the creative and forward-thinking scholarship of its faculty and students. Our graduate program values interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives on Russian, East European, and Eurasian literatures and cultures. While maintaining a foundation in the study and teaching of language and literature, the Department sees both as embedded in a global context and a broad network of cultural production. In coursework, exams, professional training, mentoring, and intellectual life, our graduate program seeks to provide its students with the knowledge, skills, and vision to become engaged, innovative Slavists and Eurasianists for the twenty-first century.

The faculty members of the Yale Slavic Department have been recognized internationally for their teaching and research. With deep and evolving connections to comparative literature, art history, film and media studies, history and the social sciences, gender and sexuality studies, and the digital humanities, the faculty are actively engaged in integrating Slavic and Eurasian studies into the diverse communities and conversations of the academic and public spheres. Many opportunities for such integration within Yale are provided by the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies , but also by the uniquely collaborative culture of the university’s faculty and institutions. The Slavic graduate program also benefits from the many resources of the university: from Yale’s renowned strengths in the humanities to the rich collections of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Sterling Memorial Library (and its Slavic, East European and Central Asian Collection ), and the Yale University Art Gallery. Our expansive approach to Slavic studies is reflected in the impressive range of our graduate students’ research fields and dissertations , as well as the many professional achievements of our alumni .

Ph.D. Tracks and Interdisciplinary Programs In line with our particular strengths in interdisciplinary study, the Department offers a range of options for the Ph.D. degree. Our primary track is the Ph.D. in Slavic and Eurasian Literatures and Cultures, with a strong emphasis on transnational and transmedial approaches. The Department also offers a combined degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures and Film and Media Studies. By special arrangement, the Department will consider individualized ad hoc programs with other departments. Students interested in pursuing such a degree are encouraged to speak with the Slavic Director of Graduate Studies at the time of application or early in the program.

Yale University makes available to graduate students several certificate programs, such as Women’s Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Film and Media Studies, Translation Studies, Environmental Humanities, or the MacMillan Center’s Councils on African, European, Latin American and Iberian, and Middle East Studies. Graduate students can also receive a Certificate of College Teaching Preparation or a Certificate in Second Language Acquisition. For a complete list of certificate programs, see the website for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Intellectual Life in the Department Several annual programs enhance the intellectual life of the Slavic Department, including the Slavic Colloquium, which features talks by leading scholars within and adjacent to the discipline, and the Slavic Film Colloquium, which screens films and other media from Russia, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union and invites speakers on topics in film and media studies. Both the Slavic Colloquium and the Slavic Film Colloquium are organized by graduate students (typically second- and third-year students), under the supervision of designated faculty members. In addition, the department supports the Slavic Graduate Student Advisory Committee in organizing varied events, including regular Russian-language and/or research workshops (kruzhki) and dissertation progress roundtables.

Beyond these regular colloquia, the Slavic Department frequently hosts interdisciplinary and international conferences and workshops. Graduate students are also active in organizing and participating in conferences and working groups that bridge departmental communities at Yale (many sponsored by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Whitney Center for the Humanities). The nature of these events consistently changes according to the makeup of the faculty and student body. Because of this, graduate students are encouraged to bring ideas for enriching the intellectual and social life of the department to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair, who will, when possible, provide guidance and help facilitate the funding and organization of such events. The university and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences also provide resources for funding and encouraging intellectual life in the humanities that vary by year. Students should remain alert to these announcements as they are made.

Slavic Graduate Student Advisory Committee (SGSAC) Every year graduate students will be asked to elect three members from their ranks to serve on the Slavic Graduate Student Advisory Committee (SGSAC). This committee is intended to facilitate consistent, open, and mutual communication between the graduate students and the faculty. The committee will nominate one of its members to attend certain parts of the department’s regular faculty meetings, at the invitation of the Chair. The committee member may be asked to convey any pressing graduate student concerns to the faculty, and will be expected to report on the faculty meeting to their student colleagues. Depending on the year, and in consultation with the Chair of the department, the committee may also oversee several departmental administrative responsibilities, including the maintenance of current funding/fellowship information, the peer mentorship program, a Russian-language and/or work-in-progress kruzhok, and dissertation progress roundtables. Other responsibilities may be added to the portfolio in consultation with the committee members and the Chair of the department.

Graduate School Policies For more information on degree requirements, credit and degree petitions, withdrawals and leaves of absence, parental support, financial aid, and other matters, see the website of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .

Applying to the Yale Slavic Department For more information about applying for graduate study at Yale, see the website for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . Specific questions about the Slavic Department and its graduate program can be directed to the Slavic Director of Graduate Studies.

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Doctoral Program

Program requirements.

The Ph.D. Program in Slavic Languages & Literatures requires completion of 90 credits, and includes five components —  coursework, completion of a graduate certificate, general exams, the dissertation, and the final exam. Students in the program designate a primary and secondary language of focus, and choose to complete either the literature or linguistics track.

1.   Coursework

While all of the core courses are required, the program is designed to allow you to take classes in areas that align with your fields of interest.  In consultation with your faculty adviser, you should choose courses that will help you prepare for the general exams.  In some cases, an independent study may be used to satisfy one or more requirements.

The coursework requirements are as follows (you can download a Literature Track or Linguistics Track spreadsheet to monitor your progress):

Track 
 

–Russian for Grad Students 

–Russian Translation

–Using Slavic Resources

–Slavic Language Pedagogy
Students who test out of any part of this requirement will take additional electives to fulfill the minimum number of credits required for the degree.


–Universal and Culture Specific Aspects of Language

–Expressions of Emotion Across Languages and Cultures

–Special Topics in Slavic Linguistics

–Synchronic Slavic Linguistics

–Introduction to the History of Slavic Languages

–History of the East Slavic Languages

–History of the West Slavic Languages

–History of the South Slavic Languages

–Old Church Slavic

–Readings in Old Church Slavic

–Special Topics in Slavic Linguistics


–Literature, Film, and Culture of the Former Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Successor States

–Modern Czech Literature in Translation  

–Modern Polish Literature in Translation

–Topics in Russian Literary and Cultural Scene

–Post-Soviet Literary and Cultural Scene

–Russian Literature in Emigration and Exile

–Russian Film

–Topics in Ethnicity and Cultural Identity

–Russian Drama

–Russian Art and Architecture

–Russian Jewish Experience

–Major Authors

–Russian Literary Criticism

–Topics in Russian Literature and Culture

–Russian Literature to 1800

–Russian Literature of the Nineteenth Century

–Russian Literature of the Twentieth Century

–Modern Russian Literary, Cultural, and Film Studies

–Seminar in Russian Poetry

–Seminar in Contemporary Russian Prose

–Research Seminar in Russian Literature

–Russian Folk Literature

–East European Film

–Studies in Slavic Literatures

–New Trends in Literary Theory
Choose from the courses listed as fulfilling the Graduate Linguistics and Literature requirements.  Courses being used to fulfill one of those requirements may not also be used to count towards this requirement.
–Doctoral Dissertation

2.   Graduate Certificate

In addition to the coursework necessary for completing Ph.D. in Slavic Studies, all students must complete a Graduate Certificate, which will require you take additional courses not listed above.   All Graduate Certificate options can be found on the  Graduate School Website .  Once you have identified a few certificates of interest, you should consult with your faculty adviser to determine the certificate most beneficial for your course of study.

PLEASE NOTE : As per  Graduate School Policy 1.2.1 , t here are no restrictions regarding the number of credits that may apply to both a graduate certificate and towards the PhD in Slavic.  Students should discuss any class taken outside the department with their adviser to determine if it can also apply to Slavic program degree requirements.

3.   General Examina tion

The general examination includes both a written and oral part, and is meant to prepare you to write your dissertation.  The first step towards completing this degree requirement is setting up your Supervisory Committee .  You should start by asking a member of the Slavic Department Graduate Faculty to serve as the Chair of your Supervisory Committee.  Once he or she agrees, together you will form your four-member committee, which, in addition to the Committee Chair, includes two other graduate faculty members (at least one of whom must be from the Slavic Department), and a Graduate School Representative (GSR).   Guidance on selecting a suitable GSR may be found on the  Graduate School website.   Once all members of your proposed supervisory committee have accepted, the names of the committee members must be communicated to the Graduate Program Adviser so that your committee can be formally  established in MyGrad .  

The written part of your General Examination should be taken no later than the spring quarter of your third year, and consists of separate exams in two fields related to your areas of interest.  In consultation with your Supervisory Committee Chair, you will determine the two fields in which you will be examined, as well as the member(s) of your Supervisory Committee who will serve as the examiner(s) for each field.  You will then work with these examiners to develop a reading list for each field, establish the expectations for your responses, decide on the format each exam will take (a 4-hour in situ exam, or a 3-day take home exam), and determine the written exam schedule.   When developing reading lists, graduate students in Russian literature should refer to the general  Ph.D. Exam Reading List  established by departmental faculty.

The oral part of the General Examination should take place no later than the the fall of your fourth year, and consists of discussing the responses produced for the written part of the General Exam, as well as writing and presenting a dissertation prospectus and annotated bibliography (30-40 primary sources and 20-25 secondary sources). It is important to begin scheduling this exam early, as General Exam requests must be submitted to the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the date of your exam and it can often be difficult to find a time in which all of your Supervisory Committee members are available.  Please also be aware that the oral exam may not take place during Finals Week.  Once you have found a time that is convenient for everyone, you will need to submit a Doctoral General Exam Request via MyGrad .

PLEASE NOTE : Students  may be excused from one field examination if their Supervisory Committee accepts a paper published in a reviewed journal in lieu of that examination.

3.   Dissertation

After the successful completion of the General Examination, your focus will turn toward writing your dissertation .  The Graduate School has many guidelines for writing and submitting the dissertation , which you should familiarize with early on in the process.  Expectations for the content and length of your dissertation should be discussed with the Chair of your Supervisory Committee, and will vary from student to student.  

During this period, you will also need to establish your Reading Committee , which is made up of at least 3 members of your Supervisory Committee.  As the name implies, the duty of this committee is to read your dissertation, and their approval is necessary before you schedule the Final Examination.  Once you have identified the members of your Supervisory Committee that will participate in your Reading Committee, and they have agreed to serve in this role, notify the Graduate Program Adviser so that the information can be entered into MyGrad.  

4.   Final Examination (Dissertation Defense)

After receiving the approval of your Reading Committee, you will defend your dissertation in a Final Examination that is open to all faculty and invited guests.  The exam consists of a 20-minute presentation in which you will introduce your research and findings, and is followed by a question and answer session.   You should be prepared to talk about how you chose your dissertation topic, the nature of your research, significant findings, and how your dissertation fits into the literature of the field, among other things. 

It is your responsibility to schedule your final examination, taking into consideration your committee members' availability and the Graduate School's dates and deadlines  and requirements for completing the dissertation defense .  Normally you will need a two-hour block of time for your defense.  Once you have identified a time and date for your exam, inform  the Graduate Program Adviser of when the exam will take place and the exact title of your dissertation (it will not be able to change after this point).  You will then need to officially schedule the exam with the Graduate School via MyGrad .  This should take place at least three weeks before the exam date.  

The Graduate School maintains a very useful Graduation Checklist , which you should consult to ensure all necessary steps have been completed.

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Slavic Languages & Literatures, The University of Chicago

Graduate Program - Ph.D.

The Slavic Department PhD program emphasizes close work with individual students and programming tailored to meet their needs. Incoming students will clarify their professional interests and work together with faculty to design a program that makes the best use of our resources toward reaching their goals. While many of our students will continue to train for academic positions, we offer flexibility for students to push the boundaries of the field itself and to allow students to train for fields outside academia.

The main thrust of our program is interdisciplinary approaches to culture, with an emphasis on literature and the visual arts. Russian, Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, and Balkan languages and literatures are taught by accomplished faculty with a broad variety of specializations, from medieval Slavic literature and the classic realist novel to modernist, socialist realist, and post-communist cultural production.

We work carefully from the point of admission to meet the learning objectives of our students, and in return ask that our students commit to achieving their own goals and satisfying departmental expectations, including timely progress toward the degree (typically within six years). Under a new funding model, students now teach only as necessary for professional training and receive a full stipend for the duration of their time in the program.

For more information on program requirements, see the links below for the most recent Graduate Handbook and Pedagogical Training Plan.

Graduate Program Overview

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

The slavic department and the program in russian, eastern european and eurasian studies express solidarity with ukraine.

For more on the department and program on Ukraine solidarity...

Slavic Languages and Literatures

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Teaching Russian Language and Literature since the 1940s...

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Film Screening April 25th, 2024 at 4:30pm. Location: Lewis Simpson Building Room A71

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“Learn more about the courses we offer, our minor program and what our students do once they graduate .”

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Serguei Oushakine publishes a two-volume anthology of early Soviet formalist and constructivist texts. Photo by Yuri Leving

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WELCOME BACK IN THREE DIMENSIONS!

--Cordially, The Slavic Faculty

The illustration: Wassily Kandinsky, The Muses

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Heritage Russian at Princeton

Do you wonder why your Russian grandmother believes you can catch cold from a draft or if you do not wear slippers in the house?

""

New Book By Professor Serguei Oushakine

Undergraduate

The Slavic Department aspires to develop in its majors a critically informed appreciation for the literature and culture of Russia and the Slavic world.

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures welcomes intellectually curious students seeking to understand the cultures and societies of Russia and Eastern Europe. 

The Princeton Slavic Department Ph.D. program provides students with a firm foundation in their major area as well as the opportunity to explore related fields.

Princeton in St. Petersburg

Currently suspended until further notice. Established in 2004, the Princeton in St. Petersburg Program offers Princeton undergraduates a unique chance to improve their knowledge of Russian language and culture during a two-month summer course in St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia.

Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

The Slavic Department works closely with the REEES to develop interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate courses and lectures. REEES offers a certificate track for undergraduates, and funding to support research and language study.

Slavic Digital Humanities Working Group

In conjunction with the Center for Digital Humanities, the Slavic DH Working group will hold workshops, talks, and other events beginning fall 2017. The working group features many ongoing projects, including Playing Soviet: The Visual Language of Early Soviet Children's Books, 1917-1953. 

Slavic Studies

Ph.d. requirements.

The doctoral program in Slavic Studies focuses largely on modern Russian, Czech and Polish cultures. The doctoral program in these regions thereby covers a critical area of European and Eurasian studies at Brown.

About the Doctoral Program

The program's vigor derives from strong and dedicated faculty, including 7 full time Slavic Department faculty and 3 faculty with joint appointments in Slavic and related departments.

Our graduate students receive comprehensive training in Slavic literatures, film, cultures and languages. In addition, by encouraging our students to branch out to other disciplines, we prepare them for diverse career options. The doctoral program in Slavic Studies at Brown, therefore, distinguishes itself from traditional programs in Slavic that focus exclusively on literary studies. It allows for variable degrees of interdisciplinary and intercultural studies. Students work with departmental faculty as well as with faculty in related fields such as comparative literature, theater and performance studies, history, political science, international relations, religious studies, visual arts, MCM, women's studies and among others.

Another distinctive strength of our program is our emphasis on providing our students with extensive teaching experience both in language and literature. In addition to receiving training in related disciplines, the doctoral students amass experience and methodological training in teaching languages and literatures.

Mentoring in teaching occurs in various contexts: in language and literature courses, where they serve as teaching assistants, in the interdepartmental foreign language teaching methods course (and related practice), and in seminars at  The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning . Students will receive extensive advice on research strategies, conference presentations, and publication of their works. Additional information is available at the  Graduate School Program website .

Professional Options

Students in our program are prepared to become flexible and innovative scholars in their research and teaching, who address varying teaching and research needs in the future job market. Outstanding library holdings in West and South Slavic languages and cultures at Brown and courses through Brown-Harvard exchange program offer yet additional excellent resources for research.

Requirements

  • A minimum of five 200-level graduate seminars
  • Theory and Methods of Foreign Language Teaching
  • Two to four courses in a related field (to be determined in consultation with the Director of Graduate Study)
  • Teaching  (minimum 3 semesters).  An effort will be made to provide teaching experience not only in a Slavic language, but also in Russian literature, culture, and history.
  • Reading knowledge of the second language closely related to the student's specialization. A standard of professional competence should be maintained within the area of likely specialization. Most students intending to specialize in Slavic cultural studies should demonstrate an appropriate language competence in Russian and one more Slavic language, normally Czech or Polish, and most students specializing in one Slavic culture need German or French for their research. This requirement may be satisfied through advanced course during the first year, or by placement evaluation. Fulfillment of the second language requirement with a language other than German or French must be approved by the graduate committee.
  • Qualifying Examination (information available in the department office). Normally taken during the spring semester of the students' third year at the program.
  • Dissertation and Defense (information available in the department office). Students should submit the doctoral thesis prospectus to the thesis director and the Director of Graduate Studies by October 1 of their fourth year. The prospectus should be approved by the dissertation committee.
  • Students whose primary Slavic language competence requires them to take language courses below the 100 level may do so in consultation with the Director of Graduate Study, but those courses will not count toward the course requirements for the Ph.D.

Funding and Time Table for Completion of the Ph.D. in Slavic Studies

Normally course work and the preliminary examinations are completed by the end of the third year, submission of the doctoral thesis proposal during the fourth, and one or two years of work to complete the doctoral thesis. We expect our students to be supported by scholarships during their first year, by  teaching fellowships/assistantships  during their second to fourth years, and by a dissertation fellowship during their fifth year.

Slavic Languages and Literatures

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This program offers you the opportunity to study a broad range of Slavic traditions, including Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Polish, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. This wide breadth of study allows you to choose the path that most interests you.

Examples of recent student dissertations include “Miracle, Mystery, Authority: The Rise of Governmentality in Early Modern Russia,” “Unseemly Selves: Russian Realism and Early Psychiatry,” “Life Laid Bare: The Lives and Deaths of Animals in Soviet Cinema,” “The Reemergence of the Epic and Its Use in Mythmaking among Members of the Eastern European Yiddish Avant-Garde from 1914-27,” and “Ivan the Terrible’s Queer Legacy in Art.”

Graduates of the program have gone on to secure faculty positions at prestigious institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University, and Yale University. Others have gone into careers at organizations such as Harvard University Press and positions in libraries, museums, translation, and film direction.

If you are interested in a terminal master’s degree, please review information on the  master’s degree in Regional Studies: Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia (REECA)  offered by the  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies .

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Linguistics | Literature

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures .

Academic Background

Applicants with traditional and nontraditional preparation in the field are welcome to apply, as long as their foreign language, linguistic, and literary studies skills are strong. Formal training in literature or linguistics is highly desirable for admission.

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be a recent and extensive sample of the student’s written work in English and should be between 20 to 25 pages.

Applicants should show knowledge of Russian or other Slavic language of their choice equivalent to the Slavic courses Russian 113 and Russian 114 (fourth-year level Russian). We welcome knowledge of French or German, although this is not a prerequisite.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Optional

The department ordinarily interviews finalists for admission in late January and early February.

Campus Visits

We welcome potential candidates who wish to come to Cambridge for informational interviews during the spring or fall before submitting an application. Students admitted to the program are typically invited to visit campus in the spring. Contact the director of graduate studies for more information.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Slavic Languages and Literatures

See list of Slavic Languages and Literatures faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

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Doctoral Track

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Ph.D. track available in the Departments of Comparative Literature and History: The Interdisciplinary Specialization in Russia (ISR) The Interdisciplinary Specialization in Russia is a Ph.D. track available in the Departments of Comparative Literature and History which allows students to take advantage of NYU’s strengths in Russian literature, history, and culture in a range of departments. Students are fully funded for five years of study. The ISR is designed to encourage innovative work made possible by disciplinary crossover while also providing strong grounding in students’ discipline of choice. The goal is a broad understanding of the field, taking account of the various contexts in which Russia can be studied. The curriculum makes use of intellectual resources across NYU, not only in the Departments of Russian and Slavic Studies, History, and Comparative Literature, but also in Anthropology, Music, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, and others. Drawing on faculty’s expertise in such areas as cross-cultural literary comparison, the multinational nature of the tsarist and Soviet empires, Eurasian studies, the role of ideology in the Russian experience, film and visual studies, cultural theory, and the very idea of “Eastern Europe,” the ISR fosters an expansive appreciation of Russian culture and a wide sense of geographic context. Admission and requirements for the ISR Ph.D. track

Candidates apply through either the  Department of Comparative Literature  or the  Department of History , depending on their main field; the applicant’s statement of purpose should clearly note his/her interest in the ISR. Specific requirements for admissions and degrees are those of the Ph.D.-granting department (Comparative Literature or History) in which the student enrolls (please see the links above for application requirements and deadlines). In addition to pursuing courses in their chosen department, students will take classes in the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies, including specially designed interdisciplinary seminars.

Please contact  Maya Vinokour  should you have any additional questions.

Graduate Programs

Slavic studies.

The Department of Slavic Studies offers a comprehensive doctoral program specializing in Russian literature and culture, in modern Czech culture and in Polish literature and culture.

The program has a strong interdisciplinary focus, and students are expected to work with departmental faculty as well as with faculty in related fields, such as comparative literature, theater, history, art history, modern culture, and media and political science. The program will train flexible and innovative scholars able to address varying teaching and research needs in the future job market. We particularly target advanced students who would come to Brown with a strong background in at least one of the program's key disciplines (literature, language, culture, theater, social sciences). Students receive close guidance and are mentored in the pedagogy of language and literature/culture teaching.

Additional Resources

Slavic library and reading room, commons room for lectures and presentations, audiovisual equipment.

Application Information

Application requirements, gre subject:.

Not Required

GRE General:

Not required

Writing Sample:

Required (in English – 12-15 pages)

Additional Requirements:

Advanced competence in Russian. Knowledge/interest in another Slavic language (preferably Czech or Polish) is encouraged but not required.

Dates/Deadlines

Application deadline, completion requirements.

Sixteen courses, including five graduate seminars, and two to four courses in a secondary field of study; theory and methods of foreign language teaching, reading knowledge of the second language related to the student's specialization; teaching; qualifying examinations; dissertation and defense.

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Slavic Languages and Literatures

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Undergraduate

Department highlights.

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Nowruz Celebration

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Polish Language Table | Mondays 5pm

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Winter Party 2024

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Maslenitsa celebration held

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Cavanagh in the Washington Post

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Study Polish with Professor Wilczewski

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Pysanky demo held

March 3, 2023 — Ukrainian  pysanky  artist  Janet Hundrieser  organized a pysanky  event this past Friday, March 3 on the ground floor of Kresge Hall. The event, a demonstration for the day-long workshop April 1 , was widely attended and a great success!

Message from the Chair

The entire world is focused on the horrific war on civilians Russia is waging in Ukraine. As  scholars in Slavic, we feel a special obligation to serve as a resource in this difficult time. One of our highest obligations is to education:  we are committed to supporting all students, scholars, and institutions in Ukraine and Russia who oppose and are suffering the consequences of Putin's aggression and repression. Ani Kokobobo, a Tolstoy scholar and immigrant from eastern Europe, offers a helpful perspective on the devastating impact of war on education. 

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King Roger at the Chicago Opera Theater

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Pysanky Workshop Reception

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Kerlova Promotion

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New books by two NU Slavic PhDs

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Saul Morson Nominated to ASG Honor Roll

Congratulations to Professor Saul Morson for being nominated to the 2021-2022 Associated Student Government (ASG) Faculty & Administrator Honor Roll! Every year, ASG asks the undergraduate student body to nominate faculty and administrators they believe have made an exceptional impact on their academic journey at Northwestern University, and once again, Professor Morson has been nominated!

Krystyna Dąbrowska Poetry Reading

Our programs.

We offer beginning, intermediate and advanced Russian and Polish (and, less often, beginning and intermediate Czech), in addition to Russian and East European literature and film courses.  Many of our students are double majors, or are pursuing a minor in Russian and East European Studies to complement their studies.  Many of our majors and minors have studied abroad in Russia, Poland or the Czech Republic.

Our PhD program ranks among the best in the country.  We offer individual attention and the opportunity to pursue a personalized program by way of coursework taken outside the department.  Students specialize in Russian literature, but our faculty also includes specialists in Polish, Czech and South Slavic literatures and cultures.  Our greatest strengths are in Russian prose and poetry, literary theory, and in the social and intellectual context of literary works.

Undergraduate Student Excellence

Congratulations to our award winners for the 2023–24 academic year, kultura i lingvistika honor in russian winners.

Pete Wang, Aliyah Salihah Moad, Ernie Kaye, Julia Marshall, Graham Yarden,  and  Enrique Sheils

KULTURA I LINGWISTYKA HONOR IN POLISH WINNERS

Julian Jarmula

IRWIN WEIL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ESSAYS IN SLAVIC LITERATURES AND CULTURES

Joanna Soltys and Austin Benedetto

Graduate Student Excellence

Congratulations to our outstanding graduate students

Slavic Departmental Awards

Irwin weil award for excellence in teaching -   lifetime achievement.

Ryan Serrano

IRWIN WEIL AWARD FOR RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Nadia Vinogradova

IRWIN WEIL AWARD FOR FIRST TIME TEACHING ASSISTANT

Elena Poiata

External Awards

Jiwon Jung  on her acceptance to the Dissertation Proposal Development Program , for her project titled  Picturing beyond the Boundaries: The Question of Mental Illness Represented in A. Chekhov’s Literary Works . In the Dissertation Proposal Program, faculty actively guide 18 humanities and social science PhD students, who are in their second and third years, in designing effective research questions, methodologies, contexts, and interventions. 

Adam Willson on the receipt of a  scholarship to Middlebury's language program.

Anastasiia Simferovska on the receipt of the  Crown Graduate fellowship and  the Northwestern Holocaust Educational Foundation Teaching Grant to teach her own course "Document-Image-Text:The Holocaust in East European Art and Literatures." She plans to teach this course at the Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv, Ukraine) in the academic year 2022-2023.

News and events, joint statement of opposition to banning scholars based on citizenship.

The statement below, along with its translation in Ukrainian and Russian, can found on the ASEEES website .

As international professional associations that foster the study of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian peoples and cultures, ASEEES, BASEES, and AATSEEL* are committed to promoting international communication among scholars of all countries and identities across the humanities and social sciences. Open exchange and mutual respect among our members are fundamental to our principles.

Read Full Statement

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events at this time

Latest News

Professor martina kerlova promoted to professor of instruction, support ukraine.

Graduate School

Home

Slavic Languages and Literatures

General information, program offerings:, director of graduate studies:, graduate program administrator:.

The aim of our graduate program is to further interest, knowledge, and scholarship relating to Russia, Slavic Central Europe, and Eurasia, primarily through the cultural humanities. To this end we urge our students to explore new intellectual paths and approaches, having first provided them with a strong background in the Russian literary tradition, an introduction to major schools of theory, and the opportunity to conduct research abroad. (Please note that the program in Slavic Linguistics has been discontinued.)

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program is a five-year program. The student studies full time in residence during the first two years, selecting courses both from within the department and outside of it. The general examinations are usually taken during the first term of the third year. After general examinations, individual programs vary. Most students combine dissertation research with teaching. (Stipends are not contingent on teaching, but students are expected to teach first-year Russian at some point in their career and are strongly encouraged to teach precepts in literature courses.) Some students spend a term or a year doing dissertation research abroad. Ideally, this research is funded by outside fellowships, but if such funding is unavailable and the faculty deems the research essential, university fellowship stipends can be used to cover these expenses.

In the early years of graduate study, students use the summer to prepare for generals or to do additional language study. After generals, most use the time to continue researching and writing their dissertation.

Because we aim to admit only two students into the program each year, we are able to help them design a program of study and develop a research trajectory that accords with individual scholarly needs and interests. Choosing from a wide range of courses, entering students arrange their programs in consultation with the director of graduate studies and faculty advisers. 

Graduate seminars in the department cover historical periods (e.g., Russian Realism, Symbolism, Acmeism, Futurism, Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature and Culture), specific authors (e.g., Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tsvetaeva, Pasternak), theoretical approaches to literature and culture (e.g., the Russian critical tradition from Belinsky to the Tartu school and Bakhtin), and core courses in the development of literary genres and film (the evolution of Russian poetic form; surveys of Russian theater and visual art; Russian film theory).

Additional departmental requirements

Sample of written work, 25 pages maximum.

Program Offerings

Program offering: ph.d..

Every student develops and pursues a course of study that provides a comprehensive background and branches into specific areas of interest. Until they pass the general exam, students are required to take at least one graduate seminar within the department each semester. They are encouraged to take additional courses designed to master the basic grammar and to read original texts in Slavic languages other than Russian (e.g. Czech, Polish, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian). Seminars offered by other departments (e.g., comparative literature, German, music, history, anthropology, art and archaeology) are often relevant to scholarly interests of our students, and we encourage the development of interdisciplinary connections and ideas. Course offerings are augmented by a graduate reading list of both required and recommended works intended to provide students with literacy in the field.

Language(s)

Students are expected to have a near-native knowledge of English and Russian. Beyond that they are encouraged, but not required, to achieve fluency in another language. That language is usually French, German, or another Slavic language.

In each of the first two years students take diagnostic tests in the Russian language to evaluate their progress. They take an additional diagnostic exam before teaching Russian language.

General exam

The general examination takes place at the beginning of the third year. It consists of two parts, each including a written section followed by an oral exam. The first is an exam on the history of Russian literature in its cultural context. It is based on a list of required readings. The second is designed to ensure that students have the ability to conduct independent research and to lead them to a productive and interesting dissertation project.

The examination process requires close cooperation between students and their committee (two faculty members chosen by the student and the DGS). By the summer of their second year, students should develop two fields of inquiry. In consultation with the faculty, they draw up (and read) a bibliography of approximately 75 items for each field.

The candidate then formulates four research questions, two concerning author and context and two concerning author and approach. From these, the examination committee chooses two questions, which they may adjust or reformulate. The candidate is given one week for each critical essay, which should be approximately 3,000 words (footnotes and bibliography excluded).

The first exam should take place early in the fifth semester; the second exam should take place toward the end of that same semester. Each exam is followed (ordinarily one week later) by a one-hour oral discussion with members of the student’s examination committee. In the second oral, the discussion should consider the feasibility of either essay to serve as the basis of a dissertation chapter.

Qualifying for the M.A.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after successfully passing all parts of the general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that the following requirement is met: successful completion of at least ten approved courses, at least of eight of which must be graduate-level courses.

The department provides graduate students with supervised training in undergraduate teaching. Students normally teach at least two semesters. This experience takes the form of instruction in language courses (elementary or intermediate) and leading discussion sections of Russian literature and culture courses. Such teaching ordinarily begins only after students have completed general examinations.

Post-Generals requirements

Post-generals students are required to participate in the dissertation colloquium unless they are living so far away as to preclude such participation .

Dissertation and FPO

After the general examination has been successfully completed, the student chooses a dissertation adviser (ordinarily — though not necessarily — one of the members of the student's general examination committee). In consultation with the adviser, the student prepares a dissertation prospectus (on the basis of the earlier bibliographies and the work already undertaken). The prospectus should be submitted within a month of the completion of the second exam. Students should have a prospectus and, optimally, a completed first dissertation chapter by the end of the sixth semester.

The dissertation normally emerges from work already undertaken in seminars or other courses under the guidance of department faculty and in the readings for the exams. It should be an in-depth essay on a subject that can be treated in 150 to 200 pages. After the dissertation has been approved by at least two readers from the faculty, the student advances to the final public oral examination. At the final public oral examination, the candidate defends the dissertation in the presence of department faculty and other informed or interested scholars, and is expected to demonstrate a mastery of the subject and effectiveness in oral discourse.

  • Ilya Vinitsky

Director of Graduate Studies

  • Michael A. Wachtel

Director of Undergraduate Studies

  • Elena Fratto
  • Ellen B. Chances
  • Yuri Leving
  • Simon A. Morrison
  • Serguei A. Oushakine

Associate Professor

Senior lecturer.

  • Ksana Blank
  • Svetlana Korshunova
  • Mark R. Pettus

For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

Permanent Courses

Courses listed below are graduate-level courses that have been approved by the program’s faculty as well as the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School as permanent course offerings. Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are undergraduate courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students.

HIS 534 - Russian Lies: Forgeries and Mystifications in History and Culture (also SLA 534)

Rus 549 - russian for academic purposes i, rus 550 - russian for academic purposes ii, sla 511 - critical approaches to literature: russian contributions, sla 512 - the evolution of russian poetic form, sla 514 - pushkin, sla 515 - language & subjectivity: theories of formation (also ant 515/com 514), sla 516 - 19th-century master novelists, sla 518 - major russian poets and poetic movements, sla 520 - topics in contemporary soviet and post-soviet culture:narratives of loss:trauma,victims & witnessing, sla 528 - the poetics of space, sla 529 - seminar on andrei bitov (also com 528/res 529), sla 531 - topics in russian literature or literary theory (also com 533), sla 535 - methods of teaching slavic, sla 547 - worlds of form: russian formalism and constructivism (also art 511), sla 561 - proseminar in slavic, sla 599 - slavic dissertation colloquium.

Slavic Ukraine Castle town

Slavic Languages and Literatures

Statement from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:

"In this dark hour when Russian military troops threaten to occupy Kyiv, the cradle of Eastern Slavic civilization, we, the professors and lecturers of the Stanford Slavic Department, cannot be silent. Putin’s regime has been using military power unlawfully to force Ukraine to divert from its course towards a democratic, inclusive, educated society in which everybody can realize their full potential. We are committed to use the soft power of Slavic languages, literatures, and cultures to educate future world leaders about the differences between the Slavs, the rich history of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire, the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people under the Soviet regime, and the profound role of the national cultures of Eastern Europe in the modern world. Our students and faculty represent many ethnicities and diverse political views, but we all are deeply troubled by Vladimir Putin’s professed goal to destroy Ukraine’s statehood, based on an ignorance of history, in flagrant violation of international law and codes of human rights. The attack on Ukraine is an attack on democracy. We appeal to all political leaders and civilians to support Ukrainians in this war and to restore peace in Ukraine."  

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures supports coordinated study of Russian language, literature, literary and cultural history, as well as literary theory and criticism. Its programs may also be combined with the programs in Russian, East European and Eurasian history , Jewish Studies , Film Studies (Russian and East-European film), modern Russian theater, International Relations , Stanford’s Overseas Studies , the Special Languages Program , and the Honors Program in Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities .

A full undergraduate program provides a choice of several tracks leading to a B.A. (with a Major or a Minor), or a B.A. Honors. The department offers a full graduate program leading to an M.A. in Russian and Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures. Stanford undergraduates are eligible to apply to the department for a co-terminal B.A./M.A. degree. Students in the department’s Ph.D. program are required to choose among Minor programs in other national literatures, linguistics, Russian, East European, and Eurasian history, Jewish Studies, art and music history, theater, or film studies; they may design their own Minor, choose the "related field" option, or participate in the Graduate Program in Humanities leading to the degree of Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures and Humanities.

The Department runs a colloquium series, which brings to Stanford distinguished speakers, and organizes international conferences and symposia; and since 1987 maintains, a continuing publication series, Stanford Slavic Studies. Along with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the department offers qualified undergraduates summer grants (on a competitive basis) for intensive Russian language instruction in accredited programs in Russia and the US.

Improving cultural understanding is a critical part of the department's mission, and we offer a full range of courses at all levels, from Freshman and Sophomore Seminars devoted to Russian literature, music and visual arts that do not require specialized knowledge to advanced research seminars for graduate students. The Slavic theme house, Slavianskii Dom, serves as an undergraduate residence for many students in the program and often hosts program-related activities. Undergraduates also choose to study in Moscow through the Stanford Overseas Studies Program .

Our undergraduate program has attracted students seeking careers in journalism, business, international relations, law, and human rights, as well as academia. Russian is still the lingua franca over the vast territory of the former Soviet Union, and a good command of this language offers a gateway to Eurasia’s diverse cultures, ethnicities, economies, and religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

Stanford students are in a privileged position in relation to Russian and, more broadly, East European and Eurasian Studies, because of Stanford's tremendous faculty resources that are without peer in the US. Green Library and the Hoover Institution libraries and archives possess the premiere Russian and East European collections, which our undergraduates and graduate students use in their research. Our students master a difficult language and a rich and challenging literature, and are rewarded by gaining entry into a unique, powerful, and diverse civilization that defined major trends in the past century and plays an increasingly significant role in the world today.

Upcoming Events

phd russian literature

Slavic Colloquium: Amelia Glaser

Please join the Slavic Colloquium talk by Amelia Glaser (Professor of Slavic and Comparative Literature at the University of California, San Diego).

Slavic Colloquium: Kevin Platt

Please join the Slavic Colloquium talk by Kevin Platt (Associate Professor, Russian & East European Studies, University of Pennsylvania).

DLCL Commencement Ceremony with Fatoumata Seck providing speech 2024

DLCL 2024 Commencement Address

Undergraduate essay prizes: submissions due may 2024.

Screenshot of Griffin Poetry Prize 2024 Shortlist announcement with headshots of Amelia Glaser, Yuliya Ilchuk, and Halyna Kruk and A Crash Course in Molotov Cocktails book cover.

Congratulations to Prof. Yuliya Ilchuk

  • Recognition & Awards

Slavic Languages and Literatures

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures PhD graduate program is designed to train future scholars and teachers of Slavic languages and literatures. Students specialize either in literature or linguistics, combining a core curriculum with independent research early in their graduate career.

Students are admitted to the PhD or MA/PhD program only; the department will not consider applicants for the MA only.

Program in Literature and Culture

The program in literature and culture provides a thorough knowledge of the evolving literary canon along with attendant historical contexts while encouraging students to acquire expertise in literary and cultural theory.

Berkeley welcomes students with interdisciplinary interests. Slavic students may pursue official designated emphases in Film, Folklore, Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, Critical Theory, or Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, as well as individually designed areas of specialization. The Slavic Department works in collaboration with the departments of Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Anthropology, History, Theater, Music, Art History, and with the Institute of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, which houses the Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies and The Caucasus and Central Asia Program.

The majority of students at Berkeley choose Russian as their major language. We encourage students who wish to explore the diverse literary and cultural traditions of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. We accept a small number of students who choose Polish, Bulgarian or BCS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian) language and literature as their major field; in such cases, special programs are established and students do much of their graduate work independently. These students normally take Russian as a minor field. Berkeley does not administer a PhD Program in Czech, but Czech can be chosen as the second Slavic language.

Program in Linguistics

The Slavic linguistics concentration of our program has been considerably reduced in recent years. Because students of Slavic linguistics have to do most of the graduate work in individual meetings with faculty, we aim to admit students who already have advanced preparation in the field and who are able and willing to pursue an independent course of professional training.

Visit Department Website

Admission to the University

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. The Graduate Division hosts a complete list of graduate academic programs, departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application and steps to take to apply can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Admission to the Program

We select our graduate students on the basis of prior academic achievement and promise of success in scholarship and teaching. Students admitted to the PhD program with an MA in Slavic or a related field from another institution are required to pass a screening (permission-to-proceed) examination. Students who have earned the MA degree from this department may receive permission to proceed to the PhD program following successful performance on the MA comprehensive examinations and demonstrated aptitude for advanced work. The department does not accept applications for a terminal MA program of study.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Normative time requirements, total normative time.

Total normative time is six years.

Time to Advancement

Russian literature concentration.

Course List
CodeTitleUnits
SLAVIC 201Course Not Available (if applicable per proficiency)
SLAVIC 204Course Not Available
Old Church Slavic4
Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages4
Studies in Slavic Literature and Linguistics4
Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Literary Scholarship4
SLAVIC Literature electives, as per specialized study list

Russian Linguistics Concentration

Course List
CodeTitleUnits
Graduate Colloquium (if applicable per proficiency)0.0
SLAVIC 201Course Not Available
SLAVIC 204Course Not Available
Old Church Slavic4
Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages4
Studies in Slavic Literature and Linguistics4
Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Linguistic Scholarship (can be substituted by )4
SLAVIC Linguistics electives, as per specialized study list

Foreign Language(s)

Students of linguistics are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of either French or German before taking the MA exams. They must demonstrate a reading knowledge of both before taking the PhD exams.

Students of literature are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of either French or German before taking their MA exams. As an alternative, students of literature have the option to complete two semesters of a second Slavic language on a letter-grade basis. Students may, with prior permission granted on an individual basis and with a view to pursuing specific research goals, fulfill this requirement by studying a non-Slavic language from a region within the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (e.g., Armenian, Georgian, Estonian, and Hungarian).

Preliminary Exams

At the beginning of the semester in which the examination is taken, students who will take the PhD qualifying exam must file the Application for the Qualifying Examination . Note that it requires the names of the student's examination committee (including the outside member). It is advisable to consult with the graduate advisor and, for students of linguistics, with the faculty mentor, and committee members during the semester preceding the examination. By the Graduate Division rules, applicants must list at least three subject areas in which the candidate will be examined. Students in our department list their major and minor fields (literature) or three subject areas (linguistics) as well as the general field for all students: Russian language (or another major Slavic language). The completed form must be signed by the graduate adviser, and if applicable, the designated emphasis graduate adviser. The form is then submitted to the Graduate Division for approval.

  • Print and fill the form; if necessary, consult with the graduate assistant;
  • Consult with the graduate advisor and, for students of linguistics, with the faculty mentor, and obtain the signatures;
  • Make a copy for your department file and hand it to the graduate assistant; and
  • Deliver the form to 318 Sproul Hall, Graduate Division.

Field Papers

Research Requirement (qualifying paper or publishable paper): All graduate students are required to submit an extended research paper (on a topic of their choice) to satisfy the departmental research requirement. Usually, but not necessarily, the research paper is a revised and expanded version of a course/seminar paper. It is expected that the paper will be of publishable quality, that is, it will meet the standards of a scholarly journal in its scope, originality, form, and technical format. In some cases, this paper may further lead to a dissertation topic. The paper is submitted to the graduate adviser at the end of the third year (or by exception, at the beginning of the semester which precedes the exam). The paper must be approved by the graduate adviser, who usually asks two or more faculty members to read it. Faculty members are expected to promptly read and evaluate the paper. In some cases, additional revisions of the paper may be asked, which makes timing essential.

Time in Candidacy

Advancement.

Advancement to candidacy is an important official procedure. To qualify for advancement, a student must have passed the qualifying examinations and completed all other requirements for the degree (course requirements and language requirements). For the application, the student, in consultation with the graduate advisor and, for students of linguistics, with the faculty mentor, will create a working title for the dissertation and select the dissertation committee members.

The dissertation prospectus is a detailed outline of the project. The department requires that a student complete an approved prospectus by the end of the semester following the PhD qualifying examination. At this point students begin registering for the required units through SLAVIC 299  (Directed Research), which is usually supervised by the chair of their dissertation committee, though units may be divided between members of the committee as approved by the graduate adviser.

The prospectus generally includes a justification of the topic and a description of methodology, objectives, available scholarly literature, the potential relevance of the work, and the structure of the dissertation and includes a working bibliography. Once this prospectus has been approved by the graduate advisor, a copy should be given to the graduate assistant for the student's file.

Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation represents the final demonstration, in the graduate program, of a student's research and scholarly abilities, and constitutes an original contribution to the field of study. It is an independent investigation undertaken with faculty guidance and evaluation, and as such it is important that this phase of graduate work be conducted with periodic consultation between the student and the dissertation committee members. The dissertation must receive the unanimous approval of the committee members in order for it to be accepted as final completion of the degree requirements.

During the course of work on the dissertation, it is the student's responsibility to initiate and maintain regular contact with the dissertation committee. Likewise, it is the responsibility of the faculty members to be available for consultation and to offer necessary direction, advice and suggestions for improvements in the research and writing. To ensure adequate and regular faculty/student contact time students enroll each semester in SLAVIC 299 , dissertation writing course.

Normally a student will be expected to complete the dissertation within two years after being advanced to candidacy. Each semester, the graduate adviser, in consultation with the dissertation chair, reviews the student's work to determine if acceptable progress is being made. Failure to make progress in the research and/or writing of the dissertation may result in the lapsing of a student's candidacy, as regulated by the dean of the Graduate Division.

Literature, Linguistics and Culture:

Bosnian/croatian/serbian, slavic 200 graduate colloquium 0.0 units.

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Reports on current scholarly work by faculty and graduate students. Graduate Colloquium: Read More [+]

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of colloquium per week

Additional Format: No credit.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Graduate

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Graduate Colloquium: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 210 Old Church Slavic 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2020 Introduction to Old Church Slavic, with special attention to inflexional morphology. Assigned translations and sight reading of selected texts. Old Church Slavic: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Reading knowledge of a modern Slavic language or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Grading: Letter grade.

Old Church Slavic: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 214 Medieval Orthodox Slavic Texts 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2016 Assigned translations and sight reading of selected Medieval Orthodox Slavic texts. Medieval Orthodox Slavic Texts: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 210

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture/discussion per week.

Medieval Orthodox Slavic Texts: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 220 Comparative Slavic Linguistics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2008, Fall 2005 Reconstruction of Common Slavic phonology and morphology in relation to Indo-European and modern Slavic languages. Comparative Slavic Linguistics: Read More [+]

Comparative Slavic Linguistics: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 222 Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 Survey of morphology and syntax of a contemporary Slavic language (Czech, Polish, Russian, or Serbian/Croatian); see departmental announcement for topic. Recommended for prospective teachers. Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Knowledge of the language

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 223 Advanced Structure of Slavic Languages: Grammatical Analysis and Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2008 Analysis of synchronic grammar and structure of discourse of a Slavic language (Czech, Polish, Russian, or Serbian/Croatian) with attention to theoretical models; see Department announcement for topic. Advanced Structure of Slavic Languages: Grammatical Analysis and Theory: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 222

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Advanced Structure of Slavic Languages: Grammatical Analysis and Theory: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 230 Historical Grammar of Slavic Languages 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2011, Fall 2009, Spring 2004 Historical phonology, morphology, and syntax of a Slavic language (Czech, Polish, Russian, or Serbian/Croatian). Some coverage of dialectology. See Department announcement for topic. Historical Grammar of Slavic Languages: Read More [+]

Historical Grammar of Slavic Languages: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 231 History of Slavic Literary Languages 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2012, Spring 2006, Spring 2004 Analysis of language and style of a Slavic literary language (Czech, Polish, Russian, or Serbian/Croatian) from the beginnings to the present, with emphasis on periods of particular significance. See Department announcement for topic. History of Slavic Literary Languages: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advanced knowledge of the modern language, 210; 214 and at least one advanced or graduate level literature course

History of Slavic Literary Languages: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 234 South Slavic Linguistics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2010, Fall 2006, Fall 2001 Linguistic history and dialectology of Slovenian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Serbian/Croatian. South Slavic Linguistics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 220

Instructor: Alexander

South Slavic Linguistics: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 239 Twentieth-Century Slavic Literary Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2017, Spring 2014 Attempts to describe literary forms, poetic usage of language, and cultural infrastructure, as a code, examined as a consistent trend in 20th-Century literary theory. Consideration of this scholarly trend in historical perspective; its sources, evolution, and eventual dissipation. Twentieth-Century Slavic Literary Theory: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 281, 282, 221, one of following: 245, 246,287; approval of instructor

Twentieth-Century Slavic Literary Theory: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 242 Eighteenth-Century Russian Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2017 Studies in poetry, drama, and fiction, covering major figures between 1730 and the end of the century. Eighteenth-Century Russian Literature: Read More [+]

Eighteenth-Century Russian Literature: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 243 The Russian Novel and Literatures of Western Europe 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2008, Fall 2005, Fall 2001 The development of the nineteenth-century Russian novel and its sources in and links with Western literary works and movements. The Russian Novel and Literatures of Western Europe: Read More [+]

The Russian Novel and Literatures of Western Europe: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 245A Russian Sentimentalism and Romanticism (1790s-1840s) 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2018, Fall 2015 Coverage of major movements and genres in the intellectual context of the times. Readings in Russian. Russian Sentimentalism and Romanticism (1790s-1840s): Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor; adequate knowledge of Russian

Russian Sentimentalism and Romanticism (1790s-1840s): Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 245B Russian Realism (1840s-1900) 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2018, Fall 2014 Coverage of major movements and genres in the intellectual context of the times. Readings in Russian. Russian Realism (1840s-1900): Read More [+]

Russian Realism (1840s-1900): Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 246A Russian Modernism (1890s-1920s) 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Spring 2020 Coverage of major movements and genres in the intellectual context of the times. Readings in Russian. Russian Modernism (1890s-1920s): Read More [+]

Russian Modernism (1890s-1920s): Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 246B Contemporary Russian Literature (1920-present) 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Spring 2019, Spring 2016 Coverage of major movements and genres in the intellectual context of the times. Readings in Russian. Contemporary Russian Literature (1920-present): Read More [+]

Contemporary Russian Literature (1920-present): Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 247A Russian Literature of the 21st Century 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023 This course focuses on the Russophone literature in the new millennium (from the early 2000s to the present day), incorporating a crucial discussion of the late Soviet period and the 1990s. Readings in Russian. Russian Literature of the 21st Century: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor; adequate knowledge of Russian

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Russian Literature of the 21st Century: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 248 Topics in Russian Cultural History 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Fall 2009, Spring 1998 This seminar addresses the problems and methods of cultural history within the Russian context. Special attention will be given to the social, political, and historical matrices which determine (and may be determined by) aesthetic production, as well as to the role of culture in the construction of everyday life. Topic and period variable. Instruction in English; texts in English and Russian. Students without reading knowledge of Russian should consult with instructor. Topics in Russian Cultural History: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor

Topics in Russian Cultural History: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 256 Topics in Slavic Folklore 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 Selected topics in Slavic folklore, with focus on contributions to folklore theory based on Slavic material. Topics in Slavic Folklore: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; consent of instructor

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.

Topics in Slavic Folklore: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 258 Languages, Peoples, and Cultures of the Greater Slavic World 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2010 Topics in the languages, peoples, and cultures of Eastern and Central Europe, the CIS, and diasporas. Topics vary as to region (e.g., Northeastern Europe, the Baltic Coast, the Caucasus) and approach (e.g., sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics, studies of ethnic and language minorities). Readings include sources in the original languages of the area. Languages, Peoples, and Cultures of the Greater Slavic World: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing, knowledge of target languages, consent of instructor

Languages, Peoples, and Cultures of the Greater Slavic World: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 280 Studies in Slavic Literature and Linguistics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2022, Spring 2022 Advanced studies in the several fields of Slavic literatures and linguistics. Content varies. Studies in Slavic Literature and Linguistics: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Studies in Slavic Literature and Linguistics: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 281 Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Literary Scholarship 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Course designed for new graduate students in literature. Introduction to modern literary theory and criticism; principles of textual analysis; methods of bibliographical research. Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Literary Scholarship: Read More [+]

Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Literary Scholarship: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 282 Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Linguistic Scholarship 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2010, Spring 2009, Spring 2006 Course designed for new graduate students in Slavic linguistics. A survey of general and Slavic linguistics, Slavic philology, semiotics, and the relation of linguistics to literary studies. Methods of research and critical analysis. Current issues and goals of research. Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Linguistic Scholarship: Read More [+]

Proseminar: Aims and Methods of Linguistic Scholarship: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 285 Eastern Christianity: History and Thought 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2012, Spring 2009 A survey of the religious history and thought of Eastern Europe and the Levant with an intent of providing greater insight into the shaping of faith and cultures of both halves of Europe. Eastern Christianity: History and Thought: Read More [+]

Eastern Christianity: History and Thought: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 287 Russian Poetry 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2019, Fall 2016 Class conducted in Russian. Russian poetry and versification (eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries): close readings of texts. Variable topics. Russian Poetry: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Open to qualified undergraduates

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.

Russian Poetry: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 298 Special Study for Graduate Students 2 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Preliminary exploration of a restricted field involving research and a written report. Special Study for Graduate Students: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 3-18 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual conferences.

Special Study for Graduate Students: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 299 Directed Research 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024 Normally reserved for students directly engaged upon the doctoral dissertation. Directed Research: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0-0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 3 weeks - 0.5-30 hours of independent study per week 6 weeks - 0.5-30 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 0.5-22 hours of independent study per week 10 weeks - 0.5-18 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero hour of independent study per week. One-half to eightteen hours of independent study per week for 10 weeks. One-half to twenty two hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. One-half to thirty hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks. One-half to thirty hours of independent study per week for three weeks.

Directed Research: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 301 Issues in Slavic Pedagogy 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012 Independent study. Consideration of special issues in the teaching of Slavic languages. Offered according to interest and need. Issues in Slavic Pedagogy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate status in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Independent study hours to be arranged.

Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Issues in Slavic Pedagogy: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 310 Internship in the Teaching of Literature/Linguistics 1 - 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Weekly meetings with the instructor of the designated course. Discussion of course aims, syllabus preparation, lecture and assignment planning, grading, and related matters. Students may prepare a representative portion of the work for such a course (e.g., lecture outline and assignments for a course segment) and may participate in presentation of the material and in evaluation of samples of student work. Internship in the Teaching of Literature/Linguistics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Additional Format: One 2-hour conference per week.

Internship in the Teaching of Literature/Linguistics: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 375A Teaching Methods for Slavic Languages 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Course on practical teaching methods, grading, testing, and design of supplementary course materials. Required of all graduate student language instructors in Slavic. Course to be repeated for credit each semester of employment as a graduate student instructor. Teaching Methods for Slavic Languages: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate student standing and teaching appointment in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Additional Format: Group and individual conferences.

Formerly known as: Slavic 301

Teaching Methods for Slavic Languages: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 375B Teaching Methods of Reading and Composition 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Course on practical teaching methods, grading, testing, and design of supplementary course materials. Required of all graduate student instructors in Slavic. Course to be repeated for credit each semester of employment as a graduate student instructor. Teaching Methods of Reading and Composition: Read More [+]

Teaching Methods of Reading and Composition: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 601 Individual Study for Master's Students 2 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with a field adviser. Individual Study for Master's Students: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 16 units.

Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Graduate examination preparation

Individual Study for Master's Students: Read Less [-]

SLAVIC 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 2 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Individual study in consultation with a major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for doctoral degree.

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 1A Introductory Armenian 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 An introduction to Armenian language and culture, aiming to give students basic competence in all four skills and an introduction to traditional and contemporary Armenian culture. Introductory Armenian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A: None. 1B: 1A or equivalent; consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of session per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Session per week for 15 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.

Formerly known as: Eurasian Studies 1A

Introductory Armenian: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 1B Introductory Armenian 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 An introduction to Armenian language and culture, aiming to give students basic competence in all four skills and an introduction to traditional and contemporary Armenian culture. Introductory Armenian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A or equivalent; consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Eurasian Studies 1B

ARMENI 101A Continuing Armenian 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The purpose of this course is to further develop students' Armenian proficiency in all four language skills, using discussion, oral presentations, written assignments, and a variety of readings (literature, non-fiction, folklore, newspaper articles, etc.) chosen partly for their cultural significance and partly based on student needs and interests. Emphasis on particular skills (e.g. reading) depending on student needs and interests. Continuing Armenian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A-1B or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Eurasian Studies 101A

Continuing Armenian: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 101B Continuing Armenian 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The purpose of this course is to further develop students' Armenian proficiency in all four language skills, using discussion, oral presentations, written assignments, and a variety of readings (literature, non-fiction, folklore, newspaper articles, etc.) chosen partly for their cultural significance and partly based on student needs and interests. Emphasis on particular skills (e.g. reading) depending on student needs and interests. Continuing Armenian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 2A-2B or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Eurasian Studies 101B

ARMENI 102 Advanced Readings in Specialized Armenian 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2017 Selected readings in Armenian drawn from a wide range of texts—literature, history, journalism, politics, law, science and technology, business and economics, etc.—tailored to the academic interests of students enrolled. The course is designed to further develop students’ language skills and to link language competence to the study of the contemporary politics, culture, and society in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. Advanced Readings in Specialized Armenian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Armenian 101A and 101B or demonstrated advanced competence in Armenian

Advanced Readings in Specialized Armenian: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 124 Armenian Literature in Social Context 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020 This course covers selected works and topics in Armenian literature treated in a broad socio-cultural context. In addition to introducing students to some of the Armenian literary masterpieces, the course offers a lens through which to view the socio-political issues and historical legacies that shape Armenian culture and identity, in Armenia and in diaspora, in today’s globalized world. Lectures, readings and discussions in English. No knowledge of Armenian language is required (students with knowledge of Armenian read in the original). Armenian Literature in Social Context: Read More [+]

Armenian Literature in Social Context: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 126 Armenian Culture and Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 This course examines issues in Armenian culture (folklore, literature, architecture, visual arts, and film), with particular attention to Armenian cultural identity and socio-political movements in today’s Armenia and in diaspora. Lectures, readings and discussions in English. No knowledge of Armenian language is required (students with knowledge of Armenian read in the original). Armenian Culture and Film: Read More [+]

Armenian Culture and Film: Read Less [-]

ARMENI 128 Arts and Culture in Armenia and the Diaspora Since 1991 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Summer 2022 8 Week Session An overview of the literature, visual arts, and social thought produced in Armenia and its transnational diaspora since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the establishment of Armenia’s independence in 1991. The course examines contemporary developments in the arts in the context of the major socio-political changes of the period. Arts and Culture in Armenia and the Diaspora Since 1991: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of web-based lecture per week

Additional Format: Six hours of web-based lecture per week for 8 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.

Instructor: Douzjian

Arts and Culture in Armenia and the Diaspora Since 1991: Read Less [-]

BOSCRSR 27A Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning Fall semester. Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 27A is prerequisite to 27B

Subject/Course Level: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Undergraduate

Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read Less [-]

BOSCRSR 27B Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning Fall semester. Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read More [+]

BOSCRSR 117A Continuing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 27B is prerequisite to 117A; 117A is prerequisite to 117B

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 117A

Continuing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read Less [-]

BOSCRSR 117B Continuing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 117B

BULGARI 28A Introductory Bulgarian 5 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Sequence begins in the fall. Practical instruction in the Bulgarian language with a focus on integrated skills (reading, grammar, conversation). Course offered as staffing permits. Introductory Bulgarian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 28A is prerequisite for 28B; or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Five hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Bulgarian/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 28A

Introductory Bulgarian: Read Less [-]

BULGARI 28B Introductory Bulgarian 5 Units

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 28B

BULGARI 118A Continuing Bulgarian 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course consists of a review of Bulgarian grammar covered in 28A-28B, a thorough presentation of the complex verbal tense-mood system and readings in contemporary Bulgarian prose. Continuing Bulgarian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 28B is prerequisite to 118A, 118A is prerequisite to 118B; or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 118A

Continuing Bulgarian: Read Less [-]

BULGARI 118B Continuing Bulgarian 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course is a continuation of 118A. It also introduces the question of the relation between Bulgarian and Macedonian and readings in Bulgarian belletristic poetry and prose. Continuing Bulgarian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 28B is prerequisite to 118A; 118A is prerequisite to 118B; consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 118B

CZECH 26A Introductory Czech 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning fall. Introductory Czech: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 26A is prerequisite to 26B

Subject/Course Level: Czech/Undergraduate

Instructor: Langer

Introductory Czech: Read Less [-]

CZECH 26B Introductory Czech 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning fall. Introductory Czech: Read More [+]

CZECH 116A Continuing Czech 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Czech: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 26B is prerequisite to 116A; 116A is prerequisite to 116B

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 116A

Continuing Czech: Read Less [-]

CZECH 116B Continuing Czech 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Czech: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 116B

CZECH 163 Advanced Reading Tutorials in Czech 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017 Selected readings in Czech drawn from a wide range of texts—literature, history, science, media and journalism, politics, business and economics, etc.—tailored to the academic interests and language proficiency of students enrolled. The course is designed to further develop students’ language skills and to link language competence to the study of the contemporary politics, culture, and society in the Czech Republic and, more broadly, Eastern Europe. The course is taught in a small group setting. The course requires considerable independent reading at home. Advanced Reading Tutorials in Czech: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Czech 116A and 116B or demonstrated advanced competence in Czech

Advanced Reading Tutorials in Czech: Read Less [-]

HUNGARI 1A Introductory Hungarian 3 or 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Practical instruction in the Hungarian language. The course can be taken for either 3 or 4 units; the additional unit involves additional assignments. Introductory Hungarian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A is prerequisite to 1B; consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: unit(s):three hours of lecture per week; 4 unit(s):three hours of lecture per week.

Subject/Course Level: Hungarian/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: East European Studies 1A

Introductory Hungarian: Read Less [-]

HUNGARI 1B Introductory Hungarian 3 or 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Practical instruction in the Hungarian language. The course can be taken for either 3 or 4 units; the additional unit involves language work and additional written reading assignments. Introductory Hungarian: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have taken 5 units of 10A will receive no credit for 1A. Students who have taken 10 units of 10A will receive no credit for 1B.

Formerly known as: East European Studies 1B

HUNGARI 100 Readings in Hungarian 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The purpose of this course is to further develop the student's language proficiency in reading, speaking and writing by using interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative modes. Exploration of fascinating aspects of Hungarian culture including elements of literature, contemporary and historical events, pop-culture, and folklore. Students will be able to influence topic selections according to their personal goals and interes ts. Readings in Hungarian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Hungarian 1A and 1B or consent of instructor, based on in-person assessment

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture per week.

Formerly known as: East European Studies 100

Readings in Hungarian: Read Less [-]

POLISH 25A Introductory Polish 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning fall. Introductory Polish: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 25A is prerequisite to 25B

Subject/Course Level: Polish/Undergraduate

Introductory Polish: Read Less [-]

POLISH 25B Introductory Polish 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Beginner's course. Sequence beginning fall. Introductory Polish: Read More [+]

POLISH 115A Continuing Polish 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Polish: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 25B is prerequisite to 115A; 115A is prerequisite to 115B

Instructor: Frick

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 115A

Continuing Polish: Read Less [-]

POLISH 115B Continuing Polish 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Sequence begins fall semester. Continuing Polish: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 115B

RUSSIAN 1 Elementary Russian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Beginner's course. Elementary Russian: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 9.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Five hours of lecture per week. Nine and one-half hours of lecture per week for 8 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 1

Elementary Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 2 Elementary Russian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Elementary Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 1 or equivalent

Additional Format: Five hours of lecture per week.

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 2

RUSSIAN 3 Intermediate Russian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Intermediate Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 2 or equivalent

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 3

Intermediate Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 4 Intermediate Russian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Intermediate Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 3 or equivalent

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 4

RUSSIAN 6A Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a full Russian educational and cultural background. These courses are designed for students who have speaking and comprehension ability in Russian but have minimum exposure to writing and reading. This course teaches basic skills of writing, reading, and grammar. 6A focuses on basic writing and reading ability. 6B introduces further knowledge of grammar and syntax and develops writing skills. Both 6A and 6B include reading and cultural material. (Students with advanced reading proficiency should consider Slavic 114 or Slavic 190.) Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Basic proficiency in Russian; placement test and consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 6A

Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 6B Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a full Russian educational and cultural background. These courses are designed for students who have speaking and comprehension ability in Russian but have minimum exposure to writing and reading. This course teaches basic skills of writing, reading, and grammar. 6A focuses on basic writing and reading ability. 6B introduces further knowledge of grammar and syntax and develops writing skills. Both 6A and 6B include reading and cultural material. (Students with advanced reading proficiency should consider Slavic 114 or Slavic 190.) Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 6B

RUSSIAN 10 Elementary Intensive Russian 10 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This summer session course is equivalent to the first year of Russian language instruction offered at Berkeley. An intensive program designed to develop students' comprehension and conversation skills while presenting the basic grammar of modern, standard Russian. Lectures and films on Russian culture will be arranged. Elementary Intensive Russian: Read More [+]

Summer: 10 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Twenty hours of instruction and two hours of language laboratory per week for 10 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 10

Elementary Intensive Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 20 Intermediate Intensive Russian 10 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This summer session course is equivalent to the second year of Russian language instruction at Berkeley. An intensive program designed to consolidate command of basic grammar and further develop comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. Intermediate Intensive Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: First year Russian

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 20

Intermediate Intensive Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 101 Advanced Russian Phonetics and Oral Performance 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Aimed at both undergraduate and graduate students, this course helps students to improve their pronunciation, bringing it closer to the native level. The course teaches a whole spectrum of oral speech performance, including phonetics, intonation, and rhetoric, taking into account different functional styles. Course may be taken for 1 unit (5 weeks: basic skills), 2 units (10 weeks: advanced skills) or 3 units (15 weeks: advanced phonetics and performance). Advanced Russian Phonetics and Oral Performance: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two to three hours of lecture per week.

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 101

Advanced Russian Phonetics and Oral Performance: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 102 Readings in Specialized Russian 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Selected readings in scholarly (scientific and technical), journalistic, and business styles to acquaint the student with the peculiarities of vocabulary, grammar, and phraseology. Readings in Specialized Russian: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 6 units.

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 102

Readings in Specialized Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 103A Advanced Russian 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Course covers three main aspects of advanced Russian: grammar, syntax, and reading. Grammar is reviewed. Course taught in Russian. Advanced Russian: Read More [+]

Advanced Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 103B Advanced Russian 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2019 Course covers three main aspects of advanced Russian: grammar, syntax, and reading. Grammar is reviewed. Course taught in Russian. Advanced Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 103A, Russian 4, or equivalent

RUSSIAN 105A Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021 Advanced training in both oral and written translation skills covering various areas of politics, business, technology, law, science, and culture. Elements of literary and poetic translation. Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 1, 2, 3 and 4 or equivalent, or consent of instructor

Instructor: Muza

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 105A

Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 105B Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016 Advanced training in both oral and written translation skills covering various areas of politics, business, technology, law, science, and culture. Elements of literary and poetic translation. Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 1, 2, 3 and 4, or equivalent, or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 105B

RUSSIAN 106A Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019 The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a standard Russian educational background. The advanced course aims at building a sophisticated vocabulary, developing advanced reading ability, formal knowledge of grammar, and complete writing competency. This course fosters student's knowledge and understanding of Russian culture and society today. (Students with no or rudimentary reading proficiency should consider 6A or 6B by consent of instructor.) Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advanced speaking and reading proficiency in Russian, placement test, and consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 106A

Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 106B Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a standard Russian educational background. The advanced course aims at building a sophisticated vocabulary, developing advanced reading ability, formal knowledge of grammar, and complete writing competency. This course fosters student's knowledge and understanding of Russian culture and society today. (Students with no or rudimentary reading proficiency should consider 6A or 6B by consent of instructor.) Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advanced speaking and reading proficiency in Russian; placement test, and consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 106B

RUSSIAN 109 Business Russian 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course is designed for students with a good command of basic Russian who would like to gain the vocabulary of business transactions in Russian to be able to establish actual contacts with Russian businesspeople, to participate in business negotiations, to compile business contracts in Russian, and to read Russian business magazines and newspapers. Elements of the business law of Russia will also be discussed. Business Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 103B or equivalent; consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 109

Business Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 120A Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication 2 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2018, Fall 2016 Aimed at fostering advanced conversation and communication skills, this course explores Russian culture through communication. Contains reading, films, vocabulary building, listening exercises, and speaking activities. The course can be taken for two or three credits; for two credits, attendance is required for two classes per week; for three credits, three classes per week. Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two to Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 120A

Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 120B Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication 2 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2017, Spring 2016 Aimed at fostering advanced conversation and communication skills, this course explores Russian culture through communication. Contains reading, films, vocabulary building, listening exercises, and speaking activities. The course can be taken for two or three credits; for two credits, attendance is required for two classes per week; for three credits, three classes per week. Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 120B

RUSSIAN 201 Advanced Russian Proficiency Maintenance 2 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015 Advanced work in speaking, writing and comprehension in order to develop and maintain superior proficiency. Discussions and readings will focus on current cultural and political trends and other topics pertaining to Slavic studies. Special attention to the details of contemporary life in Russia and its changing colloquial speech. Conducted in Russian. Advanced Russian Proficiency Maintenance: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; Russian 103B or equivalent; consent of instructor

Subject/Course Level: Russian/Graduate

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 201

Advanced Russian Proficiency Maintenance: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 202 Advanced Academic Russian 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Advanced work in reading, speaking and comprehension for graduate student, aimed at developing and maintaining superior proficiency and competence in academic Russian. Readings and discussions focus on current linguistic and cultural trends. Special attention to contemporary life in Russia, its changing cultural norms and speech, viewed in a broad historical context. The course is conducted in Russian. Advanced Academic Russian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advanced competence in Russian, graduate standing; or consent of Instructor

Advanced Academic Russian: Read Less [-]

RUSSIAN 204 Russian Composition and Style 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 Essay-writing, analysis of texts, oral and written reports, and translation. Russian Composition and Style: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Russian 103B

Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 204

Russian Composition and Style: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Department of slavic languages and literatures.

6303 Dwinelle Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720-2979

Phone: 510-642-2979

[email protected]

Department Chair

Anne Nesbet

[email protected]

Head Graduate Advisor

Edward Tyerman

6112 Dwinelle Hall

[email protected]

Graduate Admissions

Seth Arnopole

[email protected]

Graduate Student Services Advisor

6313 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-9051

[email protected]

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The University of Edinburgh home

  • Schools & departments

Postgraduate study

Russian PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Russian

Discovery Day

Join us online on 21st August to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh.

Find out more and register

Research profile

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to make an original, positive contribution to research in Russian Studies.

Join our interdisciplinary community and undertake your PhD under the guidance of our experienced and well-published supervisors.

The first lecture in Russian was given at the University in 1919, and Russian Studies was introduced as a degree programme in 1949, the first of its kind in Scotland.

Research excellence

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in Russian Studies was submitted in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Panel D - Arts and Humanities; Unit of Assessment 26).

The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK.

As published in Times Higher Education's REF power ratings, this result is based on the quality and breadth of our research in the unit of assessment.

Our staff have received many prestigious research awards including the AHRC-awarded projects ‘Global Russians: Transnational Russophone Networks in the UK’ (2016-2021) and ‘Reconfiguring the Canon of Twentieth-Century Russian Poetry, 1991-2008’ (2010-2013).

Our expertise covers a wide range of areas, including:

  • social, political and cultural perspectives on Russian language
  • transnational Russian culture
  • Russian literature
  • film studies
  • theatre studies
  • comparative literature

Explore our range of research centres, networks and projects in Russian Studies

Across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines, including:

  • linguistics
  • translation studies

Be inspired by the range of PhD research in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Over the course of your PhD, you will be expected to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words.

You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge.

Read our pre-application guidance on writing a PhD research proposal

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen.

Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.

Browse Beyond the Books episodes and hear our research community talk about their work

Programme structure

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses.

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
PhDRussian3 YearsFull-time
PhDRussian6 YearsPart-time

Training and support

Between the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), the Careers Service and the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), you will find a range of programmes and resources to help you develop your postgraduate skills.

You will also have access to the University’s fantastic libraries, collections and worldwide strategic partnerships.

As part of our research community, you will be immersed in a world of knowledge exchange, with lots of opportunities to share ideas, learning and creative work.

Activities include:

  • a regular seminar series in European Languages and Cultures, with talks by staff, research students and visiting speakers
  • film screenings
  • national and international conferences

Our graduates tell us that they value LLC’s friendliness, the connections they make here and the in-depth guidance they receive from our staff, who are published experts in their field.

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases, including around 14,400 titles in the Russian language. E-resources include Russian newspapers, TV and radio channels.

The Library is also the home of the University's Centre for Research Collections which brings together:

  • more than 400,000 rare books
  • six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
  • thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated PhD study space in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

  • Look inside the PhD study space in LLC

In the city

As a PhD candidate at Edinburgh, you’ll be based in a world-leading festival city with fantastic cinemas, theatres, galleries, museums, and collections.

Many of them are located close to the University's Central Area, making them very easy to access when you are on campus.

The National Library of Scotland is less than one km from our School, for example. It has outstanding Russian-language holdings.

  • Pre-application guidance

Before you formally apply for this PhD, you should look at the pre-application information and guidance on the programme website.

This will help you decide if this programme is right for you, and help us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve.

The guidance will also give you practical advice for writing your research proposal – one of the most important parts of your application.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree and a masters degree, or their international equivalents, in a related subject. We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience; please check with the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

  • Entry requirements by country
  • English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

  • UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

  • Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

There are a number of scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.

  • Find out more about scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Search for funding

Further information

  • Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
  • Contact: [email protected]
  • School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
  • 50 George Square
  • Central Campus
  • Programme: Russian
  • School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
  • College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Russian - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd russian - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

Programme start date Application deadline
6 January 2025 31 October 2024

We strongly recommend you submit your completed application as early as possible, particularly if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. We may consider late applications if we have places available.

  • How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

School of lcsl - college of liberal arts and sciences, graduate programs (ma and phd).

Polish, Russian, and Central and Eastern European Studies

About Heading link Copy link

The Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies offers courses leading to an MA and PhD in Polish, Russian, and Central and Eastern European Studies  with concentrations in Polish Studies ,  Russian Studies , and Central and Eastern European Studies .

The scholarly focus of our nationally and internationally recognized faculty is twentieth-century Slavic studies, making our Department an ideal place to pursue one’s interest in Polish and Russian modern, post-modern and contemporary literature and culture.

Faculty research includes the following areas:

  • Literary Modernism and Its Cultural Contexts
  • Verbal and Visual Avant-gardes
  • Twentieth-century Philosophical Approaches to Literature
  • Contemporary Literature
  • Comparative Literature
  • Translation Studies
  • Gender Studies

Our graduate program aims at providing students with the best theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a creative interpretation of culture. It encourages comparative study between national traditions and interdisciplinary research across artistic media. Our international student body brings a diverse array of perspectives into the academic life of our Department and is able to benefit from the many resources of Chicago’s large Slavic community. We maintain close ties with other departments within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in order to offer students the opportunity to concentrate in Gender and Women’s Studies, Central and Eastern European Studies, and Violence Studies.

The financial resources of the Hejna Fund in Polish Language and Literature provide an exceptional opportunity to invigorate research in Polish culture and to maintain an ongoing intellectual exchange with Poland.

Application Deadlines Heading link Copy link

for... domestic applicants international applicants
Admission February 15 February 15
Consideration for nomination for a University Fellowship December 15 December 15

Admission and Degree Requirements Heading link Copy link

Please see the UIC Graduate catalog links below for application and degree requirements.

  • The GRE is not required for admission and is no longer required for the University Fellowship.  No applicant need take the GRE for our programs.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies or the Graduate Program Administrator regarding the stated requirement for writing samples. The requirements may be waived or modified depending on individual circumstances.

If you are having difficulties with the application, contact the Director of Graduate Studies .

Admission and Degree Requirements links Heading link Copy link

Ma in polish, russian, and central and eastern european studies.

  • Official Requirements

PhD in Polish, Russian, and Central and Eastern European Studies

Questions heading link copy link.

Any questions about the application process or requirement should be directed to:

Prof. Julia Vaingurt

Prof. Julia Vaingurt Heading link Copy link

Director of graduate studies for polish, russian, and lithuanian studies.

University Hall with autumn trees and the edge of Grant Hall

Brenna Rice Heading link Copy link

Assistant director, academic operations and graduate programs.

The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support ).

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Literature - Culture - Media, Russian Literature - Master's Programme

Master's programme · 2 years · 120 credits

Someone in a comfortable chair reading a book at a library in front of a window

On this page :

Description

The aim of the programme is to strengthen students’ historical knowledge and theoretical understanding of relations between literature, culture and modern media. The student can choose to specialise in Children's and Adolescent, English, French, General, German, Russian, Spanish, or Yiddish literature, and in Scandinavian studies. There are theoretical courses, discussing aesthetic and cultural topics of a general nature, as well as courses focused on specific literary genres, themes or historical periods. Critical attention is also given to the many forms in which literature enters the media and the public arena in contemporary society. The final examination takes the form of a Master´s thesis.

Special features of the programme:

  • Courses are taught by distinguished professors, many of them internationally renowned.
  • Students from all over the world contribute to a stimulating atmosphere in our classes.
  • The Centre for Languages and Literature provides an invigorating intellectual and social environment for the programme.

Career prospects The programme serves as preparation either for further academic studies (PhD) or for a professional career in the field of literature, culture and media.

Watch on YouTube: Study Humanities at Lund University

Programme sheets

Programme fact sheet (PDF - new window)

Syllabus (PDF - new window)

Closed for applications

Learn more about our application periods and when to apply for studies at Lund University. 

Study Counsellor

Helena Nilsson

Phone : +46 46 222 9380

Email : helena [dot] nilsson [at] litt [dot] lu [dot] se

Requirements and selection

Entry requirements.

To be admitted to the programme, the student must have a first-cycle degree (Bachelor’s degree), with 90 higher education credits in the chosen area of specialisation in the programme.

Specialisation in Russian Literature (RYSK): BA in Russian Literature, including 90 credits in the subject and proficiency in English corresponding to English 6 from Swedish upper secondary school or the equivalent.

Selection criteria

Based on Bachelor’s degree project or equivalent, Grades for other courses relevant to the application, Statement of Purpose, Interview, in the priority order given

English language requirements

Most of Lund University’s programmes require English Level 6 (unless otherwise stated under 'Entry requirements'). This is the equivalent of an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90. There are several ways to prove your English language proficiency – check which proof is accepted at the University Admissions in Sweden website. All students must prove they meet English language requirements by the deadline, in order to be considered for admission.

How to prove your English proficiency – universityadmissions.se

Country-specific requirements

Check if there are any country-specific eligibility rules for you to study Bachelor's or Master's studies in Sweden:

Country-specific requirements for Bachelor's studies – universityadmissions.se

Country-specific requirements for Master's studies – universityadmissions.se

Start Autumn Semester 2024

Day-time Lund, full time 100%

Study period

2 September 2024 - 7 June 2026

Application

You can only apply for this course in the 'Swedish student' application round. Find out more: Applying for studies – when to apply

How to apply

Lund University uses a national application system run by University Admissions in Sweden. It is only possible to apply during the application periods.

When to apply for studies

Step 1: Apply online

  • Check that you meet the  entry requirements of the programme or course you are interested in (refer to the section above on this webpage).
  • Start your application – go to the University Admissions in Sweden website where you create an account and select programmes/courses during the application period. Visit the University Admissions in Sweden website
  • Rank your programme/course choices in order of preference and submit them before the  application deadline .

Step 2: Submit documents

  • Read about how to document your eligibility and how to submit your documents at the University Admissions in Sweden website. Follow any country-specific document rules for Master's studies or Bachelor's studies Country-specific requirements for Bachelor's studies – universityadmissions.se Country-specific requirements for Master's studies – universityadmissions.se  
  • Get all your documents ready: - official transcripts and high school diploma (Bachelor's applicants) - official transcripts and degree certificate or proof that you are in the final year of your Bachelor's (Master's applicants) - passport/ID (all applicants) and - proof of English proficiency (all applicants).  
  • Prepare  programme-specific documents  if stated in the next paragraph on this webpage.
  • Upload or send  all  required documents to University Admissions before the  document deadline .
  • Pay the application fee (if applicable – refer to the section below on this webpage) before the  document deadline .

* Note that the process is different if you are applying as an exchange student or as a part of a cooperation programme (such as Erasmus+). * If you have studied your entire Bachelor's programme in Sweden and all of your academic credits are in Ladok, you do not have to submit transcripts or your diploma when applying for a Master's programme.  However, there may still be other documents you need to submit! See the link below.  *  Svensk student?  Läs instruktionerna om att söka till ett internationellt masterprogram på lu.se

Programme-specific documents

In addition to the documents mentioned under Step 2, you must also submit the following documents when you apply for this programme:

• A statement of purpose (letter of intent) • Your Bachelor’s degree thesis (if the Bachelor’s degree does not require a thesis, this should be clearly stated and an equivalent writing sample should be submitted).

Please note that the essay or writing sample should be sent directly to:

Centre for Languages and Literature, Helena Nilsson, Box 201, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.  

Watch on YouTube: How to apply for a Master's programme

Tuition fees

Non-eu/eea citizens.

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 250 000

First payment: SEK 62 500

  • Convert currency – xe.com

Citizens of a country outside of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees. You pay one instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

EU/EEA citizens and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Application fee

If you are required to pay tuition fees, you are generally also required to pay an application fee of SEK 900 when you apply at the University Admissions in Sweden website. You pay one application fee regardless of how many programmes or courses you apply to.

  • Paying your application fee – universityadmissions.se
  • Exemptions from paying the application fee – universityadmissions.se

*Note that there are no tuition or application fees for exchange students or doctoral/PhD students, regardless of their nationality.

Scholarships & funding

Lund university global scholarship programme.

The Lund University Global Scholarship programme is a merit-based and selective scholarship targeted at top academic students from countries outside the EU/EEA.

Lund University Global Scholarship

Swedish Institute Scholarships

The Swedish Institute offers scholarships to international students applying for studies in Sweden at Master's level.

Scholarship information on the Swedish Institute website

Country-specific scholarships and funding options

Lund University has agreements with scholarship organisations and funding bodies in different countries, which may allow applicants to apply for funding or scholarships in their home countries for their studies at Lund University.

  • Country-specific scholarships
  • Canada student loans

External scholarships

Information about scholarships from external organisations

COMMENTS

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