Application Procedures
The Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures welcomes applications from both domestic and international students*.
Students whose ultimate goal is to attain a PhD should apply to SLAVEES-PHD on the application (link below). Prospective students who only hold a B.A. (or equivalent) will have the opportunity to earn an M.A. on the way to the Ph.D. For students who enter without an M.A., the expected time to degree (M.A. + Ph.D.) is five or six years. For students who enter with an M.A. that was completed with similar curriculum to that offered by our department, the expected time to degree is three or four years.
Students who intend to complete the terminal Russian for the Professions specialization of the MA should apply to SLAVEES-MA and make sure to include the SLAVEES-MA RFP specialization on the application (link below). Please visit the Russian for the Professions specialization page for more details on this program.
Application deadline for students requesting fellowship consideration and priority department funding: December 31, 2024
Application materials
A complete application consists of the following materials submitted by the above deadline:
- A completed Ohio State University Graduate School Admission application form (Graduate Admission Application Portal);
- Transcripts for all previous post-secondary academic work; Please upload color copies of transcripts and make sure that they are readable before you submit them;
- Scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). Official TOEFL/MELAB test scores must be sent electronically directly from the testing center (international applicants only);
- A statement of intent in English;
- A curriculum vitae;
- Three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with the applicant's scholastic ability (preferably professors or other college instructors). In accordance with Graduate School policy, letters of recommendation must be received directly from the letter writer. At least one of these letters must provide a detailed evaluation of the applicant's knowledge of Russian based on recent knowledge;
- A sample of academic writing in English (typically, an essay or term paper written as an undergraduate or MA student, preferably on a subject related to Russian or Slavic studies).
*Non-native speakers of Russian are expected to enroll with a minimum of "advanced" proficiency in Russian language.