Who should apply for graduate study?
Our graduates pursue careers in Slavic studies both inside and outside of academia.
The Department prefers to admit students who have had at least three, and preferably more, years of Russian language, as well as related coursework. Applicants who have had fewer than three years of Russian but who have intensive knowledge of other Slavic languages may also be considered; please contact the Graduate Studies Chair for further information.
Prospective students applying to study literature and cultural studies should have a background in this area equivalent to an undergraduate major or minor. Likewise, prospective students applying to study linguistics should have a background equivalent to an undergraduate major or minor in linguistic theory.
Candidates for admission should give evidence of academic excellence and intellectual promise, as measured by criteria such as undergraduate grades, scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), evaluations in letters of recommendation, and the quality of the writing sample. We are particularly concerned with the candidate's undergraduate performance in Russian and/or other Slavic languages and in related subjects.
The primary degree granted by the Department is the Ph.D.
M.A. admissions and Ph.D. admissions
The Department admits students at either the M.A. level or the Ph.D. level.
Prospective students who hold only a B.A. (or equivalent) should apply to the M.A. program, even if the ultimate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. It is generally expected that students will move into the Ph.D. program after successful completion of the M.A. For students who enter at the M.A. level, the expected time to degree (M.A. + Ph.D.) is five or six years.
Prospective students who hold an M.A. that is equivalent to the M.A. offered by our department should apply directly to the Ph.D. program. For students who enter at the Ph.D. level, the expected time to degree is three or four years.
However, when the prospective student's M.A. is not in the same field that s/he is applying to study, s/he may prefer (or be required) to begin at the M.A. level in our program. Similarly, applicants whose M.A. degrees are in the same field but did not include a substantial research component (an M.A. thesis or its equivalent) should consider applying to the M.A. program. Such students usually benefit from the foundation that the M.A. degree provides and often have more success in the program.
The Department encourages all applicants to visit the Department. Please contact the Academic Program Coordinator to arrange meetings with professors and current graduate students.