
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website. Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online. |
Fall Deadline | January 2 |
Spring Deadline | The program does not admit in the spring. |
Summer Deadline | The program does not admit in the summer. |
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Required. |
English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency). |
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Students entering the master's program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and provide evidence of academic achievement and intellectual ability, including a minimum total grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a 3.4 in related area courses, letters of recommendation, and strong scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). There is no minimum admission requirement for language, but students are strongly advised to complete two years of area language study before entering the program.
Applicants for admission to the M.A. degree program in Russian, East European and Central Asian studies should submit an online application. The following materials are required: statement of purpose, official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, language questionnaire, and application for university fellowships for incoming students. Speakers of English as a second language must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores as well.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Each year a faculty committee selects a limited number of deserving graduate students (in any field of study) for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and must demonstrate their commitment to the study of a language of Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia, and to related area studies topics. Applications and supporting materials for the FLAS fellowship competition must be submitted by approximately February 15 each year. For more information and an application, see Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.
Students interested in studying Polish may be eligible to apply for a Michael and Emily Lapinski fellowship. The annual deadline is March 1. Please contact the Slavic program for more information.
CREECA also nominates eligible incoming graduate students in its M.A. program for the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (for targeted students). To be considered for university funding, all application materials must be received by the early January deadline indicated on the CREECA M.A. application form.
A limited number of teaching assistantships and project assistantships may be available in CREECA and in specific departments that offer high-enrollment courses on REECAS. Information about these assistantships can be obtained by writing or calling CREECA and the respective departments. In addition to these opportunities, other fellowships and financial assistance are available outside CREECA. For further information, incoming graduate students should write directly to the appropriate department or organization.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
MODE OF INSTRUCTION
Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students are able to complete a program with minimal disruptions to careers and other commitments. Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments. Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus. Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information. Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format. |
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | Half of degree coursework (15 credits out of 30 total credits) must be completed graduate-level coursework; courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university's Course Guide (https://registrar.wisc.edu/course-guide/). |
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. |
Other Grade Requirements | The Graduate School requires an average grade of B or better in all coursework (300 or above, not including research credits) taken as a graduate student unless conditions for probationary status require higher grades. Grades of Incomplete are considered to be unsatisfactory if they are not removed during the next enrolled semester. |
Assessments and Examinations | Contact the program for information on required assessments and examinations. |
Language Requirements | Contact the program for information on any language requirements. |
Required COURSES
In addition to language classes each term, students will be required to complete a minimum of 22 non-language (area studies) credits from the course list to be distributed as follows:
- Seven courses in Russian, East European and Central Asian studies at or above the 300 level (21 credits). These courses must be distributed over at least three departments. At least 50% of credits applied toward the graduate degree credit requirement must be with courses designed for graduate work. Courses with the graduate level coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the University's Course Guide.
- At least 6 of these credits (two courses) must be graduate-level seminars (700 through 900 level). REECAS M.A. students are expected to use original language source material in their graduate seminar papers.
- A 1-credit "Introduction to REECAS" module (SLAVIC 755 Topics in Slavic Literature). The course number of this module varies, depending on the home department of the faculty director of CREECA. Students are required to attend the weekly CREECA lecture series and to write four short essays based on the content of those lectures. Papers are read and evaluated by the CREECA director and associate director.
- Students may elect to write a master's thesis, but this is not required. This 3-credit, faculty-supervised, independent research course could count toward the required 22 non-language credits, but could not take the place of a required graduate-level seminar. The master's thesis will demonstrate the student's ability to engage in original research in his or her chosen field, including the ability to use original-language material.
Language learning is an integral part of the program, and students will be required to enroll in language courses each term. Students already proficient in their main language will be expected to choose another Slavic or Central Eurasian language for the duration of their program. For degree completion, students must have a minimum of two years of university-level study (or the equivalent) of a regional language with at least three years of study strongly recommended. During the academic year, the program offers Czech, Finnish, Kazak, Persian, Polish, Russian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and Turkish (Turkish–Azeri).
Courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Applied Economics | ||
A A E/ECON/REAL EST/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
A A E/INTL ST 374 | The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | 3 |
A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
Asian Languages and Cultures | ||
ASIAN/AFRICAN/RELIG ST 370 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3-4 |
Anthropology | ||
ANTHRO 330 | Topics in Ethnology 1 | 3-4 |
ANTHRO 606 | Ethnicity, Nations, and Nationalism 1 | 3-4 |
ANTHRO 690 | Problems in Anthropology 1 | 3-4 |
Art History | ||
ART HIST 310 | Icons, Religion, and Empire: Early Christian and Byzantine Art, ca. 200-1453 | 3 |
ART HIST 351 | 20th Century Art in Europe | 3-4 |
ART HIST 556 | Proseminar in 20th Century European Art 1 | 3 |
ART HIST 805 | Seminar-Ancient Art and Architecture 1 | 3 |
ART HIST 815 | Seminar-Medieval Art 1 | 3 |
ART HIST 856 | Graduate Seminar in Twentieth Century European Art 1 | 3 |
Communication Arts | ||
COM ARTS 352 | Film History to 1960 | 3 |
COM ARTS 456 | Russian and Soviet Film | 3 |
COM ARTS 463 | Avant-Garde Film | 3 |
COM ARTS 958 | Seminar in Film History 1 | 2-3 |
Economics | ||
ECON/A A E/REAL EST/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
ECON 364 | Survey of International Economics | 3-4 |
ECON 390 | Contemporary Economic Issues 1 | 3 |
ECON 467 | International Industrial Organizations 1 | 3-4 |
ECON/A A E 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas 1 | 3 |
ECON/SOC 663 | Population and Society 1 | 3 |
Folklore | ||
FOLKLORE/LITTRANS 347 | In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | 3-4 |
FOLKLORE/RELIG ST 352 | Shamanism | 3 |
FOLKLORE/SCAND ST 443 | Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today | 4 |
FOLKLORE/SLAVIC 444 | Slavic and East European Folklore | 3 |
FOLKLORE 460 | Folk Epics 1 | 3 |
Geography | ||
GEOG 318 | Introduction to Geopolitics | 3 |
GEOG 353 | 3 | |
GEOG 518 | Power, Place, Identity 1 | 3 |
GEOG 918 | Seminar in Political Geography 1 | 2-3 |
GNS 324 | Literatures of Central Asia | 3 |
History | ||
HISTORY/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 309 | The Crusades: Christianity and Islam | 3-4 |
HISTORY 357 | The Second World War | 3-4 |
HISTORY 359 | History of Europe Since 1945 | 3-4 |
HISTORY 417 | History of Russia | 3-4 |
HISTORY 418 | History of Russia | 3-4 |
HISTORY 419 | History of Soviet Russia | 3-4 |
HISTORY 420 | Russian Social and Intellectual History | 3-4 |
HISTORY 424 | The Soviet Union and the World, 1917-1991 | 3-4 |
HISTORY 425 | History of Poland and the Baltic Area | 3-4 |
HISTORY 434 | American Foreign Relations, 1901 to the Present | 3-4 |
HISTORY 439 | 3-4 | |
HISTORY 475 | 3-4 | |
HISTORY 500 | Reading Seminar in History 1 | 3 |
HISTORY/CURRIC/JEWISH 515 | Holocaust: History, Memory and Education | 3 |
HISTORY/HIST SCI/MED HIST/MEDIEVAL/S&A PHM 562 | Byzantine Medicine and Pharmacy | 3 |
HISTORY 600 | Advanced Seminar in History 1 | 3 |
HISTORY 753 | Seminar-Comparative World History 1 | 1-3 |
HISTORY/FRENCH/GERMAN/POLI SCI/SOC 804 | Interdisciplinary Western European Area Studies Seminar 1 | 3 |
HISTORY 849 | Seminar-Topics in History of Imperial Russia, 1649-1917 | 1-3 |
HISTORY 850 | Smr-Hist of the Soviet Union & Modern Hist of E Central Europe | 1-3 |
HISTORY 891 | Proseminar in Modern European History | 1-3 |
International Business | ||
INTL BUS 365 | Contemporary Topics 1 | 1-3 |
INTL BUS/REAL EST 430 | International Real Estate 1 | 3 |
Journalism and Mass Communication | ||
JOURN 620 | International Communication 1 | 4 |
JOURN 621 | Mass Communication in Developing Nations 1 | 4 |
Law | ||
LAW 828 | International Transactions | 2-3 |
LAW 918 | Selected Problems in International Law-Seminar 1 | 2-3 |
LAW 942 | European Union Law | 2-3 |
Literature in Translation | ||
LITTRANS/FOLKLORE 347 | In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | 3-4 |
LITTRANS 455 | Modern Serbian and Croatian Literature in Translation | 3 |
LITTRANS 473 | Polish Literature (in Translation) since 1863 | 3 |
Political Science | ||
POLI SCI 334 | Russian Politics | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 340 | The European Union: Politics and Political Economy | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 351 | Politics of the World Economy | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 401 | Selected Topics in Political Science 1 | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 421 | The Challenge of Democratization | 3-4 |
POLI SCI/INTL ST 439 | The Comparative Study of Genocide | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 534 | Socialism and Transitions to the Market | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 561 | Radical Political Theory | 3-4 |
POLI SCI 659 | Politics and Society: Contemporary Eastern Europe | 3-4 |
POLI SCI/FRENCH/GERMAN/HISTORY/SOC 804 | Interdisciplinary Western European Area Studies Seminar | 3 |
POLI SCI 814 | Social Identities: Definition and Measurement 1 | 3 |
POLI SCI 854 | Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | 3 |
POLI SCI 948 | Seminar: Topics in Comparative Politics 1 | 3 |
POLI SCI 949 | Seminar-Post Communist Politics | 3 |
Slavic Languages | ||
SLAVIC 302 | Zarys historii literatury polskiej | 3 |
SLAVIC 342 | Uvod u srpsku i hrvatsku literaturu | 3 |
SLAVIC 350 | Special Topics in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture | 3 |
SLAVIC 405 | Women in Russian Literature | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 420 | Chekhov | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 421 | Gogol | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 422 | Dostoevsky | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 424 | Tolstoy | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 433 | History of Russian Culture | 3 |
SLAVIC 434 | Contemporary Russian Culture | 3 |
SLAVIC 440 | Soviet Literature | 3-4 |
SLAVIC 449 | Istorija srpske i hrvatske literature | 3 |
SLAVIC 454 | Moderna srpska i hrvatska literatura | 3 |
SLAVIC 470 | Historia literatury polskiej do roku 1863 | 3 |
SLAVIC 472 | Historia literatury polskiej po roku 1863 | 3 |
SLAVIC/THEATRE 532 | History of Russian Theatre | 3 |
SLAVIC 701 | Survey of Old Russian Literature | 2 |
SLAVIC 702 | Eighteenth-Century Russian Literature | 2 |
SLAVIC 705 | Special Topics in Russian Language/Linguistics | 3 |
SLAVIC 755 | Topics in Slavic Literature | 1-3 |
SLAVIC 801 | Slavic Critical Theory and Practice | 3 |
SLAVIC 802 | The Structure of Russian | 2 |
SLAVIC 803 | Introduction to Old Church Slavonic and the History of Russian Literary Language | 2 |
SLAVIC 804 | Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages | 2 |
SLAVIC 820 | College Teaching of Russian | 1 |
Scandinavian Studies | ||
SCAND ST/FOLKLORE 443 | Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today | 4 |
SCAND ST/MEDIEVAL 444 | Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | 4 |
Sociology | ||
SOC 496 | Topics in Sociology 1 | 1-3 |
SOC 621 | Class, State and Ideology: an Introduction to Marxist Social Science 1 | 3 |
SOC 633 | Social Stratification 1 | 3 |
SOC/FRENCH/GERMAN/HISTORY/POLI SCI 804 | Interdisciplinary Western European Area Studies Seminar 1 | 3 |
SOC/C&E SOC 929 | Seminar: Class Analysis and Historical Change | 3 |
Theatre and Drama | ||
THEATRE/SLAVIC 532 | History of Russian Theatre | 3 |
THEATRE 911 | Seminar-Problems in Theatre and Drama 1 | 2-3 |
1 | When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia. |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 7 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison undergraduate student. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a Master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Probation
The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. To ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, the Graduate School expects them to meet with their advisor on a regular basis.
An advisor generally serves as the thesis advisor. In many cases, an advisor is assigned to incoming students. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, from the major department responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies.
A committee often accomplishes advising for the students in the early stages of their studies.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
15 credits
Time Constraints
Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence. Individual programs may count the coursework students completed prior to their absence for meeting program requirements; that coursework may not count toward Graduate School credit requirements.
grievances and appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.
Other
Accelerated language study available during summer. We encourage qualified US citizens and permanent residents to apply for the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship through CREECA. FLAS applications are due on or near February 15 of each year; please check flas.wisc.edu for updates. The application form for FLAS is separate from the application for admission. We regret that other sources of funding, such as teaching assistantships and project assistantships, are limited.
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural, political, economic, social, and historical factors that that have shaped the development of societies in Eurasia, Russia, and East and Central Europe.
- Articulate, critique, and/or elaborate the theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry in one or more of the disciplines represented in the interdisciplinary field of Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies (REECAS).
- Identify sources and assemble evidence pertaining to questions or challenges in REECAS.
- Demonstrate an understanding of Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies in a historical, social, or global context.
- Select and utilize appropriate methodologies and practices in one or more of the disciplines represented in the interdisciplinary field of REECAS.
- Evaluate and synthesize information pertaining to questions or challenges in REECAS and should communicate clearly in written and spoken work in ways appropriate to REECAS.
- Recognizes and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct in the context of Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies.
- (Language proficiency) Develop speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills in one or more of the languages of Russia, East and Central Europe, and Central Eurasia, and integrate these skills to communicate in a variety of social and academic situations.
Faculty: Borowski, Brenner, Castañeda Dower, Ciancia, Dale, Danaher, DuBois, Erbil, Evans-Romaine, Gerber (director), Glowacki, Hanukai, Hendley, Herrera, Hirsch, Kaiser, Karpukhin, Livanos, McDonald, Michels, Miernowska, Neville, Ospovat, Radeloff, Reynolds, Shevelenko, Tishler, Tumarkin, Walter, Wink, Wodzyński, Yudkoff, Zilbergerts.