M.A. Program Overview
The Master of Arts degree in Slavic and Eurasian Studies provides students with foundational knowledge of the language, literature, culture, and linguistics of a region of study. Working in a collegial and supportive environment, M.A. students learn the general contours and common ground of the field; read key works embedded in their historical, cultural, stylistic, and genre contexts; learn various methodological and theoretical frameworks and strategies; improve their language capacity, and develop research, writing, interpretive, and technological skills.
The M.A. prepares students for several career pathways. While completion of the M.A. is most often the gateway to Ph.D. work in the field, many students use the M.A. to build skills for a professional career. KU Slavic M.A. students go on to satisfying work in the public and private sectors, in the U.S. and abroad.
Areas of Concentration
Two concentrations are offered in the MA program:
- Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Departmental Funding
The department does its best to provide funding in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) appointments to all incoming graduate students. GTA appointments are awarded for the academic year; .50 full-time equivalent (FTE) appointments come with:
- a competitive academic year (9 month) salary
- a 100% tuition waiver for all courses at KU
- 100% of student fees for 3 credits and the student wellness fee (for students enrolled in at least 3 hours) are covered
- optional University-subsidized group health insurance
The appointments are guaranteed, based on funding availability and performance, for up to 3 years for M.A. students, and 6 years for students who receive both an M.A. and a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas. GTAs receive thorough training in language instruction, close mentoring, and the opportunity to teach at a variety of levels, which provides a strong base of teaching experience upon entering the job market.
Additional Funding
There are also university fellowships for truly outstanding students. Visit the Graduate Studies website for information about funding opportunities for KU graduate students.
Please see our Graduate Handbook for more details about our graduate programs.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Graduate Admission
Apply to the graduate program via the Graduate Studies online application system.
Application Materials:
- Statement of Academic Objectives (500 words)
- A short autobiographical essay (1-2 pages) in the target language you intend to study (Russian, Polish, or Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian)
- Writing Sample (5,000-7,000 words): This writing sample should represent your best work. A research paper from an upper level course is suitable
- The names and contact information of three references
- Copies of official transcripts from all institutions from which a degree was obtained, or that were attended post-bachelor's
- GRE scores, if you are a North American applicant
For additional information regarding departmental admissions requirements and the application process, please visit the graduate page of the Slavic and Eurasian Languages and Literatures website.
Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Students who enter the program with proficiency in Russian or another Slavic language below the Advanced Low level on the ACTFL proficiency scale must take additional coursework in this language until they reach the Advanced Low level. A student's proficiency in a Slavic language is ascertained through an unofficial oral proficiency interview administered prior to the Terminal MA or MA/PhD Qualifying Examination.
At least 50% of coursework for the master’s degree must be taken at the 700 level or above.
Slavic Languages and Literatures Concentration
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| SLAV 710 | Introduction to Slavic Languages and Linguistics | 3 |
| SLAV 824 | Proseminar in Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages I | 3 |
| 24 |
| |
| South Slavic Literature and Civilization | |
| Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations | |
| The Russian Novel in the Age of Realism | |
| War and Violence Russian Literature and Film | |
| Biography of a City: _____ | |
| The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs | |
| Nabokov | |
| Readings in Slavic Studies (English) | |
| Topics in: _____ | |
| Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature | |
| Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian Cinema | |
| Dostoevsky | |
| Tolstoy | |
| The Russian Novel in the Age of Realism | |
| Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present | |
| The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature | |
| Post-Soviet Literature | |
| Russian and East European Science Fiction | |
| |
| The Pragmatics of Slavic Languages | |
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | |
| Readings in Slavic Linguistics | |
| Topics in: _____ | |
| Introduction to Language Teaching Research | |
| The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings | |
| Old Church Slavic | |
| Seminar in Slavic Verbal Aspect | |
| Comparative Slavic Linguistics | |
| Seminar in Slavic and Eurasian Studies: ____ | |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Written and Oral Examination
- Students are expected to complete their M.A. written and oral examinations in the fourth semester of their studies. No graduate student who has an outstanding “Incomplete” in a course will be allowed to take the qualifying exams.
- terminal M.A. written and oral exams, after which they conclude their graduate studies and move on to their chosen professional fields, or
- M.A./Ph.D. Qualifying written and oral exams that will allow them to continue on to Ph.D. work in either the Slavic Literatures & Cultures or the Slavic Linguistics concentration.
- Students completing the M.A. degree without intent to continue to Ph.D. work have the opportunity, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, to adjust their program to meet specific career goals.
For students who plan to continue in the graduate program, the M.A. written and oral examination serves as a qualifying examination for advancement to Ph.D. work. For students who seek only the M.A. degree, successful completion of the M.A. written and oral examination signals the end of the program.
Students planning to work toward the Ph.D. may begin study of a second Slavic language during their M.A. work. Such study does not count toward M.A. degree requirements.
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Concentration
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Advanced Russian I | |
| Advanced Russian II | |
| Russian for the Professions I | |
| Russian for the Professions II | |
| Readings in Russian | |
| Advanced Ukrainian I | |
| Advanced Ukrainian II | |
| Readings in Ukrainian Language | |
| Readings in Turkish: _____ | |
| Directed Study in Persian Culture and Literature: _____ | |
| Readings in Polish Language and Literature | |
| Readings in Czech | |
| Readings in Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian | |
| |
| Research Design for International Area Studies | |
| Graduate Writing Experience | |
| Thesis and Research Project Writing |
| |
| Seminar in: _____ | |
| The Nature of History | |
| |
| The Russian Novel in the Age of Realism | |
| Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present | |
| Post-Soviet Literature |
| |
| Introduction to Slavic Languages and Linguistics | |
| The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings | |
| Proseminar in Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages I |
| |
| Research Design for Political Science | |
| Thesis | |
| Total Hours | 30 |
REES M.A. Portfolio Exam
Upon completion of their 2-year MA degree program, students are expected to:
- demonstrate broad knowledge of the history, cultures, societies, and politics of the region;
- acquire language proficiency at the appropriate level of professional competence and use it in research activities;
- apply the variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the region;
- attain an on-site experience and analytical skill appropriate for an area expert
The portfolio is read by a committee of three graduate faculty (from the student’s three main areas of expertise) and tested through a 90-minute oral examination at the end of the student’s final semester.
Committee
The student creates the MA committee of three graduate faculty (from the student’s three main areas of expertise) no later than the 7th week of the penultimate semester of study.
MA Reading List
By the 12th week of the penultimate semester the student together with the committee creates an MA reading list of no less than 20 readings that are crucial to understanding contemporary area studies, the student’s three main disciplines, and the student’s main region of focus.
The Electronic Portfolio
The student places in the electronic portfolio proof that all requirements for the REES MA degree have been met. The student demonstrates in written scholarly work:
- Proficiency in the student’s chosen foreign language (FL) with the result of an oral exam, signed by the student’s 3rd-4th year FL instructor showing at least intermediate in oral proficiency, and a research-level proficiency in reading comprehension as demonstrated in a reading journal
- Ability to read and synthesize in written scholarly work a substantial number of sources in a target foreign language
- Knowledge of the student’s special region from at least three disciplinary perspectives
- Use of a variety of methodologies
- Ability to synthesize theoretical and practical knowledge of regional affairs
- Cultural knowledge and awareness of the operation of diverse cultural patterns
- Effective oral presentation of scholarly findings
- Effective critical writing skills
Portfolio Contents
The portfolio includes 6 items* and is presented by the student in an oral exam format to an MA committee including 3 graduate faculty from 3 major area disciplines. The portfolio may be in hard-copy or in digital format (for example, on Canvas) and must be accessible to the student, the student’s MA committee, the CREES Director, and the CREES Associate Director. The MA student’s portfolio is composed as follows:
- 3 samples of major scholarly writing
- The Synthetic Essay
- The Professional Essay
- MA Capstone Seminar Paper
The student must submit all portfolio items at least one week prior to the oral examination, which is the final exam of record. If the student fails to submit all required items by this deadline, the student will not be able to proceed with the oral examination. A student may reschedule an oral examination only once, and only with the approval of the MA committee.
*More details can be found on the department's website.
Study Abroad
The department offers a semester study abroad program at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia, and in conjunction with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, conducts summer institutes at universities in
Consult the Slavic department office or the Office of Study Abroad. Credit for non-KU programs is not automatic and is evaluated in consultation with the Slavic department undergraduate director.
Undergraduate and graduate students at KU are encouraged to spend a summer, semester, and/or year studying and conducting research in their country of interest.
Slavic Language Programs in Russia and Eastern Europe
KU students may take intermediate or advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at a 6-week summer institute in Croatia or attend a summer language program in Poland.
Graduate students at KU are encouraged to spend a summer, semester, and/or year studying and conducting research in their country of interest.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- demonstrate proficiency in the target language (BCMS, Polish, or Russian) at the ACTFL Advanced Low level or above.
- demonstrate broad understanding of the major periods, issues, and trends in their chosen area of specialization (Slavic linguistics, SLL, or REES).
- demonstrate ability to conduct original research in their area of specialization and communicate their research findings in clear academic writing.
