M.A. Program Overview

The Master of Arts degree in Slavic Languages & Literatures provides students with foundational knowledge of the language, literature, culture, and linguistics of a region of study (Russian, Polish, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian). 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.

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
• payment of up to 3 hours of student fees
• 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.

Slavic Languages and Literatures Concentration

1. At least 30 hours of graduate work in Slavic languages and literatures including SLAV 710 and SLAV 824, and a minimum of 3 courses in Slavic literature and 3 courses in Slavic linguistics.
2. A written and oral examination.
   1. 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.
      1. terminal M.A. written and oral exams, after which they conclude their graduate studies and move on to their chosen professional fields, or
      2. M.A./Ph.D. Qualifying written and oral exams that will allow them to continue on to Ph.D. work in either the Russian Literature or the Slavic Linguistics track.
   2. 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.

At least 50% of coursework for the master’s degree must be taken at the 700 level or above. 

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.

Students completing the M.A. degree without intent to continue to Ph.D. work have the opportunity, in consultation with the graduate advisor, to adjust their program to meet specific career goals.

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Concentration

Requirements for the degree include 30 credit hours with at least 50% of coursework at or above the 700 level. The requirements for the degree are distributed as follows:

1.     At least 1 course in a REES-area advanced foreign language (500-level or higher) for 3 credit hours. 

2.     7 graduate-level area studies courses focusing on the REES region for a total of 21 credit hours, taken in consultation with the advisor. 

3.     Successful completion of one of the following research methods and capstone sequences, totaling 6 credit hours and culminating in a research paper using materials in the student’s chosen target language. Students may choose a given track based on their interests and the availability of courses. Students taking an equivalent methods/capstone sequence in another department may petition to substitute that sequence. Prior to enrolling in the second course in their selected sequence, students must have completed an advanced language course in the target language. 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Global and International Studies Option
GIST 710	Research Design for International Area Studies
GIST 810	Graduate Writing Experience
or GIST 898	Thesis and Research Project Writing
History Option
HIST 802	Seminar in: _____
HIST 805	The Nature of History
Literature and Culture Option
SLAV 760	The Russian Novel in the Age of Realism
SLAV 762	Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present
or SLAV 767	Post-Soviet Literature
Linguistics and Culture Option
SLAV 710	Introduction to Slavic Languages and Linguistics
SLAV 722	The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings
or SLAV 824	Proseminar in Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages I
Politics Option
POLS 705	Research Design for Political Science
POLS 899	Thesis

4.     Pass a comprehensive written and oral examination in addition to regular course examinations. Information about opportunities and requirements for graduate work with a Russian or East European concentration in any department at KU may be obtained from the department.

Requirements may be modified in special cases with the director’s approval, particularly for students with special needs such as Experienced Teacher Fellows, Foreign Area Officers, or candidates for degrees in the professional schools. All students are encouraged to study abroad.

A list of courses to choose from is updated each semester and available on the CREES 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

• L’viv, Ukraine (for Ukrainian)

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.