The Master of Arts in Russian/East European Studies is administered by the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The MA R/EES is primarily a pre-professional degree for career advancement of persons in international trade, cultural exchange, nongovernmental organizations, foreign policy, government service, and the military. The degree is designed to train professionals to handle the multi-dimensional tasks of our complex global society.
The program of study for the degree integrates the following:
- Language study,
- Area studies, and
- Development of technical and academic expertise.
Flexibility and adaptability are keys to the MA R/EES. Students select:
- A country or regional area of focus and engage in two years of language study;
- A set of relevant area studies courses (e.g., history, political science, literature);
- An academic disciplinary or professional concentration.
Fast-track 18-month completion:
By taking extra course work during the semester and/or summer courses students have the possibility to complete the MA in 18 months. The fast-track program is designed for Foreign Area Officer (FAO) personnel.
The Graduate School at UNC-CH requires 30 semester hours of graduate work to complete a Master of Arts degree (for this and other Graduate School requirements, see the Graduate School Handbook, available at the Graduate School Web site -- gradschool.unc.edu). At least 24 semester hours must be taken in courses at UNC-CH. At least three semester hours must be earned in completion of a thesis.
The specific content of student programs is planned in consultation with the Program Advisor. Three core courses, four semesters of language courses, and a thesis project are among the requirements for completion of the degree. Click here to view some sample curricula.
Students are required to enroll in language study each semester. See Application and Admissions (below) for prior language study requirements. Language courses available include:
Courses are selected, in consultation with the Program Advisor, from approximately 100 regularly taught courses covering Russia and Eastern Europe in history, political science, economics, literature/culture, art, and other fields. The Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies publishes a semi-annual listing of relevant courses.
A cooperative agreement with Duke University allows students to enroll in courses there as well.
Students develop a disciplinary or professional concentration by selecting three or more courses in an academic department or professional school subject to approval of the Program Advisor.
Students are strongly encouraged to spend the summer between the first and second years of study performing an internship. The Program Advisor will work closely with students to find opportunities matching their interests in government, business, and the nonprofit sector. Study abroad opportunities also exist for the summer, including a program in Saratov, Russia.
A thesis is required of all students who are a candidate for the degree. This project will involve a topic related to both the chosen country of focus and academic or professional concentration. For the thesis students must undertake original research using their selected language. In addition to the written thesis, all students are required to make an oral presentation of their thesis project.
Admission to the MA R/EES is highly selective. An undergraduate degree from an appropriate college or university, or its international equivalent, is required. Students should have maintained at least a B grade average during the last two years of study. A combined score of 1000 on the Verbal and Quantitative components of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for admission.
Students intending to pursue Russian as their language are expected to have already completed four semesters of Russian or take two semesters of intensive Russian, one prior to entry and one following the first year. Students planning to pursue Czech, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, or Macedonian are not required to have had prior study in the language.
Prospective students should apply to the Graduate School at UNC-CH. Normally admission is only granted for the Fall semester, with a deadline of January 1st for completed applications. Under appropriate circumstances the program will recommend that admission be deferred until the following Spring semester. For exceptions to these rules, contact the Program Advisor. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Following are the required materials for the Graduate School application:
- Graduate School Application Form (on-line application is available)
- Non-refundable $55 Application Fee (applications will not be processed until fee is received)
- GRE examination scores
- Two official transcripts (international applicants must provide a certified English translation)
- Financial certificate (international applicants)
- TOEFL examination scores (international applicants)
These required materials should be sent directly to the Program Advisor:
Several funding opportunities exist for students. The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid at the Graduate School assists students in applying for need-based financial aid and offers directions to non-need-based loan programs. The Graduate School has compiled a "Fast Facts" information sheet with aid opportunities, which also available at its Web site.
The Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies has a limited number of graduate assistantships. Students are also encouraged to apply for National Security Education Program (NSEP) Graduate International Fellowships, which directly support a student’s area and language study and are administered by the Academy for Educational Development. In addition, students are eligible to apply for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. FLAS awards are also available for summer language study.
There are about 50 faculty members affiliated with the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies. Of these, 23 are core affiliated faculty from the following departments:
Other faculty are drawn from:
- Kenan-Flagler Business School
- School of Public Health
- School of Library and Information Science
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- School of Social Work
- School of Education
- School of Dentistry
- School of Law
- Curriculum in Peace War and Defense
- Department of City and Regional Planning
- Department of Germanic Languages
- Carolina Population Center
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Department of Music
- Carolina Environmental Program
The Slavic and East European Collection at UNC-CH offers more than 348,000 sources in Slavic literature and linguistics, Soviet and Russian history, economics, and political science. Geographic coverage of materials also includes Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.
The general collection of the UNC-CH libraries is an outstanding resource. State-of-the-art on-line search services are available. A long-standing cooperative agreement with Duke University and NC State University offers students borrowing privileges at all three university library systems.
For more information about the MA R/EES program please contact the Program Advisor:
Back to Center HomepageRobert M. Jenkins, Ph.D. Administrative Director Center for Slavic Eurasian and East European Studies CB# 5125, 223 E. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC 27599-5125 Phone: (919) 962-0901 Fax: (919) 962-2494 Email: rjenkins@email.unc.edu