Russian and East European Studies

www.uiuc.edu/unit/reec

Director of the Russian and East European Center: Carol Leff
Director of Graduate Studies: M. D. Steinberg
104 International Studies Building
910 South Fifth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-1244
Fax: (217) 333-1582
E-mail: reec@uiuc.edu

Graduate Degree Programs

The Russian and East European Center administers a two-year interdisciplinary program of international, area studies, and language courses leading to a master of arts degree. The program is designed for the needs both of students preparing for further academic study in a particular discipline and students preparing for careers in government, business, the media, international law, private foundations, or cultural exchange. The program provides broad exposure to the history, cultures, societies, and politics of the area as well as to the variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to its study.

Admission

Applicants for admission to the master of arts program should have completed at least two years of Russian or another language of East Europe or the former Soviet Union and hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. Admission requirements of the Graduate College also apply. The minimum paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score is 550 (213 on the computer-based test). Admission is ordinarily limited to the fall semester, but occasional exceptions are made for spring and summer admission.

Master of Arts

Candidates for the master of arts degree must achieve third-year competency in Russian or another language of Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union and complete 38 graduate hours of graduate coursework. These include a 4 graduate hour introductory seminar in Russian and East European studies (REES 550), a 2 graduate hour course in Slavic Bibliography (LIS 530), and 32 additional graduate hours. Of these 32, 24 must be in core courses in Russian and East European studies, earned in at least three different disciplines. At least two courses must be at the 500 level. Language courses do not count toward the 24 graduate hours in core courses, but may be counted toward the total of 38 graduate hours if taken at the 400 level or above. A master’s thesis is required, to be based on research using primary sources, including sources in the language used to meet the competency requirement. Candidates for the master’s degree are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.25 in courses taken for the program.

Specialization in Russian Language and Area Studies

A certificate of specialization in Russian language and area studies is offered by the Russian and East European Center in cooperation with various departments and schools. It is for persons with the baccalaureate who are enrolled in advanced studies in any discipline and who wish at the same time to gain a knowledge of the Russian language and area. Other languages and area concentrations may be approved by the director of the center. The requirements are as follows: (1) A good command of written and spoken Russian, equivalent to at least three years of college study; (2) At least 24 graduate hours in coursework relating to Russia, of which at least 2 graduate hours must be Slavic Bibliography (LIS 530). The remaining graduate hours must be distributed among at least three of the departments represented in the program (including, but not limited to, anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, library and information science, political science, Slavic languages and literatures, and sociology) other than the student’s own major department. (Up to 4 graduate hours from the major department may be counted as part of this requirement.); (3) A special essay based largely on Russian sources, which must meet, at the minimum, the standard usually required in a master’s thesis. A copy of the student’s master’s or doctoral thesis may be submitted in fulfillment of this requirement.

Students in other disciplines and in professional schools and colleges who seek knowledge of Russian and East European studies are invited to consult with the director of the center in order to design individualized programs.

Research Interests

Faculty in Russian and East European Studies teach in more than a dozen different disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. Research interests range widely and include both contemporary and historical studies of the region, studies of past transformations and of the current post-communist transitions, and inquiries into such topics as social identities, cultural values, artistic and literary expression, urbanization, revolution, labor, and gender.

Facilities

Founded in 1959, the Russian and East European Center is a major national center for the training of specialists in the field of Russian and East European studies and serves as an intellectual and institutional center for members of the university community and the public interested in this important and complex region. The Russian and East European Center seeks to foster a lively intellectual life through conferences, lectures, colloquia, visiting scholars, study groups, exhibits, films, and social activities. In addition, the center offers an annual Summer Research Laboratory on Russia and Eastern Europe, which attracts approximately 200 scholars to campus. The lab features special workshops, seminars, lectures, films, and other events, most of which are free and open to the public. The University also hosts a wide range of visitors from throughout Eastern Europe, Russia, and the newly independent states each year.

The Slavic and East European Library is one of the leading collections in the country and ranks as one of the three largest Slavic and East European collections among American universities and the largest of any library west of Washington, D.C. Holdings in Slavic and East European languages total more than a half a million volumes. In addition, there are also over 111,000 volumes on Russia and Eastern Europe in Western languages. The library also holds an exceptionally rich collection of microforms, often reproducing very rare materials. Current journal subscriptions from the area number over 4,000. The Slavic and East European reading room is unique, housing basic reference works, including bibliographies, serial indexes, library catalogs, archival guides and databases, dictionaries, and encyclopedias, as well as current issues of about 1,000 periodicals in Western and area languages and of 100 newspapers. A special feature of the Slavic and East European reading room is the presence of professional librarians, with strong area training, who regularly provide reference and bibliographical services to all users.

Financial Aid

Students in the master’s program who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to compete for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships, offered with support to the center from the U. S. Department of Education’s Title VI program. Qualified students may also be eligible to compete for other fellowships at the campus level. A limited number of teaching and graduate assistantships are also available to outstanding students. Some employment opportunities are available through the Slavic and East European Library and other non-teaching units on campus. Information on need-based financial aid may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid.