Balkan Studies Graduate Minor
for the Graduate Minor in Balkan Studies
About the Minor
The Balkan Studies graduate minor is designed for M.A. or Ph.D. students in other disciplines who wish to complement their degree program with interdisciplinary study of the Balkans. Students interested in pursuing the minor must have a minimum of two years of college-level study of a language of the region: e.g., Albanian, BCS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian), Bulgarian, modern Greek, Hungarian, Macedonian, Romani, Romanian, Sloveneian, Turkish, Yiddish. A program of study can be tailored to the needs and interests of the individual student in consultation with Center staff; for admission to the program contact the Center.
Graduate Degree Programs in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center offers a two-year program of language and area studies courses leading to an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree. The program is designed to meet the needs of students proceeding to disciplinary-based doctoral work and those planning non-academic professional careers with area expertise. Programs offered by the Center:
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, MA
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Minor
Joint Degree in Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies, MA and Library & Information Science, MS
Admission
Prospective graduate students should have completed at least two years of Russian or another language of Eastern Europe or Eurasia. Applicants must submit the Graduate College application for admission, certified transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, quantitative, and written), three letters of reference, and a writing sample. International students must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. All applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate College. Admission is ordinarily in the fall semester, but occasional exceptions are made for spring and summer admission.
Faculty Research Interests
The faculty affiliated with the Center represent a broad range of interests and methodological approaches in the social sciences and the humanities, as well as the professional schools.
Facilities and Resources
The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center was founded in 1959 and designated a National Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Education. It serves as an intellectual and institutional hub for the University community and the public through conferences, lectures, colloquia, visiting scholars, study groups, exhibits, films, and other activities.
The annual Summer Research Laboratory on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia features special workshops, seminars, lectures, films, and other events, most of which are free and open to the public.
The International and Area Studies Library at the University of Illinois has one of the country's three outstanding Slavic library collections. The Slavic Reference Service serves all faculty and students with expert bibliographers.
Language training is provided by the Departments of Germanic Languages & Literatures, Linguistics, and Slavic Languages & Literatures in:
- Bulgarian
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
- Czech
- Old Church Slavonic
- Polish
- Russian
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Yiddish
Financial Aid
Financial aid is awarded on an academic-year basis. All fellowships and assistantships include a stipend plus tuition and fee waiver. Qualified incoming students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents should also apply for U.S. Department of Education Title VI Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships offered through REEEC or other FLAS-granting campus centers.
Qualified students may also be eligible for other fellowships at the campus or departmental level. A limited number of teaching and graduate assistantships, which include a tuition and fee waiver, may also be available to outstanding students through REEEC and other units.The Graduate College maintains a list of available assistantships; additional information on need-based financial aid may be obtained from the Graduate College Fellowships Office.
for the Graduate Minor in Balkan Studies
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Graduate Programs and the Graduate College Handbook.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| IS 530 | Collection Development (Section C: REEES Bibliog Research Methods) | 2 or 4 |
| or REES 550 | Seminar in REEE Studies | |
| Electives (4 hours at the 500 level) At least 8 graduate hours that relate to the Balkans chosen from the list of approved courses maintained by REEEC and taken outside the student's enrolling department. | 8 | |
| Language Requirement: A minimum of two years college-level study of a language of the area or equivalent, including but not limited to Albanian, BCS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian), Bulgarian, modern Greek, Hungarian, Macedonian, Romani, Romanian, Slovenian, Turkish, and Yiddish. For professional work in the region or scholarly research on area topics at least three years of relevant language study are recommended. | ||
| Students must also submit a research paper primarily on the region. | ||
| Total Hours | 10-12 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement |
|---|
| Other requirements may overlap |
| If students take both IS 530C and REES 550, credit for one may be applied to the elective requirement. |
| A research paper primarily on the Balkans is required. Typically this paper is written in a research seminar in a disciplinary department. A master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation can be submitted in lieu of the research paper, if it deals primarily with the region. Students are encouraged to present their work in a public forum at the University, such as the REEEC Noontime Scholars lecture series. |
for the Graduate Minor in Balkan Studies
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center
Director of Center and Graduate Studies: John Randolph
104 International Studies Building, 910 South Fifth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
REEEC website
REEEC faculty
REEEC email
(217) 333-1244