Slavic Languages & Literatures, MA
for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages & Literatures
Admission
Prospective graduate students of Slavic languages and literatures should have had the equivalent of at least three years of college study in the language of their proposed specialization and advanced coursework in that literature. Applicants should apply online and submit a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation and a writing sample. Original transcripts (with English translations if applicable) showing all undergraduate and graduate work completed should be sent to:
SLCL Graduate Student Services
3070 Foreign Languages Bldg.
707 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are no longer required. If opting to submit the score, the applicant should ask the ETS to submit scores to institution 1836. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score at least 79 on the internet-based test (iBT); they must also pass the speaking sub-section of the iBT with a minimum score of 24.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the graduate program and is expected as part of the academic work of all Ph.D. candidates in this program. Non-native English speakers must first pass a test of their oral English ability.
Faculty Research Interests
The faculty represent a broad range of interests and methodological approaches, including:
- the intersections of literature and law, race and empire studies, and medicine
- Russian-Jewish Studies
- gender, sexuality, and the body
- Stalinist culture
- film history and theory
- Czech revival culture
- nationalism and literature
- Polish modernism, postmodernism, and visual culture
- exilic and emigre literature
- East European pop culture
- former Yugoslavia and the Third world
Graduate courses are offered in:
- Russian
- Polish
- Ukrainian
- Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian
- Yiddish
- Czech
- Bulgarian
Facilities and Resources
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has one of the country's three outstanding Slavic library collections. The Illinois Summer Research Laboratory on Russia and Eastern Europe brings to the campus more than one hundred postdoctoral researchers from all over the country every year to take advantage of the Slavic library resources. The University houses Slavic Review, the premier journal in Slavic studies.
There are also opportunities for part-time related work in the Slavic and East European Division of the University Library, Slavic Review, and elsewhere on campus.
Centers, Programs and Institutes
The federally-funded Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center (established in 1959) is an important funding source for our graduate students and hosts a variety of conferences and speakers every year.
Financial Aid
Students may receive various forms of financial assistance, including university fellowships, Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. There are also opportunities for part-time related work in the Slavic and East European Division of the University Library and elsewhere on the campus, including editorial assistantships with Slavic Review. Most students are awarded multiple-year support packages that include a mixture of teaching and fellowship, conditional on satisfactory progress through the program.
for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages & Literatures
In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the Graduate College, candidates must pass written examinations, which are largely based on survey courses in the respective fields. All students must complete 32 graduate hours of advanced courses including at least 20 in Slavic Languages and Literatures. No master's thesis is required.
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Graduate Programs Webpages and the Graduate College Handbook.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RUSS 501 | Russian for Grad Students I | 4 |
| RUSS 502 | Russian for Grad Students II | 4 |
| SLAV 576 | Methods in Slavic Grad Study | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 2 or 4 | |
| Problems in Russian History | ||
| Prob European Hist Since 1789 (Section A) | ||
| Seminar in REEE Studies | ||
| Russian, East European, and Eurasian Bibliography & Research Methods | ||
| Two 400- or 500- level literature or culture courses offered by the Slavic Department | 8 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: | 20 |
| Minimum Number of 500-level Hours Required Overall in Program: | 12 |
| Candidates must pass a written examination | |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages & Literatures
- Students will be capable of theoretically informed analytical engagement with the literature of their specialization (nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century Slavic literatures and cultures).
- Students will be familiar with contemporary literary-historical and theoretical research methods in Slavic studies and able to produce major research output.
- Students will advance in proficiency in the language of their major fields to the Superior level, enabling professional work in the language. Students will acquire some proficiency in a second relevant regional language.
- Students will be introduced to current literature and language teaching methodologies and gain practical mentored experience in both.
- Students will be savvy professionals, able to produce successful grant applications, negotiate in the job market, at professional conferences, and confidently pursue publication.
for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages & Literatures
Graduate Degree Programs in Slavic Languages and Literatures
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Slavic Languages and Literatures. Scope of the department includes Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Yiddish and Ukrainian.
for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages & Literatures
Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures
Head of Department: David Cooper
Director of Graduate Studies: Richard Tempest
Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures website
Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures faculty
2090 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-0680
Slavic Languages & Literatures email
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences website