Slavic Languages & Literatures, PhD
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 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 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 Doctor of Philosophy in Slavic Languages & Literatures
All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must fulfill the general requirements of the Graduate College and must have a reading knowledge of at least one non-Slavic, research related language, most often French or German. A student entering the program with a Master of Arts degree from another department or university must complete SLAV 576. In consultation with the graduate advisor, the Ph.D. student designs an individualized program of study that includes a major field in one Slavic-area literature (any national literature currently offered by the department), study in a second Slavic-area language, and a minor field. A Ph.D. preliminary examination, consisting of written and oral portions on both major and minor fields, is required. A thesis is required for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Graduate Programs Webpages and the Graduate College Handbook.
Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree
Students are admitted to the Ph.D. program after the successful completion of an M.S/M.A. degree in Slavic studies or a related field.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SLAV 575 | Professionalization Workshop | 2 |
| SLAV 577 | Slavic Languages Pedagogy Seminar | 2 |
| SLAV 599 | Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree) | 12-32 |
| RUSS 511 | Russian Literature 1800-1855 | 4 |
OR Approved Equivalent Thematic/Author Course | ||
| RUSS 512 | Russian Literature 1855-1905 | 4 |
OR Approved Equivalent Thematic/Author Course | ||
| RUSS 513 | Russian Literature 1905-1955 | 4 |
OR Approved Equivalent Thematic/Author Course | ||
| RUSS 514 | Russian Literature After 1956 | 4 |
OR Approved Equivalent Thematic/Author Course | ||
| Graduate-level courses in a minor field (three courses in a single area, or two courses each in two distinct areas); may be completed outside the department. | 12-16 | |
| Language Requirement: Demonstration of knowledge of a second Slavic-area language and a research language; can be satisfied through four semesters of language study or the successful completion of a translation examination. | ||
| Total Hours | 64 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other Requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: | 20 |
| Minimum Hours Required in Major Field: | 20 |
| Masters Degree Required Before Admission to PhD? | Yes |
| Qualifying Exam Required | No |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 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 Doctor of Philosophy 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 Doctor of Philosophy 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