Note: This page was replaced 9/13/12 to reflect changes in requirements for the master's degree program. The changes are effective fall 2013. View the previous page here.
Faculty: Professors Herrera (chair) (Political Science), Bethea (Slavic Languages), Buenger (Art History), Chamberlain (History), Dale (Art History), Danaher (Slavic Languages), Dolinin (Slavic Languages), DuBois (Scandinavian Studies), Evans-Romaine (Slavic Languages), Favretto (Political Science), Filipowicz (Slavic Languages), Gehlbach (Political Science), Gerber (Sociology), Hendley (Law, Political Science), Herrera (Political Science), Hirsch (History), Johnson (Educational Policy Studies), Kaiser (Geography), Kepley (Communication Arts), Kornblatt (Slavic Languages), Lapina (Slavic Languages), Longinovic (Slavic Languages), McDonald (History), Michels (History), Miernowska (Slavic Languages), Neville (History), Radeloff (Forest and Wildlife Ecology), Reynolds (Slavic Languages), Schamiloglu (Languages and Cultures of Asia), Shevelenko (Slavic), Tishler (CREECA, Slavic Languages), Tumarkin (Slavic Languages), van de Water (Theatre and Drama), Wink (History)
The Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS) program is housed administratively in the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA). The REECAS program draws on the strength of long-established programs in anthropology, language and literature, political science, geography, history, folklore, sociology, and law. Faculty research interests include ethnicity and nationalism, legal problems of privatization, the politics and cultures of borderland regions in Eurasia, and the thought and politics of East-Central Europe.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship, which is administered through CREECA and is due approximately February 15 (flas.wisc.edu).
The departments offering courses pertaining to Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Central Asia include Agricultural and Applied Economics, Anthropology, Communication Arts, Economics, Folklore, Geography, History, Jewish Studies, Languages and Cultures of Asia, Law, Political Science, Slavic Languages and Literature, Scandinavian Studies, Sociology, and Theatre and Drama.
The master of arts degree program in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies provides interdisciplinary area studies training for emerging professionals and future leaders in business, development, government, journalism, law, publishing, and the military. The curriculum is designed to promote a broad understanding of the cultural, political, economic, social, and historical factors that have shaped the development of societies in Eurasia, Russia, and Central and Eastern Europe; mastery in Russian, East European, or Central Asian languages at a level necessary for doing advanced research on and professional work in the region; and knowledge of methodological and analytical approaches of different disciplines that will contribute to a better understanding of the region and will prepare students for conducting advanced research. The program requires both area studies and language training.
The M.A. program is designed to be completed in three semesters, but motivated students who enter with prior language study and commit to intensive summer course work have the option of completing the course of study within 12 calendar months. Students will work closely with the M.A. advisor, who serves as their primary graduate studies advisor, to ensure that their course of study is both coherent and sufficiently interdisciplinary.
In addition to language classes each term, students will be required to complete a minimum of 22 non-language (area studies) credits from the course list to be distributed as follows:
Language learning is an integral part of the program, and students will be required to enroll in language courses each term. Students already proficient in their main language will be expected to choose another Slavic or Central Eurasian language for the duration of their program. For degree completion, students must have a minimum of two years of university-level study (or the equivalent) of a regional language with at least three years of study strongly recommended. During the academic year, the program offers Czech, Finnish, Kazak, Persian, Polish, Russian, Bosnian/Croation/Serbian, and Turkish (Turkish-Azeri).
The certificate in REECAS provides graduate students with a general background in the areas of anthropology, economics, foreign policy, geography, government and politics, history, language and literature, law, and sociology. It also provides specific knowledge about one of these areas. With its emphasis on interdisciplinary study, a REECAS certificate enhances the training of Ph.D. candidates who wish to teach and do research at the college level, and serves the needs of M.A. and Ph.D. students who wish to make a career in broadcasting, government service, journalism, library work, or other professions requiring a well-rounded acquaintance with this diverse and highly important area.
Although there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the REECAS certificate to select courses and a language involving Eastern Europe other than Russian, students seeking a career in a field connected with REECAS would do best to combine the study of another language with Russian. Czech, Finnish, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish/Azeri, and Uzbek are offered regularly; Bulgarian, Kazak, and Romanian may be taught from time to time. The certificate student, in consultation with the graduate advisor, must choose an academically coherent group of courses which focuses on a specific geographic area and language.
To receive a certificate, a student must take 12 credits of required courses distributed over three programs. Of these required courses, one must be a seminar in which a research paper is written on a topic approved by the major professor. The student must demonstrate a working knowledge of one language of Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union before beginning the second year of REECAS and will be expected to write the seminar paper utilizing original source material in the target language(s). Students should contact the program office for specific information regarding these requirements.
Recognition of interdisciplinary training at the graduate level can be acquired with a REECAS certificate. Graduate minor requirements in specific fields can also be fulfilled under the REECAS program. The requirements for a Ph.D. minor under Option A (external minor) may be satisfied by completing 9 credits of graduate courses in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies. These nine credits must be distributed over at least two departments outside the student's major department. Students should contact the program office for specific information regarding these requirements.
Each year a faculty committee selects a limited number of deserving graduate students (in any field of study) for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and must demonstrate their commitment to the study of a language of Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia, and to related area studies topics. Applications and supporting materials for the FLAS fellowship competition must be submitted by approximately February 15 each year. For more information and an application, see Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.
Students interested in studying Polish may be eligible to apply for a Michael and Emily Lapinski fellowship, administered through the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature. The annual deadline is March 1. Please contact the Slavic department for more information.
CREECA also nominates eligible incoming graduate students in its M.A. program for the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (for targeted students). To be considered for university funding, all application materials must be postmarked by the early January deadline indicated on the CREECA M.A. application form.
A limited number of teaching assistantships and project assistantships may be available in CREECA and in specific departments that offer high-enrollment courses on REECAS. Information about these assistantships can be obtained by writing or calling CREECA and the respective departments. In addition to these opportunities, other fellowships and financial assistance are available outside CREECA. For further information, incoming graduate students should write directly to the appropriate department or organization.
Students entering the master's program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and provide evidence of academic achievement and intellectual ability, including a minimum total grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a 3.4 in related area courses, letters of recommendation, and strong scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). There is no minimum admission requirement for language, but students are strongly advised to complete two years of area language study before entering the program.
Applicants for admission to the M.A. degree program in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies should submit an online application. The following materials are required: statement of purpose, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, language questionnaire, and application for university fellowships for incoming students. Speakers of English as a second language must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores as well.
For more information: Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia, 210 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1397; 608-262-3379; fax 608-890-0267; assocdir@creeca.wisc.edu; www.creeca.wisc.edu.
306 The Real Estate Process 374 Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy 474 Economic Problems of Developing Areas
330 Topics in Ethnology* 346 Peoples and Cultures of Russia 369 Peoples and Cultures of Central and Eastern Europe 372 Jews of Central and Eastern Europe 441 Peoples and Cultures of the European parts of the Ex-Soviet Union 442 Peoples and Cultures of Ex-Soviet Asia 606 Ethnicity, Nations and Nationalism* 622 Cross-Cultural Spread of World Religions* 675 Pastoralists and Pastoral Nomads in Cross-Cultural Perspectives 677 Public Monuments and Symbols* 690 Problems in Anthropology* *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
310 Early Christian and Byzantine Art 351 20th Century European Art 453 Art in Europe 1915-1955 556 Proseminar: 20th Century European Art* 805 Seminar in Ancient Art and Architecture* 815 Seminar in Medieval Art* 856 Graduate Seminar in Twentieth Century European Art* *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
352 History of World Cinema 456 Russian and Soviet Film 463 Avant-Garde Film 958 Seminar in Film History: Film Historiography* *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
306 The Real Estate Process 364 Survey of International Economics 365 Issues in Comparative Economics 390 Contemporary Economic Issues* 467 International Comparisons--Industrial Firms and Industrial Organizations* 474 Economic Problems of Developing Areas* 663 Population and Society* *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
347 Kalevala and Finnish Folklore in Translation 352 Shamanism 370 Romani (Gypsy) Culture in Russia and East Europe 443 Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today 444 Slavic and East European Folklore 445 Russian Folklore 460 Folk Epics* 875 Seminar in Turkish Oral Narrative
318 Geography, Politics and Territoriality 353 Russia and the NIS 518 Advanced Political Geography* 553 Russia and CIS: Problems in Human Geography 918 Seminar in Political Geography* 940 Seminar in Regional Geography* *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
309 The Crusades: Christianity and Islam 313 Introduction to Byzantine History and Civilization 314 Problems in Byzantine History and Civilization* 332 Islam: Reform and Revolution in Central Asia 356 Europe Between the Wars, 1919-1939 357 The Second World War 359 History of Europe Since 1945 409 Central Europe, 1648-1871 416 East European Jews in the United States, 1880s-1930s 417 History of Russia before 1800 418 History of Russia 1800-1917 419 History of Soviet Russia 420 Russian Social and Intellectual History 421 The Russian Revolutions, 1905-1921 423 Cultural and Intellectual History of the Soviet Union 424 Soviet Union & World, 1917-1991 425 History of Poland and the Baltic Area 434 American Foreign Relations, 1901 to present 439 Islamic History from the Origin of Islam to the Ottoman Empire 475 European Social History, 1914-Present 500 Reading Seminar in History* 513 European Cultural History, 1815-1870 515 Holocaust: History, Memory and Education 529 Intellectual and Religious History of European Jewry 1648-1870 539 Middle East & Balkans during Ottoman Era 540 Balkans and the Middle East, 1700-1910 562 Byzantine Medicine and Pharmacy 600 Advanced Seminar in History* 753 Seminar: Comparative World History* 804 Interdisciplinary W. European Studies Seminar* 825 Seminar: 19th and 20th Century Europe: Europe and the Coming of the Great War 849 Seminar: Topics in History of Imperial Russia, 1649-1917 850 Seminar on the Soviet Union and East Central Europe 851 Seminar on Ottoman and Middle East History 858 Seminar: Problems of Islamic History 866 Seminar in Social History of Modern Europe 891 Proseminar in Modern European History *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
365 Contemporary Topics* 430 International Real Estate* 615 Business in Emerging Markets* 755 International Operations: Problems and Administration *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
620 International Communication* 621 Mass Communication in Developing Nations*
314 Literatures of Central Asia 357 Literatures of Muslim Societies 370 Islam: Religion and Culture 472 Women in Turkish Society 579 Fiction and Ethnography in Turkey 610 Proseminar: Intro to Turkic Linguistics 614 Social Structures of Muslim Societies 615 Writing Travels* 631 Advanced Readings in Turkic Languages 640 Proseminar in Central Asia History 850 Seminar in Turkic Studies 851 Seminar on Ottoman and Middle East History 875 Seminar in Turkish Oral Narrative
819 Law and Contemporary Problems: Russian Legal Process 828 International Business Transactions 918 Selected Problems in International Law--Seminar* 919 Holocaust: Facts, Trials, Verdicts, Post-Verdicts 942 European Union Law
347 Kalevala and Finnish Folklore 450 History of Serbian and Croatian Literature 455 Modern Serbian and Croatian Literature 471 Polish Literature in Translation: to 1863 473 Polish Literature in Translation: since 1863 475 Polish Romantic Tradition in Translation
312 Politics of World Economy 318 Comparative Study of Genocide 338 European Union: Politics and Political Economy 401 Selected Topics in Political Science* 505 Challenge of Democratization 513 Radical Political Theory 612 Transitions to the Market 615 Corruption and Politics 617 Comparative Legal Institutions 618 Political Islam 622 European Politics 633 Russian Politics 654 Politics of Revolution 659 Politics and Society: Contemporary Eastern Europe 804 Citizenship and Identity in Central Europe
814 Social Identities: Definition and Measurement* 854 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict 860 Authoritarianism and Its Aftermath* 948 Topics in Comparative Politics* 949 Seminar: Post-Communist Politics *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
302 Zarys historii lit polskiej 325 Eastern Christianity/Russian Orthodoxy in a Global Context 342 Uvod u srpsku i hrvatsku lit 350 Special Topics in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture 405 Women in Russian Literature 420 Chekhov 421 Gogol 422 Dostoevsky 424 Tolstoy 433 History of Russian Culture (in Russian) 434 Contemporary Russian Culture (in Russian) 439 Russia Today in Literature and Film 440 Soviet Literature 449 Istorija srpske i hrvatske literature 454 Modern Serbian and Croatian Literature 456 Masterpieces of Russian Drama 460 Masterpieces of Serbian and Croatian Literature 470 Historia literatury polskiej do roku 1863 472 History of Polish Literature after 1863 532 History of Russian Theatre 535 Russian Language Through Film 700 Slavic Critical Theory and Practice 701 Survey of Old Russian Literature 702 Eighteenth Century Russian Literature 704 The Structure of Russian 705 Special Topics in Russian Language and Linguistics 706 Old Church Slavic 710 Pushkin 715 Russian Religious Thought 730 Russian Symbolism 740 Acmeism and Futurism 750 Russian Versification 755 Topics in Slavic Literature 770 Russian Poetry 1837-1890 818 Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages 820 College Teaching of Russian 901 Graduate Seminar in Polish Literature 910 Graduate Seminar in Russian Literature of Nineteenth Century 920 Graduate Seminar in Pre-Soviet 20th Century Russian Literature 925 Graduate Seminar in Soviet Literature
930 Seminar in Russian Historical Fiction
443 Sami Culture Yesterday and Today 444 Kalevala and Finnish Folklore
496 Topics in Sociology* 614 Social Structures of Muslim Societies 621 Class, State, Ideology: An Introduction to Marxist Social Science 633 Social Stratification* 804 Interdisciplinary W European Studies Seminar* 929 Seminar: Class Analysis and Historical Change *When topic is Russia, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia
532 History of Russian Theatre 911 Seminar: Problems in Theatre and Drama*
This page was revised 9/13/12.
