MA Program

CREEES offers a one-year interdisciplinary master's degree program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies for students with strong prior language and area studies backgrounds.

The program structure allows students the flexibility to pursue their own academic interests while providing intellectual cohesion through a curriculum that addresses historical and contemporary processes of change in the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The community of faculty and students at CREEES is large, diverse, and committed to excellence in teaching and research. We have a strong program of language training in Russian and other area languages. Classes are generally small in size, and our students receive close personal attention. For specialized research in a given field, students have access to the rich resources of the Slavic and East European collections at Stanford Libraries and the Hoover Archives, and may draw on the curricular library resources of the University of California, Berkeley, as well. A full calendar of lectures, symposia, and other extracurricular programs also complements classroom instruction.

MA alumni often continue on to careers in government, journalism, NGO and relief organizations, and business, as well as doctoral studies and professional degree programs.

applications & Admissions process

Application deadline: January 5, 2016

Application: To access the online application, see the Office of Graduate Admissions website.

Stanford Undergraduates may apply for the Coterminal degree through the Registrar's Office. Prospective applicants may also consult with the CREEES associate director regarding the process.

To qualify for admission to the program, the following apply:

Applicants must have earned a B.A. or B.S. degree or equivalent.
At least three years of college-level language study in Russian, an East European, or Central Asian language is preferred. Candidates with fewer years of area language study will be considered.
Applicants must compose a statement of purpose that explains how the program would advance the applicant's academic or career goals. It should not exceed two pages in length, single-spaced.
Applicants must include the following additional materials in their online application: a writing sample of 20 pages or less in English on an academic topic in Russian, East European, or Eurasian studies and a resume of college-level courses taken that are relevant to Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies, including language courses, with self-reported final grades. These additional materials may be uploaded as "Additional Materials" in a single file along with the application.
Applicants must send official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended to CREEES at 417 Galvez Mall, 2nd floor, Stanford, CA 94305.
All applicants must take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have the results sent to Graduate Admissions, Office of the University Registrar.
Applicants whose native language is not English and do not possess a U.S. bachelor's degree are expected to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and have the results sent to Graduate Admissions, Office of the University Registrar.

The deadline for submission of applications for admission and for financial aid is January 5, 2016. Admission is normally granted for Autumn Quarter, but requests for exceptions are considered.

The successful applicant generally demonstrates the following strengths: requisite foreign language study, significant coursework in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies in multiple disciplines, outstanding grades in previous academic work, strong analytical writing skills, high GRE scores (particularly verbal and analytical writing), study or work experience in the region, strong letters of recommendation from faculty members in the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies field (one may be from a language instructor), and a persuasive statement of purpose explaining how the program would advance the applicant's academic and career goals.

Please consult the Stanford Bulletin for more information.

degree requirements

Candidates for the MA degree must meet University requirements for an MA degree as described by the Registrar's Office.

The MA program can ordinarily be completed in one academic year by a well-prepared student; longer periods of study are permitted. Each student, with the advice of the CREEES associate director, selects courses according to the student's interests, needs, and goals.

All students in the MA REEES program must complete a minimum of 48 academic credit units within the following guidelines.

Core Courses: Students must complete the following 3 core courses during the 2015-16 academic year for 5 units each: REES 301B History and Politics in Russian and Eastern European Cinema during Autumn Quarter (5 units), HISTORY 424A The Soviet Civilization during Winter quarter (5 units), and eitherSLAVIC 218 Modernist Journeys also in Winter Quarter or REES 313 Transformation of Socialist Societies during Spring Quarter (5 units).
Core Seminar Series: REES 200 Current Issues in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies is required of all students in the M.A. program in Autumn and Winter quarters (2 units total). The goal of this seminar series is to survey current methodological and substantive issues in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies, acquaint students with Stanford resources and faculty, and present professional development and career options.
Interdisciplinary course work: All courses (other than language courses and approved activity courses) must be taken at the graduate level (200 or higher). Courses in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies must be completed and distributed among at least three disciplines. All course work applied to the 48-unit minimum must deal primarily with Russian, Eurasian, or East European Studies.
Language study: Students in the program are encouraged to study Russian or a language of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, or the Caucasus. Credit towards the 48-unit minimum (maximum 4 units per quarter, 12 units total) is allowed for advanced language work.
Course work qualifying for the 48-unit minimum must have a letter grade of 'B' or higher. ('B-' does not count for degree credit, nor does 'CR'). Students may apply a maximum of three units of course work with a final grade of "S" to the 48-unit minimum from among the following courses only: REES 23, REES 35, REES 200, and/or HISTORY 299X.
All courses counting towards the 48-unit minimum must be approved by the CREEES associate director, who ensures that planned course work satisfies requirements toward the degree. The CREEES director and steering committee determine the requirements. Consult the CREEES website or the associate director for the complete and updated list of courses that may be taken toward the degree.
Capstone requirement: Students must complete a capstone activity (research paper and/or research presentation) in consultation with the director, associate director, and/or affiliated faculty member.

financial aid & funding opportunities

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Academic Year Fellowships, available to both Graduate and Professional students. Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, FLAS Academic Year Fellowships provide full tuition for one year, plus a stipend to students undergoing advanced training in a designated foreign language in combination with area studies, international studies, or international aspects of professional studies. Graduate students in H&S, Earth Sciences, and Engineering are strongly encouraged to apply. Deadline is January 5, 2016. Students applying for the M.A. Program in REES are encouraged to submit an application for the FLAS Fellowship concurrently with their M.A. Program application. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be considered. For more information, visit http://creees.stanford.edu/content/grants-fellowships.
Summer FLAS Fellowships. Offered by the same program as the FLAS Academic Year Fellowships, the Summer Fellowships are intended for intensive, advanced language study of Russian or East European or Eurasian languages. They provide up to $5,000 in tuition for a summer language program (in the US or abroad) and a $2,500 stipend for living and travel expenses. To be considered for a Stanford Summer FLAS Fellowship in REEES languages, an applicant must be a currently registered Stanford graduate student (or recently admitted) and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Summer 2016 deadline TBA. For more information, visit https://creees.stanford.edu/node/287.
Globalizing Eurasia Grant, available to graduate students who plan to conduct research in two or more countries in Russia, Central and East Europe, the Caucasus, or Central Asia or in this region over the summer of 2016. Recipients will be awarded up to $7000 in funding. To be considered, an applicant must be enrolled in a graduate program or professional school at Stanford and plan to continue their studies in the following academic year. Summer 2016 deadline TBA. For more information, visit https://creees.stanford.edu/node/567.
CREEES Summer Travel and Research Grants, up to $2000 available to Stanford graduate and professional school students conducting research travel in the US, Russia, Central and East Europe, the Caucasus, or Central Asia. Preference goes to advanced graduate students conducting dissertation research, and to all other projects advanced beyond an initial exploratory phase and conducted by Stanford graduate and professional school students. For more information, visit https://creees.stanford.edu/node/289.
Stanford University also offers student loans to US citizens and permanent residents. Details may be found on the Financial Aid website.
International students seeking funding may consult the Institute of International Education's publication titled Funding for U.S. Study: A Guide for Foreign Nationals, found in US embassies and in the libraries of most universities.

Dual Degrees

Students in other degree programs at Stanford are may add the REEES MA program. Matriculated graduate students – including doctoral students and students in the Graduate School of Business and School of Law – are eligible to apply to the MA program as a second, concurrent degree program.

Joint MA/JD

Students applying to or currently attending Stanford Law School may apply for a joint MA/JD. Applicants must submit their application materials for the REEES MA program on the Stanford graduate admissions website by January 5, 2016. For external students not yet enrolled in Stanford Law School, a separate, complete application must be submitted to the Stanford Law School by the deadline posted on the Law School website.

Please indicate on your application(s) that you wish to be considered for the joint MA/JD degree. External applicants must submit their GRE scores to the School of Humanities and Sciences (address provided on the Graduate Admissions website) to be considered for the joint degree. Current Stanford Law School students may submit previous LSAT scores in lieu of the GRE.