Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Director of undergraduate studies: Claire Roosien; language coordinator: Irina Dolgova, HQ 538, 320 York St.; slavic.yale.edu

The major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, administered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of a broad region: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, and central Asia; Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, and other areas in east central Europe; and the Balkans. Students majoring in RSEE may concentrate exclusively on Russian Studies, or on East European or Eurasian Studies. The major is appropriate for students considering careers in international public policy, diplomacy, or business, and is also suited to students wishing to continue academic work. 

Placement Procedures

Students who have previously studied Russian formally or informally are required to take the Russian placement exam. This brief oral exam helps determine which Russian course best fits each student's background. Contact the Russian language coordinator, Irina Dolgova, to schedule the oral placement exam or for information about preregistration. She may be reached via email or at 432-1307. Entering first-year students who have some knowledge of Czech or Polish should contact Krystyna Illakowicz (Polish) or Karen von Kunes (Czech) to arrange to take a brief placement examination.

Students in the Class of 2023 With approval from the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), the following changes to the prerequisites and requirements of the major may be fulfilled by students who declared their major under previous requirements. 

Students in the Class of 2024 and subsequent classes follow the requirements as indicated.

Prerequisites

Russian Studies concentration Completion of Second-Year Russian (RUSS 140, 142, 145 or S140) or placement exam.

East European Studies or Eurasian Studies concentrationTwo semesters of the first-year sequence in an East European or an Eurasian language or a placement exam.

Requirements of the Major

Students select one of three concentrations to complete the requirements for the major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. A full understanding of these areas demands knowledge of its languages and so students are encouraged to learn more than one language.

Russian Studies concentrationTwelve term courses, including the senior requirement, are required for the Russian Studies concentration. Students must take two courses in Russian, East European, or Eurasian history; one RSEE-area focused course in the social sciences, such as those found in anthropology, economics, sociology, political science, global affairs, and other disciplines of social science; one course in Russian, East European, or Eurasian literature or culture, selected in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS); and the Senior Essay (RSEE 490 or 491). To fulfill the language requirement students must demonstrate a proficiency in Russian by completing RUSS 150 and 151 or by passing an equivalency exam. A maximum of five language courses may be counted toward the major. If language proficiency is met without coursework, the course requirements must be fulfilled through additional term courses to bring the overall total to twelve courses. Electives are selected in consultation with the DUS and may include RUSS 160 and 161, a content course taught in Russian at the 170-190 level, or courses in other East European or Eurasian languages at the second-year level or above.

East European Studies or Eurasian concentrationEleven term courses, including the senior requirement, are required for the East European and the Eurasian concentrations. The requirements are the same as for the Russian Studies concentration, excluding the language requirements. To fulfill the language requirement students must demonstrate a proficiency in either an East European or Eurasian language (such as Czech, Polish, Romanian, Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, or those languages taught through the Shared Course Initiative) by completing the third-year level (4 term courses) of the chosen language or by passing an equivalency exam. The remaining two courses are chosen in consultation with the DUS. If language proficiency is met without coursework, the course requirements must be fulfilled through additional term courses to bring the overall total to eleven courses. 

Credit/D/FailCourses taken Credit/D/Fail may not count toward the requirements of the major.

Senior Requirement

Every major must write a one-term senior essay in RSEE 490 or 491 either in the fall or spring. By the end of the junior year, students should declare their general topic and confirm a faculty adviser, in consultation with the DUS. Students planning to conduct summer research for the senior essay, especially if abroad, should contact the DUS early in the spring term of the junior year and apply for fellowships. With the permission of the DUS and senior essay adviser, a student may choose a two-semester senior essay project in the RSEE major, which must be approved by the end of the junior year.

The senior essay takes the form of a substantial article, no longer than 13,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography. Students present to their senior essay adviser a detailed prospectus of the essay, with bibliography, prior to midterm in the semester before the essay is due and a draft of at least ten pages, or a detailed outline of the entire essay, by the last day of reading period in the term before they enroll in RSEE 490 or 491. A member of the faculty other than the adviser grades the essay.

Students pursuing two majors need to fulfill the senior requirement of both majors. If the second major allows, students may enroll in both RSEE 490 and 491 and write a longer essay than for the single-term essay. In this case, students count the second term of the RSEE senior essay as their 13th (Russian Studies concentration) or 12th (East European or Eurasian concentration) course in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 

Advising

Qualified students may elect pertinent courses in the Graduate School with the permission of the instructor, the director of graduate studies, and the DUS.

Graduate work The European and Russian Studies program does not offer the simultaneous award of the B.A. and M.A. However, students in Yale College are eligible to complete the M.A. in European and Russian Studies (with concentration in Russia and eastern Europe) in one year of graduate work. Students interested in this option must complete eight graduate courses in the area by the time they complete the bachelor's degree. Only two courses may be counted toward both the graduate degree and the undergraduate major. Successful completion of graduate courses while still an undergraduate does not guarantee admission into the M.A. program. Students must submit the standard application for admission to the M.A. program.

Study Abroad

Students should be aware of opportunities for study and travel in Russia, eastern Europe, and Eurasia. The DUS can provide information on these programs and facilitate enrollment. Students who spend all or part of the academic year in the region participating in established academic programs usually receive Yale College credit, and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities during summers or through the Year or Term Abroad program. Students wishing to travel abroad as part of the major should consult the DUS.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

PrerequisitesRussian Studies concentration—RUSS 140, 142, 145 or S140; East European and Eurasian concentrations—two courses of first-year sequence in East European or Eurasian language 

Number of coursesRussian Studies concentration—12 term courses beyond prereqs (incl senior req); East European and Eurasian concentrations—11 term courses beyond prereqs (incl senior req)

Specific courses requiredRussian Studies concentration—RUSS 150 and 151 or equivalency exam

Distribution of coursesAll concentrations—2 courses in RSEE history; 1 RSEE-area focused course in the social sciences, as specified; 1 course in Russian, East European, or Eurasian literature or culture, in consultation with DUS; Russian Studies concentration—up to 5 language courses and/or electives in consultation with DUS to fulfill total course requirement; East European Studies and Eurasian Studies concentrations—third-year level in East European or Eurasian language or equivalency exam; remaining electives in consultation with DUS to fulfill total course requirement

Senior requirement Senior essay (RSEE 490 or 491)

• $80 application fee or fee waiver
• Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
• School Report with transcript
• Standardized test results (ACT or SAT) - not required for fall 2023 admission. (See below)
• English proficiency test results - required for non-native English-speakers (See below)
• Mid-Year Report & Final Report

See additional details about these required application components below.

Please note that if your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide an official English translation in addition to the original documents.

$80 application fee or fee waiver

Applicants should pay the $80 application fee via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Applicants using the Common Application or Coalition Application may request that the application fee be waived. Learn more on the fee waiver page. The fee waiver scale is based on family size and income in US dollars but is applicable to all international students.

Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor

Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your final or next-to-final year of secondary school.

Also request a recommendation from your school’s college counselor. If your counselor does not know you well, the recommendation may still provide helpful contextual information about your school and its academic programs. If your school does not have someone serving as a college counselor, please request a recommendation from a school administrator such as a house master, principal, or academic advisor. 

School Report with transcript

Your counselor or other school official should submit a School Report with an official transcript that includes all your secondary school courses. If a question on the School Report form is not applicable to your secondary school, leave it blank. 

Recommendations and transcripts should be submitted electronically through the Common Application or Coalition Application website. If necessary, teachers and counselors may also submit their recommendations and transcripts via mail or digital upload. Recommendations may be sent before or after you submit your application; materials that arrive before your application will be kept on file. The admissions office will make reasonable allowances for late school documents in situations where it is not possible for teachers and counselors to meet the application deadlines.

Standardized test results

In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the pandemic, Yale has temporarily suspended its requirement that first-year and transfer applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2022-23 admissions cycles for applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2023. 

More information on Yale’s test policies is available on the standardized testing page. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file. There is no minimum score required for admission, nor is there a score that will guarantee admission.

English proficiency exams

Yale requires that non-native English-speakers who have not taken at least two years of secondary education where English is the medium of instruction submit the results from any of the proficiency tests listed below.

The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.

The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.

Cambridge English exams are available at testing locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have Cambridge English scores of 185 or higher on the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or B2 First exams.

Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.

InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.

Mid-Year Report & Final Report

Students who do not receive new secondary school grades by February 1, including students who have already completed secondary school, are not required to submit a Mid-Year Report. This includes many international students. Applicants who receive new grades by February 1 should submit a Mid-Year Report.

Only admitted students are required to submit the Final Report, which provides final secondary school grades and examination marks. Admitted students submit the Final Report in the summer before fall matriculation.

If your secondary school provides predicted results for external exams such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, and other international or national testing organizations, they should be submitted by your school alongside your transcript or Mid-Year Report.

All applicants for first-year admission must submit one of the following:

• The Coalition Application with Yale-Specific Questions
• The Common Application with Yale-Specific Questions
• The QuestBridge National College Match Application

Yale will accept any one of these applications, without preference for one over another. Students should submit one—and only one—application per admissions cycle.