Program Overview

Graduate Program Overview

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers a graduate program designed to guide students through the production of a publishable paper and the presentation of this paper in a simulated conference situation.

MA Requirements

• Deadline: To be completed by the end of the spring quarter of the student's second year.
• Advisor Selection: Each second-year student selects an advisor no later than the beginning of Winter term.
• Thesis Development: Under the adviser's supervision, a student selects a topic, develops an argument, and writes a thesis.
• Coursework: Each student, in order to qualify for the MA degree, must complete all the required coursework, including an independent study with his or her adviser.
• Residency Requirement: The minimum residency requirement for the Master of Arts degree is the equivalent of three quarters of full-time registration in courses authorized by the Graduate Faculty for graduate credit.

Procedure

• Master's Thesis Committee: The master's thesis committee includes an adviser and 1 or 2 readers.
• Thesis Submission: After a thesis is finalized and submitted to the committee (2 weeks prior to the defense), a student should prepare his/her presentation, which constitutes the Master's examination.
• Presentation: The student presents a 20-25 minute brief version of the paper orally to the faculty and the other graduate students and fields questions from the audience.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Written Paper: The Master's exam presentation is evaluated on the written paper (based on the Master's thesis submitted); students are expected to write their paper as if it would be a potential publication.
2. Oral Presentation: Evaluation of the oral presentation (20-25 min long).
3. Ability to Answer Questions: Ability to answer questions and argue his/her points in the discussion following the oral presentation.

Examination and Progression

• Passing the Exam: The master's exam is passed upon the approval of two more faculty members (outside of the Master's committee), assigned by the Director of Graduate Studies.
• Failure and Retake: If a student fails any individual section of this exam, he/she has the opportunity to take it a second time next academic quarter. If a student fails this exam a second time, he/she is not allowed to continue towards Ph.D degree.