BA/MA in Slavic Studies

Columbia and Barnard undergraduate students with a deep interest in Slavic languages, literatures, and cultures may pursue a BA/MA option. The BA/MA option allows current undergraduate students to begin taking graduate-level courses during their senior year and earn credits that will count towards their MA program after they graduate with their BA.

The MA degree in Slavic qualifies students to engage in professional careers associated with Eastern Europe and Russia, from diplomacy to NGOs. It also sufficiently prepares them for PhD graduate programs.

The Department offers three MA degrees: Slavic Languages (track in Russian literature and track in Slavic languages and cultures), Slavic Cultures, and Russian Translation (currently not admitting new students).

Eligibility

Typically, students can apply for the BA/MA option during their junior year, but they can also do it during the first semester of their senior year. You may not be a major/minor in Slavic to apply for the BA/MA program.

For the MA in Slavic Languages and Russian Translation, applicants to the BA/MA program should demonstrate an intermediate high/advanced low language proficiency in Russian or another Slavic language (the equivalent of 3 years of college-level language classes). The MA in Slavic Cultures does not have a language requirement.

Requirements

30 credits comprised of 9-10 courses at the 4000-level or higher. An MA thesis is optional. If a student decides to write an MA essay, they are granted 4 credits for the directed research toward its completion.

Transfer credit

Up to three courses (9-12 credits) related to Slavic Studies taken before declaring the BA/MA option can be transferred toward the MA degree. Transfer credit will be granted ONLY for courses taken in excess of the 124-credit requirement for the Columbia or Barnard bachelor's degree (i.e., courses that did not count toward the undergraduate major, concentration, or general education requirements). Transfer credit courses must be taken for a letter grade, and the grade received must be B or better.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies or visit the GSAS website for information about Columbia's BA/MA programs.