Helpful Information

Graduate Programs in Slavic

The Department offers the Russian placement test on Thursday (written part) and Friday (oral part) the week before the first day of classes in the fall to register for fall classes. Please make your traveling plans accordingly.

Students who wish to take a Russian placement test at any other time in the fall to register for spring semester, or who need a reading proficiency exam, or who have particular questions about placing into/out of Russian language courses including heritage courses, should contact Alla Smyslova Subject line: Placement Test.
 

For placement or proficiency exams in other Slavic languages, contact the following faculty members:

Czech: Prof. Chris Harwood
Polish: Prof. Christopher Caes
Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian: Prof. Aleksandar Boskovic
Ukrainian: Prof. Yuri Shevchuk

TIMETABLE AND LENGTH

Columbia Slavic majors are not required to write a senior thesis, but may do so if they have a research interest they would like to pursue in this format.  All Barnard students are required to write a senior thesis.

A Barnard or Columbia Slavic major who is writing a senior thesis will usually begin serious work on his or her project in the Senior Seminar, taken in the fall semester of the senior year. Some students may have undertaken preliminary research in the preceding summer, either independently or with the assistance of a Harriman Institute undergraduate fellowship. The instructor of the Senior Seminar will set deadlines for the preliminary stages of the project (proposal, research bibliography, etc.) and will assist in identifying a suitable thesis adviser to take over the supervision of the project.  (The thesis adviser will assign the final grade for the thesis.)

Students have the option of completing the thesis in the fall semester, or registering for UN3998, Supervised Individual Research, in the spring and continuing to work on the thesis for a second semester. (Note: All Barnard students majoring in Russian Regional Studies must write a two-semester thesis.)

Thesis lengths vary according to the nature of the topic and the quantity of writing the adviser considers necessary in order to address it adequately. However, a good rule of thumb is that a one-semester thesis should fill about 25 pages, a two-semester thesis about 50. Longer theses are common, shorter ones rare.

STYLE GUIDE FOR THE FINAL COPY

Format

The format should conform to the following specifications.

  • The copy should be typed (12-point font, double-spaced) on letter size (8.5"x11") paper.
     
  • Margins should be 1.5 inches on the left, and 1 inch on right, top, and bottom.
     
  • You may use either footnotes or endnotes; these should be single spaced, with a double space after each note to separate it from the following one. Footnotes should be in smaller type than the main text (recommended: 10 pt.). Endnotes should be in 12-point font.
     
  • All pages should be numbered. Preliminary matter (dedication, table of contents, acknowledgments, note on transliteration) should be numbered with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.), which should be centered at the bottom of the page. The body of the thesis (everything else, beginning with the first page of the introduction and continuing to the last page of the bibliography) should use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.), which should appear in the upper right-hand corner of each page.
     
  • You must include a title page, a table of contents, and a bibliography.
     
  • Optional elements (often included by seniors but not required) include a dedication, acknowledgments, note on transliteration (strongly recommended), chapter titles and subdivisions, a list of illustrations, preface, and appendices. If you decide to include any of these elements, follow the order set out in the section on "Required Order and Page Numbering" on the following web page:

http://gsas.columbia.edu/content/formatting-guidelines

Title page

The title page should conform to the following model:

title page template

Copies and binding

You must submit one copy of your thesis to your adviser (or one copy to each designated reader, if you are a double major with a combined senior project). The copies, if more than one, should be bound separately. We recommend velo binding with a clear vinyl cover available at most of the copy stores near or on campus. The author’s name and the title of the thesis should be visible on the front of each bound thesis. Don't forget to get a copy made for yourself, as the copy you submit to the Department will not be returned to you!

The Slavic Department strongly encourages all students to spend a semester, summer, or year abroad if at all possible. A summer or a semester studying in an academic institution in your target country can be extraordinarily rewarding, not only for your language proficiency but for learning firsthand about the country's culture and intellectual life. If Russian is your focus, you can now choose from a vast array of programs in cities ranging from the highly Westernized Moscow and St. Peterburg to more "off the beaten track" locations such as Vladimir or Irkutsk. If you are interested in another Slavic language, opportunities abound for studying in Eastern and Central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, or the Baltics.

Various possibilities for study abroad exist, and any of our faculty are happy to provide you with information about these programs and to advise you about which one best fits your academic interests. If you think that you might wish to study abroad, you should plan your academic program carefully to make sure that you will be able to fit in all your major requirements. To talk over your plans, and to determine which courses in the study abroad program may be approved for major credit on your Columbia College transcript, you should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Columbia students) or your academic adviser (Barnard students).
 

ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAMS (FALL AND/OR SPRING)

The box in the upper right corner of this page contains links to websites that may be useful to you as you plan your study abroad experience and shop for an appropriate program. The Department tends to favor programs sponsored by The Council on International Education and Exchange and by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. Both these organizations have been in the business of organizing study abroad for American students for a long time, both are recipients of government funding, and we have found them to be completely reliable. Also, please the Center for Online Education's link to their study abroad guide. In addition, the following specific programs have been approved by the Department and the University:

Programs in St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg State University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE

Russian State Pedagogical University (Gertsen)
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: ACTR / Bryn Mawr

Smolny College / St. Petersburg State University
St. Petersburg, Russia
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Bard College

Programs in Moscow, Russia

Moscow State University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: SUNY Albany

Moscow International University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: ACTR / Bryn Mawr

C.V. Starr Middlebury College School in Russia (locations also in Irkustsk and Yaroslavl)
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Middlebury College

Programs in Budapest, Hungary

University of Economic Sciences
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE

Central European University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Bard College

Programs in Prague, Czech Republic

CHP
Term: Fall or Spring
Sponsoring Institution: Direct Enrollment -see Class Dean

CERGE-EI / Charles University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Direct Enrollment - see Dean McDermott

CIEE & FAMU
Term: fall or spring
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE

Programs in the Balkans

SIT
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Term: Fall or Spring
Sponsoring Institution: SIT

If you are interested in a specific program not mentioned here, talk to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Columbia) or your academic adviser (Barnard) about it. He or she can advise you about your options.
 

SUMMER PROGRAMS

For summer programs within the United States, including at Columbia, select "Summer Study" from the menu at left.

The following is a list of intensive summer programs located in Russia, East/Central Europe, and Central Europe. The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages also maintains an up-to-date listing of intensive language programs (both summer and academic-year) in the U.S. and abroad, sorted by language. Click here to see their list.

Summer Programs in Russia:

Summer Programs in Other Slavic, East European, and Central Asian Countries

Columbia offers summer courses in Russian through the Summer Russian Practicum. See the Practicum website for details.

Summer Study Elsewhere

For summer programs located outside the U.S. (i.e., in Russia, East/Central Europe, or Central Asia) select "Study Abroad" from the menu at left.

Below is a list of summer programs within the U.S. that offer courses in Slavic, East European, and Central Asian languages and cultures. The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages also maintains an up-to-date listing of intensive language programs (both summer and academic-year) in the U.S. and abroad, sorted by language. Click here to see their list.

Summer Programs in Russian

Summer Programs in Other Slavic, East European, and Central Asian Languages

(Note: many programs offer instruction in more than one language of the region. See program websites for details of what's on offer in the current year.)