Russian and East European Studies
Due to the disruption ensuing from the tragic events in Ukraine, the Penn-EUSP program is cancelling admissions for the current academic year. We offer thanks to those who applied this year for their interest in our program.
The Penn-EUSP Dual M.A. Degree in REES is a two year program of study. Each Penn-EUSP student pursues a specified academic discipline of concentration represented among the faculty of the Graduate Group (anthropology, art history, demography, film studies, history, international business studies, international relations, energy policy, Jewish studies, literary and cultural history, medieval studies, political science, sociology, etc.), as selected by students in the applications process (see below). Each student will study, or demonstrate competence in, a language of Russia, Eastern Europe, or Eurasia.
Students spend the first year at Penn and the second year at EUSP. At Penn, coursework must include two core courses: REES 502 and REES 503, “Introduction to REES I” and “Introduction to REES II,” providing an overview of REES fields, disciplines, and methods, and elective courses in students’ chosen disciplines. During the summer between year one and two, students engage in archival, library, field or other relevant research towards a thesis project, with joint supervision by a member of the Penn faculty and a member of the EUSP faculty. Coursework at EUSP includes additional core courses and electives corresponding to students’ individual needs. Students complete their theses during the second year of the program.
Our program is distinct from most comparable M.A. programs in the US or in Russia. Rather than create a silo of faculty and students with Russia interests, yet with poorly articulated disciplinary focus at the level of curriculum, our program arches across both Penn and EUSP, integrating students and faculty with the many departmental communities of these two institutions. Rather than educate students in area studies REES knowledge without disciplinary specialization, our program will combine area studies with focused work in specific disciplines. Rather than sequestering students in a US institution for a year or two, our program is fully international, and will insert students into leading academic networks in both Russia and the USA.
