MA in Russian: Options
- Four summers at the graduate level in the Russian School (completing a total of 12 Middlebury "units," or courses)
- After the first summer, called the summer of application, the degree may be completed in one of the following ways: three summers at the Vermont campus; an academic year abroad in Moscow and one summer in Middlebury; or, with special permission, a semester in Moscow and two summers in Middlebury.
Program Details
Students must successfully complete a preliminary summer of study (called summer of application) on the Vermont campus before being officially accepted to degree candidacy. Admission to the School in Russia is based on performance in three summer courses and on faculty recommendation. Degree candidates must complete the MA program in a final summer on the Middlebury campus.
MA degree candidacy is confirmed upon successful completion of a six-week summer session at the Middlebury Russian School.
A maximum of three units may be transferred from other graduate programs with approval of the director of academic records. Only courses taken after formal admission to degree candidacy may be transferred, i.e., courses taken at other institutions prior to the first summer of study may not be applied toward a Middlebury MA degree. The program of study for MA candidates is individually planned in consultation with the director. For further information, consult the list of courses on the School of Russian website, or contact the school coordinator, John Stokes, at jstokes@middlebury.edu or 802.443.5230.
Summer Study in Vermont
The Russian School offers a rich and varied program of activities outside the classroom. These activities are an integral part of the language and cultural studies program and can make great contributions toward improvements in students’ language proficiency, as well as cultural literacy; both undergraduate and graduate students are therefore strongly encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities. Events include films (many subtitled), faculty and guest lectures and performances, tea evenings, theater and choir productions, the talent show, the school newspaper and radio program, soccer and volleyball, concerts, parties, and receptions.
What makes the Middlebury experience unique is its long-standing observance of the "language pledge," a commitment each student makes in writing to use the Russian language exclusively for the duration of the session.
Academic Year in Russia
The Middlebury College School in Russia Graduate Program is based at the Russian State University of the Humanities(RGGU), arguably one of the most progressive institutions of higher education in Russia. Established in 1991 on the site of the former Historical Archives Institute, the university has taken advantage of many of the freedoms available in post-Soviet Russia and has developed a curriculum and educational philosophy which distinguish it from many of its counterparts in the country.
The university now comprises nine institutes, eleven faculties, twenty scientific and teaching centers, eight scientific laboratories and fifty-two departments. More than four thousand undergraduate students are enrolled at RGGU each year, along with 200 graduate students (кандидат level) and fifteen doctoral candidates (доктор наук).
Graduate students are allowed to take a maximum of three courses at RGGU specially designed for Middlebury graduate students, into which only those students are admitted. The rest of the courses must be “mainstream” courses, in which Middlebury graduate students are in class with Russian students regularly enrolled at RGGU.
MA candidates may study in Irkutsk only if their academic program justifies that location.