MA Program Tracks
Candidates for the MA in Russian can earn their degree by either completing four summers on the Vermont campus or by completing an initial summer in Vermont, followed by an academic year in Russia and a final summer in Vermont.
Admission Requirements
• Applicants must hold a BA or its equivalent and must have completed course work equivalent to a major in Russian. To be accepted, applicants must be able to demonstrate intermediate-high proficiency on placement tests taken as part of the admissions process.
• In addition to transcripts and recommendations, all applicants to the graduate program, including non-degree students, must submit a two-page writing sample in Russian. The paper may be on any topic.
• "Non-degree" students (e.g., candidates for degrees at other institutions or individuals who want to take advanced courses in Russian) are also welcome to apply, but must meet the same requirements as degree-seeking applicants.
• The GRE is not required.
• All students must complete an initial summer in the School of Russian on the Middlebury, Vermont campus in order to qualify for degree candidacy.
Degree Requirements
• Successful completion of 12 course units
Program Options
• 1 summer in Vermont, 1 academic year in Moscow or Irkutsk, and a final summer in Vermont
• 4 summers on the campus in Vermont
Additional requirements
Candidates for the MA in Russian are expected to take a balanced program including, among the 12 courses required for completion of the degree, at least two courses in each of the following areas: language and linguistics, literature, and civilization. As one of the 12 courses, candidates must take one Independent Study course (RUSS 6888) on the Middlebury campus, in which they complete the required MA thesis paper in Russian. Research for this paper is normally started during the candidate's year abroad in Moscow, or during the second or third graduate summer at Middlebury.
A normal load is three courses per summer. Middlebury College awards one unit of graduate credit (a unit equals three semester hours) for each graduate course.
Students may enroll in the Master of Arts degree program, the Doctor of Modern Languages degree program, or as a non-degree student taking graduate courses for transfer credit or for personal development.
