Doctoral Degree Program 

The Slavic Department is currently admitting students to its doctoral degree program focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the cultures of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia.  The Ph.D. program provide rigorous professional training in Slavic languages, literatures and cultures in a supportive atmosphere and interdisciplinary framework.

To apply for the PhD program in Slavic Studies, you must submit your application through the Division of the Humanities Admissions website by December 15 for admission the following fall quarter. The application window is open each year from September until December 15. Once you submit your application to the Humanities Division, it will be forwarded to our department for review. Please note that we cannot consider late applications.

Joint Ph.D. Degree Programs

Students who apply to Slavic Languages and Literatures as a second Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago are required to fulfill all of the Department’s Ph.D. requirements. Courses from their primary program of Ph.D. study may be used to satisfy the minor field requirement. Students wishing to pursue a joint degree with Slavic should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies, as well as the guidelines provided by the Humanities Division.

Master of Arts Degree

The University of Chicago offers MA training in Slavic Studies through the Masters of Arts Program in Humanities.  This is a one or two-year program: in the one-year format, students build their own curriculum with graduate-level courses in any humanities department (including Slavic Languages and Literatures) and complete a thesis with a University of Chicago faculty advisor. In the two-year option, students receive additional training in their language(s) of specialization at a vastly reduced tuition cost.

The Division of Humanities accepts two rounds of applications to this program, with deadlines of Jan. 3 and May 2. See the MAPH website for more details. Once you submit your application to the Humanities Division, it will be forwarded to our department for review. Please note that we cannot consider late applications. 

Required application materials include:

• a statement of purpose written in English
• a writing sample of 15-20 pages in English or the language of specialization
• a current c.v.
• 3 letters of recommendation
• transcripts for all previous degrees and coursework
• TOEFL or IELTS test scores from within the preceding 2 years if needed to meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement

The online application form can be found here.

For more details about the application process, see https://humanities.uchicago.edu/students/admissions/application-instructions.

If you have questions about the status of application materials or about the admissions process, please contact humanitiesadmissions@uchicago.edu or (773) 702-1552. 

For questions about the graduate program, please contact the graduate advisor, Bożena Shallcross, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, bshallcr@uchicago.edu

If you have any questions about the PhD program that are not answered by our website, please contact us at slavic-department@uchicago.edu