The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures - Russian and Slavic Studies offers graduate instruction at both the MA and PhD levels. Our faculty specialize in 19th and 20th century Russian literature and culture, working in such areas as the Russian Novel, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Russian Modernism, Russian Romanticism, High Stalinist Culture, Post-Soviet culture, cultural mythology, intertextuality, and women's studies. We offer a broad and flexible range of graduate seminars and our small but dynamic program allows for a great deal of personal attention, an atmosphere of collegiality, and a close-knit intellectual community.
McGill University is world renowned for its academic rigour and scholarly achievements. Located in Montreal, a cosmopolitan and vibrant city, it provides a fascinating intellectual and cultural setting for serious graduate studies.
The Department offers graduate instruction (seminar and guided independent reading courses) as well as research and thesis supervision in the fields of Russian culture and literature. Particular emphasis is laid on working with the original language; practicum courses may be allotted, at the discretion of the Department, to course work leading to advanced proficiency in this area.
Please direct all questions concerning the program of study to the Graduate Program director: laura.beraha [at] mcgill.ca (Laura Beraha)
Program Information
Master of Arts - Russian Studies (Thesis)
Master of Arts (M.A.) Russian (Thesis) (45 Credits)
Offered by:Languages,Literatures,Cultures
Degree:Master of Arts
Program Requirement:
Thesis Courses (27 credits)
The Thesis Proposal is normally submitted for review by the Department Graduate Committee at the end of the second term of residency. Candidates should consult the Department Thesis Proposal Guidelines.
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RUSS 691
M.A. Thesis Proposal
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Independent research under the supervision of the thesis advisor(s) leading to a thesis proposal.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- To be submitted to the supervisor by the end of the first year of the MA program, April 30th or November 30th as the case may be. Candidates must consult the Thesis Proposal Guidelines prepared by the Russian Studies Graduate Committee.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
-
RUSS 692
M.A. Thesis
24 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Written presentation of the thesis to the research supervisor(s).
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
12-18 credits of graduate coursework in the Department
0-6 credits of graduate coursework outside the Department, subject to approval by the Department Graduate Committee.
RUSS 600 and RUSS 601 will be added as complementary courses if the Department deems it necessary.
Doctor of Philosophy -Russian Studies
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Russian
Offered by:Languages,Literatures,Cultures
Degree:Doctor of Philosophy
Program Requirement:
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses
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RUSS 700
PhD Tutorial
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Supervised preparation for the candidate's two designated Major Fields in the PhD Comprehensive Examination.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Graduate Committee.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
-
RUSS 701
Ph.D.Comprehensive Examination
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Written and oral examination in two Major and two Minor fields of Russian literature and culture, as determined by the candidate and the Department's Graduate Committee.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
-
RUSS 702
PhD Thesis Proposal
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): PhD thesis proposal.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Graduate Committee.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
Depending on their individual background, students may be asked to take additional coursework as approved by the Department Graduate Committee.
Students must complete two of the following:
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RUSS 750
History of Russian Language
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Exploration of the principal themes and critical issues in Russian historical grammar and the history of the Russian literary language from the 10th century to the present.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Graduate Committee.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RUSS 650D1/D2.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
-
RUSS 760
Pre-Petrine Foundation
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Exploration of the principal themes and critical issues in Russian literature of the Pre-Petrine period. Comparison with similar problems in the candidate's major fields for the comprehensive examination.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Graduate Committee.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RUSS 660D1/D2.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
-
RUSS 770
18th Century Foundation
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Russian (Arts): Exploration of the principal themes and critical issues in Russian literature of the 18th century. Comparison with similar problems in the candidate's major fields for the comprehensive examination.
Offered by: Languages,Literatures,Cultures
- Prerequisite: Permission of the Department Graduate Committee.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RUSS 670D1/D2.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year
Language Requirement
Proficiency in Russian, functional ability in English and in French, and proficiency in a second Slavic language, if relevant to the research topic and where deemed appropriate by the Department Graduate Committee.
Preparing to Apply
Applicants to Russian Studies should have a high standing in Honours Russian. Further, the Department must be convinced that the candidate for admission has an aptitude for research work and will be able to make an original contribution to knowledge. Any necessary preparation to fulfill these requirements will be offered within the Department or elsewhere at McGill. Certain graduate courses may be taken by arrangement at approved universities.
Detailed instructions on how to apply and how to upload required supporting documents in the new version, please see:
https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply
https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply/prepare/checklist/documents.
Deadlines
Please note that incomplete applications (including letters of recommendation, testing scores (TOEFL, IELTS), transcripts, sample(s) of written work) by the application deadline will not be considered.
For Fall Admission: January 6 (Canadian/Permanent Resident/International).
For Winter Admission: September 15 (Canadian/Permanent Resident)
For Winter Admission: August 1 (International).
Special/Exchange/Visiting: As above.
Application and Required Documents:
Should you decide to formally apply, all supplemental application materials and supporting documents must be uploaded directly to the McGill admissions processing system.
Complete instructions :www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply/submitting-your-documents.
- Online application form.
- Application fee. You must pay a non-refundable fee or your application will not be processed.
- All university transcripts. Those transcripts not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified English or French translation (prepared by a licensed translator).
- Research proposal. Applicants are requested to send a brief statement of their interests and the areas they wish to study within the Department (1 to 3 pages).
- Two letters of recommendation. Those letters not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified English or French translation (prepared by a licensed translator). On the application form you must provide the names and email addresses of at least two professors who are familiar with your academic work. McGill will contact these referees and invite them to upload references on your behalf. Please note that although you can list public domain addresses such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo Mail on the application form, references uploaded from these addresses will not be accepted by the Department. Therefore you must list a valid institutional or corporate e-mail address for your referees.
- One or two samples of written work (in PDF format). This can be in the form of a graded paper, a chapter from a thesis, or an academic article.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores for non-native English applicants. This is a requirement of all students applying whose native language is other than English. Results must be on file by application deadline – Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies no longer process applications without official results. Minimum score of 575 or 231 computer based scale. Please note that permanent residents may be required to submit a TOEFL score. IELTS scores are also acceptable: a band score of 6.5 or greater (Academic module).
- Interview, where appropriate, if necessary by telephone, with members of the Department Graduate Committee (The Graduate Committee of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures - Russian and Slavic Studies consists of all faculty members of the Department and, where appropriate, scholars invited from related fields).
Contact Information:
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
McGill University
680 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2M7
info.llcu [at] mcgill.ca (Email)
Phone: (514) 398-3650