MA Polish, Russian, and Central and Eastern European Studies at University of Illinois Chicago

Programme overview

The MA offers concentrations in Polish Studies, Russian Studies, or Central and Eastern European Studies. It is coursework only, with a written and oral comprehensive examination, and fall-only admission.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Duration: 37 semester hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

LCSL 502 and 503 (and recommended 504), plus at least 32 hours of 400-500 level coursework in Polish, Russian or CEES, at least 12 at the 500 level and 3 in the concentration.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Programme: fall admission only; no baccalaureate field restriction (limited status without background in Russian or Polish); at least 3.50/4.00 in courses related to the concentration; GRE not required but urged; three letters of recommendation in English; 300-word personal statement in English; 10-page minimum writing sample. International applicants: minimum English scores TOEFL iBT 80 (reading 19, listening 17, speaking 20, writing 21) for exams before 21 Jan 2026 or 4.5 overall on the new scale, IELTS Academic 6.5 (6.0 each section), PTE Academic 54, Duolingo 130.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate and professional programmes admit for Fall, Spring and Summer terms depending on the programme; applications for Fall 2027, Spring 2028 and Summer 2028 are expected to open on August 1, 2026.

Graduate and professional application deadlines are set per programme, with separate deadlines for domestic and international applicants for most non-online programmes; optional earlier priority, recommended or fellowship dates apply to both. Applications are made through the UIC graduate application or a centralized application service for some professional programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.uic.edu/admissions/

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