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

Programme overview

The PhD offers concentrations in Polish Studies, Russian Studies, or Central and Eastern European Studies, with a written and oral preliminary exam and a dissertation based on original research.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Duration: Minimum 96 semester hours from the baccalaureate or 64 from a master's degree | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

In addition to the 37 master's hours or equivalent, 32 hours of didactic coursework including CEES 550 and 551, three concentration courses and one History course, plus dissertation research (CEES 599).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Programme: fall admission only; BA, MA or equivalent in Polish, Russian or a related field; at least 3.50/4.00 in concentration courses; GRE not required but urged; three letters; personal statement of at least 500 words 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.

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

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