IMARES: International MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies

  Russia

• St. Petersburg: 
St. Petersburg

Term: Academic Year 
Dates: One academic year

Description: Whether because of global energy concerns, regional and ethnic conflicts, economic growth, migration, East-West relations, or political unpredictability, the Eurasian space continues to attract international attention. The International MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies (IMARES) at EUSP is designed to meet this strong interest by engaging the many analytical challenges posed therein.

IMARES provides training in the politics, economy, society, and history of Russia and neighboring Eurasian states. It combines the highest standards of teaching in English by Russian and international faculty with the advantages of living in St. Petersburg, Russia's cultural capital. A separate teaching module on Empire and Islam is offered in Kazan, the city where Slavic and Turkic civilizations meet. We offer a comprehensive and varied curriculum.

IMARES, an advanced graduate program for students who already hold a B.A. degree or its equivalent, offers training and research opportunities as well as firsthand experience to get a close feel for Russia and the many other countries in the wider region. In 1998 this program began as M.A. in Russian Studies. More than 200 international students have taken our Russian Studies courses and about 80 M.A. degrees have been awarded.

Highlights: In addition to registering for two residence units (one for each semester) an IMARES student must take at least six courses during the year. The program consists of two divisions:
    * Politics and Economy
    * Society and History

It is strongly recommended that students choose their major area and observe the 4+2 configuration, accordingly:
    * At least four courses in the student's major area of interest;
    * At least two courses in the minor area.
(Please note that language courses do not count towards course requirements.)

Master's Essay: 12 ECTS credits
All students must submit a Master's Essay for the evaluation by two faculty members, one being the academic advisor. Each essay, generally resulting from research undertaken for a seminar or a colloquium, must be sponsored by an EUSP faculty member and be an original piece of research, interpretation, or analysis based, at least in part, on primary source materials. Essays generally must be 50-75 pages in length, fully footnoted, and include bibliographies. Essays must be within the student's major area of interest and deal with a topic directly related to the student's chosen program of study during the year. Essays must be submitted during the academic residence period by the designated deadline. Students who submit essays after the original period of their academic residence will be subject to extended residence charges.

Courses from the Russian program and the Transfer of Credits
Two courses in a field other than language, from those taught in Russian at other EUSP departments, may be accepted for IMARES. All courses on the EUSP Course List, which is published at the beginning of each academic year, except those courses that are listed under the department of economics, automatically qualify for credit transfer. In order to acquire transfer credits, students must fulfill respective course requirements.

NB: The language of instruction in EUSP outside IMARES is Russian. In such credit-transfer courses students will have to produce an acceptable course paper (essay) of direct relevance to Russian history, politics, culture and society, the USSR, Eurasia or the post-Communist states. The paper can be submitted either in Russian or in English.

Time Constraints
It is expected that students in the IMARES program must complete all the degree requirements during one academic year. However, certain exceptions can be made for those who wish to improve their command of Russian and thus would opt to complete all the requirements over the period of two years. Such students will have to register for two full residence units in the first year and for extended residence in the following year.

Degree Level: Masters Degree

Minimum Education: Bachelors

Cost in US$: USD 11,000 per year or USD 5,500 per semester

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Russia Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of under 15

Scholarships are Available. IMARES applicants are eligible for many US and EU scholarship programs

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

European University at St. Petersburg's Mission Statement:
The EUSP has a commitment to the integration of Russian scholarship with scholarship in Europe and America. Against the background of Russian scholarship's continuing isolation from the West, this is a fundamentally important position.

The mission of the University is to satisfy societal needs in raising and expanding professional qualification of specialists and in developing their creative and scholarly potential on the basis of achievements of Russian and international experience and cooperation.

Year Founded: 1995