M.A. in Russian Literature
This degree is a prerequisite for the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Russian Literature.
Program of study: Two residence units are required for the M.A. degree. The program is normally completed in two or three semesters. Part-time students in the Free-Standing M.A. program must complete the program within four years.
Coursework: 30 points at the graduate
level, including:
- four graduate courses in Russian literature;
- the Proseminar in
Literary Studies (SLLT G8001);
- Master’s
Research Instruction (SLLT G9000);
- a Directed Research course for the
completion of the Master’s essay; and
- two graduate-level Russian language or linguistics courses: Russian for Russian Instructors (RUSS W4436) [or, for those who entered the program before Fall 2006, Specific Problems in Mastering and Teaching Russian (RUSS W4433)] plus one of the following courses:
- Reading Practicum (RUSS 4431),
- Practical Stylistics (RUSS W4434),
- Introduction to Old Church Slavonic (SLLN G4005),
- History of the Russian Literary Language (RUSS G6225),
- Structure of Modern Standard Russian (RUSS G6021),
-
Chteniia po russkoi kul’ture (RUSS W4435), or
-
Chteniia po russkoi literature (RUSS W4438).
These and one additional course required for
the M.A. are to be selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Two of the literature courses
may be taken for R (registration) credit; all other courses should be taken for
a letter grade. Students who are exempt from Russian for Russian Instructors (RUSS W4436) should take
the Practicum in Foreign Language Pedagogy (PEDG G4000) instead, ideally during their first semester of teaching.
Languages: (1) Students will be asked to undertake additional Russian language study at Columbia, or in summer programs elsewhere, if the Department’s annual placement and progress examinations indicate a need for this; and (2) a second Slavic language is encouraged but not required.
M.A. Essay: A minimum of 50 pages, begun during the second semester in the context of Master’s Research Instruction and submitted in final form no later than the end of the third semester of study. For further information, see
M.A. essay guidelines.
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M.Phil. in Russian Literature
Prerequisite: The M.A. degree in Russian Literature and formal approval by the department.
Faculty mentor: Each student is assigned a faculty mentor for the duration of the M.Phil. program.
Program
of study: Usually four semesters beyond the M.A. degree; four Residence
Units beyond the M.A. (for a total of six) are required for the M.Phil.
degree. Students should complete all requirements for the M.Phil.
degree before the end of their eighth semester of graduate study.
The
major: At least 24 points of graduate credit beyond the M.A., including:
- seven
courses in Russian literature;
- Practical Stylistics (RUSS W4434) and Introduction
to Old Church Slavonic (SLLN G4005), if not taken at the M.A. level;
- and either
the History of the Russian Literary Language (RUSS G6225) or the Structure of
Modern Standard Russian (RUSS G6021), if neither was taken at the M.A.
level.
Courses should be chosen in
consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Three of the literature courses may be taken
for R; all other courses should be taken for a letter grade.
The Minor:
No fewer than 12 points for graded credit (in addition to the required
courses for the major). All candidates must choose one of the following
departmental minor programs:
1) A second Slavic literature
(Czech, Polish, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, or Ukrainian): four or more courses,
selected in consultation with the DGS; two of which may be in language
above the elementary level; the candidate is responsible for a general
knowledge of the history of the chosen literature and a firm grasp of
one selected period, genre, or theme;
2) A non-Slavic
literature: four or more courses in another literature, selected in
consultation with the DGS; the candidate is responsible for a general
knowledge of the history of the chosen literature and a firm grasp of
one selected period, genre, or theme that links that literature to
Russian literature;
3) Russian history and culture: four or
more courses, selected in consultation with the DGS, in Russian
history, art history, music, philosophy, religion, or another relevant
field; the candidate is responsible for a general knowledge of Russian
intellectual history and a firm grasp of one period or aspect of
Russian culture apart from literature;
4) Slavic linguistics:
four or more courses, including CLSV G6100. Comparative Grammar of Slavic Languages; other courses, selected in consultation with the DGS, may include courses in Slavic linguistics and Slavic medieval studies offered in the department as well as courses in general linguistics offered outside the department; one of those courses may be an advanced course in a Slavic (non-Russian) language;
or 5) In consultation with the DGS, and with the approval of the department, students may develop their own minors.
Languages: A reading knowledge of (1) French and German; or (2) either French or German plus one other language of demonstrable importance to the student’s research. Proficiency is established by a departmental examination. Both research languages should be chosen in consultation with the DGS.
Teaching requirement: Participation in the instructional activities of the department for three years. As a rule, in the second, third, and fourth years of study, students gain exposure to teaching through participation in the Department's language and literature programs.
Comprehensive examination: Students should take the comprehensive examination during their fourth year of graduate study, preferably at the beginning of the seventh semester and at the latest at the beginning of the eighth semester. Students are examined in six areas: Old Russian Literature; Literature of the Russian Baroque and Eighteenth Century; Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature; Twentieth-Century Russian Literature; Theory, Criticism, and Genre; and the analysis of a literary text. Students take the exam on two consecutive days, writing for three hours on each day. Approximately one week after the written examination, each student meets with a three-member faculty committee for discussion of the exam.
Minor oral examination: Students should take the minor examination before the end of their eighth semester of graduate study. In consultation with faculty advisers, the student defines a topic in his or her minor field and develops a proposal for a course, including a rationale for the course, a syllabus, and an annotated bibliography. The topic should be broad enough to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the minor field. When the minor field is Slavic linguistics, the course syllabus should demonstrate knowledge of linguistic theory as well as a particular facet of Slavic linguistics.
The committee for the minor oral consists of an adviser with expertise in the minor field and two members of the Slavic Department selected by the student in consultation with the DGS. Before the oral examination, the student should consult with all members of the committee about the course proposal and submit a final copy to them well in advance of the oral. During the oral examination, the student presents a brief overview of the course and then responds to questions about the proposal and the minor field. The oral lasts two hours.
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Ph.D. in Russian Literature
Prerequisite: the M.Phil. degree in Russian Literature and formal approval by the Department.
Faculty adviser: the student chooses a faculty adviser for the dissertation.
Dissertation brief: in consultation with the adviser, the candidate prepares a dissertation brief (approximately 12 pages), consisting of the following parts: a presentation of the thesis and the rationale for the dissertation; an outline of the argument; an expanded table of contents; and a bibliography. The candidate then defends this brief before a committee consisting of the adviser and two other faculty members whose expertise is relevant to the dissertation topic. Upon receiving their approval, the candidate proceeds with the dissertation.
Dissertation: to be completed in accordance with
University regulations, normally by the end of the seventh year of graduate study.
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