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Studies & Degrees in Slavic Studies

Slavic studies is the study of the Slavic languages and of the literatures, history and cultures of the peoples who speak them. The Slavic languages include Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Slovene, and Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian. Universities also use the names Slavic languages and literatures, Slavonic studies, Russian studies, or Russian and East European studies.

Students learn at least one Slavic language to an advanced level and study the region through its literature, film, history, politics and linguistics. Many departments accept beginners. The University of Chicago, for example, states that it offers several levels in its languages so that students with no experience can reach advanced proficiency before they graduate. Departments often also teach non-Slavic languages of the same region, such as Hungarian or Romanian.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. In the United States the subject is taken as a major within a bachelor's degree. The size of the major varies. At the University of Chicago the major in Russian and East European Studies requires six courses in Russian or an East European language at intermediate level or above, plus a gateway course, a proseminar and four electives. The University of Washington offers three majors and three minors, among them a B.A. in Eastern European Languages, Literature, and Culture and a B.A. in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture. Duke University offers two majors, Russian Studies and Slavic & Eurasian Studies.
  • Minors and joint degrees. Slavic studies is often combined with another subject, such as history, political science, linguistics or international relations.
  • Master's degrees and doctorates. Research universities offer M.A. and PhD programmes in Slavic languages, literatures or linguistics. The University of Washington has both a Master of Arts programme and a doctoral programme. Duke University offers a master's in Russian Culture.
  • Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits and official master's degrees 60, 90 or 120. Slavic languages are normally studied within a broader modern languages degree. At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Grado en Lenguas Modernas y sus Literaturas replaced the earlier degree in Filología Eslava, among others. It follows a major-minor model: about two thirds of the credits go to a first language and its literature and about one third to a second.

Which language to choose

Russian is the most widely taught Slavic language and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Six Slavic languages are official languages of the European Union: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian. The choice of languages differs by university. The University of Chicago teaches Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian. The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), whose department was founded in 1948, offers seven languages of the region. Duke teaches Polish and Russian. Check the department's course list before applying, because smaller languages are not offered every year.

Study abroad is a normal part of the degree. Chicago, for instance, lets students spend a quarter or a year at the Central European University in Vienna.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 21 active schools for Slavic studies. Sixteen are in the United States and two in Germany. Canada, Japan and Russia have one each.

Examples in the United States are the University of Chicago, the University of Washington, Duke University, UCLA, Stanford University, Yale University, Harvard University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Pittsburgh. In Germany the listed schools are the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and the University of Bremen. McGill University in Canada, where Russian studies is part of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and The University of Tokyo in Japan are also listed.

Courses on literature and culture are usually taught in the language of the country (English in the United States and Canada, German in Germany), while language classes are taught in the Slavic language itself.

Careers

Graduates use their language and regional knowledge in many fields. The University of Chicago names government, NGOs, human rights, law, international business, translation, teaching and research. The University of Washington notes that alumni also go on to graduate study or to professional programmes such as law or foreign service.

For translation and interpreting, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree, and it projects employment to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. This figure covers all languages and applies to the United States only.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know Russian or another Slavic language before I start?

Usually not. Many departments teach their languages from beginner level; the University of Chicago states that students with no experience can reach advanced proficiency before they graduate. Students who already know a language take a placement test.

Is Slavic studies only about Russian?

No. Departments also teach languages such as Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, and courses cover Central and Eastern Europe as a whole.

Can I study Slavic languages in Spain?

Yes, normally as part of a modern languages degree. The Grado en Lenguas Modernas y sus Literaturas of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, for example, replaced the earlier Filología Eslava degree and combines a first and a second language.

What can I do with a degree in Slavic studies?

Typical paths are translation and interpreting, teaching, diplomacy and public service, international organisations and NGOs, journalism, international business and academic research.