Central European, Russian and Eurasian Studies Major

Note: The major in Central European, Russian and Eurasian Studies is currently under review and is not admitting students. For further information, please contact the Program Director, Dr. Mikhail Dolbilov at dolbilov@umd.edu.

College of Arts and Humanities
2115 Francis Scott Key Hall
Phone: 301-405-4284
dolbilov@umd.edu

Program Director: Mikhail Dolbilov, Ph.D.

The CERES program fosters in-depth knowledge of the region stretching from Prague in the West to Vladivostok in the East. This includes three main areas:  Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia (the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union). Our majors prepare for careers and graduate programs in which an in-depth knowledge of Russia, Central Europe, and Eurasia can be applied with great benefit, such as journalism, government service, diplomacy, business, a variety of professional schools, and M.A. and Ph.D. programs in the humanities and social sciences. Our majors take courses in a range of different departments, gaining a firm grounding in the languages, literatures, history, politics, and economics of their area of study. They have the flexibility to do coursework in other fields related to the area as well. Students learn to examine our area of study with the tools of many scholarly fields. Courses that count toward this major may be found under the following acronyms:  ARTH, ECON, GEOG, GERM, GVPT, HIST, PHIL, RUSS, SOCY, THET.

Admission to the Major

Admission is open to all interested students but should be approved in a meeting with the Director.

Placement in Courses

Placement in language courses is determined by the advisor for a given language. Before you enroll in a Russian or German language class, you must take the online "Foreign Language Placement Assessment": http://arhu.umd.edu/undergraduate/flpa/. However, final placement into the correct level will be determined by the advisor for the language you wish to study.

Program Objectives

The program strives to promote interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to studying the languages, history and culture across the vast region of the former Soviet Union and Eastern and Central Europe.

Program Learning Outcomes

Having completed the multi-disciplinary degree program, students are expected to attain the following learning outcomes:

  1. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in writing in either Russian, German, or a Central/East European language (including Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Serbian and Croatian, Bulgarian, and Romanian); or in a Eurasian language (i.e., a language from a country formerly part of the Soviet Union).
    2.
  2. Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct research using primary and secondary sources including archival, print and non-print, and web-based texts.
    3.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge and skills from various relevant disciplines, such as history, literary scholarship, sociology, religion studies, and political science, to understanding the area’s historical and contemporary complexity.

Click here for roadmaps for four-year plans in the College of Arts and Humanities.

Additional information on developing a four-year academic plan can be found on the following pages:

Course selection and progress toward programmatic requirements are to be discussed individually through meetings with the CERES director.

Undergraduate Research Experiences

Students are encouraged to pursue research, internship and study abroad experiences. Such opportunities should be discussed individually with the director.

Internships

Students are encouraged to seek off-campus internships that may be available in the greater DC-Baltimore area. Earning academic credit for such experiences should be discussed individually with the director.

Student Societies and Professional Organizations

CERES majors are eligible for nomination to national honor societies related to their studies, including Dobro Slovo, the National Slavic Honor Society.

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) administers a variety of federal, state and institutional financial assistance programs and, in cooperation with other university offices, participates in the awarding of scholarships to deserving students. For information, visit: http://financialaid.umd.edu.