European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies
Dunton Tower 1311
Tel.: 613-520-2888
carleton.ca/eurus

M.A. European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Master's candidates must obtain a grade of B- or higher on each credit counted towards the degree.

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Admission Requirements

The normal requirement for admission to the master's program is an honours degree (or equivalent), with at least a B+ average.

For admission to the program, applicants should normally meet the following requirements:

A B.A. Honours degree (or equivalent) in a humanities or social science discipline, with at least 3.0 credits in the European/Russian/Eurasian area covering three different disciplines (excluding language courses); and

A reading knowledge of an appropriate major European language (normally equivalent to two academic years of instruction, or one year with an intensive summer program) or, at the discretion of the Institute, equivalent knowledge of another of the region's languages. Applicants admitted with no proficiency or inadequate proficiency in an appropriate language will require additional language training beyond normal M.A. requirements.

Practical experience in the area of study will also be taken into consideration.

Applicants who do not have the required interdisciplinary background in the European/Russian/Eurasian area are encouraged to apply to the program, but additional coursework beyond the 5.0 credits may be required.

Qualifying Year

Applicants who have a general (three-year) bachelor's degree in one of the disciplines represented in the program, or who lack sufficient area studies or language training, may be admitted to a qualifying-year program designed to raise their status to that of honours graduates in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. Students are expected to achieve a B+ average or better in the qualifying-year program in order to qualify for admission to the Master's year.

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Program Requirements

  1. Students in the program must complete 5.0 credits, consisting of the following:
    • EURR 5001, which is a 0.5-credit core seminar offered specially by the Institute. The course incorporates the approaches of several relevant disciplines and introduces students to a variety of methodological approaches and tools needed to design and implement research projects;
    • Selection of a concentration (either Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies or European and European Union Studies), with 1.0 credit of course work from the concentration course list provided below under the description of each concentration;
    • Either EURR 5200 (recommended for students selecting the Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies concentration), or EURR 5300 (recommended for students selecting the European and European Union Studies concentration);
    • An additional 1.0 credit in coursework chosen with the approval of the graduate supervisor from the electives course list below;
    • Either EURR 5908 (1.0 credit), a research essay related to the concentration, incorporating the approaches of at least two disciplines represented in the program; the research essay must be defended orally and combined with an additional 1.0 credit coursework chosen with the approval of the graduate supervisor from the electives course list below,

or

  • EURR 5909 (2.0 credits), an M.A. thesis on a topic related to the concentration, which must combine interdisciplinary approaches with a greater degree of originality and a greater use of primary sources than that required of the research essay. The thesis must be defended orally. The thesis option cannot be taken without the specific permission of the graduate supervisor.
  • No more than 1.0 credit may be taken at the 4000-level. No more than 0.5 credit in a language discipline may be counted towards program requirements. If a student fulfils the language proficiency requirement by completing course work as outlined in point 2 below, 0.5 credit of a 4000-level course completed to fulfill that requirement may also count towards fulfillment of program requirements, so long as no more than 1.0 credit is taken at the 4000-level overall.
  1. Completion of the language requirement:
    • Each student must demonstrate language proficiency. Students entering the M.A. program with no language proficiency or inadequate language proficiency will require extra coursework and/or summer language training to meet the language proficiency requirement.
    • For the Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies concentration the student may select German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian or Serbian/Croatian. For the European and European Union Studies concentration the student may select French, German, Italian, Polish or Spanish. A student may request permission to use another major language to fulfill this requirement. However, the requested language (a) must be utilized in undertaking research for the research essay or M.A. thesis; and (b) its selection must be approved by the graduate supervisor.
    • Proficiency in the approved language may be demonstrated by successful completion of a written translation examination to be administered by the Institute or by completion of the appropriate language from the following list with a minimum grade of B+: RUSS 4010 and RUSS 4020; GERM 4110; either SPAN 3110, or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; ITAL 3110; or 1.0 credit in FREN at the 4000-level.
Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

Students in the 5.0-credit program with sufficient proficiency in Russian, German or another approved language are expected to complete the degree within three to four terms of study. Students participating in international exchanges will normally require longer to complete degree requirements.

Concentrations

While one of the program's goals is to provide students with an integrative approach to the entire region, the concentration assures that each student's individual program will retain a particular focus. Europe and Eurasia have become increasingly integrated in terms of theoretical and methodological approaches. However, the two sub-regions covered by the program have distinct histories and legacies along with differing intellectual traditions. Selection of a concentration assures that each student's program will have an adequate level of intellectual coherence. Students studying the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe that are EU member states or candidates for membership may select either concentration, depending on the thematic focus of the student's work.

The Institute offers two concentrations that draw systematically from the program's range of courses and expertise. Students are required to pursue one of these concentrations:

  • Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies
  • European and European Union (EU) Studies
Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies

This concentration involves an interdisciplinary focus on the communist legacy and challenges facing countries in transition, with a geographic scope covering eastern and southeastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus and post-Soviet Central Asia.

It is recommended that students pursuing this concentration complete EURR 5200 rather than EURR  5300.

Concentration course elective list: EURR 4002 or EURR 5002, EURR 4101, EURR 4205, EURR  4207, EURR 5005, EURR 5007, EURR 5008 EURR 5102, EURR 5107, EURR 5202, EURR 5203, EURR 5204, HIST 5600, PSCI 4501, PSCI 4503, PSCI 4601, PSCI 5104, PSCI 5105, PSCI 5106, SOCI 5804

European and European Union Studies

This concentration focuses on countries involved in the European Union and on European integration processes, consequences, and dynamics from an interdisciplinary perspective, including EU enlargement and relations of the EU with other states.

It is recommended that students pursuing this concentration complete EURR 5300 rather than EURR 5200.

Concentration course elective list: EURR 4006, EURR 5003, EURR 5005, EURR 5008, EURR 5102, EURR 5104, EURR 5105, EURR 5106, EURR 5108, EURR 5201, EURR 5204, EURR 5205, EURR 5302, INAF 5804, INAF 5805, PSCI 4501, PSCI 5503, HIST 5100, HIST 5200

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Electives Course List

Art History

ARTH 4202 Topics in Eastern Medieval Art

Economics

ECON 5603, ECON 5806, ECON 5807

History

HIST 4600 Seminar in Russian History

HIST 5100, HIST 5200, HIST 5600, HIST 5800, HIST 5810, HIST 5811

International Affairs

INAF 5202, INAF 5206, INAF 5602, INAF 5804, INAF 5805

Law

LAWS 4806 The Civilist Tradition

Political Science

PSCI 4501 Gender and Politics in Post Communist Societies

PSCI 4503 Politics of Central Eurasia
PSCI 4601 Foreign Policies of Soviet Successor States

PSCI 5104, PSCI 5105, PSCI 5106, PSCI 5201 PSCI 5404, PSCI 5503, PSCI 5506, PSCI 5509, PSCI 5803, PSCI 5806

Russian

RUSS 4010 Fourth-Year Russian I

RUSS 4020 Fourth-Year Russian II

Sociology

SOCI 5804

European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

EURR 4006 European Integration and the Business Environment in East/ Central Europe

EURR 4101 The Balkans
EURR 4205 Gender and Politics in Post- Communist Societies
EURR 4207 Politics of Central Eurasia

EURR 5000, EURR 5001, EURR 5002, EURR 5003, EURR 5005, EURR 5007, EURR 5008, EURR 5100, EURR 5102, EURR 5103, EURR 5104, EURR 5105, EURR 5106, EURR 5107, EURR 5108, EURR 5201, EURR 5202, EURR 5203, EURR 5204, EURR 5205, EURR 5301, EURR 5900, EURR 5901, EURR 5902, EURR 5903, EURR 5904, EURR 5905, EURR 5906

Other 4000- and 5000-level courses may be approved by the graduate supervisor as EURUS credits if they are deemed appropriate to a particular student's objectives.

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Co-operative Education Program in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

The co-op education program provides students in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies the opportunity to combine work terms with academic study. The practical experiences obtained in the workplace will reflect and extend knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, and will help to develop career interests and marketable expertise. All students in the M.A. Program in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies have the opportunity to enrol in the co-op education program.

Admission Requirements

Students interested in admission into the co-op education option must apply by the end of the first semester of academic study.

To be eligible for admission to the co-op option, students must:

  1. be registered in the M.A. in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies;
  2. have successfully completed, by the start-date of the first work term, the required first-year core classes (EURR 5001 or EURR 5001, and EURR 5200 or EURR 5300)
  3. be registered full-time in each academic term prior to work term.
  4. be eligible to work in Canada (for off-campus work terms).

In addition, students whose first language is not English who are admitted to Carleton based on CAEL, IELTS or TOEFL assessments must also meet the following requirement: either a score of 6.0 on the CAEL Spoken English Test for Co-op students, or a score of 22 on the TOEFL test for spoken English, or a score of 6.5 on the IELTS test for spoken English.

Meeting the preceding requirements only establishes eligibility for admission to the co-op option  - the prevailing job market may limit enrolment in it. Students should also note that hiring priority is given to Canadian citizens for co-op positions under the auspices of the Public Service Commission. Work terms for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies co-op students exist in a variety of public and private sector fields. Every effort will be made to ensure that there are appropriate work opportunities available, but there are no assurances that a co-op position will be found. Students with a high CGPA, enthusiasm, and potential, however, will have a competitive edge in securing co-op employment. Students will be assisted by the Carleton University Co-op Office to find work term positions.

Continuation

Students admitted to the co-op program will begin their first work term at the end of Year 1 and will rotate between academic and work terms through to the end of their program. Students must include two work terms in their program of study and may choose any combination of work terms.

The sequence of academic (A) / work (W) terms is as follows:

Calendar Year Fall
Term		 Winter
Term		 Summer Term
Year 1 A A W1
Year 2 W2 or A W3 or A A
Year 3 A    

 

Note: students are permitted to enrol in one 0.5 credit course during each work term.

Registration

Students who are accepted into the Co-op Education Option in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies must be registered in one of the following courses in each work term:

EURR 5910 Work Term 1
EURR 5911 Work Term 2

Note: these courses do not carry academic course credit, but are noted on academic transcripts.

Graduation

Students must successfully complete two work terms, in addition to the M.A. in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies requirements, to successfully graduate and receive a co-op designation on their final transcript and diploma.

Appeals

The Co-op Office administers the regulations and procedures applicable to the co-op option, and will report any situation of a student failing to report to a placement or being required to withdraw from the co-op option for any reason to the Director of the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies for a final decision. Any decision may be appealed through the normal channels of the University.

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Diploma in European Integration Studies

About the Program

This diploma program is only open to students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at Carleton University and is intended to provide an additional qualification to the student's main degree. Applications to the program should be made to the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. Some previous coursework or practical experience in the field of European Studies is a prerequisite for admission to the program. The purpose of the diploma program is to supplement the student's program of study by providing in-depth study of processes of European integration from an interdisciplinary perspective and thus to prepare the student for professional work or further study in this field.

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Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

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Program Requirements

Students must complete 2.5 credits of coursework and take part in a non-credit seminar EURR 5809.

Of the 2.5 credits required for the diploma, 1.0 credit must be unique to the diploma program and may not be counted toward meeting requirements for the student's main degree program. The unique diploma courses must include EURR 5003 and one additional course on the primary option list.

In addition to English, the student must demonstrate proficiency in a second European language (approved languages are subject to the discretion of the Institute), as certified by a language examination.

Up to 0.5 course credits towards the Diploma may be taken at another university, subject to the approval of the Director and the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In order to gain approval, such course work must be completed at a level equivalent to the 5000-level and its content must be relevant to the Diploma program.

Note: in order to be awarded the Diploma, students must apply to graduate with the Diploma at the same time as they apply to graduate with their M.A. or Ph.D.

Required courses:
  • EURR 5003 Social and Political Perspective in Europe
  • EURR 5809 Seminar in European Integration Studies
Primary Option List

At least two of the following:

Secondary Option List

One additional credit, which may include:

Other 5000-level courses may be approved by the graduate supervisor as Diploma credits if they are deemed appropriate to the program.

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