M.A. – Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
REECAS Graduate Certificate
Click here for the REECAS Graduate Certificate brochure
The Ellison Center at the Henry M. Jackson School is proud to announce the new Graduate Certificate in Russian, East European, Central Asia Studies (REECAS). The program is designed for graduate students to acquire in-depth knowledge of REECAS regions and to develop interdisciplinary analytical and academic skills by taking sixteen student-credit hours at the 500 level or above. Students will have the opportunity to work with over 60 faculty members who are nationally recognized leaders in the REECAS field. The Certificate will be an added qualification for students already pursuing professional, masters, or doctoral degrees.
Who is Eligible:
• Matriculated Graduate Students
• Matriculated Professional Students
• International Scholars & Fellows engaged in research & funded training programs at UW.
Note: Students are not required to have previous regional language experience, however language experience will strengthen their application.
Objectives:
• Provide a thorough grounding in REECAS history and key economic, social and political issues affecting contemporary society in the region.
• Improve oral and written communication skills
• Enhance understanding of the relationship between REECAS and other areas of the world and to global questions of political, social, cultural and environmental change.
Requirements (16 credits):
• Survey of Eurasia [JSIS A 504] (5 credits) provides a basic intellectual foundation for graduate-level study of Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia through a historical exploration of some of the key issues underlying social and political change throughout the region. Students are introduced to UW Library resources, read key texts, write essays, and participate in discussions on a series of core topics taught by various REECAS faculty members: the collapse of empires and the rise of the nation-state; the nature of Stalinism; the sources of regional ethnic conflict and cooperation; and the challenges of current-day globalization (Offered every Fall).
• Graduate Certificate Capstone [JSIS A 512] (1 credit) Working with an adviser, students compile a portfolio containing (i) two revised and expanded essays: one from JSIS A 504 AND one from an elective course; (ii) a framing essay (5000 words) which describes why they entered the REECAS Graduate Certificate program, and reflects on what they have learned by articulating a framework that connects the two essays they have written and revised, and considers how the graduate certificate has prepared them for their careers. Students are encouraged to present their portfolios at the REECAS NW Conference which the Ellison Center hosts each spring.
• Two Elective REECAS focused courses (10 credits). Elective courses are typically in the Departments of History, Comparative Literature, International Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, and Geography.
A maximum of six of these credits may apply to a student’s degree program (these “double counted” credits must be elective coursework in the degree program). Courses offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature, Baltic Studies or Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, which are not language courses, such as Baltic Cultures, can also be taken to fulfill the elective requirement.
Questions?
For more information, please contact Ellison Center Managing Director Philip Lyon (plyon@uw.edu).
To apply to the REECAS Graduate Certificate:
To apply for the REECAS Certificate Program, please send the following to Ellison Center Managing Director Philip Lyon (plyon@uw.edu):
- Your resume
- Unofficial UW transcript
- 1-2 page personal statement explaining the reasons for your interest in the REECAS region, your reasons for applying to this certificate program, your career goals, and how the Graduate Certificate in REECAS might further your career goals.