Frequently Asked Questions

The Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures (DSEELC) is an academic unit with its own faculty. DSEELC provides majors and minors for undergraduate students, classes, and MA and PhD programs. CSEEES is a resource center and administrative unit that is traditionally funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a Title VI grant. It is not a teaching unit and has no faculty of its own, but it serves as a hub to connect over 80 faculty from across the university. The Center aims to supplement the Department’s work through events, workshops, and conferences, bringing attention to academic and cultural work about the region. DSEELC offers many opportunities to study the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), and through its grant funding the Center helps to subsidize the teaching of LCTLs. While the Department’s graduate program mainly prepares students for careers in academia, the Center offers a more interdisciplinary graduate degree in its terminal MA for students interested in pursuing careers in government, NGOs and other careers beyond the professoriate.

CSEEES covers 31 countries in the regions of the Baltics, Caucasus, Central Asia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southeastern Europe. For a complete list, see our About Us page.

There are many ways to stay updated! CSEEES offers two newsletters. CSEEES the Day keeps you up to date on events and news. CSEEES in the Classroom is a newsletter for K-14 educators who are interested in academic resources and professional development opportunities relating to East European and Eurasian studies. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram or our YouTube channel.

You can follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletters to stay updated. Ohio State faculty, staff and students can become affiliates of CSEEES, as well. We occasionally seek student volunteers to help out with events such as the Midwest Slavic Conference and the Olympiadas, too. 

Yes! CSEEES releases a Monthly Job List that showcases jobs related to Eastern Europe and Eurasia, covering the government, non-profit, and public sectors, as well as some internships. The list is aimed towards undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni looking to begin their careers. It is open to all and free of charge. 

CSEEES also partners with the Midwest Slavic Association to organize the annual Midwest Slavic Conference which has been hosting a Careers Beyond Academia panel since 2023.

Additionally, CSEEES hosts annual alumni talks with graduates from our MA program so that current students can network and learn about the various ways in which they can use their SEEES degree in the professional world. 

Of course not! Our events are available to all Ohio State students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the public. If you’re interested in learning more about the countries and cultures we cover, we’d love to see you at our events.

To be eligible for the Olympiada of Spoken Russian, one must be an undergraduate Russian language student at any university or college in the state of Ohio. Students may participate in the Olympiada by contacting their teachers or emailing cseees@osu.edu for more information. 

For the K-12 Olympiada, the participant's teacher has to be a paid member of the professional organization of Russian teachers for them to participate. Individual students may join by filling out a form that will appear on the event page at a later date. Teachers should email Alicia Baca at baca.31@osu.edu for more information on the K-12 Olympiada. 

While graduate students cannot compete in either Olympiada, they can potentially serve as judges. If you are interested in judging at either or both competitions, please contact Alicia Baca at baca.31@osu.edu. 

The call for proposals for Midwest Slavic is typically released in mid-October of each year. Be sure to sign up for the CSEEES the Day newsletter to hear about it first!

The MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies is an interdisciplinary, terminal degree offered by the Graduate School and administered by the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES). The MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies is an area-studies degree that prepares students for careers in intelligence/security, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, or to pursue further study in a PhD program or professional school.

For more information about CSEEES’ MA program, please visit the MA program page or email Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu.

To graduate with the MA degree, students must complete three main components: proficiency in an Eastern European/Eurasian language, 38-credit hours of area studies course work, and the defending of a thesis or passing of a written exam. For full-time students, the MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies typically takes four semesters to complete, or two academic years. Students must meet all degree requirements in a timely manner and must complete the MA degree within a five-year period. Students pursuing a dual degree have six years to complete all requirements.

For more information about CSEEES’ MA program, please visit the MA program page or email Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu.

For more information about CSEEES’ GIS, please visit the GIS page or email Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu. 

The GIS in East European and Eurasian Studies consists of 15 credit hours of coursework. Of these 15 credit hours, a minimum of 12 credit hours must be from area studies courses, and no more than three credit hours can come from language coursework. Area studies courses must have at least 25% of the courses' readings, lectures, projects, or other included content that covers Eastern Europe/Eurasia. 

For more information about CSEEES’ GIS, please visit the GIS page or email Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu. 

A list of funding opportunities for graduate students to pay for their degree, conduct research, or study abroad, can be found on our Funding page.

The Polish Studies Initiative (PSI) provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing more advanced training during a summer semester. Scholarships will be awarded in amounts of up to $1,000 and are used to help students participate in internships in Poland over the summer or study the Polish language.

Undergraduate students may also apply for Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships.

Under the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program, the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) offers summer and academic year fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students who are pursuing a degree and need advanced training in language and area studies. CSEEES offers fellowships for students of the following languages: Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Modern Turkish, and Uzbek. More fellowships for graduate students can be found on our funding page.

The Office of International Affairs helps students travel abroad for study, research, internships, volunteering, or with a student organization. Search for a study abroad program in your preferred city and semester on the Global Education website.