Dual Degrees
"The dual degree program offered by the Slavic Center and Glenn College is a great program for students who want to continue to enhance their language skills, increase their knowledge of Eastern Europe, and gain skills essential to policy management, international communication, and leadership roles. One of my favorite things about the program is that it introduces students to a diverse networking opportunity that includes the non-profit sector, the private sector, Eastern European studies, government, military, and more. With the variety of languages and public affairs courses offered, this program allows students to choose the area and sector that will be most beneficial to their personal career goals."
— Brandon Harvey, CSEEES/Glenn College Dual Degree student class of 2021
Dual Degree Options
For students interested in both public administration and Eastern European/Eurasian area studies, the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs have partnered together to offer the dual degree in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies and public administration. Students who complete the program graduate with two separate master's degrees, a Master of Arts in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies and a Master of Public Administration. Through the dual degree program, students are able to fulfill both degree requirements while receiving dual credit for some courses. Thus, they are able to fulfill the requirements in a shortened time frame, typically graduating in three years, as opposed to completing both degrees separately.
Benefits of the Dual Degree
The dual degree is open to both students at the Glenn College who wish to enhance their public policy degree with the interdisciplinary study of Eastern Europe or Eurasia, and CSEEES students who want to augment their area studies knowledge with policy and management skills. It is an ideal option for those who desire to work in the public or non-profit sectors. Students leave the program with a solid foundation in policy and management theory and knowledge of Eastern European/Eurasian countries, cultures, and languages.
General Requirements
71 credit hours of coursework are needed to complete the dual program, broken down between:
- 19 credit hours of coursework specific to Slavic, East European and Eurasian area studies;
- 26 credit hours of coursework specific to public policy; and
- 26 credit hours of electives (can be area studies courses or public policy).
To show completion of both degrees, students:
- Complete a capstone for the Glenn College; and
- Write an MA thesis or exam for CSEEES.
Glenn College Requirements
Prospective dual degree students should consult the Glenn College’s website for dual degree information and advising sheets. All students should contact staff at the Glenn College by emailing GlennApply@osu.edu to determine their course schedule and requirements. Typically, dual degree students still are required to complete the Glenn College's core courses.
CSEEES Requirements
Course Requirements
Dual degree students are required to meet the same overall interdisciplinary requirements as the regular MA degree, including:
- Taking Slavic 6501 (three credits);
- Having an area of concentration (nine credits);
- Completing courses in at least three disciplines and two different colleges or divisions; and
- Taking at least nine credits of coursework at the 6000-level or above.
Language Requirement
- Dual degree students must take or show completion of at least four years of Russian language study or two years of another East European/Eurasian language. Courses taken to complete the language requirement do not count towards the CSEEES credit hour or course requirements
Exit Requirement
- MA exam or thesis
How to Apply
Current Graduate Students
If you are already admitted and enrolled in either the Glenn College or CSEEES MA program, you must apply for admission to the other program at least one semester prior to completion of your home program. Generally, students must apply to one program first (the home program), then apply to a second program for dual degree status. Students are encouraged to apply to the second program within the first year of their graduate study.
CSEEES MA students wishing to apply as a current graduate student should read the Glenn College's dual degree admissions page.
For Glenn College students wishing to apply to the CSEEES MA, after contacting Emma Pratt, the assistant director of CSEEES, at pratt.124@osu.edu to discuss MA options, applicants should do the following:
- Request that the Glenn College send a copy of your application file to Maryann Walther-Keisel (walther-keisel.1@osu.edu) by email or campus mail so that we have your graduate admissions application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, Glenn College statement of purpose, and resume/CV;
- Submit a new, CSEEES specific statement of purpose (two pages, double-spaced) that explains why you wish to pursue a graduate program in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies, including career goals, special interests, and probable major field of study. This may be emailed to Maryann Walther-Keisel; and
- OPTIONAL – you may also submit an updated resume/CV and a letter of recommendation from a language instructor if desired and based on guidance from CSEEES staff.
All students accepted to a dual degree program will then need to submit a dual degree program plan through Gradforms. Both programs will review and approve the plan to ensure that students complete the requirements of both degrees.
Incoming Graduate Students
Students who have not yet been admitted to the Graduate School may apply to one graduate program first, either CSEEES or the Glenn College, or apply to both programs simultaneously, submitting two separate applications and sets of application materials. Learn more about applying to the CSEEES MA program or applying to the Glenn College's MPA program. Within the first year of enrollment in their home program, students should then apply to the second program following the instructions for current graduate students after first speaking with their program advisor. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to a second.
To contact the Glenn College, email GlennApply@osu.edu.
To contact CSEEES, email the assistant director, Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu.
Students interested in the intersections of law, public policy, medicine, ethics, spirituality, and humanities as it relates to Eastern Europe and Eurasia should consider the dual degree program between CSEEES and the Center for Bioethics. This new degree option officialized in autumn 2021 allows students to receive an MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies and an MA in Bioethics in a reduced timeframe. Students complete core coursework in both degrees with dual credit allowing students to complete the degree in six semesters, or two and a half to three years.
Benefits of the Dual Degree
Current students in the MA in Bioethics or CSEEES MA programs may apply to the program, as well as prospective students. The program is ideal for students who want to combine regional expertise with particular questions related to medicine and ethics. For area studies students, the dual degree will give them the skills and theoretical concepts necessary to tackle complex ethical questions from a variety of viewpoints, while ethicists will receive deep background knowledge of the cultures, histories, and languages of the East European and Eurasian regions to contextualize scenarios and questions related to these regions. Students will leave the program with the skills and concepts to understand, analyze, and apply ethical frameworks to complex topics.
General Requirements
53 credit hours are required for the dual degree, with coursework divided between unit and dual credit:
- 19 credit hours specific to Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies
- 18 credit hours specific to Bioethics; and
- 16 dual credit hours.
Completion requirements for the dual degree consist of:
- A six-credit capstone sequence – three-credits of Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies directed readings, and a three-credit capstone course in Bioethics; and
- Write a thesis that combines materials and coursework from both degrees with faculty representation from both programs on the thesis committee.
Bioethics Requirements
Prospective students should consult the Bioethics website as they consider pursuing the dual degree. They should contact Courtney Thiele at thiele.23@osu.edu. Again, dual degree students are still required to complete bioethics core courses.
Bioethics core courses:
- Bioethics 6000: Theory & Foundation (three credits)
- Bioethics 6010: Biomedical Research Ethics (three credits)
- Bioethics 6020: Clinical Bioethics (three credits)
- Bioethics 6030: Bioethics, Law, and Public Policy (three credits)
- Bioethics 6040: Bioethics Symposium I (one and half credits)
- Bioethics 6050: Bioethics Symposium II (one and half credits)
CSEEES Requirements
Course Requirements
Dual degree students are required to meet the same overall interdisciplinary requirements as the regular MA degree, including:
- Taking Slavic 6501: Introduction to Slavic and East European Studies (three credits);
- Having an area of concentration (nine credit hours);
- Completing courses in at least three disciplines and two different colleges or divisions; and
- Taking at least nine credits of coursework at the 6000-level or above.
Language Requirement
Dual degree students must take or show completion of at least four years of Russian language study or two years of another East European/Eurasian language. Courses taken to complete the language requirement do not count towards the CSEEES credit hour or course requirements.
Exit Requirement
A two-semester capstone sequence—three credit hours of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies and a three-credit Bioethics capstone—represents the culminating project for the dual degree. Students choose co-advisors, one from each program, who will serve on the committee for the thesis. A final committee of four faculty members is needed, with two representing each program.
How to Apply
Current Graduate Students
If you are already admitted and enrolled in either the Bioethics or CSEEES MA program, you must apply for admission to the other program at least one semester prior to completion of your home program. Generally, students must apply to one program first (the home program), then apply to a second program for dual degree status. Students are encouraged to apply to the second program within the first year of their graduate study.
CSEEES MA students wishing to apply as a current graduate student should read the Bioethics graduate program page.
For Bioethics students wishing to apply to the CSEEES MA, after contacting Emma Pratt, the assistant director of CSEEES, at pratt.124@osu.edu to discuss MA options, applicants should do the following:
- Request that Bioethics send a copy of your application file to Maryann Walther-Keisel (walther-keisel.1@osu.edu) by email or campus mail so that we have your graduate admissions application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and resume/CV;
- Submit a new, CSEEES specific statement of purpose (two pages, double-spaced) that explains why you wish to pursue a graduate program in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies, including career goals, special interests, and probable major field of study. This may be emailed to Maryann Walther-Keisel; and
- OPTIONAL – you may also submit an updated resume/CV and a letter of recommendation from a language instructor if desired and based on guidance from CSEEES staff.
All students accepted to a dual degree program will then need to submit a dual degree program plan through Gradforms. Both programs will review and approve the plan to ensure that students complete the requirements of both degrees.
Incoming Graduate Students
Students who have not yet been admitted to the Graduate School may apply to one graduate program first, either CSEEES or Bioethics, or apply to both programs simultaneously, submitting two separate applications and sets of application materials. Learn more about applying to the CSEEES MA program or applying to the Bioethics program. Within the first year of enrollment in their home program, students should then apply to the second program following the instructions for current graduate students after first speaking with their program advisor. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to a second.
To contact Bioethics, email Courtney Thiele at thiele.23@osu.edu.
To contact CSEEES, email the assistant director, Emma Pratt at pratt.124@osu.edu.
A dual degree can be obtained by combining work for the interdisciplinary master of arts degree with work in any other graduate degree (students enrolled in professional degrees should read the information below on Combined Degrees). Many other departments offer specializations or courses on or relevant to Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies, or that add an additional skill set or knowledge component to prepare students for diverse careers.
A student seeking a dual degree must fulfill all the requirements for both degrees, although up to 50 percent of the credit hour requirement for each degree may be used for dual credit. A minimum of 50 percent of course credit for each degree must be unique to that degree. Normally students must complete a separate master's examination for each degree program, but they may be required to complete only one joint examination or thesis. Information on how to apply for a dual degree is available through the Graduate School's website.
A combined degree in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies is available to students enrolled in a professional or an undergraduate college or school. This allows students to pursue simultaneously two degrees in different colleges or schools by reducing the amount of time required to complete both sets of degree requirements. For example, students pursuing a law degree can also pursue an MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies. Information on how to apply for a combined degree is available on the Graduate School's website.