The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program is devoted to the study of the peoples living in the eastern third of Europe, throughout the northern steppes of Central Asia, and across Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.
Settled over a territory that spans half the earth’s time zones, these peoples have created a complex mosaic of cultures, expressed in literature and art as well as in institutions and social forms.
Over the centuries, these lands have come under the sway of several great world-historical civilizations and empires:
- Byzantine
- Mongolian
- Ottoman Turkish
- Holy Roman
- Austro-Hungarian
- Russian
- Soviet
These lands have felt the influence of Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, and Communism.
At the intersection of many powerful forces, these lands experience the historical drama of what some call "modernization" with its challenge to customary ways of life. Yet, after centuries of massive transplantation and transformation, national and ethnic heritages survive.
Customary ways and native self-consciousness, more diverse than anywhere else on the globe, express themselves with new vigor.
Prerequisites
Open to current UO doctoral/master’s students alongside their graduate degree.
Application at a Glance
MA and PhD students who have a special interest in Russia, Eastern Europe, or former Soviet Eurasia may apply to earn this certificate.