MIRS: REEE Studies Specialization

The Masters in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies (REEES) specialization is designed for students with an interest in engaging in interdisciplinary research and training on Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. Students choose to focus their studies on humanities, social sciences, and professional coursework related to Russia, Eastern Europe, and/or Eurasia.

Anchored in the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES), the MIRS REEES specialization draws upon CREES’s depth of scholarship and research. CREES has over 50 affiliated faculty members from all across the University of Michigan, including from 17 departments in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), and from 9 professional schools, including: Architecture and Urban Planning; Art and Design; Business; Environment and Sustainability; Law; Medicine; Music, Theatre & Dance; Public Health; and Public Policy. CREES affiliated faculty are area specialists and visiting scholars who offer more than 150 courses each year on the business, cultures, demography, economics, history, languages, law, literatures, politics, public policy, and social organization of the region.

Admissions

Advising

Funding

Curriculum (36 credits)

MIRS students will complete a total of 36 credits, distributed over at least two academic disciplines, at the 400-level or above. 27 of these credits are determined by the specialization. The remaining 9 credits are required for all MIRS students. MIRS requirements include two core courses and a graduate colloquium. In addition, MIRS students will have access to a graduate professional development workshop.

MIRS Requirements (9 credits)

Core Courses

Research Design Seminar: Students will sharpen critical thinking, analytical skills, research design, and writing strategies. (3 credits)
Capstone: To complete the program, students will dedicate effort to their capstone, either in research, coursework, or work experience related to their specialization. Select one of the below options: (4 credits)
- Master’s Thesis: research project supervised by a faculty member
- Additional Research Seminars: completion of graduate seminars with a substantial independent research component
- Practicum: internship or work experience related to the specialization combined with a related academic component

Graduate Colloquium

Students will participate in two semesters of engaged discussions covering topics of global significance, including programs (guest lectures and relevant events) and participation in moderated online and in-person discussions. (2 credits)

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Specialization Requirements (27 credits)

The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies specialization offers training to graduate students preparing for academic and professional careers with a focus on the region of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The specialization is designed to enhance students’ language ability to the level of professional competence and to provide on-site experience and analytical skills appropriate for an area expert.

Core Colloquium. REEES 601 is required every semester, usually for one credit each term. This ongoing course will draw on and discuss area-related issues, including programs (Noon Lectures and Center events); Center “gateway” and other course lectures; visiting speakers; with occasional separate meetings on development and current state of REEES. All students are expected to attend CREES Noon Lectures.
Language Proficiency. All students must either attain a level of proficiency in one REEE-area language one year beyond that required for the REEES B.A. (i.e., fourth-year Russian or Polish with a grade of B- or better; third-year for other languages) or achieve the level required for a B.A. plus an additional year in a second REEE language. All M.A. students will complete CREES-approved language tests upon matriculation and at graduation.

The following languages have been approved for use in the MIRS Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies specialization for the language requirement: Armenian, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Uyghur, Uzbek, and Yiddish. Approval may also be provided for additional languages connected to the region.
Minimum Credit Requirement. Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits in REEES-approved courses at the 400-level and above, of which 15 must be 500-level or above.

Sample Plan of Study:

Masters in International and Regional Studies
Specialization: Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES)
Capstone Project: Thesis

Year 1
FALL (10 credits)	Colloquium (required core class)	1
	Research Design (II, required core class)	2
	Russia in the 20th Century: War, Revolution, and Reform (History)	3
	Fourth Year Russian I	3
	REEES 601 (required)	1
WINTER (9 credits)	Colloquium (II, required core class)	1
	Research Design (II, required core class)	1
	Gender, Feminism, and Women Writers in Eastern Europe (Women’s Studies)	3
	Fourth Year Russian II	3
	REEES 601 (required)	1
Year 2
FALL (9 credits)	Seminar in Cultural Studies of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe: Technologies of Memory (Slavic)	3
	Thesis Writing Capstone (II)	2
	Nineteenth Century Russian Prose (Russian)	3
	REEES 601 (required)	1
WINTER (8 credits)	Aesthetics, Politics, and Violence in Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Film (Film, Television, & Media)	3
	Thesis Writing Capstone (II)	2
	Advanced Seminar in Russian: Russia Between East and West (Russian)	3
Total Credits		36

Courses

MIRS Admissions, Advising, and Funding Information

For more information, contact MIRS-info@umich.edu.

The annual application deadline is December 15.

The Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) Master’s Fellowship will be awarded to an outstanding incoming MIRS-REEES student for the 2025-27 academic years. The fellowship will cover two years of tuition and provide a $30,000 stipend for each year. All MIRS-REEES applicants will be considered for this award, and a separate application is not necessary. Awardees will be notified by April.

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