Admissions

Applicants apply electronically; see Graduate Admissions  opens in a new tabto link to the electronic application and general information regarding graduate admission. In addition, prospective applicants may consult with the CREEES associate director regarding the application process.

To qualify for admission to the program, the following apply:

• Applicants must have earned a BA or BS degree or the equivalent by the program’s start.

• Applicants should have at least three years of college-level language study in Russian, East European, or Central Asian languages. Candidates with fewer years of area language study will be considered.

  A complete application consists of:

• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.

• A one-page statement of purpose explaining how the program would advance the applicant’s academic or career goals.

• A writing sample of no more than 20 pages in English on an academic topic in Russian, East European, or Eurasian studies.

• A list of college-level courses relevant to Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, including language courses, with self-reported final grades.

• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.

• Applicants that are not exempt from the English proficiency test requirement opens in a new tab will be required to submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic) that meets the university’s minimum score for admission consideration opens in a new tab.

The successful applicant generally demonstrates the following strengths: outstanding grades in previous academic work, strong analytical writing skills, requisite foreign language study, significant coursework in Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies in multiple disciplines, study or work experience in the region, strong letters of recommendation from faculty members in the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies field (one letter should be from a language instructor), and a persuasive statement of purpose explaining how the program would advance the applicant’s academic and career goals.

The deadline for submitting applications for admission is January 12, 2027. Admission is usually granted for the following autumn quarter; requests for deferral are considered in exceptional circumstances.

To apply to the coterminal MA degree program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies a student must:

• Meet all university coterm eligibility requirements opens in a new tab.

• Submit the Coterminal Online Application opens in a new tab for admission to the program by the CREEES MA admission deadline on January 12, 2027.

• Include in the application a proposal outlining the schedule of courses the student plans to complete toward the MA degree by quarter opens in a new tab. The student should seek the advice of the CREEES associate director in drafting this schedule.

  The application also should include:

• A current Stanford transcript

• A one-page statement of purpose

• Three letters of recommendation from Stanford faculty (one may be from a language instructor)

• A writing sample of 20 pages or less in English on an academic topic in Russian, East European, or Eurasian Studies

• Applicants must have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (B)