Ph.D. track available in the Departments of Comparative Literature and History: The Interdisciplinary Specialization in Russia (ISR)
The Interdisciplinary Specialization in Russia is a Ph.D. track available in the Departments of Comparative Literature and History which allows students to take advantage of NYU’s strengths in Russian literature, history, and culture in a range of departments. Students are fully funded for five years of study. The ISR is designed to encourage innovative work made possible by disciplinary crossover while also providing strong grounding in students’ discipline of choice. The goal is a broad understanding of the field, taking account of the various contexts in which Russia can be studied. The curriculum makes use of intellectual resources across NYU, not only in the Departments of Russian and Slavic Studies, History, and Comparative Literature, but also in Anthropology, Music, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, and others. Drawing on faculty’s expertise in such areas as cross-cultural literary comparison, the multinational nature of the tsarist and Soviet empires, Eurasian studies, the role of ideology in the Russian experience, film and visual studies, cultural theory, and the very idea of “Eastern Europe,” the ISR fosters an expansive appreciation of Russian culture and a wide sense of geographic context.
Admission and requirements for the ISR Ph.D. track
Candidates apply through either the Department of Comparative Literature or the Department of History, depending on their main field; the applicant’s statement of purpose should clearly note his/her interest in the ISR. Specific requirements for admissions and degrees are those of the Ph.D.-granting department (Comparative Literature or History) in which the student enrolls (please see the links above for application requirements and deadlines). In addition to pursuing courses in their chosen department, students will take classes in the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies, including specially designed interdisciplinary seminars.
Please contact Maya Vinokour should you have any additional questions.