phd in russian history

College of Arts & Sciences

Russia & Eastern Europe

Georgetown is one of the few departments of history in the U.S. with comprehensive strengths in the Russian History. The imperial period is represented by Greg Afinogenov . His interests include Russian relations with China and Inner Asia, diplomatic history, and the history of knowledge, science, and information. The modern period is represented by Michael David-Fox . David-Fox works in the revolutionary and Soviet periods, and he regularly teaches a colloquium on major approaches to modern Russian and Soviet history.

Georgetown is the home of a major journal in the field, Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History , which offers graduate students the rare opportunity to serve as editorial assistants and learn about scholarly publishing from the inside. Since 2012, the Russian and East European field has overseen the  Jacques Rossi Gulag Research Fund , which supports conferences, speakers, and grants to students at all levels pursuing research projects related to the history of the Gulag in the Soviet Union. The Richard Stites Memorial Lecture Series was founded as a living memorial to Richard Stites (1931-2010), a giant in the field of Russian history who taught at Georgetown from 1977 until his death. 

Georgetown University’s Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies , founded in 1959, oversees one of the top MA programs of its kind in the country.  CERES provides a library, lectures, luncheon discussions, and numerous contact with internationally known scholars in several disciplines: literature, culture, economics, and politics of the broad post-Communist world.  The language departments offer courses in Russian, Polish, Turkish, Persian, and Ukrainian (as well as French, German, Latin, and many others).

Washington, DC has become one of the premier centers of Russian Studies in the United States.  Georgetown hosts the Russian History Seminar of Washington DC , which brings together scholars and graduate students in fields related to Russian, Soviet, and Eurasian history and culture.  Created in spring 2004, and drawing regular participants from around the region, the Russian History Seminar has rapidly become one of the most dynamic gatherings of its kind in the country.  In addition to Georgetown University’s faculty across many disciplines in Russian and East European Studies and its own library resources,  the Washington, DC location affords students the opportunity to conduct research in the Library of Congress , the National Archives , and the Holocaust Museum Library and Holocaust Museum archival collections , all of which house sources.  The Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the Wilson Center regularly holds symposia and lectures by distinguished scholars and policy figures on matters pertaining to the area.

View a list of Faculty specializing in Russia.

View a list of PhD Students specializing in Russia.

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Doctoral Track

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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.

Russian and East European History

Description.

Russian and East European history offers a broad look at modern Russian history of the Imperial and Soviet eras. Subjects include Russia’s Eurasian Empire, the Russian Revolution, nineteenth-century culture and identity, the Soviet Union since 1929, women in Russian history, and a variety of other topics.

Graduate Program

Russian and Soviet history offers broad training in modern Russian history of the Imperial and Soviet eras. In addition to a two-semester sequence of courses in modern European history, students majoring in the field also take specialized reading colloquia on Imperial and Soviet history taught by Professors Louise McReynolds and Donald J. Raleigh respectively, and research seminars taught by them and other Europeanists. Professors McReynolds and Raleigh likewise teach specialized courses on Russia’s Eurasian Empire, the Russian Revolution, nineteenth-century culture and identity, the Soviet Union since 1929, women in Russian history, and a variety of topical courses. Graduate students specializing in the field must take a directed reading course on medieval and Muscovite history as well. They have the option of broadening the Russian history major to include East Europe by enrolling in the field colloquium taught by Professor Chad Bryant. Alternatively, they can declare East European history their minor field by completing two courses in the area.

Those interested in pursuing graduate work in East European history may do so within the Russian/Soviet or West European orbit. Professor Bryant offers graduate colloquia on East and Central European history. He and Professor Raleigh also teach a colloquium that introduces History Department students to both Russian and East European history, and which serves as a capstone course for students enrolled in the University’s interdisciplinary MA program in Russian and East European studies administered by the UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies.

The Russian and East European history graduate program cooperates closely with the federally-funded UNC–Duke Joint Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies ( UNC CSEEES and Duke CSEEES ) and with Duke University’s Department of History. This cooperation expands the course offerings available to UNC students, who may enroll in classes at Duke taught by Russianists Martin Miller and Anna Krylova. The joint UNC–Duke center also provides Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship support for intermediate/advanced language training, maximizes the impact of spending for library purchases thanks to a cooperative purchasing program, and boasts a lively program of speakers and related initiatives.

All of the students who completed the PhD since 1995 or who are now writing their dissertations have won prestigious national dissertation research and/or writing fellowships funded by organizations such as Fulbright-Hayes, ACTR, IREX, and the SSRC. Recent recipients of the PhD have accepted teaching appointments at the University of Iowa, California State University–Chico, Loyola University (Chicago), University of North Carolina–Greensboro, Clayton State University, Texas A&M, College of the Holy Cross, Arhus University (Denmark), and Rocky Mountain College.

For information on the Russian and East European field graduate comprehensive exams, consult the Graduate Student Handbook.

For a current list of graduate students working in the Field of Russian and East European History, please go to the Graduate Students page and click “Russian and East European History” in the Interests/Concentrations tab.

Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies

About the program.

The Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (CERES) at Georgetown University offers one of the nation’s most distinguished and influential master’s degree programs in Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies, and hosts a rich outreach program of events and conferences. Founded in 1959 to prepare scholars, policymakers and practitioners who understood the Soviet Union and could analyze its secretive system, CERES has evolved in the wake of the Soviet Union’s demise and today incorporates a variety of scholarly disciplines for the study of this culturally rich region. The Master of Arts in Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (MAERES) degree provides students with a solid grounding in the languages and cultures of the region and multidisciplinary depth in the social sciences. Students in the program will achieve:

• knowledge of the region from broad disciplinary perspectives and using a variety of methodologies;
• the ability to integrate theoretical with practical knowledge of regional affairs;
• a thematically focused-curriculum that develops expertise;
• proficiency in at least one regional language;
• original research utilizing the student’s language of proficiency; and
• effective oral presentation and critical writing skills.

Connect with Us

Program Contact: Lisa Gordinier – [email protected]

Begin your application today!

Degrees Offered

Accelerated programs (georgetown students only), joint programs.

• M.A./Ph.D. (Government)

Admissions Requirements

For general graduate admissions requirements, visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s Application Information page. Review the  program’s website  for additional information on program application requirements. Application Materials required:

• Application Form
• Non-Refundable Application Fee
• Academic Statement of Purpose (see program website for specific information)
• Optional: Statement on Diversity, Personal Background & Contributions
• Writing Sample
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Transcripts – Applicants are required to upload to the application system copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s Application Information page for additional details and FAQs.
• TOEFL = 100 minimum
• IELTS = 7.5 minimum
• Language Skills: All applicants must include evidence that they have completed the equivalent of at least three years of college-level study of a language of the region relevant to their proposed course of study. Students may satisfy the CERES language requirement with an appropriate language of the region other than Russian. CERES places a strong emphasis on language proficiency and requires a portion of the degree credits to be taken in advanced language courses.

Application Deadlines

• January 15 (priority/scholarship)
• April 1 (final)

Degree Requirements

The M.A. degree curriculum is designed to take 4 semesters to complete. It requires:  

• 36 credit hours of course work, including two core courses (Introduction to Area Studies and the Capstone Seminar) and two advanced language courses;
• a presentation of the student’s research before CERES faculty and students prior to graduation.

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First and leading U.S. academic institution in Russian, Eurasian and East European studies

Hot Off the Press: The Cult of St. Volodimer and the Theft of History

Exhibit: Tatiana Levitskaia

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Public programs.

Film Screening & Discussion. Antytila

Exhibit Opening Reception. Tatiana Levitskaia

From Pushkin to Popular Culture: Essays by Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy

In Tribute to Mark von Hagen’s Contributions to Ukrainian Studies

Tanya Domi Interviewed About Prisoner Swap and Selection of Democratic VP Candidate

Valentina Izmirlieva Appointed FASS Network Faculty Member at Sabancı University

Timothy Frye Interviewed about the Prisoner Swap Between Russia and the West

Academic programs.

The Harriman Institute offers a number of programs for students interested in Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe, including a Master of Arts in Regional Studies (MARS-REERS) through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . The MARS-REERS degree program focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to the study of contemporary Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe.

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Harriman courses.

The Harriman Institute sponsors courses across departments and disciplines every semester. Review these as you make decisions and plans to study our region at Columbia.

Fellowships & Funding

Columbia ba/ma program, publications.

Summer 2021

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Russian, East European & Eurasian History

The History Department at The Ohio State University offers an internationally recognized graduate program in Russian, East European and Eurasian history.

Courses in Russian, East European and Eurasian History

Faculty who research and teach Russian, East European and Eurasian History

Graduate Training and Courses

Students in the Russia/East Europe program receive a rigorous training in both teaching and research in a supportive and collegial environment. Our faculty works together in joint-advising arrangements to provide students with extensive contact and interaction both in and out of the classroom.

Students are trained in Russian and East European history, as well as in comparative and methodological minor fields. This diverse scope of geographical areas and historiographical fields produces intellectually wide-ranging scholars and prepares our students well for the demands of the job market, as our recent successes in job placement indicate. Check out the list of recent OSU PhD's in Russian, East European and Eurasian History

Graduate Funding

Graduate student funding packages and research support are among the best in the country.

• All admitted graduate students receive guaranteed multi-year funding packages from the history department.
• The department also offers numerous research grants, including the Wildman Award, specifically designated to support the research of graduate students in the Russia/East Europe field.
• Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships are readily available from the Center for Slavic and East European Studies for academic-year and summer language study.
• The Mershon Center offers generous fellowships to support graduate students' research travel.
• The Office of International Affairs provides grants for graduate students conducting dissertation research abroad.
• In recent years, Ohio State graduate students have been very successful in national fellowship competitions, such as Fulbright-Hays, IREX, ACTR, and SSRC.  

Library Resources at OSU in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

The Ohio State University has one of the country's finest library collections in Russian and East European History. The Russia/East Europe collection contains 800,000 volumes, 1,400 serials, and 175,000 sources on microfilm. Basic reference works and current newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals in Slavic languages and in English are available in the Slavic and East European Reading Room of the Main University Library.

For more information about the library resources contact  Miroljub Ruzic , our Russian-East European Librarian or visit the  East European and Slavic Studies website.

The library also houses the   Wildman-Perez Russian Peasant Collection  of nineteenth-century publications on peasant history

The Hilandar Research Library  is among the special resources of the University Libraries system. A repository of microfilm copies of medieval Slavic manuscripts, the collection includes Church Slavonic, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Turkish and Wallachian charters, edicts, and other documents dating from the early eleventh century to modern times. The Hilandar Research Library recently acquired over 1,200 manuscripts on microfilm from widely scattered and previously inaccessible libraries in Russia, making The Ohio State University the leading center of medieval and early modern Slavic studies in the United States. The Hilandar library offers research assistantships to students in the history department, as well as research facilities and the annual Medieval Slavic Summer Institute.

Slavic, East European and Eurasian Resources at OSU

The graduate program in Russian/East European history is part of a large, vibrant network of Slavic and Eurasian studies at the University.

• At OSU, CSEES develops new courses and funds existing classes, sponsors lectures, administers a Slavic and East European studies M.A. program, supervises exchange programs with foreign universities, provides monies for library acquisitions, awards Foreign Language and Area Specialist (FLAS) Fellowships to OSU graduate students, oversees the awarding of other grants, maintains a large video library, and houses the Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press. Among its other activities, CSEES annually hosts the Midwest Slavic Conference. CSEES is an invaluable resource for graduate students in the history department.
• The Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures, with a faculty of ten full-time professors offers instruction in Russian and other East European languages, as well as coursework in East European literature and linguistics.
• Mershon Center for International Security and Public Policy
• Melton Center for Jewish Studies
• Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
• Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Office of International Affairs

Information on requirements and application procedures for prospective graduate students .

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Peter Holquist

Associate Chair, Ronald S. Lauder Endowed Term Associate Professor of History

Russian and European History

[email protected] 215 746.0201

College Hall 207

Peter Holquist 's teaching and research focus upon the history of Russia and modern Europe. He is the author of  Making War, Forging Revolution: Russia's Continuum of Crisis, 1914-1921  (Harvard, 2002). He is founder and served for ten years as editor of the journal Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History  and serves as editor for the  Kritika Historical Studies . In 2010, he was a co-recipient of the “Distinguished Editor” Award from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals for work on the journal Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History.  Holquist has published articles on Russia 's experience in the First World War and Russian Revolution, questions of continuity and change from the imperial period into the Stalin era, and other topics.

Holquist's current project,  By Right of War , explores the emergence of the international law of war in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Specifically, it analyzes the role of imperial Russia in codifying and extending these "laws and customs of war," and examines to what extent European militaries, and particularly the Russian army, observed these norms in practice. This project encompasses two distinct areas of analysis. First, it traces how international law emerged as a discipline in Imperial Russia and came to flourish there. This is a story of intellectual and diplomatic history. The second half of the project measures the extent to which these normative principles shaped actual policy. It takes the form of military and political history, examining the Russian army in three cases of military occupation: Bulgaria and Anatolia in 1877-78; Manchuria during the Boxer Rebellion, 1900-1901; and in Austrian Galicia, East Prussia, and the Ottoman eastern provinces during the First World War. The project, in other words, asks by what means, and to what degree, can one bring people's conduct, even  in extremis , into line with normative and ethical prescriptions?

Holquist received his Ph.D. with distinction from Columbia University in 1995. Prior to joining Penn's History Department in Fall 2006, he taught for nine years at Cornell University. He offers lecture courses on imperial Russia the Soviet Union, Europe in the nineteenth century, and on the First World War; and undergraduate seminars on "Russia in the Age of Anna Karenina" and a Ben Franklin Seminar on the First World War.

Member of the Penn Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies Group

Students interested in applying for PhD in Russian imperial and Soviet History

Holquist works with graduate students in the fields of Russian history, Soviet history, and the history of modern Europe. Applicants to the graduate program in any of these sub-fields are encouraged to contact Prof. Holquist via email (see above) before the application deadline.  If you are having any difficulty with the the UPenn PhD application portal due to war, civil conflict or natural disaster, or due to your citizenship or country of origin, please feel free to write to me immediately. 

Publications

• “The Russian Revolution as Continuum and Context and Yes,—as Revolution,” Cahiers du monde russe 58, no. 1/2 (2017): 179-92
• “Okkupatsionnaia politika Vremennogo Pravitel’stva kak osvobozhdenie: na primer ‘Turetskoi Armenii’” [“The Occupation Politcy of the Russian Provisional Government as a Form of Liberation: The Case of ‘Turkish Armenia’”], in Epokha voin i revoliutsii, 1914-1922: Materialy mezhdunarodnogo kollokviuma (St. Petersburg: Nestor, 2017), pp. 248-63.   
• “Bureaucratic Diaries and Imperial Experts. Autobiographical Writing in Tsarist Russia in the late Nineteenth Century: Fëdor Martens, Dmitrii Miliutin, Pëtr Valuev,” in Imperial Subjects. Autobiografische Praxis in den Vielvölkerreichen der Habsburger, Romanovs und Osmanen im 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhundert , eds.Martin Aust and Frithjof Benjamin Schenk (Böhlau Verlag: Köln, 2015), pp. 205-232.
• “The World Turned Upside Down: Refugee Crisis and Militia Massacres in Occupied Northern Persia, 1917-1918,” in Le Génocide des Arméniens: Cent ans de recherché, 1915-2015 , ed. Conseil scientifique international pour l’étude du génocide des Arméniens (Paris: Armand Colin, 2015), pp. 130-54.
• "‘In accord with State Interests and the People's Wishes': The Technocratic Ideology of Imperial Russia's Resettlement Administration," Slavic Review 69, no. 1 (Spring 2010), 151-79. (Posted in accordance with Slavic Review's web-posting policy.)
• “Violent Russia, Deadly Marxism: Russia in the Epoch of Violence,”   Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History  4, no. 3 (Summer 2003): 627-52. (Posted with the permission of  Kritika .)
• “‘Information is the Alpha and Omega of Our Work': Bolshevik Surveillance in its Pan-European Perspective,”  Journal of Modern History  69, no. 3 (1997): 415-450. (Posted in accordance with the on-line posting policy of the  Journal of Modern History .)
• Introduction to  Making War, Forging Revolution: Russia's Continuum of Crisis, 1914-1921

Suggested Readings for PhD Comprehensive Exams

Suggested Readings for PhD Qualifying Exam in Soviet History  (PDF) Suggested Readings for PhD Qualifying Exam in Imperial Russia (PDF)

Teaching Awards

• Ira H. Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, April 2018. 
• Richard S. Dunn Award for Distinguished Teaching, History Department, University of Pennsylvania, Spring 2017
• Robert and Helen Appel Fellowship for Humanists and Social Scientists, recognizing “excellence in teaching, scholarly promise, and dedication to advancing knowledge,” Cornell University, 2004

Ph.D. in History, Columbia University (awarded with Distinction)

BA in History and in Slavic Languages and Literatures, Indiana-University-Bloomington (awarded with High Distinction)

• HIST 048 Imperial Russia, 1689-1905
• HIST 049 The Soviet Century, 1905-2005
• HIST 102 Freshman Seminar: Russia in the Age of Anna Karenina
• HIST 212 Ben Franklin Seminar: The First World War
• HIST 333 The Napoleonic Era andTolstoy's War and Peace
• HIST 425 World War I: Causes, Course, Consequences
• HIST 620 Issues and Themes in the History of Imperial Russia

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

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PhD Russian and East European Studies

Year of entry: 2024

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• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and 
• Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent) 

Full entry requirements

Apply online  

Please ensure you include all  required supporting documents  at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. 

Application Deadlines 

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by  12 January 2024. 

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self–funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed. 

• For September 2024 entry:  30 June 2024 
• For January 2025 entry:  30 September 2024 

Programme options

Programme overview

• Benefit from the diverse expertise of our department ranging from 19th to 20th-century Russian, Eurasian and Soviet history to contemporary Russian and East European cultures, politics and media.
• Collaborate with departments across the University through our Russian and Eurasian Studies Network.
• 92% of our research activity was recognised as 'world leading' or `internationally excellent' REF2021.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 12 January 2024. 

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.  

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures New Generation PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)

Contact details

See: About us

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Russian and East European Studies
• Languages and Cultures

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview, english language.

International applicants must provide one of the following: 

• IELTS test minimum score – 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing. 
• TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score – 100 overall, 25 in all sections. 
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score – 76 overall, 76 in writing. 
• To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years. 
• Other tests may be considered.

Please note, CAS statements are only issued when all conditions of the offer have been satisfied, offer accepted, and a PDF copy of passport received. 

English language test validity

Other international entry requirements.

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country.

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School. 

Other entry requirements

Application and selection, how to apply, advice to applicants.

Before you start your application, you should: 

• Develop your own research proposal and project title. 
• Find a supervisor by browsing our academics’ profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research.
• Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor. 

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents: 

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal
• Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. If your Master’s degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript. 
• An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information. 
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process. 
• International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS)

Interview requirements

As part of the offer making process applicants will be required to undertake an interview assessment. This may be in the form of an in–person interview, or video call. 

The interview is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the broad topic area, the viability of your proposed research and its intellectual contribution, alongside the fit of your project with the supervisory team. You also may be asked to identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research, and discuss how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance.

The interview panel will consist at minimum of your primary supervisor and an independent interviewer. 

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful, you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard programme entry criteria for that year of entry.  

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen programme. 

Programme details

Programme description.

Our PhD Russian and East European Studies programme will enable you to carry out a piece of significant, original research under the supervision of our academics.

Staff in Russian and East European Studies conduct research of an interdisciplinary nature across a broad range of subjects, including:

• 19th and 20th-century literature and history of Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia;
• Soviet and post-Soviet cinema and the media;
• Russian state propaganda and disinformation;
• post-Soviet Russian and East European popular culture and music;
• memory studies;
• nationalism and ethnic politics historically and in the post-communist period.

The discipline of Russian and East European Studies constitutes a core group of the Cross-Disciplinary Russian and Eurasian Studies Network, which facilitates collaboration in research and postgraduate teaching and supervision among relevant members of staff across the Faculty of Humanities at Manchester.

Our staff's externally-funded current research projects include:

• (Mis)Translating Deceit: Disinformation as a Translingual, Discursive Dynamic (AHRC);
• Eurasian Poles and Periperies in Transformation (UKRI). 

A focal point for our research activity is a regular research seminar, which features a mix of internal and external speakers, and promotes debate between staff and postgraduates across the full spectrum of their research interests.

We run a research grouping on Russian Media, Propaganda and Disinformation .

Find out more about our research , our staff and what our current postgraduate research students are working on.

Additional programme information

Humanities Doctoral Academy

Our Humanities Doctoral Academy combines the strengths of our four schools to bring expertise, knowledge, support and high quality services for postgraduate researchers.

We are a community of academic leaders and postgraduate researchers across all levels in the Faculty of Humanities. The Doctoral Academy Hub houses our specialist professional service teams who support postgraduate researchers throughout the programme journey. This includes admissions, registration, student experience, progression, examination and graduation. We collaborate closely with other University directorates including Manchester Doctoral College, Researcher Development team, and the corresponding Doctoral Academies in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Together we provide the best experience and support for your studies and research.

Equality, diversity and inclusion  is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. 

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact. 

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status. 

All appointments are made on merit. 

The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Teaching and learning

The PhD is the major postgraduate research degree. It involves three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study and the preparation of a thesis of not more than 80,000 words that makes a significant contribution to knowledge.

A satisfactory PhD topic is one that a suitably qualified and properly supervised student can bring to completion within the permitted timeframe.

Please note that all PhD students are required to undertake research training as part of their PhD programme.

Coursework and assessment

Your research will normally be supervised by two members of staff at the University. Your supervisors will most likely be members of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, but if your research requires it, we may arrange for supervision by someone outside the School.

Supervisory arrangements at Manchester are governed by a Code of Practice which is available on the University's website.

Regular meetings will be held with the supervisors, and details of each of the meetings will be recorded.

Research panels (consisting of at least three academic staff, including the supervisors) are held once per semester to monitor progress.

Please note that the first year of the full-time programme and the first two years of the part-time programme are probationary. This means you will be required to show evidence of satisfactory progress to proceed with the programme.

Related research

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) Russian and East European Studies was assessed as part of The University of Manchester's 'Modern Languages and Linguistics' submission.

The University of Manchester was ranked top 10 in the UK in terms (by grade point average) among the 47 departments assessed under Unit of Assessment 26.

92% of our research was judged to be in the highest two categories (4*) 'world-leading' or (3*) 'internationally excellent'.

Our research environment was also judged to be strong, with 100% judged to be (4*) 'world-leading' or (3*) 'internationally excellent'.

Find out more about our Modern Languages research at Manchester.

What our students say

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.

Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.

Find out more about facilities for Modern Languages and Cultures students.

Disability support

Career opportunities.

Many of PhD graduates in Modern Languages and Translation and Interpreting Studies have gone on to academic positions at leading universities in the UK, Europe, USA, East Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Our graduates have been also successful with receiving prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, including the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship and the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The interdisciplinarity nature of PhD programmes in Modern Languages and Cultures and Translation and Interpreting Studies prepares our graduates successfully to apply to a wide range of academic posts. In addition to those in European and Middle Eastern Languages and Translation/Interpreting, our graduates have been appointed to permanent academic positions in Film Studies; History; Journalism and Political Communication; and Sociology. Recent examples include:

Dr Abi Bharat (PhD French Studies), tenure-track assistant professorship, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan, USA

Dr Ignacio Aguiló (PhD Latin American Studies), lectureship in Latin American Cultural Studies, University of Manchester

Dr Ibrahim Alfraih (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), lectureship, King Saud University, Saudi Araba

Dr Liwen Chang (PhD Translation Studies), senior lectureship, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Dr Chonglong Gu (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation and Interpreting, the University of Liverpool

Dr Leanne Dawson (PhD German Studies), lectureship in German and Film, the University of Edinburgh

Dr Melanie Foedisch (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation Studies, the University of Manchester

Dr Eleanor Jones (PhD Portuguese Studies), lectureship in Portuguese and World Literatures, University of Southampton

Dr Sue-Ann Harding (PhD Russian Studies), senior lectureship in Translation and Intercultural Studies, Queen's University, Belfast

Dr Emma Heywood (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Journalism, Politics and Communication, University of Sheffield

Dr Paulina Henry-Tierney (PhD French Studies), lectureship in French Translation, Newcastle University

Dr Mila Milani (PhD Italian Studies), senior lectureship in Italian Studies, Warwick University

Dr Gozde Naiboglu (PhD German Studies), lectureship in Film Studies, University of Leicester

Dr Bryan Roby (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), assistant professorship at the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan

Dr Neil Sadler (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation Studies, Queen's University, Belfast

Dr Elisabeth Schimpfoessl (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Sociology, Aston University

Dr Ewa Stanczyk (PhD Polish Studies), lectureship in East European Studies, University of Amsterdam

Dr Joseph Twist (PhD German Studies), lectureship in German Studies, University College Dublin

Dr Denis Volkov (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), associate professorship in Iranian Studies and Middle Eastern history, Higher School of Economics, Moscow

Dr Ilya Yablokov (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Russian Studies, University of Leeds

Research and communication skills which our PhD programmes help developing also position our graduates to get highly competitive posts outside academia, including in civil service, media and business.

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