Admissions

Although the Department of Slavic, East European & Eurasian Languages & Cultures offers both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, we admit only those students who plan to ultimately pursue a Ph.D. We do not offer a terminal M.A. The program requires full-time attendance, and classes are held during the day.

The Department admits students for the Fall Quarter only and does not allow deferred admission. All application materials for admission to the Department’s graduate program should be received by January 15, and results can be expected in March. Applicants are automatically considered for four-year financial aid packages. 

We will only consider applicants who meet all of the following requisite qualifications:

• Possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, comparable in standard and content to a bachelor’s degree from the University of California
• Hold the equivalent of a UCLA bachelor’s degree in Russian Language and Literature, Slavic Languages and Literatures, or Russian Studies, OR to have completed three years of Russian language and a variety of courses in Russian history, literature, and linguistics
• Have a scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better (or its equivalent if the letter grade system is not used) for the last 60 semester/ 90 quarter units of undergraduate study and in any post baccalaureate study

You must apply electronically for graduate admission and financial aid. You will find the online application on the Graduate Division webpage.

Launch Application

Applicants are asked to upload the following items to the online application:

• A statement of purpose, explaining their background for graduate study in literature and their language areas and proficiency levels. Please include immediate and long-range goals in the field in the statement. Statements of purpose should primarily focus on intellectual interests and research plans, though autobiographical material can be useful where it is clearly relevant.

• Applicants should have three scholars under whom they have studied submit recommendation letters about their potential in literature, languages and general intellectual qualifications.

• The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for applicants whose native language is English or for those have a bachelor’s degree or higher (regardless of the subject) from a university where instruction is in English. Applicants should take the exams no later than October or November. We will accept scores from exams taken within the past five years. For further information about exams, please contact Educational Testing Service at (609) 771-7670 or visit www.ets.org. The GRE school code is 4837; the department code is 2606. Please note: no application, whether foreign or domestic, can be reviewed until scores from the required examinations have been received. We recommend that the exams be taken well in advance of the application deadline. There is no minimum acceptable GRE score; however, we highly recommend that you take this test seriously.

• International applicants whose first language is not English must certify their proficiency in English. Such applicants must submit scores received on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Your application is not complete without the test scores. Foreign language ability can fade quickly, so please note that TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for only two years. The scores must be valid at the time you submit your application. If you took the examination multiple times, only the most recent score is considered.

TOEFL – Your TOEFL score on the paper and pencil test must be at least 560 or at least 87 on the internet-based test. These scores represent the minimum required for applicants to graduate programs at UCLA. Some of our majors may require higher scores as noted in Departmental Information. For the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT), the following are the expected scores for each section: Writing: 25; Speaking: 24; Reading: 21; Listening: 17. Please note that these expected section scores help you judge your English language ability in different areas. TOEFL scores should be sent to your major department. Be sure to list the TOEFL institution code for UCLA 4837.

IELTS – Your IELTS Academic overall band score should be at least 7.0. 7.0 is the minimum required. Ask IELTS to send your scores to your major department and the Graduate Division.

• International applicants must complete and return the Confidential Financial Statement.

• Applicants must submit transcripts from each academic institution attended. Unofficial copies of transcripts can be uploaded as part of your application, but we will require official transcripts for applicants who are admitted and submit a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). These must bear the actual signature of the Registrar and the seal of the issuing institution.

• Applicants must submit a writing sample of 15-20 pages in the field they wish to pursue. 

Teaching Assistantship and Academic Apprenticeship: All Ph.D. students will have the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant after spending at least one year in the program. Teaching assistantships are not automatically offered to students but are awarded on the basis of merit.

Fellowships and Grants: This page provides a list of funding sources available to graduate students to help fund and develop their research agendas.

Fellowships, Scholarships & Grants for Entering Students: This page provides specific information about funding opportunities for entering graduate students.

Please visit http://slavic.ucla.edu/graduate/admissions/faq/ and/or https://grad.ucla.edu/asis/infoserv/faq.html for help with any questions you may have regarding graduate admissions.

• Admission Contact Information, Deadlines and Requirements
• Program Requirements
• Graduate Admissions
• Financial Support