THE
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Overview
Requirements
for Admission
Financial
Aid
Duration
of Financial Support
Satisfactory Progress
Toward the Degree
Degree
Requirements
MA
PhD
Graduate
Advising
Information
for Graduate Teaching Assistants
UVA
Graduate Guide
Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences
The
Graduate Record
OVERVIEW
The
University of Virginia Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
offers the M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literatures and Contemporary
Russian Studies. Both tracks combine surveys of the areas of specialization
with advanced training in Russian language. The M.A. in Slavic Languages
and Literatures is typically completed in progress toward the Ph.D.
In
preparation for doctoral candidacy, students complete a series of
advanced seminars which draw on the preparation they have received
at the Master's level. Graduates of the doctoral program are currently
on the faculties of such institutions as the University of Arizona,
Yale University, Bucknell University, Bates College, and the University
of Kentucky.
Founded
in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia is distinctive
among institutions of higher education; it is both public and selective.
The College of Arts and Sciences, in which the Department of Slavic
Languages and Literatures is administratively situated, is the largest
of the schools of the University. The faculty of the College is committed
to maintaining high standards of excellence in both research and
teaching. The University is located in Charlottesville, a vital community
with rich traditions, located about 120 miles southwest of Washington,
D.C.
The
graduate studies program in the Department of Slavic Languages and
Literatures offers excellent opportunities for close contact with
faculty members. Students are encouraged to take full advantage of
the many opportunities available for study in various countries of
Eastern Europe. The Department is a member of the International Research
and Exchanges Board (IREX), the Association of Departments of Foreign
Languages (ADFL), and the Cooperative Russian Language Program of
the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Applicants
are considered on the basis of qualifications regardless of age,
citizenship, color, handicap, national origin, political affiliation,
race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a disabled
veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era.
FINANCIAL
AID
Under
normal circumstances, financial support for individual graduate students
will be limited to a maximum of five post-BA years; within this overall
limit, the maximum possible for MA support will usually be two years
and maximum possible for post-MA support will usually be three years.
In the renewal of financial aid, satisfactory progress in the schedule
of examinations and the sequence guidelines is prioritized.
SATISFACTORY
PROGRESS TOWARD THE DEGREE
The Slavic
Department faculty will convene at the end of the academic year to
assess academic progress on the part of the graduate students in
terms of: grades, progress in current courses, course loads, timely
adherence to sequence guidelines, record of incompletes, and [if
a TA] teaching effectiveness. One of the purposes of this meeting
will be to rank applicants for financial aid. Applicants should bear
in mind that the Department's resources vary from year to year, and
that this may affect the amount and type of any aid offered, even
when progress is deemed satisfactory.
All course
work for the PhD should usually be completed by the end of the first
post-MA year. Comprehensive examinations should normally be taken
in the first semester of the second post-MA year, and no later than
the second semester of the second post-MA year. Except in cases where
fieldwork is required, the dissertation should be completed by the
end of the third post-MA year (i.e. five years after entry into the
MA program).
GRADUATE
ADVISING
The Graduate
Advisor oversees the process of graduate admissions and recruitment,
keeps track of financial aid offers and awards, advises students
on departmental policies and program requirements, and notifies faculty
of upcoming examination responsibilities. The Graduate Advisor holds
an informational meeting with the graduate students early in the
fall semester, and then maintains special advising hours during pre-registration
periods in the fall and the spring. Students are encouraged to see
the Advisor whenever they have questions about the program. The Graduate
Advisor, together with other faculty in the Department, makes every
effort to help graduate students who are seeking employment to identify
potential job opportunities and to prepare the candidate for a competitive
employment profile.
INFORMATION
FOR GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS
I. Selection
of Teaching Assistants and Graders
Selection
of Teaching Assistants is based on the staffing needs of the Department
and the credentials of the students being considered for the position
of TA. Since teaching experience is considered important for post-graduate
employment, the Department tries to ensure that capable students
have an opportunity to develop pedagogical skills in the classroom.
The primary fields in which Teaching Assistants are needed are:
Russian language, folklore and culture, linguistics, and Russian
literature. Occasionally, Teaching Assistants are chosen to teach
Slavic languages other than Russian.
The primary
duties of a Teaching Assistant vary according to the type of course
in which the teaching is conducted. In literature and culture courses,
the TA may be a discussion leader. In some language courses, the
TA may be primarily engaged in conducting drills, developing exercises,
etc. Upon occasion, a TA may be in charge of an independent course.
In addition
to Teaching Assistants, some qualified students may be selected
to serve as Graders. The primary responsibility of a grader is
to evaluate written work such as examinations, problem sets, and
papers.
II. Training
of Teaching Assistants
Training
of Teaching Assistants is a continual process. At the beginning
of the academic year, teaching workshops may be conducted by the
Department or by the Teaching Resource Center (see below). International
TAs receive special attention through the Teaching Resource Center,
and new international Teaching Assistants are required to attend
a workshop conducted by the TRC before the fall semester begins.
Teaching Assistants subsequently receive supervision and guidance
by departmental faculty during the academic year.
III. Teaching
Resource Center
The Teaching
Resource Center offers a variety of services and resource materials
designed to enhance the teaching skills of faculty and teaching
assistants at the University of Virginia. In addition to sponsoring
workshops on all aspects of instruction, the TRC maintains a library
of books, articles, and videos that are of use to instructional
personnel. It is located at Hotel D, 24 East Range.
LIBRARY
RESOURCES
The
library has collections of over two million items. Slavic holdings
are already substantial (100,000 items) and expanding rapidly. The
Library of Congress is easily accessible (two hours by car, bus or
train) for research that requires rare items not found in Charlottesville.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Mr.
Dariusz Tolczyk, Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
PO Box 400783
109 Cabell Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4783
Telephone: (434) 924-3548
E-Mail: dt8n@virginia.edu
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