ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

Application

Q. When and how do I apply?

A. Please visit .

There are also deadlines to be considered for funding – refer to the Funding section below.

Q. What are the entrance requirements for the EURUS MA?

A. The normal requirement for admission to the MA program is a four-year BA degree, with at least a B+ average.

For admission to the program, applicants should normally meet the following requirements:

• A four-year Bachelor of Arts degree (Ontario BA Honours) or equivalent four-year program in a humanities or social science discipline, with demonstrated coursework in the European/Russian/Eurasian area, ideally covering multiple disciplines (not solely language courses)
• Some background in an appropriate major European or Eurasian language other than English. Applicants with little or no prior experience in a language may be admitted, but will with no proficiency or proficiency in an appropriate language; in this case they will require additional language training beyond normal M.A. requirements.
• Travel, work, study abroad or other practical experience in the area of study, while not required, will also be taken into consideration.

Applicants lacking appropriate regional studies background may be admitted with additional coursework or admitted to a Qualifying Year program.

In order to apply you will need to submit a signed and completed application form, a letter of interest, two official transcripts and the application fee.

For program specific requirements please visit the .

Q. What should I include in my letter of interest?

A. A letter of interest should include information regarding your area, thematic and research interests, what drew you to EURUS, and your previous engagement with the region, both in terms of academic experience as well as other spheres such as work and travel.

Q. When do I need to choose a concentration?

A. There are two concentrations in EURUS: European and European Union Studies OR Russian and Eurasian Studies. You do not need to select a concentration when you apply. For those uncertain of which concentration best suits their interests, the decision will be made in consultation with the Institute director in the summer before entry.

Q. What type of language background in required?

A. EURUS will work with all students to meet the language requirement (a written translation exam or equivalent coursework) for graduation. Some students have entered without experience in a regional language (a major European language or Russian) and have taken language courses in the program and intensive training in the summer. Students with at least 1-2 years of language, however, will find the requirement can be met much more easily.

Acceptance

Q: How will I know if I am accepted?

A: You will receive an electronic offer from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Q: When do I have to accept my offer?

A: You have 21 days from the time you receive your acceptance letter.

Q: When do classes start?

A: Classes start in September, after Labour Day. The start date varies so you will have to check the for the exact date when classes start.

Course Work & Registration

Q: What courses do I have to take?

A: The standard EURUS MA is 5.0 credits. A course lasting one term is 0.5 credits. The number of courses you are required to take will vary depending on whether you are doing a major research paper or a thesis. A research paper is 1.0 credit and would be combined with eight 0.5 credit courses to complete the MA. The thesis option is 2.0 credits and requires the completion of six 0.5 credit courses. In completing your course work only 1.0 credit, or 2 one term courses, may be at the undergraduate level (4000), while the remaining 4.0 credits must be at the graduate level (5000).

There are also course requirements specific to each stream in the EURUS MA (Russian and Eurasian Studies or European and European Union Studies). Students in both streams are required to take the appropriate two-semester core seminar (EURR 5001 and EURR 5010). You must also complete 1.0 credit in course work from the concentration course list specific to each stream (see below). Remaining credits are electives, which you may fill with courses at the appropriate level. For a complete list of courses and descriptions refer to the .

Q: Do I have to take only courses offered by EURUS?

A: No, you may take courses from other departments such as International Affairs, Political Science, History, Migration and Diaspora Studies, Sociology among others. Before registration the Institute will distribute a list of all courses that may be taken for credit towards a EURUS degree, and students may petition for courses that are not on that list but which are relevant to their particular research program/interests.

In addition, students have the option of taking courses offered at the University of Ottawa when a similar course is not on offer at ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´. Some students find this particular useful for supplementing the language course offerings that ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ has. For more information, see our page on how to register for the ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´-uOttawa Exchange.

Q: How do I register for non-EURUS courses?

A: Often you will have to ask for permission to access non-EURUS courses. Contact the EURUS administrator, eurus@carleton.ca for this permission. If there is a wait list, the best option is to go to the first class and speak with the professor.

Q: When do I have to register for my courses?

A: Registration occurs over the summer, typically in July. You will register online.

Q: Do I have to pay tuition over the summer?

A: For domestic students, if you are not taking courses, you will not have to pay tuition over the summer in your first year, as long as you wait to register for the Thesis or Research Paper option until the Fall term of your second year. Once you register for these courses, you need to stay registered in them and pay tuition for every term until you graduate. For international students, the summer term is considered a “regularly scheduled break” for immigration purposes.

Please note that under the new tuition model, students in a coursework or research essay pathway will be charged tuition based on the the number of credits that they are registered for in each term. For students in the thesis pathway, once registered in EURR 5909 M.A. Thesis, they will pay tuition based on the full-time rate for thesis students in each term. Please note that the tuition rates for thesis or non-thesis options are the same for 5.0 credits, but what is different is how the tuition payment is allocated in each term.

Q: How long do I have to complete the degree?

A: Typically, full-time students not opting for co-op complete the EURUS MA program in two years. Usually extensions of up to three years may be granted by Graduate Studies without issues. Students extending their completion time beyond three years will need approval from Graduate Studies and to provide a rationale for their extension and their plan to produce deliverables (thesis chapters, etc.) in order to have an extension approved.

For students who opt for the co-op option, every co-op work term completed extends the time you have to complete your degree by one term without requiring an extension. Some students choose to take evening classes throughout co-op in order to graduate early. Since many EURUS students do take part in co-op, the EURUS program tries to offer a variety of evening classes each semester to accommodate.

Part-time students normally have up to 6 years to complete the degree program, though many are able to complete the degree sooner.

Funding

Q: How can I get funding?

A: Every applicant to EURUS is automatically considered for funding, either in the form of Research or Teaching Assistantships and/or scholarships. Funding is competitive. Due to limited funds, not every applicant will receive funding. You may also apply for external funding. See ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´’s external awards webpage . Students not awarded can still apply for out of priority TA.

Additionally, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ has both merit-based scholarships and need-based bursaries that students may apply for (usually in the Fall term). In addition, EURUS has departmental bursaries and scholarships that will be awarded in the Winter term. The graduate administrator will circulate a call for applications to these award opportunities.

Common external scholarships are the and the . You can also view ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´’s webpages for the and awards. Note that deadlines are early!

Q: How does my funding work? When and how much do I get paid? Will I be paid in the summer?

A: All funding packages are different. You will begin receiving payment from September of your first term. Whether you receive funding in the summer is dependent on your funding package. You can see information about your funding terms and conditions through your ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Central account.

Q: Where can I get specific information about my funding?

A: Contact the EURUS graduate administrator (eurus@carleton.ca) and/or the .

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Q: When will I find out about my TA/RA position?

A: If you have a TA in your admissions package, usually in July or August you will receive an email from the graduate administrator asking you to enter your preferences for TA positions. TA assignments will usually be made later in August and sometimes into early September. Once you receive the notification about your position, you will need to accept it, and then communicate with your instructor regarding the duties.

Some students may be awarded Research Assistantships in their admissions package. These are usually made and paid for through faculty member’s individual research grants. Usually students will need to contact the faculty member who made the award to discuss the duties.

Q: Does everyone get a TA/RA-ship?

A: No, EURUS only receives a set number of TA ships to award in each term. Decisions to award these positions are made based on the GPA and other qualifications. For RA-ships, these are dependent on the availability of research funds (usually externally funded from granting agencies).