Grad. Program: Russian Culture/Soviet Cinema/Russian Literature (University of Pittsburgh)

Deadline: January 15, 2020

The University of Pittsburgh Slavic Department (https://www.slavic.pitt.edu/) invites applications to its graduate program, which provides a full range of courses, with particular strengths in the study of Russian culture, Russian/Soviet cinema, and Russian literature.  We offer two tracks described below.  For full scholarship consideration, please submit all application materials by Wednesday, 15 January 2020 (apologies for cross-posting).

Alternative # 1 (Slavic).  Our literature and culture program has supported dissertations in such diverse areas as contemporary Russian prose, interwar émigré philosophy, Soviet postmodern culture, Thaw cinema, 1930s-40s Soviet civic poetry, prison culture of the Belomor Canal, post-Soviet philosophy, the St. Petersburg cityscape, the Soviet anekdot, and Stagnation-era television serials.  Financial aid (both non-teaching fellowships and teaching assistantships) is available to qualified applicants. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, 15 January 2020 and must be submitted electronically at https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=up-as.  For more information, see https://www.slavic.pitt.edu/graduate/graduate-requirements.

Alongside primary study towards the degree, students typically are mentored in obtaining MA or PhD certificates in one or more of five interdepartmental programs or centers:

.       Cultural Studies (http://pitt.edu/~cultural/)

.       Film and Media Studies (http://www.filmstudies.pitt.edu/)

.       Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Title VI (http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/crees/)

.       Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (http://www.wstudies.pitt.edu/)

.       Jewish Studies (http://www.jewishstudies.pitt.edu/)

PhD students typically help organize the annual Russian Film Symposium (http://www.rusfilm.pitt.edu).  By PhD conferral, students will have teaching experience in culture, cinema, language, and literature courses (team-taught and stand-alone formats).  PhD recipients have received academic job offers or post-doctoral fellowships in such institutions as Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Stanford Humanities Center, University College London, University of Texas Austin, Vanderbilt, and William and Mary.  Other PhD recipients have competed successful for senior academic administrative positions in International Studies, for work in Russian media analysis consulting in the public sector, and for teaching and administrative positions in private secondary education.

Alternative # 2 (Slavic/Film Studies PhD). Students with a primary interest in Film Studies may apply to Pitt’s Interdisciplinary Film Studies PhD with a concentration in Slavic, thus working towards a single PhD in two disciplines. Application to the Film Studies PhD degree may be made in two ways: a.) as part of the initial application to the University; or b.) as an application only to the Slavic Department and later (after preparatory coursework) internally for transfer to the Film Studies PhD.  For information, see http://www.filmstudies.pitt.edu/graduate/interdisciplinary-phd

In case of questions, please write to Keanna Cash, Administrator, at KEC176@pitt.edu or Prof. Vladimir Padunov, Director of Graduate Studies, padunov@pitt.edu