Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

College of Arts and Sciences

Departmental E-mail: ceus [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: ceus.indiana.edu

The department offers a comprehensive program on the study of Central Eurasia, the vast heartland of Europe and Asia. Students  may specialize in one or more of the major regions within Central Eurasia, or they may specialize in issues cutting across the areas, or in Central Eurasia as a whole. The degree program consists of two interconnected elements: a language of specialization, which gives a student access to the culture of a given region through the voices of its people; and a region of specialization, which includes courses on various aspects of the region’s culture. The language(s) of specialization (LoS) may be any language(s) offered regularly in the department, including Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Persian, Tibetan, Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, and other two-year department languages permitted by the student’s advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Some regions and languages such as the Siberian region (including the Buryat, Evenki, Yakut, and other languages) and the Volga-Kama region (including the Mari, Mordvin, and other languages) are also available only as individualized specializations at the Ph.D. level.

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS) is affiliated with the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) of the College of Arts and Sciences, dedicated to providing Indiana University graduate students with the intellectual tools they will need to live, work, and thrive in the globalized world of the twenty-first century.  Degree programs associated with HLS emphasize language proficiency, cultural competency, and in-depth training in qualitative and quantitative methodologies.  HLS students enjoy unparalleled access to a stellar faculty and professional development opportunities.  For further information regarding the mission, structure, and resources of the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, see http://hls.indiana.edu.

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in CEUS. CEUS also offers a dual M.A./M.P.A. degree with the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, a dual M.A./M.B.A. degree with the Kelley School of Business and dual M.A./M.I.S. and M.A./M.L.S. degrees with the Department of Information and Library Science.

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master of Arts Degree

The degree requirements are subdivided into fields based on the region of specialization (RoS).

 An RoS may be either thematic or geographical/cultural and is designed by the student’s advisor and the student working in close collaboration and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.  A thematic RoS includes thematically related graduate-level CEUS courses that cut across regions. An illustrative, non-exhaustive, list of a thematic RoS includes history, linguistics (e.g., Turkic linguistics), nationalisms, post-socialism/post-colonialism/post-imperialism and related topics, religions, security and strategic issues, all within the context of, or more broadly encompassing the study of, greater Central Eurasia. The LoS should be strongly related to the student’s intended research focus.

A geographical/cultural RoS is drawn from the following:

Baltic States, Finland, and Hungary RoS, with Estonian, Finnish, or Hungarian as the LoS; Turkey and Iran RoS, with Turkish, Persian, or Kurdish as the LoS;

Central Asia and Xinjiang RoS, with Uzbek, Uyghur, Kazakh or Kyrgyz as LoS;

Mongolia and Tibet RoS, with Tibetan or Mongolian, as LoS.

A geographical ROS might be constructed from several regions, for example, combining Central Asia and Iran. 

Admission Requirements

All M.A. applicants must have achieved a minimum of a 3.0 (B) grade point average (GPA) for the B.A. course work. The undergraduate record should show two years of any single foreign language at the college level or the equivalent. Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose are required.  GRE scores of at least 148 quantitative or 160 verbal taken within the last 5 years.  In addition to the GRE exam, International applicants must have a score of 79 or higher for the iBT (internet-based exam). TOEFL scores must be no more than 2 years old.  Please note that the paper-based TOEFL ITP exam – sometimes called the institutional TOEFL – offered by the Intensive English Program on the Bloomington campus, cannot be used in place of the TOEFL iBT. Admission to the MA and Ph.D programs are at the discretion of the Department.

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours: 3 credit hours of a professional research methodology course (course may be outside CEUS with prior approval from the Director of Graduate Studies); 6 credit hours of intermediate (second-year) level of a language of specialization (LOS) taught in the department; 12 credit hours of courses in the region of specialization (ROS); 6 credit hours of electives, at least 3 of which must be taken in the department unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies; and 3 credit hours of CEUS-R691, the M.A. thesis course.  Students passing a CEUS administered placement or proficiency exam testing beyond the intermediate level of the LOS may fill the 6 LOS credit hours with additional CEUS elective courses.  Those with a previous MA with a thesis in a related field may not be required to write a thesis for the CEUS MA (see “Thesis” below).  In such cases CEUS-R691 is replaced with an additional CEUS elective. The exact program for each student, based on departmental offerings, is established by the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee.

Research Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate reading proficiency in one modern scholarly research languages, in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate School. The student’s primary advisor will consult with the student to determine which research language, appropriate to the student’s program of study, fulfill this requirement. Proficiency may be demonstrated by taking proficiency examinations through the relevant departments, or by completing with a "B" grade or better the 491-492 courses offered in some of these languages. According to Graduate School regulations, these credit hours do not count toward the over-all MA requirement of 30 hours.  Thesis

Required. M.A. thesis should be no fewer than 50 double-spaced pages (text and notes) and reflect the use of materials in the student’s language of specialization or in at least one research language other than English. Thesis requirement can be waived if an M.A. thesis of at least 50 pages was written for an earlier M.A. degree in a related field. 

Dual Master of Arts in Central Eurasian Studies and Master of Public Affairs (M.A./M.P.A.) Degree

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs jointly offer a three-year program that qualifies students for a dual master’s degree. The first semester of course work toward the dual degree may be completed in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs to complete prerequisite courses that are only offered in the fall semester.  Under this program, the degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

Admission Requirements

Same as for the Master of Arts degree except that application must also be made to the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs for study toward the Master of Public Affairs degree. Students must be accepted by both units to be admitted to the dual degree program.  Students may apply for admission to both programs simultaneously.  Alternatively, students may apply first for the M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies and apply for the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs M.P.A. program during their first year of study; they can then enter the dual degree program in their second year of study.

CEUS Requirements; Course Work, Thesis, and Research Language

A total of 24 credit hours: 6 credit hours of intermediate (second-year) level of a language of specialization (LOS) taught in the department; 9 credit hours of courses in the region of specialization (ROS); 6 credit hours of electives, at least 3 of which must be taken in the department; 3 credit hours of R691, CEUS's M.A. thesis course; and demonstration of reading proficiency (no credit hours) in a modern scholarly research language, appropriate to the student’s program of study, fulfill this requirement.  Students passing a CEUS administered placement or proficiency exam testing beyond the intermediate level of the LOS may fill the 6 LOS credit hours with additional CEUS elective courses. The 3 credit hour professional research methodology course requirement of a CEUS M.A. shall be satisfied by the methodology course required for the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs' M.P.A.  The exact program for each student, based on departmental offerings, is established by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee.  An M.A. thesis of not fewer than 50 double-spaced pages (text and notes) that reflects the use of materials in the student’s language of specialization (LOS) or in at least one research language other than English. 

Public and Environmental Affairs Course Requirements

Dual degree students must complete the core requirements for the M.P.A. and a specialized SPEA concentration (36 credit hours) to include: SPEA-F 560 Public Finance and Budgeting, SPEA-V 502 Public Management, SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making, SPEA-V 517 Public Management Economics, SPEA-V 540 Law and Public Affairs, SPEA-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs.  For more information see: https://bulletins.iu.edu/iu/spea/2018-2019/programs/bloomington/mpa_dual/other.shtml.

Note on Tuition Costs

Students in this dual-degree program may find variance in their tuition charges. There is no standardized method of coding students in dual-degree programs. The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences charge different graduate tuition rates per credit hour.  The school in which you register each semester may depend on your funding.  It is the student's responsibility to consult with both units to determine in which school they should register each semester.

Dual Masters of Arts in Central Eurasian Studies and Master of Business Administration (M.A./M.B.A.) Degree

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies, in cooperation with the Kelley School of Business, offers a three-year program that qualifies students for two Master’s degrees. Study in the dual degree program allows students to complete the M.A. and M.B.A. with a total of 66 credit hours rather than the 84 hours that would be required to take the two degrees separately. Under this program, the degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

Admission

Students must apply separately for admission to the M.A. program in Central Eurasian Studies and the M.B.A. program in the School of Business and must be accepted by both units in order to be admitted to the dual degree program. Students may apply for admission to both programs simultaneously. Alternatively, students may apply first for the M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies and apply for the M.B.A. program during their first year of study; they can then enter the dual degree program in their second year of study, provided that they have completed no more than 24 hours of M.A. credit before starting work on the M.B.A. Either way, students will spend one year in the College of Arts and Sciences and one year at the School of Business and the final year completing the final requirements (including the thesis) of both programs.

CEUS Requirements: Course Work, Thesis, and Research Language

A total of 24 credit hours: 6 credit hours of intermediate (second-year) level of a language of specialization (LOS) taught in the department; 9 credit hours of courses in the region of specialization (ROS); 6 credit hours of electives, at least 3 of which must be taken in the department; 3 credit hours of R691, CEUS's M.A. thesis course; and demonstration of reading proficiency (no credit hours) in a modern research language such as Chinese, French, German, or Russian. Substitutions, when justified by the student’s field of specialization, may be permitted by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students passing a CEUS administered placement or proficiency exam testing beyond the intermediate level of the LOS may fill the 6 LOS credit hours with additional CEUS elective courses. The 3 credit hour professional research methodology course requirement for a CEUS M.A. shall be satisfied by the methodology course required for the Kelley School of Business' M.B.A. The exact program for each student, based on departmental offerings, is established by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. An M.A. thesis of not fewer than 50 double-spaced pages (text and notes) that reflects the use of materials in the student’s language of specialization (LOS) and/or in at least one research language other than English.

Business Course Requirements

Required and elective courses for a total of 42 credit hours. The possibilities of course combinations are many and will depend on your specific career goals. All students in the dual degree program are strongly urged to arrange a course of study that includes courses in international business. For full details, contact the M.B.A. program office at 812-855-8006.

Note on Tuition Costs

Students in this dual-degree program may find variance in their tuition charges. There is no standardized method of coding students in dual-degree programs. The Kelley School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences charge different graduate tuition rates per credit hour. The school in which you register each semester may depend on your funding.  It is the student's responsibility to consult with both units to determine in which school they should register each semester.

Dual Master of Arts in Central Eurasian Studies and Master of Information Science (M.A./M.I.S.) Degree

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies offers a dual degree program in cooperation with the Department of Information and Library Science that prepares students for a wide range of careers requiring a combination of technical skills in information science, foreign language proficiency, and area expertise. Study in the dual degree program allows students to complete the M.A. and M.I.S. with a total of 60 credit hours rather than the 72 hours that would be required to take the two degrees separately. Students take at least 24 credit hours in CEUS and at least 36 graduate credit hours in Information and Library Science. Under this program, the two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

Admission

Students must apply separately for admission to the M.A. program in Central Eurasian Studies and the M.I.S. program in the Department of Information and Library Science and must be accepted by both units in order to be admitted to the dual degree program. Students may apply for admission to both programs simultaneously. Alternatively, students enrolled in one program may apply for admission to the other any time before the completion of their degree.

CEUS Requirements: Course Work, Thesis, and Research Language

A total of 24 credit hours: 6 credit hours of intermediate (second-year) level of a language of specialization (LOS) taught in the department; 9 credit hours of courses in the region of specialization (ROS); 6 credit hours of electives, at least 3 of which must be taken in the department; 3 credit hours of R691, CEUS's M.A. thesis course; and demonstration of reading proficiency (no credit hours) in a modern research language such as Chinese, French, German, or Russian. Substitutions, when justified by the student’s field of specialization, may be permitted by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students passing a CEUS administered placement or proficiency exam testing beyond the intermediate level of the LOS may fill the 6 LOS credit hours with additional CEUS elective courses. The 3 credit hour professional research methodology course requirement for a CEUS M.A. shall be satisfied by the methodology course required for the Department of Information and Library Sciences' M.I.S. The exact program for each student, based on departmental offerings, is established by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. An M.A. thesis of not fewer than 50 double-spaced pages (text and notes) that reflects the use of materials in the student’s language of specialization (LOS) and/or in at least one research language other than English.

Department of Information and Library Science Requirements

All dual degrees with the MIS must complete the M.I.S. Foundation Requirement (18 cr.) plus at least 18 credit hours of ILS elective courses (3 credit hours).

Note on Tuition Costs

Students in this dual-degree program may find variance in their tuition charges. There is no standardized method of coding students in dual-degree programs. The Department of Information and Library Science in the School of Informatics and Computing and the College of Arts and Sciences charge different graduate tuition rates per credit hour. The school in which you register each semester may depend on your funding. It is the student's responsibility to consult with both units to determine in which school they should register each semester.

Dual Master of Arts in Central Eurasian Studies and Master of Library Science (M.A./M.L.S.) Degree

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies offers a dual degree program in cooperation with the Department of Information and Library Science. Study in the dual degree program allows students to complete the M.A. and M.L.S. with a total of 54 credit hours rather than the 66 hours that would be required to take the two degrees separately. Students take at least 24 credit hours in CEUS and at least 30 graduate credit hours in Information and Library Science. Under this program, the two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

Admission

Students must apply separately for admission to the M.A. program in Central Eurasian Studies and the M.L.S. program in the Department of Information and Library Science and must be accepted by both units in order to be admitted to the dual degree program. Students may apply for admission to both programs simultaneously. Alternatively, students enrolled in one program may apply for admission to the other any time before the completion of their degree.

CEUS Requirements: Course Work, Thesis, and Research Language

A total of 24 credit hours: 6 credit hours of intermediate (second-year) level of a language of specialization (LOS) taught in the department; 9 credit hours of courses in the region of specialization (ROS); 6 credit hours of electives, at least 3 of which must be taken in the department; 3 credit hours of R691, CEUS's M.A. thesis course; and demonstration of reading proficiency (no credit hours) in a modern research language such as Chinese, French, German, or Russian. Substitutions, when justified by the student’s field of specialization, may be permitted by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students passing a CEUS administered placement or proficiency exam testing beyond the intermediate level of the LOS may fill the 6 LOS credit hours with additional CEUS elective courses. The 3 credit hour professional research methodology course requirement for a CEUS M.A. shall be satisfied by the methodology course required for the Department of Information and Library Sciences' M.L.S. The exact program for each student, based on departmental offerings, is established by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. An M.A. thesis of not fewer than 50 double-spaced pages (text and notes) that reflects the use of materials in the student’s language of specialization (LOS) and/or in at least one research language other than English.

Department of Information and Library Science Requirements

In addition to the MLS  Foundation Requirement of 18 credit students at least 12 credit hours of ILS elective courses appropriate to the student's background and interests.

Note on Tuition Costs

Students in this dual-degree program may find variance in their tuition charges. There is no standardized method of coding students in dual-degree programs. The Department of Information and Library Science in the School of Informatics and Computing and the College of Arts and Sciences charge different graduate tuition rates per credit hour. You will initially be coded in one unit or the other. As you near the half-way point in your dual-degree program, you should contact either Information and Library Science or the College, so arrangements can be made to change your coding and the second half of your degree can be charged at the other unit's tuition rate. Check with the Recorder of either school if you have questions.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Admission Requirements

Qualified applicants with an MA degree in a related field and the necessary language skills can apply for direct admission to the Ph.D program.  For those admitted to the Ph.D program without a previous MA, an MA will be awarded during progress to the Ph.D once relevant requirements are met including an MA thesis. 

Course Requirements

The degree requirements are subdivided into fields based on the region of specialization (RoS).

 An RoS may be either thematic or geographical/cultural and is designed by the student’s advisor and the student working in close collaboration and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.  A thematic RoS includes thematically related graduate-level CEUS courses that cut across regions. An illustrative, non-exhaustive, list of a thematic RoS includes history, linguistics (e.g., Turkic linguistics), nationalisms, post-socialism/post-colonialism/post-imperialism and related topics, religions, security and strategic issues, all within the context of, or more broadly encompassing the study of, greater Central Eurasia. The LoS should be strongly related to the student’s intended research focus.

A geographical/cultural RoS is drawn from the following:

Baltic States, Finland, and Hungary RoS, with Estonian, Finnish, or Hungarian as the LoS; Turkey and Iran RoS, with Turkish, Persian, or Kurdish as the LoS;

Central Asia and Xinjiang RoS, with Uzbek, Uyghur, Kazakh or Kyrgyz as LoS;

Mongolia and Tibet RoS, with Tibetan or Mongolian, as LoS.

A geographical ROS might be constructed from several regions, for example, combining Central Asia and Iran. 

A minimum of 78 credit hours of graduate course work (including those earned for the CEUS M.A.), Ph.D. course work shall be distributed as follows: four departmental courses relevant to the student’s region of specialization (ROS) (12 credit hours); three courses in the language of specialization (LOS) and linguistics (9 credit hours); one 600 or 700-level seminar taught in the department (3 credit hours). Director of Graduate Studies approval needed for any 600 or 700-level seminar course outside of CEUS if a relevant course in not offered in the department; outside minor (a minimum of 12 credit hours); elective courses (12 credit hours). Students complete the remainder of the 90 credit hours required by the College of Arts and Sciences by enrolling in R890 or in courses selected in consultation with their department advisor.

Outside Minor

Students must fulfill the requirements for a minor in an outside department or program. The minor should support the student’s disciplinary specialization within the department and be chosen in consultation with the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee.

Minors by Students from Other Departments

Ph.D. students majoring in other departments may take a minor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. This shall consist of 12 credit hours of courses taught in the department of which no more than 6 credits are language credit hours. The specific courses used to complete the minor in Central Eurasian Studies shall be approved in writing by the department faculty member who is selected by the student to serve on the student’s Ph.D. qualifying committee as an outside minor representative. Students pursuing a minor are encouraged to identify a faculty advisor in the department as early as possible so that a well-integrated program of study can be established.

Research Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two modern scholarly research languages, in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate School. The student’s primary advisor will consult with the student to determine which research languages, appropriate to the student’s program of study, fulfill this requirement. Proficiency may be demonstrated by taking proficiency examinations through the relevant departments, or by completing with a "B" grade or better the 491-492 courses offered in some of these languages. According to Graduate School regulations, these credit hours do not count toward the over-all Ph.D. requirement of 90 hours.  Completion of one of the two Research Language requirements is a prerequisite for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Research Language I

Reading proficiency in a modern research language, meaning any language in which scholarship relevant to the student’s course of study is published. The student must demonstrate reading proficiency in the first research language at the M.A. level of study.

Research Language II

Reading proficiency in a second research language relevant to the student’s field of specialization, as designated in consultation between student and advisor.

Qualifying Examination

Written and oral.

The student may take the Ph.D. examination only after fulfilling all the requirements for the Ph.D. (M.A. degree, specified Ph.D. courses, outside minor, and both research languages). 

Ph.D. Examination: Written and Oral 

The student will be examined in two fields with a separate faculty examiner for each field. Prior to the exam, the student, in consultation with the faculty examiners, will prepare an examination reading list for each field. These reading lists must include works in both the language of specialization and the research languages. These reading lists will be kept on file with the examinations. The student and the committee members will agree on an exam format: four-hour in-person, or five-day take-home.  The written portion of the qualifying examination will consist of four essays, two in each of the two fields.  Each of the faculty examiners will prepare three or four questions, of which the student will answer two in each of the exam fields. If the four-hour format is selected, the student will spend one hour writing each of the four essays during a four-hour block of time, in a monitored environment. If the take-home format is selected, the student will write four essays, submitting them within five days; each take-home essay will include thorough citation and the combined essays should total at least 6000 words.

Students should check with their minor department about its policy on Ph.D. qualifying exams. If no examination is required for the minor, the student should ask for an official waiver. The student may choose to take an exam in the minor field if a faculty member from the minor field department agrees to offer such an exam, and if the minor field faculty member will serve on the student’s dissertation committee.

The oral examination will be given within two weeks of the written examination. At least three examiners must be present at the oral examination; examinations may take place in-person or virtually. Students with a waiver for the outside minor must secure a third faculty member from the Department as an examiner at the orals. Students whose second examiner is from an outside department for a minor field must secure a third faculty member, from the CEUS department, as an examiner at the orals. Oral examinations will be scheduled for two hours and will last no less than 90 minutes.  

Marks of “outstanding,” “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” and “failure” will be assigned to each field in the written and oral examinations. Unsatisfactory performance in one field of the written examination will require repetition of the examination in that field before the orals may be taken. Failing marks received in two fields of the written examination will constitute failure in the written part, and the student will not be allowed to retake the written examination during the same semester. If the student fails the written examination twice, consent to continue work in the department will be withdrawn.

Unsatisfactory performance in one field of the oral examination will require repetition of the examination in that field. Failing marks received in two fields of the oral examination will constitute failure in the oral part, and the student will not be allowed to retake the oral examination during the same semester. If the student fails the oral examination twice, permission to continue work in the department will be withdrawn.

Dissertation

Required.

Final Examination

Defense of dissertation.