Requirements for the PhD
Credit Requirement: 72 graduate credits (36 beyond the MA), of which 12 may be dissertation credits; at least 60 credits must be completed by the end of the semester in which the PhD examination is to be taken.
Approved Second Area: Nine to 15 credits outside the department (but within the 72-credit total) in an approved second area (e.g., Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies, Cultural Studies, Film & Media Studies, Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies; Jewish Studies, etc.).
Research Languages: Reading competence in a research-relevant language other than Russian or English is required before taking the PhD exam.
MA Examinations: The MA exam serves as the qualifying stage for those students who wish to pursue graduate work at the PhD level.
Supervised Teaching Experience: Supervised teaching experience is an integral part of the doctoral program. Our goal is for all PhD candidates to have the opportunity to teach courses in language, literature, and culture, initially by assisting other instructors, and, at a more advanced stage, in stand-alone courses.
PhD Examination: Students take a PhD examination after approximately two years of coursework beyond the MA. For examination procedures visit http://www.slavic.pitt.edu/graduate/examinations.
Dissertation Overview: Following successful completion of the PhD examination, the student files an application for admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy. At this stage the student presents a proposed topic for doctoral research and a research prospectus for its execution to be reviewed by the dissertation committee.
Dissertation Defense: The final oral examination in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by the doctoral committee and is open to the University community.
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