Frequently Asked Questions

The European Studies Council awards generous financial aid packages of various amounts, usually a combination of tuition and modest stipend funding. We cannot provide specific amounts. ALL students admitted to the E&RS MA program are considered for all available financial aid and fellowship grants, without further application (except in the case of student loans, which require separate application through Graduate School Financial Aid.) Students may apply for additional funds as available for summer and academic year research and language study, and for student employment once they matriculate.

The European & Russian Studies (E&RS) degree is a two-year (four semesters) residential and terminal Master’s program administered by the European Studies Council at the Yale MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. Part-time study is allowed.

The program usually receives more than 40 applications per year and admits 8-10.  The cohort size generally ranges from 4-6 each year.

No, the GRE General Test is not accepted.
Please see this Graduate School webpage for complete admission instructions and application, course and degree program information, financial aid, forms, deadlines, and procedures.

Do I have to take the TOEFL or IELTS?

The TOEFL or IELTS is required of almost all applicants whose native language is not English. There is one exception:

1.   Applicants who have received or will receive an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction are exempt from the English Language Test requirement and are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS. Applicants must have studied in residence at the undergraduate institution for at least three years to qualify.
2. No exemptions are made on the basis of an advanced degree (e.g. MA/MS or PhD) from any institution (including in the USA).

What is the page length for the writing sample of the application?

A maximum of 15 pages.

Joint degrees are possible with four of Yale’s professional schools—the Law School, the School of the Environment, and the School of Public Health. Taken together, they offer a strong connection between two demanding courses of study while also fulfilling the requirements of each separate school. Students may pursue a joint degree with only one professional school and E&RS. A joint degree requires three years of study: one in E&RS, one in the professional school, and one to complete all the remaining requirements of both.
See this webpage for details.

Of special note about the E&RS MA is that there is no definitive course list.  The MA is an interdisciplinary program designed so that students build an individual course of study with a national or thematic focus, with courses from history, political science, literature, law, and the social sciences.  As such, and with the advice and approval of the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) students propose course schedules each semester that meet their goals and interests, and fulfill the disciplinary distribution and foreign language requirements of the degree.  The courses are listed across all related departments of the university, including the professional schools, and the resources at Yale related to the study of Europe are vast.  You can start at Yale Course Search and follow links to all related departments to see a sampling of graduate course offerings.

The requirement for L4 proficiency (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) in two European and Eurasian (non-English) languages is a requirement for GRADUATION, not for admission.  Students can demonstrate their language proficiency in a variety of ways, including taking Yale language classes or testing in the Yale language departments.  The tests are administered once or twice a year by the relevant language departments – if their regular tests do not include all four components-reading, writing, speaking, and listening, then special arrangements must be made for a complete test. Many students arrive with proficiency in one language and acquire their second language by taking courses throughout their two years.

Czech, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Modern Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian, Spanish,  Swedish, and Ukrainian.  The course level is indicated by the middle digit of the course number, i.e. FREN 110 = L1, FREN 120 = L2, etc.

Students who want to take proficiency tests in European languages not taught at Yale for credit may be able to make special arrangements with an examiner from the Center for Language Study.

If you are an international student/non-US citizen, you should also consult the website for the Office of International Students and Scholars.

You can find general information about the European Studies Council and our affiliated programs, the MA degree, and the other area studies councils at the MacMillan Center, by following the links on our website. The Council has been repeatedly designated a National Resource Center for the study of Europe by the US Department of Education under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

Our office is located in the Yale MacMillan Center in Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave., Room 242, second floor.  You are most welcome to visit, just email christina.andriotis@yale.edu for an appointment.