Russian and East European Studies and Public Policy (MA/MPP)

The Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) and the Ford School of Public Policy (FSPP) offer a dual degree, leading to a Masters in Russian and East European Studies (MA) and a Masters of Public Policy (MPP). A student may complete the requirements for both degrees in two and a half years.

Program Overview

Qualified students enter the program for careers in international policy in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The program incorporates training in FSPP’s management and analysis programs with CREES’s focus on language proficiency, regional expertise, and disciplinary training in the humanities and social sciences. The program is designed to address problems in the social sector brought on by transformation of the region’s state socialist systems. Students will develop individualized plans of study with the advice of two faculty advisors, one from CREES and one from the Ford School. Upon completion of the program, students will join a growing cohort of outstanding and highly trained policy specialists on the region.

Summer Internships, Research & Fellowships

Students in this program are encouraged to participate in summer internships and conduct research in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Both CREES and SPP have extensive contacts with institutions in the region and will assist students in locating host organizations and designing projects. Through the CREES Research, Internship, and Fellowship (CRIF) Program, fellowships are awarded competitively each year to support projects in the region.

Degree Requirements

Students admitted to this joint degree program must satisfy the following:

Masters in Russian and East European Studies (CREES):

18 hours in REES courses
At least 15 of these hours must be 500-level courses
Students are expected to achieve a high level of language proficiency by the end of their studies
It is required that students enroll in REES 695, Colloquium of Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies, offered in the fall semester of the first or second year
Master’s thesis or project

Masters of Public Policy (FSPP):

33 hours in FSPP courses
10-week internship usually completed during the summer between the first and second years of study. Limited fellowships are available for students who choose to take internships in Eastern Europe, Russia, or the newly independent states (NIS)
Participation in the Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE)

Course of Study

FSPP Core Program—24 credits
Advanced Analytic Methods Course—3 credits
Advanced Political & Org. Behav. Course—3 credits
International Policy Seminar—3 credits
Total FSPP coursework—33 credits

REES Core Program—18 hours distributed over 18 credits in at least three fields, in addition to FSPP (e.g., history, political science, sociology; 15 credits must be at 500-level or above)
REES 695 (or equivalent)—3 credits
Total CREES coursework—21 credits

Admission Requirements

Students must file separate applications to and be admitted by both schools. An application fee must accompany each application. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and submit GRE scores.

Contact Information

For more information or an application, please contact:

Center for Russian & East European Studies
Attn: Admissions
Phone: (734) 764-0351
Website: http://www.ii.umich.edu/crees

The Ford School of Public Policy
Office of Admissions
2236 Weill Hall
Phone: (734) 764-0453
Click here to e-mail us.
Website: http://www.fordschool.umich.edu

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