Application Procedures

Graduate School Requirements

• Complete the Graduate School Online Application.
  • As part of the Graduate School Online Application, submit three letters of recommendation. CREECA will have access to these letters.
  • Upload scanned copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions in which you were enrolled. If you are recommended for admission by CREECA, the Graduate School will request official copies of all transcripts.
  • Upload a statement of purpose  (see CREECA Requirements, below).
  • Upload a table of prior language study (see CREECA Requirements, below).
  • Applications will not be processed without the application fee
• The Graduate School application fee is non-refundable. In addition, non US citizens will be charged an international document processing fee. Both fees will be processed during the submission of your application. For more information, please visit the Graduate School’s Admissions website.

CREECA Requirements

• The application deadline for admission to the REECAS MA program in fall 2026 is January 8, 2026.
• Below is guidance for applicants to the REECAS MA program. The following documents should be uploaded as a PDF through the Graduate School Online Application.
  • Statement of purpose

Content: Describe your aptitude and motivation for pursuing a master’s degree in Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECA), including 1) your preparation for this field of study (including, for example, prior language study, experience working or studying in the region, relevant coursework, internships, and/or work experience), 2) your academic plans or research interests in REECAS, and 3) your future career goals. Please be specific about why the University of Wisconsin-Madison would be a good intellectual fit for you.

Length: 2-3 pages, typewritten, double-spaced.

• • Table of prior language study. Create a table that includes information on each language you have studied formally. Describe how many years, semester, or quarters you studied that language, how many hours per week your class met each semester or quarter, and whether or not class was conducted entirely, mostly, sometimes, or rarely in the language you were studying. Note if any of the language classes you took were part of a summer immersion program or a study abroad program in which you spoke the language outside of class. Save this table as a PDF using the naming convention “YourLastName_LanguageTable” and upload it to the supplemental materials section of the application.
  • Official Transcripts. For the initial application, only scanned copies of transcripts are required. After the REECAS MA admissions committee reviews all applications (generally, by late January of each year), those students who are recommended for admission will be asked to submit official copies of transcripts to the Graduate School for review.

Have questions about the application process? Please see our FAQs.