Core curriculum

You need to fill out Add/Drop form for all non-ERE courses.

As a graduate student at U of T you can register in as many courses as you would like to.

Yes, you can. When taking undergraduate courses and any other non-graduate courses for graduate students, the graduate grading scale will apply. Any grade below 70% will be converted to FZ (failure). Graduate students taking undergrad courses must follow the undergraduate deadline to drop a course (not the SGS deadline). Undergraduate credits do not count towards your CERES MA degree requirements.

• Present at and/or attend CERES Student Conference
• Attend the Safety Abroad and Exchange program information session in September
• Attend the Workshop on writing research proposals for SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) in the fall (the workshop  is open to all students, however, the attendance of those who qualify for grants is mandatory);
• Attend three professional development workshops in October, November, and January (mandatory attendance for students planning on doing an internship through CERES). The sessions will be followed by a networking opportunity with CERES alumni.
• Attend three CERES internship information sessions in September, October, and March (mandatory attendance for students planning on doing an internship through CERES).
• Have mandatory attendance of four events organized by CERES per year (two per term) such as conferences, public lectures, etc. Please inform the Program Coordinator about your choice in advance.
• Actively participate in the CERES Graduate Student Union’s activities and the publication of Eurasiatique, CERES student annual magazine, is very much encouraged.

The Major Research Paper or MRP is your Master’s essay and a part of ERE2000Y, a required course which you will start at in the second semester of your first year in CERES. Is based on original, primary, and secondary research, and draws on sources in the original language/s.

Your MRP should be between 30-50 pages in 11 point font and double spaced in length, excluding references. It should conform to all standards of an article in a refereed academic journal with respect to citations, bibliography, etc.

For example, if you want to graduate in the June convocation, you need to have the final version of the paper in by 1 April 2023. If you plan to graduate in the November 2023 convocation, the final version of the paper must be turned in by 31 August.

You need to submit your signed ERE2000Y Paper Research Proposal Form, along with your research proposal by the beginning of October at the very latest. The proposal should be approximately 7-10 pages in length, excluding bibliography.

You can start identifying potential supervisors by looking into their publications and CV/profiles on their graduate program's website; taking classes with them beforehand; and asking for the advice of the Graduate Coordinator. 

Choose someone you feel comfortable with and who you think you would work with best. The professor must then agree to supervise you. Once this process is complete you will have them sign the ERE2000Y Paper Research Proposal Form.

You should approach your supervisor during the second term of your first year. During September of your second year, you should have your supervisor selected and the proposal form signed.

In consultation with your supervisor, you should establish a regular schedule of meetings to discuss progress and review drafts.

It depends on the topic. Please discuss this with your supervisor early on in the project.

If you were offered graduate funding by CERES, you will receive it in two equal installments. The first installment will be paid out in September (any time during the month), the second part will be paid out during the month of January.

If you have provided your banking information in ACORN, you will receive your award via a direct deposit. Otherwise, it will be sent as a cheque to your current address. Setting a direct deposit is highly recommended.

It could be waived if:

• You have taken your foreign language at the 200 level and have a passing grade
• You can provide an original language certificate (such as DELF LEVEL B2 or equivalent) from a recognized institution such as Alliance France, Goethe Institute, Cervantes Institute
• You have passed a proficiency test within U of T. For scheduling the test please contact:
  • Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures: Julia Mikhailova (julia.mikhailova@utoronto.ca)
  • German Department: Prof. John Noyes (german.grad@utoronto.ca)
    • MA students interested in taking German in the German Department must be enrolled in GER6000H F Reading German for Graduate Students via ACORN
• Hungarian Studies: Dr. Eva Tomory (eva.tomory@utoronto.ca)
• Italian Department: italian.grad@utoronto.ca
• Spanish and Portuguese Department: Professor Nestor Rodriguez at spanish.graduate@utoronto.ca
• Modern Greek: Dr. Themistoklis Aravossitas (themis.aravossitas@utoronto.ca)

NOTE: The Department of French no longer offers placement tests or proficiency exams. MA students interested in taking French in the French Department must be enrolled in the FSL6000H Reading French for Graduate Students via ACORN. If you think you do not need to take the course, you can opt for FSL6000 for exam only option.

Please send your request along with any past evidence of language knowledge to André Tremblay, Graduate Counsellor, at gradcounsellor@utoronto.ca. You will need to register via ACORN  in FSL6000H Exam-Only option. Once enrolled, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to find out the date, time, room number and tools allowed for the final exam.

It must be fulfilled by the beginning of the first semester of the second year.

Please contact a relevant language department to schedule a placement test. Your placement will depend on the test results and the instructor’s recommendation.

Yes, it’s possible. For example, you can start your first year with taking Russian on 100 Level and continue with Russian 200 level during your second year. Please note, taking a language course cannot be counted towards 6 full course credits requirement for graduation.

You will be given CERES Internship Handbook at the first internship orientation session.

While at CERES, you will be offered three mandatory professional development workshops in your first year, as well as various opportunities to network with CERES alumni/professionals. Please use your time wisely: attend events, come prepared with your questions, and follow up to build relationships.

Please check exchange opportunities for graduate students and the application deadlines.

Attendance of an orientation session with the Safety Abroad Office and Centre for International Experience in October is mandatory, as well as applying for CIE funding.

You must complete six full credits of coursework, a minimum of 10-week regional placement (internship and/or exchange) and fulfill the language requirement.

As soon as you have met the requirements stated above. Most students complete the program within two years. The maximum length to complete the degree is three years.

Many CERES students opt for graduation in November as it allows more time to work on their MRPs.

More information about convocation and graduation can be found here.

Yes. You will have access to shared students space at the Centre.

The Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC) offers five types of support designed to target the needs of both native and non-native speakers of English: non-credit courses, single-session workshops, individual writing consultations, writing intensives, and a list of additional resources for academic writing and speaking.

All of GCAC programs are free. While the workshops function on a drop-in basis, writing centre consultations require an appointment, and courses and writing intensives require registration. You can also consider joining Graduate Writing Group, that offers small, informal and encouraging atmosphere for you to focus on your work and discuss your writing goals.

For general and mental health issues please contact Health and Wellness Centre. If you require disability documentation to obtain academic accommodations, visit the Accessibility Services website. 

Katia Malyuzhinets, Program and Internship Coordinator.

She will either be able to answer your questions and/or put you in contact with someone who can. She can be contacted at: katia.malyuzhinets@utoronto.ca or 416-946-8962.