The Harriman Institute sponsors a Certificate Program that students pursue in conjunction with graduate degree programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Law, the Journalism School, the Business School, the School of Public Health, or other professional schools at Columbia University. Admission to the Institute’s Certificate Program is contingent upon the candidate’s acceptance into a graduate degree program in the University.
Application Procedure
Prospective students should submit a completed application form to the appropriate Columbia professional school or graduate department and indicate on that form their desire to join the Institute. The application form and supporting documentation will be used in the admissions procedures for both the University school or department and the Harriman Institute. Application forms and school catalogues may be downloaded from the appropriate school’s website (e.g., Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, SIPA, Journalism), or you may apply online. Continuing students may apply at any time during the academic year.
Eligibility Requirements
The Institute welcomes and encourages students from all disciplines — and not just Russian, Soviet, or East European studies — to apply. In light of the high demands placed on students by graduate study and the Institute's Certificate Program, the Institute requires that students have completed a minimum of two years of formal training (or its equivalent) in any language relevant to the former USSR or East Central Europe before starting their first term at the Institute. Students without such a background are strongly encouraged to participate in an intensive summer language program before beginning the Certificate Program.
Certificate Requirements
Students receive the Certificate upon completing the Institute’s course requirements, establishing proficiency in two languages, and depositing a Certificate Essay.
Courses
A total of seven courses at the graduate level, approved by a Harriman advisor. The courses are to be distributed as follows: three courses in any one department; three courses in no fewer than two departments; and the Core Colloquium. All students must take the interdisciplinary Core Colloquium, “G8445x, Legacies of Empire and the Soviet Union,” a requirement as well for fellowship support. Students specializing in East Central Europe may substitute the interdisciplinary Colloquium, “U8480y, Politics and Societies in Post-Revolutionary East Central Europe.”
Please note the following provisos:
- At least two courses must be colloquia or seminars.
- Language courses do not count toward course requirements.
- An average grade of B+ or better is required in all courses.
- All courses may satisfy both Institute and departmental or school requirements.
- Two-point courses at the School of Law are considered equivalent to three-point SIPA courses.
- All courses on the Harriman Institute Course List, which is available at the Institute at the beginning of each semester, automatically qualify for the Certificate.
- Any graduate-level course in any department or school of the University can also qualify with the written approval of the student's advisor and one of the Institute's Associate Directors. In such courses, students must, under the supervision of their advisor or a member of the Harriman faculty, produce an acceptable research paper of direct relevance to the Russian Empire, the USSR, East Central Europe, or the post-Communist states.
- Any number of independent research courses at the School of International and Public Affairs may also qualify for the Certificate if the requisite permission is obtained and an appropriate research paper is produced.
- A maximum of one internship may be counted toward the Certificate; no other coursework, such as an examination, fieldwork, or “hands-on” experience, qualifies.
Language Requirements
Two relevant languages are required of all students. A primary language must meet Institute proficiency requirements — earning a B or better in an advanced language course or passing a test administered by a Columbia University language instructor. Reading proficiency must also be demonstrated in a relevant second language.
Certificate Essay
All students must submit a Certificate Essay, approved by their advisors and the Institute’s Associate Directors. The essay, generally resulting from research undertaken for a seminar or colloquium, must be sponsored by an Institute faculty member and be an original piece of research, interpretation, or analysis based, at least in part, on primary source materials. Essays generally must be 35-55 pages in length, fully footnoted, and include a bibliography.
Applying for the Certificate
Certificates are awarded three times a year: October, February and May.
Students who have completed the requirements toward the Harriman Certificate must see Barbara Singleton (1215A IAB) to fill out an Application for the Certificate, complete the Harriman Institute Requirement Worksheet, and have it signed by their Institute advisor. Certificates will not be awarded if this procedure is not followed.
Deadlines for completing certificate applications are: August 1 for October graduation; December 1 for February graduation; February 1 for May graduation.
Transfer Credits
Only three transfer credits (or one course) in a field other than a language may be accepted for the Certificate Program. In order to acquire transfer credits, students must provide the Institute's Associate Directors with a formal request, a copy of their transcript, and, if possible, copies of the relevant syllabus and course work.
Time Constraints
Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences must complete the Certificate within five years after joining the Institute. Students in the School of International and Public Affairs or in other professional schools must complete the Certificate within three years. Students in joint programs have five years to complete.
Completion of the Core Colloquium and regular, measurable progress toward the Certificate is a prerequisite for fellowship consideration. Students must take an average of at least two courses per year to maintain active participation in the Program and eligibility for fellowships.
Because of the specific requirements of the Economics Department, economics students will, for the purposes of the fellowship eligibility requirement, be considered to have entered the Institute as of their second year in the department.
Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences qualify for fellowship support for five years after admission into the Program, even if they complete all Certificate requirements in fewer than five years. Students in the School of International and Public Affairs or in other professional schools qualify for fellowship support for three years.
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