The Advanced Certificate Program in Central European Studies, available to MA students enrolled in one of the participating departments, offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the lands between the Baltic Sea and the Balkan Peninsula as a geo-cultural region, bringing together history, economics, sociology, political science, environmental science, and cultural heritage studies. Its aim is not to pursue “area studies”, essentializing Central Europe on the grounds of supposedly endogenous, distinctive features that might make it unique and incomparable. To a significant extent, regions are social and cultural constructions, representing symbolic as well as physical and human geographies. Central Europe and its experience, seemingly marginal in common perception, is a lens and a prism through which problems of wider, indeed global relevance and implications can be fruitfully studied. The advanced certificate program will provide a systematic inter-disciplinary framing to this endeavor.
Requirements:
- Admission as MA or PhD student in one of the participating departments
- Students enrolled in a one-year master's or PhD program must complete 8 credits (2-credit mandatory core course, Central Europe: Natural and Symbolic Geography, and an additional 6 credits in approved electives)
- Students enrolled in two-year master's programs must complete 12 credits (2-credit mandatory core course, Central Europe: Natural and Symbolic Geography, and an additional 10 credits in approved electives)
- The assignment (MA thesis, PhD dissertation or otherwise) required to meet their main degree program requirements must address a topic relevant to the field of Central European Studies
The list of courses for 1-year MA students the AY 2025/26 can be found here.
The list of courses for 2-year MA students the AY 2025/26 can be found here.
Participating units:
- Department of Economics
- Department of Historical Studies (including MA in Museum Studies)
- Nationalism Studies
- Department of Political Science
Program Directors:
Coordinator:
Sona Grigoryan at ces@ceu.edu
