Programs at The Harriman Institute

Publications
The Institute publishes a quarterly journal, newsletters and special lectures, and sponsors a scholarly book series.

Public Affairs
The Institute provides a variety of educational activities, such as conferences, lectures, briefings, and workshops, for the private sector, the media, alumni, local educators, and the policy community.

Fellows and Visiting Scholars
The Institute serves as an intellectual home for visiting scholars, policy experts, journalists, and other professionals from all parts of the world.

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 obtained from offices listed at the end of this publication. Continuing students may apply at any time of 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 7 courses at the graduate level, approved by a Harriman advisor. The courses are to be distributed as follows: 3 courses in any one department; 3 courses in no fewer than two departments; 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 3-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. (Use the special form at the back of this Guide.) 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 postcommunist 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 course work, such as an examination, field work, 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 acceptable to their advisors and the Institute's Associate Directors. Each 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 bibliographies.