Polish Studies at Indiana University

The study of Poland, its language, culture, and history, has been a part of Indiana University’s curriculum for decades. Polish studies has continued to expand as an area of focus in IU coursework with the support of the Polish Studies Center. Through the IU Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and the Russian and East European Institute (REEI), the university offers:

• Polish language training through the third-year level during during the academic year and a summer intensive language program;
• A large collection of Polish materials to support dissertation and other advanced research;
• Faculty and student exchange programs with Warsaw University and Jagiellonian University (Krakow);
• Courses about Poland and Eastern Europe in a variety of fields (history, literature, politics, anthropology).

Academic Program

Indiana University offers degrees in Polish studies and degrees with a Polish component at both undergraduate and graduate levels.  Undergraduate students can include language and Polish studies as part of most major courses of study.  The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, through its Polish Language and Literature program, offers both a major and minor in Polish for undergraduates, while graduate students can choose Polish as their major or minor, or seek a dual degree with a Polish track.  Polish courses can also count toward an undergraduate minor in Russian and East European studies from the Russian and East European Institute (REEI).  

REEI also offers a master’s degree for students interested in Polish language and culture.  This master’s degree can be combined into a dual degree with one of four other master’s programs: MBA, Library Science, Information Science, and Public Affairs.  Students pursuing a Ph.D. in most disciplines can apply course work in Polish studies toward a dual degree, graduate certificate, or Ph.D. minor.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships are available for graduate students pursuing Polish-language study during both the academic year and summer session.