Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies
"Eurasia defies simple definitions. Its history, cultures, and societies must be approached with tools from many disciplines and eyes trained to see complexity"
- Ronald Grigor Suny
The M.A. in Eurasian Studies prepares students to understand the exciting developments in Eurasia of the past two decades. It offers an exciting opportunity to explore the cultures, languages, histories, communities, societies, and politics of Eurasia while based in Astana, at the heart of the region itself. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Nazarbayev University has an unrivalled concentration of internationally-qualified Faculty who research and teach on the Eurasian region across different disciplines.
- Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Eurasian RegionCritically analyze and demonstrate detailed knowledge of the history, culture and society of the Eurasian Region through independent research and study1
- Independent Research Design and ExecutionDesign, plan and undertake independent research using appropriate methods and techniques, and draw their own conclusions from the data they have collected2
- Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding EurasiaDifferentiate, compare and employ concepts from different disciplines and/or interdisciplinary approaches as a means of understanding the Eurasian Region and as praxis3
- Critical Use of Multilingual Primary and Secondary SourcesIdentify, define, use and critically interrogate a range of primary and secondary, written and/or oral and/or visual sources, in their original language.4
- Advanced Scholarly Communication in Eurasian StudiesConstruct comprehensive research bibliographies, read and analyze of complex scholarly texts in English with a high degree of speed and proficiency, present their research in fluent English, and to produce English-language written work of article length and of publishable quality in the field of Eurasian Studies.5
- PhD StudiesPostgraduate studies in world-class universities globally
- IndustryAcademia
Policy-making
Research
Journalism
NGOs
Government Service
Got Interested? Check Useful Information Below
- A minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 (or equivalent).
- Final year students may submit the official transcript showing current courses during the application period for consideration.
2. High level of English proficiency.
- Academic IELTS – overall 6.0 (writing 6.0, reading 5.5, listening 5.5, speaking 5.5) or the equivalent TOEFL (except Home edition) score as posted on the ETS website;
- Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:
- One of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country where English is the language of official communication, academic instruction, and daily life;
- An undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program officially taught in English.
3. Strong reading, analytical, and mathematical skills as demonstrated by GRE test (optional).
- Although an official GRE score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance their application with a competitive GRE score.
- High motivation and a strong interest in the program as outlined in a statement of purpose (only for the Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations program and Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program).
- Three confidential letters of recommendation (only for the Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program). You can find the Instructions for submission of recommendation letters here.
- An undergraduate degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent). During the application period, final year students may submit the official current transcript for consideration.
- A minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 (or equivalent).
- High level of English proficiency. The absolute minimum requirement for English language proficiency test reports for admission to the program is:
- 1. Academic IELTS – overall 6.0 (writing 6.0, reading 5.5, listening 5.5, speaking 5.5) or the equivalent TOEFL (except the home edition) score as posted on the ETS website;
- 2. Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:
– an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English.
- Strong reading, analytical, and mathematical skills as demonstrated by the GRE test (optional). Although an official GRE score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance her/his application with a competitive GRE score.
For all types of grants:
- Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until January 23, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
- International applicants: available until March 3, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
- Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until June 25, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
- International applicants from countries requiring a visa prior to arrival: available until March 27, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
- International applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: available until June 25, 2025, 2:00 P.M. (Astana time).
For all types of grants:
- Citizens of Kazakhstan: February 3, 2025
- International applicants: March 4, 2025
- Citizens of Kazakhstan: July 4, 2025
- Applicants from countries requiring a visa prior to arrival: March 31, 2025
- Applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: June 26, 2025
First day of classes: August 2025
Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies |
National ID (for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan) and passport (for international applicants) |
Official document confirming name change (if applicable) |
Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree diploma with transcript; During the application period final year students may upload an official current transcript for consideration |
An official electronic IELTS/TOEFL certificate (valid at the time of document submission) sent to the University through IELTS/TOEFL VERIFICATION SERVICES. Code for IELTS: NU. Code for TOEFL: 6762 |
Document confirming English as the language of instruction (only for applicants who earned their degree in a program which was taught in English and request an exemption from submitting IELTS or TOEFL). Applicants should provide a detailed certificate/reference from the university indicating the number and list of subjects completed in English |
Curriculum vitae (up to 1 page) |
GRE certificate valid as of the date of online documents submission (if applicable) |
Statement of purpose/ essay (only for the Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program) |
3 (three) confidential letters of recommendation (only for the Master of Arts in Eurasian Studies program). You can find the Instruction for submission of recommendation letters here. |
The tuition fee for Master’s Degree Programs is $16,000 (8 176 000 KZT) per one academic year for both local and international students.
All fees apply for the 2024/2025 academic year.
To learn more about tuition fees please contact bursars_office@nu.edu.kz.
There are merit-based "Abay Kunanbayev" scholarships for top international applicants recommended for admission.
To learn more about financial aid and scholarship requirements, please visit nu.edu.kz
- Check the admissions requirements
- Click Apply Now to go to the University's Admissions portal
- Create an account and choose your desired Academic level and program
- Complete the application form and attach required documents
- Pay an application fee and Finish the application process
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