The major field constitutes 8 required courses, as follows: During their first two years of study, students will be required to enroll in seven 200-level Slavic Department "starred" seminars in literature and culture (including a course in Old Church Slavonic and one course in the Medieval period), as well as the Slavic Graduate Proseminar, a year-long workshop-style course for first-year students that meets every other week, and it is graded SAT/UNSAT.

Students will take 2 starred seminars per semester during three of the semesters in their first two years, and one such seminar during one of the semesters. These starred graduate seminars are taught by the full range of Department faculty. They vary from year to year and are intended to teach a broad range of literature and culture fields and topics, as well as current scholarship in the field. In addition to these required seminars, students will take electives each semester to fill out a normally four-course schedule.