Information for
Eurasia Foreign Area Officers (FAOs)
M.A. Degree Program
Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS)
The M.A. Degree Program for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS), administered by CREECA, provides interdisciplinary area studies training for emerging professionals and future leaders in business, development, government, journalism, law, publishing and the military. Since its inception in 2001, the M.A. Degree Program in REECAS has trained a number of Eurasian Foreign Area Officers (FAOs), who are now serving in leadership roles in the US military, as defense attaches in US embassies in Eurasia, and at other agencies within the Department of Defense.
Why Wisconsin for FAOs?
In addition to our excellent faculty, wide range of area studies courses, proven record in language training, and extensive networking opportunities, UW-Madison has a lot to offer Eurasia FAOs:
- FAOs may enter in the summer, fall, or spring and complete the program within 12 calendar months
- Active military personnel pay resident tuition rates, making UW-Madison a low-cost campus
- Madison and the surrounding area offer excellent public schools, a range of housing options, a wide variety of activities and organizations for families and children
Our REECAS alumni, including many FAO alums, are leaders in their fields.
Dr. Daniel L Burghart, is a professor of National Security and Eurasian Studies at the National Defense Intelligence University in Washington, DC. A specialist in Russian, CIS and Central European Affairs, Burghart has a B.A. in Political Science from Illinois, an M.A. in Political Science and Graduate Certificate in Russian Area Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Russian and International Studies from the University of Surrey. Over his 30 years of service in the Army, he served in a variety of Foreign Area Officer assignments before retiring as a Colonel in June 2003.
Lieutenant Colonel Tracy Roou is a Eurasia FAO who received her MA in REECAS from UW-Madison in 2002. She is currently Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché at the US Embassy in Uzbekistan. LTC Roou welcomes inquiries from prospective FAOs about the MA degree program in REECAS at UW-Madison.
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Johnson is currently Executive Officer to the Director for International Affairs, Missile Defense Agency in Ft. Belvoir, VA. A career Army officer with extensive international experience focused on Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, LTC Johnson has served as Eurasian Regional Manager for the Missile Defense Agency, as Operations Officer to the Arms Control Inspection Unit, Defense Threat Reduction Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and as Chief of the Government of Iraq Operations Lane as part of United States Forces in Iraq. LTC Johnson received his MA in REECAS from UW-Madison in 2004.
For More Information
Contact Jennifer Tishler, Graduate Program Advisor and CREECA Associate Director:
Center for Russia, East Europe,and Central Asia
210 Ingraham Hall
assocdir@creeca.wisc.edu
(608) 262-3379
