Major in Russian Studies (B.A.)

• an awareness of the fundamental outlines of the history of Russian literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present day;
• familiarity with the major Russian creative writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
• familiarity with the historical context of Russian literature and culture;
• an awareness of basic critical methodologies as they relate to the study of Russian literature.

In addition, students with a degree in Russian are expected to acquire:

• the ability to comprehend contemporary Russian, written or spoken, to a degree permitting sophisticated analysis of cultural texts;
• the ability to analyze Russian literary texts and give a reasoned response to them in literate English;
• the ability to write and converse in Russian at their own intellectual level.

In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, students who declare their major after July 1, 1997 must complete the major requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

Students are required to structure their curriculum for the major in close consultation with a departmental advisor. Students with advanced Russian language skills are strongly encouraged to meet with a departmental faculty advisor to discuss language placement. Students who have Russian language transfer credit and/ or students who are Russian language native or heritage speakers may enter the program at the upper-division level, up to RUSS 4010, with faculty permission.

In the case of advanced language placement, students will be required to meet with the Russian faculty advisor for Russian course substitutions and recommendations. Students who place out of Russian language courses required for the major must replace the credits with additional coursework in Russian Studies. Any substitutions to major coursework must be pre-approved by the Russian faculty advisor.

Track A: Russian Language and Culture (38 credit hours)

* = core course

NOTE: Beginning or middle-level language course requirements may be met by transfer credit or by testing out of the course. Students who enter at and enroll in Russian language course at the 3000 or 4000 level may not receive credit for lower-division Russian language courses, unless lower-division language coursework was completed prior to registration for 3000 and 4000 level Russian language courses. Study Abroad is recommended after the second year of language study.

Track B: Russian Culture and Literature (38 credit hours)

* = core course (see the complete class list for all core courses)

NOTE: Beginning or middle-level language course requirements may be met by transfer credit or by testing out of the course. Students who enter at and enroll in Russian language course at the 3000 or 4000 level may not receive credit for lower-division Russian language courses, unless lower-division language coursework was completed prior to registration for 3000 and 4000 level Russian language courses. Study Abroad is recommended after the second year of language study.

Track C: Russian Major for Heritage Speakers (36 credit hours)

If you are a native speaker of Russian (speak or spoke Russian at home while growing up) and/or if you attended school in Russian in the former Soviet Union for one or more years when your family lived in the former Soviet Union, you may be eligible for our special major track for heritage speakers. Heritage speakers of Russian who wish to major in Russian should speak with the advisor for the Russian major to map out the specific plan for their major. The "Heritage Speaker" track requires 36 credits as follows

Russian Core Courses