The following areas are central to the undergraduate degree in Russian:
- 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 must complete the major requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Completion of 38 hours from tracks A or B, or 36 hours from track C, with grades of C- or better. (None may be taken as pass/fail.) At least 18 RUSS hours must be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level.
NOTE: RUSS 1010 and 1020 do NOT count toward the 38 hours required for the bachelor's degree in Russian Studies.Students may not receive credit for both 3060 and 4010 or 4020 and 4060.
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.
Graduating Russian Studies majors are asked to participate in an annual assessment exercise during their last (spring) semester at the university. We ask you to take the language and literature-culture exams to help evaluate the quality of the Russian Studies major. (You may also be interested in learning your level of language competence from the standardized online test.) You cannot study for the exams and they do not affect your course grades or graduation in any way.
Track A: Russian Language and Culture (38 credit hours)
| RUSS 2010* Second-Year Russian 1 | 4 hrs. |
| RUSS 2020 Second-Year Russian 2 | 4 hrs. |
| RUSS 3010 Third-Year Russian 1 | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 3020 Third-Year Russian 2 | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4811* Nineteenth-Century Russian Lit. | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4821* Twentieth-Century Russian Literature and Art | 3 hrs. |
Two of the following:Students may not receive credit for both 3060 and 4010 or 4020 and 4060. |
6 hrs. |
| RUSS 3060 Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 1 | |
| RUSS 4060 Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 2 | |
| RUSS 4010 Advanced Conversation and Composition 1 | |
| RUSS 4020 Advanced Conversation and Composition 2 | |
| RUSS 4210 Open Topics: Russian Language and Culture | |
| RUSS 4230* Russian Cultural Idioms | |
| RUSS 4851* Critical Thinking: Russian Film and Society | |
| OR any other upper-division Russian language class or 6 credits of upper-division study abroad Russian language. |
Two of the following: |
6 hrs. |
| RUSS 2211* Introduction to Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 2221* Introduction to Modern Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 3601* Russian Culture Past and Present |
Two 2000-4000 level Russian or GSLL courses, or courses in other departments pertaining to Russia, upon consent of advisor. |
6 hrs. |
* = 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)
| RUSS 2010* Second-Year Russian 1 | 4 hrs. |
| RUSS 2020 Second-Year Russian 2 | 4 hrs. |
| RUSS 4811* Nineteenth-Century Russian Lit. | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4821* Twentieth-Century Russian Lit. and Art | 3 hrs. |
Two of the following: |
6 hrs. |
| RUSS 2211* Introduction to Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 2221* Introduction to Modern Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 3601* Russian Culture Past and Present |
One of the following: |
3 hrs. |
| RUSS 2222* Sports and the Cold War | |
| RUSS 2231* Fairy Tales of Russia | |
| RUSS 2241* The Vampire in Literature and the Visual Arts | |
| RUSS 2471* Russian Women: From Folklore to 19th Century | |
| RUSS 2501* Russia Today |
Three of the following: |
9 hrs. |
| RUSS 3211* History of Russian Cinema | |
| RUSS 3241* Red Star Trek: Russian Science Fiction Between Utopia and Dystopia | |
| RUSS 3301 Contemporary Issues in Russian Film | |
| RUSS 3701* Slavic Folk Culture: Ideals and Values in the Contemporary World | |
| RUSS 4221* Stalinism: Society and Culture | |
| RUSS 4301* American-Russian Cultural Relations | |
| RUSS 4401* The Russian Jewish Experience | |
| RUSS 4431 Dostoevsky | |
| RUSS 4441 Tolstoy | |
| RUSS 4451 Chekhov | |
| RUSS 4471* Women in 20th Century Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 4831* Contemporary Russian Literature | |
| RUSS 4841 History of Modern Russian Drama | |
| RUSS 4861 Absurd and Supernatural in Russian Literature |
Two other 3000-4000 level Russian or GSLL culture/literature/language courses or courses in other departments pertaining to Russia, upon consent of advisor OR upper division study abroad language classes. |
6 hrs. |
* = 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 Russia in the former Soviet Union for one or more years when your family lived there, you may be eligible for our heritage speakers track. Heritage speakers of Russian who wish to major in Russian should speak with our Russian advisor to map out a specific plan for their major.
| RUSS 3060 Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 1 | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4060 Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers 2 | 3 hrs. |
OR any other upper-division Russian language course (recommended: RUSS 4010, 4020, 4210, 4230, 4851)Note: students may not receive credit for both 3060 and 4010 or 4020 and 4060. |
|
| RUSS 4811* Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature | 3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4821* Twentieth-Century Russian Literature and Art | 3 hrs. |
Two of the following: |
6 hrs. |
| RUSS 2211* Introduction to Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 2221* Introduction to Modern Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 3601* Russian Culture Past and Present |
One of the following: |
3 hrs. |
| RUSS 2222* Sports and the Cold War | |
| RUSS 2231* Fairy Tales of Russia | |
| RUSS 2241* The Vampire in Literature and the Visual Arts | |
| RUSS 2471* Russian Women: From Folklore to the 19th Century | |
| RUSS 2501* Russia Today |
Three of the following: |
9 hrs. |
| RUSS 3211* History of Russian Cinema | |
| RUSS 3241* Red Star Trek: Russian Science Fiction Between Utopia and Dystopia | |
| RUSS 3301 Contemporary Issues in Russian Film | |
| RUSS 3701* Slavic Folk Culture: Ideals and Values in the Contemp. World | |
| RUSS 4221* Stalinism: Society and Culture | |
| RUSS 4301* American-Russian Cultural Relations | |
| RUSS 4401* The Russian Jewish Experience | |
| RUSS 4471* Women in Twentieth-Century Russian Culture | |
| RUSS 4831* Contemporary Russian Literature |
One of the following: |
3 hrs. |
| RUSS 4431 Dostoevsky | |
| RUSS 4441 Tolstoy | |
| RUSS 4451 Chekhov | |
| RUSS 4841 History of Modern Russian Drama | |
| RUSS 4861 Absurd and Supernatural in Russian Literature |
One other 3000-4000 level Russian or GSLL culture/literature/language course, or course in another deptartment pertaining to Russia, upon consent of advisor. |
3 hrs. |
Russian Core Courses
| RUSS 2010 | Second Year Russian 1 | A&S Foreign Language Requirement |
| RUSS 2211 | Introduction to Russian Culture | Historical Context |
| RUSS 2221 | Introduction to Modern Russian Culture | Historical Context |
| RUSS 2222 | Sports and the Cold War | Historical Context |
| RUSS 2231 | Fairy Tales of Russia | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 2241 | The Vampire in Literature and the Visual Arts | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 2471 | Women in Russian Culture | Historical Context |
| RUSS 2501 | Russia Today | Contemporary Societies |
| RUSS 3211 | History of Russian Cinema | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 3241 | Red Star Trek: Russian Science Fiction Between Utopia and Dystopia | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 3601 | Russian Culture Past and Present | Historical Context |
| RUSS 3701 | Slavic Folk Culture: Ideals and Values in the Contemporary World | Ideals and Values |
| RUSS 4221 | Stalinism: Society and Culture | Ideals and Values |
| RUSS 4230 | Russian Cultural Idioms | Critical Thinking |
| RUSS 4301 | American-Russian Cultural Relations | Historical Context or United States Context |
| RUSS 4401 | The Russian Jewish Experience | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 4471 | Women in 20th Century Russian Culture | Human Diversity |
| RUSS 4811 | 19th Century Russian Literature | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 4821 | 20th Century Russian Literatue & Art | Literature and the Arts |
| RUSS 4831 | Contemporary Russian Literature | Literature and the Arts OR Contemporary Societies |
| RUSS 4851 | Russian Film and Society | Critical Thinking |