Majors & Minors

Want to major or minor in Russian Studies? Fill out this sheet and talk to a Russian Studies professor

Russian Studies Major | Russian Studies Minor

General Distribution Requirement

All courses in the Russian Studies department count toward the general distribution requirement in humanities except for elementary and intermediate language courses and RUSS 250 (counts for fine arts distribution).

General Education Requirements

Courses that meet the general education requirements in writing, quantitative thinking, internationalism and U.S. identities and differences will be posted on the Registrar's web page in advance of registration for each semester.

Additional information regarding the general distribution requirement and the general education requirements can be found in the graduation requirements section of this catalog.

Honors Program

The Russian department participates in the Honors Program. Eligibility requirements, application procedures and specific project expectations for the department are available from either the department office or the Academic Programs and Advising Office.

Topics Courses

RUSS 194, RUSS 294, RUSS 394, RUSS 494

The subject matter of these courses will vary: departmental and interdisciplinary topics such as "Food, Science and Technology (1914-1939): A Transatlantic Perspective," "Once We Arrived: Stories of Immigrants' First Jobs," and "Environment and Empire." Offerings change from year to year. All topics courses are taught in English. Every year. (4 credits)

Independent Study

The department offers independent study options in the form of tutorials, independent projects, internships, preceptorships and Honors independent projects. For more information contact the department and review the Curriculum section of the catalog.

Russian Studies Major

Major Requirements

A Russian Studies major prepares students for meaningful personal and professional interactions with Russian speakers all over the globe.

In consultation with an advisor from within the department, students will develop a major plan with a focus on language and the interdisciplinary study of Russia and the larger REEES (Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia) region. All majors will include no fewer than 9 courses (36 credits), combining language and content courses, with the following requirements: All majors will include no fewer than 9 courses (36 credits), with the following requirements:

Track One: Language Proficiency

Russian Studies majors with an emphasis in language proficiency achieve advanced knowledge of one of the world's most widely spoken languages. In addition, they gain a profound understanding of Russian culture and the historical and political contexts in which it has developed, as well as Russia's role on the world stage today.

Russian Language Proficiency

All Russian Studies majors must take at least four Russian language courses. These may include RUSS 101 - Elementary Russian I, RUSS 102 - Elementary Russian II, RUSS 203 - Intermediate Russian I, RUSS 204 - Intermediate Russian II, RUSS 305 - Advanced Russian I, and RUSS 405 - Advanced Russian II. Content courses taught in Russian and two courses taken on study away that are conducted in Russian may also count toward the language proficiency portion of this major track. Students with prior study or knowledge of Russian may replace the given courses with content courses after consulting with an advisor from within the department.

Russian Studies Content Courses

All Russian Studies majors must take a minimum of three Russian Studies content courses. Examples include courses on Russian/East European/Eurasian art, literature, film, folklore, history, theater, and translation, courses cross-listed with other departments such as English, History, and International Studies, and courses taught in other departments that provide significant coverage of the REEES region. Content courses may be taught in English or Russian. Content courses taught in Russian may apply to either the language proficiency portion or the content course portion of the major, but a single course cannot count for both.

In consultation with an advisor from within the department, majors will design a course of study that combines a) courses on literature and culture with b) courses on other topics. Russian Studies majors must take at least one course in both a) and b).

Content courses on literature and culture include:

RUSS 151 - "Things Don't Like Me:" The Material World and Why It Matters
RUSS 245 - Nabokov
RUSS 250 - Terrorism and Art: The Spectacle of Destruction
RUSS 251 - Russian Literature on the Eve of Revolution
RUSS 252 - Revolution, Repression, and Resistance: Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature and Culture
RUSS 261 - Making History: Russian Cinema as Testimony, Propaganda, and Art
RUSS 265 - Translation as Cross-Cultural Communication
RUSS 270 - Wrongdoing in Russian Literature
RUSS 305 - Advanced Russian I
RUSS 364 - Culture and Revolution
RUSS 367 - Dostoevsky in Translation

Content courses on topics beyond literature and culture include:

RUSS 272 - The Post-Soviet Sphere
RUSS 286 - Between Europe and Asia
HIST 260 - Rise/Fall of Tsarist Russia
HIST 262 - Revolutionary Russia and the Soviet Union
INTL 285 - Ethnicity and Nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe
INTL 317 - Writers and Power: The European East in the 20th Century
SOCI 280 - Indigenous Peoples' Movements in Global Context may count toward the major if the final project pertains to the REEES region. With department chair approval, topics courses (194/294/394) and relevant courses in other departments may count toward the major if the student's final project pertains to the REEES region.

Community engagement course

All Russian Studies majors are required to take the project-based course, "Community, Identity, and Engagement," in which they will apply their language and/or area knowledge to support a Twin Cities nonprofit organization.

Study Away or Domestic Language Immersion

Russian Studies majors on the language proficiency track are required to study away for one semester at an approved institution in Russia or other countries of the post-Soviet sphere. We recommend that majors study away in the spring semester after completion of RUSS 204 and the "Community, Identity, and Engagement" course. With department chair approval, two of the courses taken as part of the study away program may count toward major requirements. Students who are unable to study away for a semester may fulfill this requirement by participating in a domestic language immersion program that provides rigorous language training. Consult departmental faculty about the current list of approved study away programs and domestic language programs.

Capstone

The capstone requirement for the Russian Studies major may be fulfilled by a four-credit course or independent study project approved by the Chair of Russian Studies. Options may include an independent project with a Russian Studies faculty member or a senior seminar course in the Russian Studies department, when offered.

Track Two: Area Expertise

A Russian Studies major with an emphasis in area expertise prepares students for meaningful personal and professional interactions with Russian speakers all over the globe. Russian Studies majors with an emphasis in area expertise gain a profound understanding of Russian culture and the historical and political contexts in which it has developed, as well as Russia's role on the world stage today. They also achieve proficiency in one of the world's most widely spoken languages.

In consultation with an advisor from within the department, students will develop a major plan with a focus on the interdisciplinary study of Russia and the larger REEES (Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia) region. All majors will include no fewer than 9 courses (36 credits), combining language and content courses, with the following requirements:

Russian Studies Content Courses

All Russian Studies majors must take a minimum of three Russian Studies content courses. Examples include courses on Russian/East European/Eurasian art, literature, film, folklore, history, theater, and translation, courses cross-listed with other departments such as English, History, and International Studies, and courses taught in other departments that provide significant coverage of the REEES region. Content courses may be taught in English or Russian. Content courses taught in Russian may apply to either the language proficiency portion or the content course portion of the major, but a single course cannot count for both.