Russian Major and Russian Minor
Please click here for an up-to-date list of the requirements for the Russian Major and Minor.
Russian Minor
If you are interested in a Russian minor, please see the Undergraduate Advisor to fill out an application. All courses to be applied to the minor must be completed on a letter-grade basis. This includes both courses offered in Russian and those offered by other departments and applied to the minor. Make sure to follow the requirements from the year you declare the minor. After completing the requirements, you must see the undergraduate advisor and fill out a Minor Clearance Form. This is the only way your minor will be recognized by the college.
Double Majors
The department supports students who would like to follow the ambitious path of a double major. Please see Jean-Michel Ricard for more information!
Placement Exams
Students who would like to be placed into a Russian language course will need to contact the Russian Language Coordinator, Larry McLellan, to have their proficiency assessed in an in-person oral exam.
Senior Honors Program
Students may request nomination for the Senior Honors Program by filing an application form, or they may be nominated by faculty. Qualifying requirements include an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0, with 3.5 in the Slavic Languages and Literatures Major, and at least 105 units completed, including at least two upper-division courses in Slavic.
To earn departmental senior honors, students will work with a professor of choice for two quarters to complete a senior thesis, while receiving course credit for Slavic 197. No more than 4 units of 197 credit may be applied to the major requirements. Students who complete departmental honors will receive the notation of "Distinction in the Major" on both official transcripts and their diploma. Students interested in departmental honors should consult with their advisor in Slavic.
Which Classes Can I Take to Fulfill the Requirements of a Minor or Major in Slavic?
Our lower division Russian and Eastern European culture courses taught in English discuss the rich cultural tradition of world-renowned art, literature, film, and music.They also strive explore diverse perspectives and analyze inherent imperialist undercurrents.
Our upper division courses, also taught in English, focus more in depth on one artist, filmmaker, author, time period, movement, or other topic. Students who read Russian may do the readings in Russian.
Here are some of the lower division courses we teach:
- Russian Culture
- Short Fiction from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia
Here are some of our upper division courses:
- Slavic Folklore
- Language and Ideology
- Dostoevsky
- Chekhov
- Nabokov
- 19th Century Russian Literature (19th and 20th century)
- 20th Century Russian Literature
- 20th Century Soviet Cinema
We also offer ...
- Armenian Literature
- Chernobyl
- Ukrainian Literature and Culture
For advanced Russian speakers and heritage speakers we offer
- Russian novella
- 20th Century Russian Poetry
- Russian short stories