The department gives its own placement test to all incoming students who have studied Russian. On the basis of this test, the students are placed in an appropriate course. Successful completion of RUS107 or immediate assignment to a higher course satisfies the A.B. foreign language requirement.
A minimum of eight departmental courses is required, in addition to a required Junior Methods Seminar. Four upper-level courses must be within the department; two of which must be from the core survey courses (SLA 219, 220, 221); the other four courses may be from cognate areas depending on the student's particular interests. For example, if the major field of concentration is 19th-century prose, the program might include courses from French or German literature. Students with a strong interest in Russian and Soviet studies might take area courses in the Program in Russian and Eurasian Studies such as Russian history, politics, anthropology, or sociology. These are only sample suggestions. The program is flexible and strives to satisfy as wide a range of interests as possible.
Concentrators are required to complete RUS 207 and one or more advanced language courses (RUS 208, 405, 406, 407, or 408; or one of the upper-level literature courses taught in Russian (SLA 308, 312, 350, 413). Students who place beyond RUS 207, or who complete the Russian Heritage Speakers courses (RUS 103-108), will work with the Departmental Representative to design an appropriate course of study.
Courses must be taken for letter-grade credit to qualify for credit in the concentration. The only exceptions would be for those courses which offer only a PDF option (usually cross listed courses with Theater). These exceptions require approval from the departmental representative.
Departmental concentrators who are considering pursuing graduate studies in Slavic are reminded that most graduate schools require a reading knowledge of a second modern foreign language (usually French or German) and a second Slavic language (we offer Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Czech, and Polish). Students who are interested in taking these other Slavic languages should let the Departmental Representative know as soon as possible, as they are often offered only when students request them.
TENTATIVE CALENDAR FOR MAJORS, 2020-2021
First two weeks of Fall semester: majors meet with Director of Undergraduate Studies
First four weeks of Fall semester: majors meet with JP or thesis adviser
January 14: Partial draft of Senior Thesis due
April 15: Seniors submit to the Departmental Representative list of literary works for Departmental Examination
April 22: Draft of JP due
April 30: Senior Thesis due
May 3: Revised JP due
May 3: Certificate Papers due
May 6, 7: Senior Departmental Exam
