Declare your Major in Slavic
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.
Are you a sophomore and interested in majoring in Slavic? It’s not too late! You can begin studying the language in the summer after your second year and still complete the requirements for our major.
Departmental Requirements
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 Director of Undergraduate Studies to design an appropriate course of study.
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures prohibits the use of ChatGPT and all other generative AI for all work submitted to the instructor, including in the form of homework, papers, and projects, unless such use is expressly authorized by the individual faculty member.
Pre-requisites
- RUS 101
- RUS 102
- RUS 105
- RUS 107 (RUS 105R, 107R) – or placement equivalent
- RUS 108
Required Courses
- RUS 207
- One additional upper-level language course: RUS 208, 405, 406, 407, 408 or one of the language/literature courses taught in Russian SLA 305, 308, 312, 315, 350, 413
- Two of three survey courses: SLA 219, 220, 221
For heritage students
- RUS 103 and 108 (or demonstrate proficiency through a placement test).
- One additional upper-level language course: RUS 405, 406, 407, 408 and one of the language/literature courses taught in Russian SLA 305, 308, 312, 315, 350, 413
- Two of three survey courses: SLA 219, 220, 221
Credit
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
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, Polish and Ukrainian). Students who are interested in taking these other Slavic languages should let the Director of Undergraduate Studies know as soon as possible, as they are often offered only when students request them.
CALENDAR FOR MAJORS - 2024-2025
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 15: Partial draft of Senior Thesis due
January 14: Fall JP due
April 15: Draft of JP due
April 16: Seniors submit to the Director of Undergraduate Studies a list of literary works for Departmental Examination
April 28: Senior Thesis due
April 29: Revised JP due
May 6: Certificate Papers due
May 7,8: Senior Departmental Exam