Russian Studies, Minor
Saint Louis University's Russian studies minor requires at least three years of Russian along with a study of literature and culture. It can prepare students for immersion in Russian and for research in this language, which has a significant global presence with as many as 150 million native speakers worldwide.
With a range of electives from which to choose, students in a variety of disciplines such as international business, computer science, political science, and history have found the Russian studies minor a strong career asset. Film viewings, lectures, symposia, Russian club events, and excursions around town supplement the curriculum, and students have been successful in obtaining scholarships for summer and study abroad programs.
Students interested in studying abroad can explore a SLU-sponsored Bard-Smolny Program in St. Petersburg, Russia through the University's Office for International Services.
Graduates from the Russian studies program have gone on to prestigious graduate programs in Russian and East European studies, diplomacy, social work, and medicine, as well as to serve in the armed services.
The minor in Russian Studies explores the language, literature, and culture of this vast region of the globe with the completion of 18 credits (six courses) at the 3XXX and 4XXX levels. No single course may fulfill more than one Russian minor requirement, and coursework is distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| RUSS 3250 | Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture | 3 |
| Russian Literature in Translation | 3 | |
| Select a 3000-level from the following: | ||
RUSS 3320 | Dostoevsky Through the Centuries | |
RUSS 3330 | Lev Tolstoy: Writer, Soldier, Lover, Activist | |
RUSS 3350 | Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions | |
RUSS 3360 | In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires | |
| Russian Language | 6 | |
| Select two courses from the following: | ||
RUSS 3010 | Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian I | |
RUSS 3020 | Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian II | |
RUSS 3060 | Russian Readings & Digital Resources in Cultural Contexts | |
| Russian Elective Courses | 6 | |
| Select two additional courses from the following for a total of 18 credits (at least 3 credits must be at the 4XXX level): | ||
RUSS 3060 | Russian Readings & Digital Resources in Cultural Contexts | |
RUSS 3200 | Saints and Sinners in Russian Literature and Film: 19 c. | |
RUSS 3330 | Lev Tolstoy: Writer, Soldier, Lover, Activist | |
RUSS 3350 | Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions | |
RUSS 3360 | In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires | |
RUSS 3440 | Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia | |
RUSS 4010 | Fluency in Russian | |
RUSS 4400 | Pragmatics of Conversation | |
RUSS 4510 | The Russian Orthodox | |
HIST 3290 | Russia Since 1905 | |
PHIL 4740 | Philosophy of Karl Marx | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Continuation Standards
All Russian studies courses for the minor must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher in order to count for the minor. If a student earns a grade of "C-" or lower in a course, the student may retake the course or take an additional course in the minor in which the grade earned is a "C" or higher.