The aim of the language curriculum is to equip students to read, write, speak and understand Russian on a level allowing communication with natives and other users of the language. Before registering for a course, students should consult with a departmental advisor concerning appropriate placement.   

Students interested in Russian studies should consider a double major in order to increase their career opportunities. Prospective teachers might combine Russian studies with a major in another foreign language, while those preparing for a career in government, business or social services should benefit from a combination of Russian studies and a social science or business major. Students structure their curriculum according to the departmental checklist for majors, in close consultation with a departmental advisor.   

The following areas are central to the undergraduate degree in Russian:

• an awareness of the fundamental outlines of the history of Russian literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present day;
• familiarity with the major Russian creative writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
• familiarity with the historical context of Russian literature and culture;
• an awareness of basic critical methodologies as they relate to the study of Russian literature and culture