The program of studies leading to a Russian major educates students to recognize the complexity inherent in all cultures, including their own. A rigorous curriculum focusing on Russia, Russian, and Russians empowers students to see from the Other’s point of view. The Department of Slavic Languages recognizes four inter-related curricular foci and has identified discrete goals within each of them: communication; culture; academic and professional applications; and de-Othering the Other. Upon completion of the Russian major, students should be able to:

  • Understand extended speech and follow complex lines of argument.
  • Read technical, scholarly, and literary prose; appreciate and  understand an author’s attitudes or viewpoints; recognize markers of genre and style.
  • Interact spontaneously with native speakers on a wide range of subjects and express and sustain a personal viewpoint.
  • Write detailed texts relaying information and supporting a particular point of view.