Russian Studies, Minor
Saint Louis University's minors in Russian studies complete at least three years in the Russian language along with a survey of Russian culture and of at least one literary tradition. Then, they select from electives representing the disciplines of history, philosophy, film and literature.
Graduates of the SLU program are prepared to conduct research in this language and to benefit from immersive study abroad experiences. They also capitalize on their knowledge of the language and culture – with Russia's significant global presence and influence spanning the globe – when building careers in such areas as political science, law, journalism, U.S. intelligence and computer science. Co-curricular activities provide additional fora for research and further opportunities for enhancing cultural knowledge.
Current course offerings address topics such as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy studies, early Russian and Soviet film within their historical contexts, Russian and Polish literature of confinement (to include Gulag and death camp narratives), forced labor in imperial and Soviet domains, Polish and Russian thespian arts, and religious traditions represented in the Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet spaces, such as Russian Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and popular religion. Advanced students of Russian are encouraged to pursue independent research projects.
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 studies minor requirement, and coursework is distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RUSS 3010 | Communicating in Russian: The Arts | 3 |
| RUSS 3020 | Communicating in Russian: History and Politics | 3 |
| RUSS 3250 | Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture | 3 |
| Russian Literature in Translation | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | ||
RUSS 3320 | ||
RUSS 3340 | Serfdom and Liberation: Challenging the Legacies of Forced Labor | |
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 | |
| Russian Elective Courses | 6 | |
| Select two additional courses from the following for a total of 18 credits not chosen elsewhere to fulfill minor requirements (at least 3 credits must be at the 4xxx level): | ||
RUSS 3270 | Soviet and Russian Cinema: Traditions and Innovations | |
RUSS 3320 | ||
RUSS 3340 | Serfdom and Liberation: Challenging the Legacies of Forced Labor | |
RUSS 3350 | Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions | |
RUSS 3360 | In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires | |
RUSS 3390 | Putin's Idiocracy | |
RUSS 3440 | Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia | |
RUSS 4010 | Presenting Research in Russian | |
RUSS 4510 | The Russian Orthodox | |
HIST 3280 | Russia to 1905 | |
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.
For additional information about this program, please contact languages@slu.edu or call 314-977-2617.