Russian Major/Minor Requirements

Lawrence offers a major in Russian studies and a minor in Russian. Requirements for each program are outlined below.

Russian is one of the world’s most important and widely spoken languages. Knowledge of the Russian language helps broaden students’ career opportunities and options in a variety of fields, including business and government service. Students who achieve a high level of language proficiency may wish to pursue internship opportunities available through Lawrence’s Career Center.

Students taking Russian at the beginning and intermediate levels concentrate on acquiring skills in speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Majors are strongly encouraged to spend a term studying in a Russian-speaking country. Back on campus, upper-level courses and tutorials enable students to improve their critical and analytical skills, learn more about Russia’s rich cultural traditions, and gain additional speaking practice. At all levels, students have the opportunity to work with tutors who are native speakers and to take advantage of extracurricular activities, such as weekly Russian Table, film showings, and language-immersion weekends.

Russian folklore, music, art, literature, and history are extraordinarily rich. While these traditions may be best appreciated by those who know the language, students with no knowledge of Russian can also find much value and interest in the study of Russian culture. Culture and literature courses taught in translation are designed not only for those studying Russian but for all students. These courses have no prerequisites, and they fulfill a variety of general education requirements.

Students who complete the major in Russian studies will demonstrate competence in the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) at the intermediate-mid to intermediate-high level according to the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines. They will situate major figures, events, and institutions from Russian culture within their cultural and historical contexts and deal independently and critically with complex fictional, nonfictional, and filmic texts in Russian. The Russian Studies major requires:

1. First-year language courses: RUSS 101, 102, 201 (or the equivalent).
2. Second-year language courses: RUSS 211, 212, 250 (or the equivalent).
3. 12 units of Russian language beyond RUSS 250, which can be done in RUSS 380, RUSS 381, or RUSS 387. These topics courses may be repeated for credit when the topic is different. RUSS 340 may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
4. Three 300-level courses in Russian literature and culture in translation.  Students are encouraged to take additional 300-level courses in translation. Courses focused on Russian topics being taught in other departments may count toward this requirement, but only with prior departmental approval.
5. RUSS 650: Senior Seminar, in which students complete the capstone project and compile the portfolio. For the capstone, students expand a paper written for a 300-level class in translation, making use of Russian language sources. Students may write on a new topic but must receive prior approval from program faculty. Students may, in consultation with program faculty, develop a substantial research paper in the seminar and use it as an honors project.
6. A portfolio, submitted to the Russian department by the seventh week of a student’s final term at Lawrence. The portfolio will consist of the following materials:
   1. List of all courses taken in the major, including courses taken in off-campus programs;
   2. A reflection on student’s intellectual and personal development as a Russian Studies major, which should discuss both coursework and co-curricular experiences;
   3. Two papers (in English) from Russian courses in translation;
   4. Examples of written work (essays) in Russian from first year, second year, and higher-level courses; this packet needs to include two essays from higher-level language courses; one of which may be from a course taken abroad;
   5. Capstone project.
7. An exit conversation with the Russian department faculty, which will include a discussion of the portfolio (in English) and a conversation about a student’s academic and professional interests and career plans (in Russian).

In addition to the requirements listed above, majors are encouraged to further strengthen their Russian-language skills by taking RUSS 340, a conversation-based current-events tutorial; taking additional 300-level Russian language courses; studying in a Russian-speaking country; attending an intensive summer language program offered in the U.S.; and attending weekly meetings of the Russian Table.

Courses taken off-campus (summer language courses in the US or study abroad in a Russian-speaking country) may be used to satisfy some major requirements, but only with prior departmental approval.

Students with prior background in Russian should contact the department chair to complete a placement test and a proficiency interview. Students who test into second-year Russian or higher must complete at least 30 units of language study beyond RUSS 250 to complete the major.

Students who complete the major in Russian language and literature will demonstrate similar language competence as the Russian studies major, with a greater emphasis on literary versus cultural-historical study.

The major in Russian language and literature requires the following:

1. First-year language courses: RUSS 101, 102, 201 (or the equivalent)
2. Second-year language courses: RUSS 211, 212, 250
3. Two courses in Russian literature taught in translation, level 300 or above
4. Two courses in Russian literature taught in the original, level 300 or above
5. A senior-level independent study that results in the completion of a substantial research paper. Students are required to analyze some work or works of Russian literature, to be read in the original.

In addition to the requirements listed above, majors are strongly encouraged to further strengthen their Russian language skills by studying in Russia and/or in an intensive summer language program offered in the U.S.

Students with prior background in Russian who place out of the first-year sequence are required to complete additional language study for the major.

The Russian department’s Senior Experience consists of three parts: the capstone paper, which involves students expanding a paper written for a 300-level class in translation, making use of Russian language sources; a portfolio, which includes representative coursework from the major and reflections on that work; and an exit interview, conducted in English and in Russian. Students complete their capstone projects, assemble their portfolios, and prepare for the exit interview in RUSS 650, the senior seminar.

1. First-year language courses: RUSS 101, 102, 201 (or the equivalent)
2. Second-year language courses: RUSS 211, 212, 250 (or the equivalent)
3. Two courses in Russian literature, culture, or history, 300-level or above

Russian majors may seek certification to teach Russian at the elementary and secondary levels. To be certified, students must spend a term in a Russian-speaking country studying the language and culture and must pass an oral and writing proficiency test. Students can add an endorsement in a second area (such as another language or English as a second language) by completing the appropriate minor. Students who plan to seek teacher certification should review the requirements in the Education section of the catalog and meet with the director of teacher education, preferably before the end of the sophomore year.

After two years of language study on campus, majors are strongly encouraged to spend a term studying in a Russian-speaking country. Study abroad provides an unparalleled opportunity to make gains in language proficiency and to become familiar with Russian life and culture. Most Russian majors and minors who choose to study abroad do so through a Lawrence affiliated exchange.

Students are also encouraged to participate in intensive summer language programs offered in the United States, especially immediately prior to spending a fall term in a Russian-speaking country.