Russian Studies, B.A.

Saint Louis University has taught Russian studies for more than 50 years and is the only institution in the greater St. Louis region that provides a major in Russian studies.

Russia is often in the news, from Olympic scandals and international hacking incidents to interference in regional and global conflicts and sanctions by the international community. Yet it remains a leading player on the world stage. Russia covers about one-eighth of the world's surface with lands that are rich in oil and minerals, border 14 different nations (many of which were once part of its empire) and has a strong military force with nuclear capabilities. Students who visit Russia, however, find that its residents are concerned with the same economic, environmental and security issues that face the rest of the globe.

Highlights of SLU's Russian studies majors include:

• Russian studies students at Saint Louis University participate in intensive summer Russian programs in the United States and study abroad opportunities that include a SLU-sponsored study abroad program in St. Petersberg, Russia, allowing them to further improve their fluency.
• Russian Studies students and faculty go on trips to local stores, churches and restaurants to share their common interest in Russian cultural immersion.

Curriculum Overview

Requiring 30 credits of upper-division courses, SLU's Russian major emphasizes a communicative learner-centered approach. Students immerse themselves in Russian language, literature, film and culture by analyzing a wide range of issues, attending cultural events and conducting digital research for independent projects.

Russian studies remain popular, particularly due to its prominent contributions to the arts and sciences. Students will learn about such writers as Fedor Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov; famous explorers Vitus Bering and Yuri Gagarin; innovations made by Mikhail Lomonosov, Dmitri Mendeleev and Ivan Pavlov; classical musicians Petr Tchaikovsky and Igor Stravinsky and talented artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Marc Chagall.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Russian studies students at SLU have the opportunity to integrate their study of Russian with a variety of fields— including chemistry, biology, literature, theater, theology, business, law and history—to prepare for future careers in intelligence, the non-profit sector, journalism and medicine. The Russian studies programs collaborates with SLU's departments of English, history, political science and theological studies to develop interdisciplinary courses with Russian-related content so that students can develop their interests in these academic disciplines, as well.

Careers

There is an increasing demand for Russian experts in several expanding fields, including computer science and cybersecurity, as well as many opportunities available in the St. Louis region for Russian studies students to study, teach and volunteer.

Former SLU students have earned prominent scholarships (Fulbright, STARTALK and Critical Languages ) and have advanced to leading graduate programs in Russian and East European studies, diplomacy, law, social work, medicine and political science at prominent institutions across the country. 

Graduates in Russian studies from Saint Louis University work in a wide range of businesses and organizations, including:

• The U.S. Armed Forces, NASA, the NSA, the CIA and other military intelligence and federal agencies
• Private businesses such as Microsoft, Delta, Reebok, Ford, AT&T, Avon and Hewlett-Packard
• Nonprofit organizations such as Amnesty International, Green Cross, International Resettlement Agencies, Peace Corps, IREX, ACTR/ACCELS and Mother and Child Teachers of Russian in the United States, Russia and Eastern Europe
• Slavic librarians

Admission Requirements

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. College admission test scores (ACT or SAT) are used as an additional indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University and are used as qualifiers for certain University scholarship programs. To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the General Education Development (GED) test.

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s). In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, applicants should apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.

1. Graduates will be able to participate in conversations on familiar topics using sentences and series of sentences.
2. Graduates will be able to handle short social interactions in everyday situations by asking and answering a variety of questions.
3. Graduates will be able to say what he or she want to say about himself or herself and his or her everyday life.
4. Graduates will be able to make presentations on a wide variety of familiar topics using connected sentences.
5. Graduates will be able to write on a wide variety of familiar topics using connected sentences.
6. Graduates will be able to interact with respect and cultural sensitivity in a variety of formal and informal situations.
7. Graduates will be able to demonstrate a broad and deep knowledge of historical and philosophical backgrounds that explain patterns of behavior and interactions in the target culture.
8. Graduates will be able to discuss and compare beliefs, attitudes, traditions, patterns of behavior and interaction between the Russian and their own.

Continuation Standards

All Russian studies major courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher in order to count for the major and for the student to continue in the major.

Bachelor of Arts Core Curriculum Requirements

Graduation Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses [numbered below 1000]).
• Courses listed under the intensive English program do not count toward graduation requirements.   EAP 1500 College Composition for International Students (3 cr), EAP 1900 Rhetoric & Research Strategies (3 cr) and EAP 2850 Introduction to Literature for International Students (3 cr) count toward graduation requirements as equivalents to Department of English courses. In addition to those courses, six credits from EAP/MLNG courses at the 1000 level or higher may count toward graduation requirements
• Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s) and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate, or related elective credits.
• Complete Dept/Program specific academic and performance requirements.
• Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Program Notes

This outline is designed for students coming in with no Russian. We also have students (those with native knowledge or coming from a H.S. Russian program) entering into the 3010 level, who would not need the 1010-2020 sequence. It is common for Russian majors to have a second major or minor, and this road map can accommodate this (although only the minor is shown). There are six minor courses and five-six electives written into the Road Map, so there is enough room for a major and many of the core requirements can be fulfilled in semesters other than they appear here.

• RUSS 3250 Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture (3 cr) is designed to offer a survey of the 18^th-21^st centuries, and students are advised to take this early in their studies, if they know that they will be majors/minors.
• The 3000-level courses in the Russian language that can fulfill the major requirements are currently: RUSS 3010 Oral & Written Proficiency I (0-3 cr), RUSS 3020 Oral & Written Prof in Russ II (0,3 cr), and RUSS 3050 Russian Conversation (3 cr). 
• The 4000-level courses in the Russian language that can fulfill the major requirements are currently: RUSS 4010 Fluency in Russian (3 cr), RUSS 4150 Topics in Russian Grammar (1-3 cr), RUSS 4200 Topics in Russian Literature (3 cr), and RUSS 4400 Pragmatics of Conversation (3 cr), , .
• The three area studies requirements of Theology (RUSS 4510 The Russian Orthodox (3 cr))/Philosophy (PHIL 4740 Philosophy of Karl Marx (3 cr)), History (HIST 3280 Russia to 1905 (3 cr)/HIST 3290 Russia Since 1905 (3 cr)), and Political Science (POLS 2530 Soviet and Post Soviet Politics (3 cr) or POLS 4500 Russian Political Culture (3 cr)) have multiple options for fulfilling the requirements.
• The nineteenth-century literature requirement may be fulfilled with RUSS 3200 Saints and Sinners in Russian Literature and Film: 19 c. (3 cr), RUSS 3320 Dostoevsky Through the Centuries (3 cr), RUSS 3330 Lev Tolstoy: Writer, Soldier, Lover, Activist (3 cr), or an approved RUSS 3930 Special Topics (1-3 cr) . 
• The twentieth-century literature requirement may be fulfilled with RUSS 3350 Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions (3 cr), RUSS 3440 Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia (3 cr), or an approved RUSS 3930 Special Topics (1-3 cr).  The final three credits may be fulfilled with a number of RUSS electives (three credits).