Russian Studies, Minor
Saint Louis University's Russian studies minor requires at least three years of Russian along with a study of literature and culture. It can prepare students for immersion in Russian and for research in this language, which has a significant global presence with as many as 150 million native speakers worldwide.
With a range of electives from which to choose, students in a variety of disciplines such as international business, computer science, political science, and history have found the Russian studies minor a strong career asset. Film viewings, lectures, symposia, Russian club events, and excursions around town supplement the curriculum, and students have been successful in obtaining scholarships for summer and study abroad programs.
Students interested in studying abroad can explore a SLU-sponsored Bard-Smolny Program in St. Petersburg, Russia through the University's Office for International Services.
Graduates from the Russian studies program have gone on to prestigious graduate programs in Russian and East European studies, diplomacy, social work, and medicine, as well as to serve in the armed services.
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 minor requirement, and coursework is distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| RUSS 3250 | Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture | 3 |
| Russian Literature in Translation | 3 | |
| Select a 3000-level from the following: | ||
| Saints and Sinners in Russian Literature and Film: 19 c. | ||
| Dostoevsky Through the Centuries | ||
| Lev Tolstoy: Writer, Soldier, Lover, Activist | ||
| Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions | ||
| In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires | ||
| Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia | ||
| Russian Language | 6 | |
| Select two courses from the following: | ||
| Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian I | ||
| Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian II | ||
| Russian Readings & Digital Resources in Cultural Contexts | ||
| Elective Courses | 6 | |
| Select two from the following (at least 3 credits must be at the 4XXX level): | ||
| Russian Readings & Digital Resources in Cultural Contexts | ||
| Saints and Sinners in Russian Literature and Film: 19 c. | ||
| Dostoevsky Through the Centuries | ||
| Lev Tolstoy: Writer, Soldier, Lover, Activist | ||
| Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions | ||
| In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires | ||
| Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Fluency in Russian | ||
| Pragmatics of Conversation | ||
| The Russian Orthodox | ||
| Russia Since 1905 | ||
| 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.