Russian Area Studies Major

Goals for the Russian Area Studies Major

Successful Russian Area Studies majors can:

• Evaluate and understand Russia’s and Eurasia’s place in today’s interconnected world, challenges facing the region,and goals and values espoused by the citizenry and political leadership 
• Describe the basic structures and dynamics of Russian and Eurasian historical development, including the nature of autocracy, dictatorship, and empire
• Demonstrate an understanding of how the nations and peoples of Russia and Eurasia have interacted over time with each other and with geographic regions beyond their borders
• Acquire sufficient proficiency in the Russian language for fluent conversation and advanced study of Russian literature
• Through extensive reading and analysis of primary and secondary texts, discover and delineate the major themes of nineteenth-, twentieth- and twenty-first century Russian literature
• Read, understand and critically interpret scholarly and literary texts
• Deploy methods used by scholars of literature, history and the social sciences to formulate and compose analyses orally and in writing
• Affirm the importance of understanding foreign nations and cultures as a component of active civic responsibility

Requirements for the Russian Area Studies Major

A major in Russian Area Studies consists of a minimum of eight units. Majors are normally required to take RUSS 201-RUSS 202 and at least two of the following courses: RUSS 301, RUSS 302, RUSS 305, RUSS 306, RUSS 307. In addition, a major’s program should consist of at least four non-language units drawn from Russian Area Studies, Russian history, literature, and politics, as well as relevant courses in comparative literature (see listings below). At least two of a major’s units should come from outside the Russian department and the Comparative Literature program. Majors are normally required to take at least two units of 300-level course work, at least one of which should be drawn from outside the Russian department.

Honors in Russian Area Studies

Seniors who wish to graduate with honors in the major must write an honors thesis. Applicants for honors must have a minimum 3.5 GPA in all work in the major field above the 100 level; the department may petition on their behalf if their GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. Interested students should discuss their ideas and plans with their advisor, the program chair, or a member of the advisory committee as early as possible in their junior year.

International Study and Graduate Study in Russian Area Studies

Majors are encouraged to take advantage of various programs of study in the former Soviet Union, including the opportunity to spend a semester or year on exchange at a university in one of the former Soviet republics. Majors who are contemplating postgraduate academic or professional careers in Russian Area Studies are encouraged to consult with faculty advisors, who will assist them in planning an appropriate sequence of courses. For more information on the Russian Area Studies program, students may consult the Wellesley College Russian Area Studies Web pages: www.wellesley.edu/russianareastudies.

Courses for Credit Toward the Russian Area Studies Major