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 program are prepared to conduct research in this language and to benefit from immersive study abroad experiences as they capitalize on their knowledge of the language and culture. This is beneficial when building political science, law, journalism, U.S. intelligence and computer science careers due to Russia's significant global presence and influence. Co-curricular activities provide additional fora for research and further opportunities for enhancing cultural knowledge.

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:

Required Courses
RUSS 3010Communicating in Russian: The Arts3
RUSS 3020Communicating in Russian: History and Politics3
RUSS 3250Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture3
Russian Literature in Translation3
Select one course from the following:
RUSS 3320
Serfdom and Liberation: Challenging the Legacies of Forced Labor
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 Elective Courses6
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):
Soviet and Russian Cinema: Traditions and Innovations
RUSS 3320
Serfdom and Liberation: Challenging the Legacies of Forced Labor
Chekhov as Dramatist: Performance, Adaptations, and Intermedial Transpositions
In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires
Putin's Idiocracy
Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia
Presenting Research in Russian
The Russian Orthodox
Russia to 1905
Russia Since 1905
Philosophy of Karl Marx
Total Credits18

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.