Major Prerequisites
These courses do not count toward the Russian major requirements, but are prerequisites for further coursework in Russian. Prospective Russian majors (as well as students in Russian, East European and Eurasian Area Studies, and students planning on studying abroad) should complete RUSS 204-208 - Intermediate Russian, rather than RUSS 212-216. Students who have completed 212 and wish to major in Russian should enroll in RUSS 208 for their spring semester.
- Russ 104-108 - Elementary Russian I-II (or Russ 110) —10 Credits
- Russ 204 - Intermediate Russian I — 5 Credits
Total — 15 Credits
Major Courses
You must take at least 29 credit hours to obtain the Russian major, however, you may take as many additional credit hours as you wish, provided that you have fulfilled your KU Core requirements. Discuss the order in which you take the literature and linguistics courses with your advisor, but you must have at least three credit hours in each area. In general the department recommends that students take no more than one course in the SLAV 140-144-148-240 series. The department also recommends that the literature course for the major be chosen from the course offerings at the 500-level or above.
Major Requirements
- Russ 208 - Intermediate Russian II — 5 Credits
- Russ 504-508 - Advanced Russian I-II
OR
Russ 512-516 - Russian for the Professions I-II — 6 Credits - 1 course in Russian linguistics — 3 Credits
- 1 course in Russian literature at the 500-level or above — 3 Credits
- 3 additional courses in Russian literature, culture, linguistics
or advanced Russian language — 9 Credits - SLAV 495 Senior Capstone Seminar — 3 Credits
Total — 29 Credits
For more details on the Russian major (and other Slavic major) requirements, please consult the KU course catalog.
Please contact our undergraduate major advisor with any questions you may have.
In Memoriam
Reed Rankin ✝ 12/29/2019
The faculty and students in the Department Slavic Languages and Literatures are deeply saddened that one our undergraduate majors, Reed Rankin, passed away last week (12/29) in Fredonia, Kansas. Reed was a beloved student in the department and is fondly remembered by his peers and professors. He began studying Russian as a Freshman and stayed with a challenging but rewarding language for three and a half years, tackling introductory, intermediate, advanced levels, and even continuing his studies into his senior year with Russian for the Professions. We know that he was planning further study in Moscow in the next academic year, prior to matriculation at KU School of Law.
A thoughtful student, Reed often contributed insight and posed challenging questions in class. Reed’s dedication to the study of Russian language, culture, and history was tremendous and fueled by infectious curiosity. He showed great acumen in translating from Russian into English, always finding English-language equivalents for Russian cultural concepts through skillful use of one-liners from American films. We also treasured his ability to speak in fluid Russian about rural, farm life in Kansas, and the effects that natural phenomena, like floods, on a farming community. He was a pleasure to know and teach, and will be remembered for his kind and polite demeanor. Our thoughts are with Reed’s family at this time
