The program of studies leading to a Russian major educates students to recognize the complexity inherent in all cultures, including their own. A rigorous curriculum focusing on Russia among other Slavic cultures empowers students to see from the Other's point of view. The Department of Slavic Languages recognizes four interrelated curricular foci and has identified discrete goals within each of them: communication, culture, academic and professional applications, and de-Othering the Other. Upon completion of the Russian major, students should be able to:
Communication Understand extended speech and follow complex lines of argument. Read technical, scholarly, and literary prose, appreciate and understand an author's attitudes or viewpoints, recognize markers of genre and style. Interact spontaneously with native speakers on a wide range of subjects and express and sustain a personal viewpoint. Write detailed texts relaying information and supporting a particular point of view. Access and use the new media in Russian.
Culture Understand the place of Russian within the context of world languages. Identify major religious, artistic, and social currents that inform Russia's past and present. Recognize major periods and currents in Russia's cultural and literary development. Demonstrate familiarity with the norms of contemporary Russian life (e.g., family interactions, popular entertainment, media, including internet, etc.).
Academic and Professional Applications Apply Russian as a research tool to a particular academic discipline (e.g., literature, linguistics, history, political science, theology, etc.). Use Russian in the professional arena (e.g., in working for the U.S. government, an NGO, a private company or firm conducting business requiring knowledge of Russian, etc.).
