Russian Studies
“For many in Russia, the transformation of Vladimir Putin from a banal official into a kleptocrat was natural,” writes Dmitry Bykov, Scholar in Residence in MLC. “But his leap from kleptocrat to Fuhrer was somehow sudden and inexplicable” (VZ: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Making of a Nation, 395). If you want to try to understand how Russia got to where it is today, the Russian Studies program is a good place to start.
Russian Studies, an interdisciplinary program of the School of Arts & Sciences, incorporates the perspective of several departments and the linguistic, historical, and cultural background needed to understand Russia's past, analyze its present, and make responsible predictions about its future. Its dynamic curriculum from three core departments includes courses on Russian history from Kievan Rus to the war in Ukraine; international relations and political science; and Russian literature, cinema and culture. Proficiency in Russian is required (coursework through intermediate Russian).
The University of Rochester offers degrees in both Russian and Russian studies. The Russian major, minor, and clusters are in the humanities division. The Russian studies major and minor can count in either the humanities or the social sciences, and there are Russian Studies clusters in both these divisions as well.
The three departments providing the core faculty for this program are Modern Languages and Cultures, History, and Political Science, but a Russian studies major or minor concentration includes courses in or cross-listed with:
- Religion and classics
- Judaic studies
- Polish and Central European studies
- Film studies
- Gender, sexuality and women's studies
- Comparative literature
- Art and art history
- Economics
An interdisciplinary approach comes naturally to our students, many of whom are doing a second major in history, political science or another area.
- Russian studies major requirements
- Russian studies minor requirements
- Russian studies clusters
- Education abroad
- Language placement
- Contact information
Russian Studies Major
The Russian studies major has a total of ten required courses and may be counted as either humanities or social sciences, depending on the number of courses in each division.
Foundation Courses (two-three courses):
- Proficiency in Russian: Coursework through RUSS 152 (or approved equivalent coursework)
- Senior Thesis
Core Courses (six courses):
- Two courses in Russian literature
- Two courses in Russian history
- Two courses in Political science
Elective Course(s) (one or more courses):
- One (or more) elective in literature, language, history or political science
See a complete list of Russian courses (pdf)
Russian Studies Minor Requirements
- One Russian language course at the 151-level or higher
- One survey course in Russian literature
- One survey course in Russian history
- One course in a more specialized area of Russian history or literature
- One political science course with a Russian or international relations focus
The Russian studies major and minor can be counted in either humanities or social sciences, depending on your choice of courses (to count as social science, the majority of courses must be taken in history, international relations and political science).
See a complete list of Russian courses (pdf)
Russian Studies Clusters
There is one Russian studies clusters, one in the humanities academic division and one in the social science academic division.
Russian Studies (H1RST005)
The study of Russia from the vantage points of history, national identity, and everyday life.
Education Abroad
Students can study Russian abroad in Estonia, Armenia or Kazakhstan for a summer (4 or 8 weeks) or a semester through the American Councils or CIEE programs. Students live with Russian speaking families and attend classes focused on language, culture, and politics. Fellowship aid for students with financial need is available for summer study. Speak to a Russian advisor for more information about studying Russian abroad and how courses taken abroad can count for majors and minors at URochester.
Language Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) scores or International Baccalaureate (IB) rankings assist departmental advisors in finding the right course level for you. Information on how you learned the language or languages you know will also help us advise you on the most appropriate courses for you in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.
The first step is to take the online placement exam in Russian. You will receive a score that will be used along with the survey information you provide and with any AP or IB scores you have submitted. Together, the information will help determine your placement in a specific language course.
For students with previous experience with the Russian language, the first step is to take the online placement exam. For instructions for how to login, see our online placement exam instructions page.
After you take the test, you will receive a score that will be used along with the other information you provide to help determine your placement. A language placement advisor will email you with your official placement sometime after you take the exam. Students who have not studied Russian previously and who are not heritage speakers of Russian may register for RUSS 101 without taking a placement exam. The placement you receive with your online numerical test scores is not necessarily how you will be placed by MLC.
Contact Information
For all Russian and Russian studies questions, please contact Professor John Givens at john.givens@rochester.edu.
Faculty
Tanya Bakhmetyeva, Associate Professor in History
Dmitrii Bykov, Scholar in Residence in Russian
John Givens, Professor of Russian, Head of the Russian Program
Laura Givens, Professor of Instruction in Russian, Placement Advisor
Rita Safariants, Assistant Professor of Russian
Randall Stone, Professor of Political Science, Director for the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies