At which campus can I study this program?
Requirements for a minor may be completed at any campus location offering the specified courses for the minor. Students may not change from a campus that offers their major to a campus that does not offer their major for the purpose of completing a minor.
Program Description
The Russian Area Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program supervised by the Center for Russian and East European Studies and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages designed to combine a regional specialization with an academic disciplinary major. The minor may be combined with any undergraduate major in the University. It requires 15 credits in approved Area Studies courses (6 credits must be at the 400 level or above), 12 credits in beginning Russian language or the equivalent, and 6 credits of Russian language at the 200 level or above, as well as the baccalaureate degree and departmental major requirements of the student's choice.
The minor helps prepare students for further academic work in the Russian area at the graduate level or to pursue careers as area specialists in commerce, industry, journalism, education, and various governmental and international agencies.
The Center for Russian and East European Studies awards a certificate in Russian Area Studies to students successfully completing all the requirements of the program.
What is Russian Area Studies?
Russian Area Studies is an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to studying Russian civilization. It includes mastering the Russian language, as well as exploring the history, culture, economics, geography, and political and social life of Russia including its relations with other countries in the area.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You understand the critical role that Russia plays in the world.
- You are considering an academic or professional career requiring a knowledge of a foreign language combined with regional specialization.
- Your major is History, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Journalism, Business, or other fields in which a knowledge of the Russian language and civilization is advantageous.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 21-33 |
Requirements for the Minor
The Center for Russian and East European Studies awards a certificate in Russian Area Studies to students successfully completing all the requirements of the program.
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| Elementary Russian I | ||
| Elementary Russian II | ||
| Intermediate Russian | ||
| Select 6-9 credits in humanities from the following: | 6-9 | |
History of Communism  | ||
| History of the Soviet Union | ||
| Russian Literature in English Translation: 1800-1870 | ||
| Russian Literature in English Translation: 1870 to Present | ||
| Select 6-9 credits in the social sciences from the following: | 6-9 | |
| Russian Economic History | ||
| The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | ||
| Government and Politics of Central Europe | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select 6 credits of RUS 200-level courses or above | 6 | |
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
http://starfish.psu.edu
http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/education/majors-and-minors
Career Paths
The US Department of State designates Russian as one of the “critical languages” and the Department of Defense lists it as a strategic language. It is one of the five official languages of the UN. It also remains the unofficial lingua franca of the former Soviet republics and an indispensable communications tool across all of the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Careers
A knowledge of the Russian language and civilization is an asset to a variety of careers in the US government and military, international business, international relations, international law, human rights, information technology, professional translation, publishing, education, the travel industry, and more.
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC AND SLAVIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-5481
psugerman@psu.edu