Russian, B.A.

Program Code: RUS_BA

Program Description

The B.A. in Russian provides the student with a command of spoken and written Russian and a general knowledge of the literature and culture of the Russian people. For admission to the major students must have completed RUS 3 and RUS 410 or demonstrate an equivalent level. Study in Russia under the University's Education Abroad Program is available for qualified students. Students are advised to combine their study of Russian with another major or minor, such as another foreign language, English, history, political science, the East European Studies minor, the Business/Liberal Arts minor, or the Linguistics minor. Graduates of this program have found employment in international business, the U.S. government, in the educational and publishing fields, and in the travel industry.

What is Russian?

Russian Studies is an interdisciplinary sub-field of the Humanities and Slavic Studies that pertains to linguistics, literature, arts, history, politics, and more, with a primary focus on the language, literature, and culture of historical and contemporary Russia, including the Soviet period and the Russian-speaking diaspora.

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 strong training in a foreign language.
  • Your first major is History, Comparative Literature, International Relations, Journalism, Linguistics, or other fields in which a knowledge of Russian is advantageous.
  • You want to discover the rich world of Russian literature, arts, and cinema.
  • Mastering Russian is important in your field, for example, in aerospace engineering, the computer sciences, and other sciences.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

  1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
  2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

Requirement Credits
General Education 45
Electives 22
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements 24
Requirements for the Major 29

3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.

Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
RUS 100Russian Culture and Civilization Keystone/General Education Course3
RUS 200Intermediate Russian II4
RUS 401Advanced Russian A4
RUS 405Seminar in Russian Literature3
RUS 420Senior Seminar in Russian Culture3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 9 credits at the 400-level9
RUS 141YRussian Literature in English Translation: 1800-18703
or RUS 142Y Russian Literature in English Translation: 1870 to Present

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol Keystone/General Education Course appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

  • Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
  • Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

  • Arts (GA): 3 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 3 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

  • Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

  • GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
  • GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

  • United States Cultures: 3 credits
  • International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

B.A. Degree Requirements

Foreign Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one foreign language. See the Placement Policy for Penn State Foreign Language Courses.

B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Foreign Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; foreign language credits in this category must be in a second foreign language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language)

Other Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the General Education US/IL requirement.​

Integrated B.A. in Russian and M.I.A. in International Affairs

Requirements for the Integrated B.A. in Russian and M.I.A. in International Affairs can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.

Program Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to communicate efficiently in a range of settings from informal to professional.
  • Students will be able to read, translate, summarize, and interpret a variety of Russian-language media ranging from newspapers to literary texts to formal academic prose.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate their mastery of the structure of the Russian language at different levels.
  • Students will be able to write expository texts using the conventions of standard Russian with style and vocabulary appropriate to the genre.
  • Students will be able to identify and critically discuss the major events, personages and developments related to Russian culture, history, and literature.

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
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

SUGGESTED ACADEMIC PLAN

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2023-24 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contains suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).

RUSSIAN, B.A. AT UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS AND COMMONWEALTH CAMPUSES

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
RUS 14RUS 24
ENGL 15, 30H, 137H, CAS 137H, or ESL 15 (GWS)3RUS 100 (GH;IL)*3
General Education Course (N)3CAS 100A, 100B, or 100C (GWS)3
General Education Course3General Education Course (N)3
First-Year Seminar (FYS)3General Education Course (GQ)3
 16 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
RUS 34RUS 200 (IL)*4
RUS 141Y or 142Y*3Other Cultures Course3
General Education Course3General Education Course3
General Education Course3US Cultures Course3
General Education Course (GQ)3Elective (US)3
 16 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
RUS 401, 402, or 403*3RUS 400 (IL)*3
BA Requirements3400 Level Russian *3
General Education Course3BA Requirements3
General Education Course3General Education Course3
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
RUS 405 (IL)*3400 Level Russian*3
400 Level Russian*3General Education Course (GHW)1.5
ENGL 202 (GWS)3BA Requirements3
General Education Course (GHW)1.5Elective3
Elective3Elective2
 13.5 12.5
Total Credits 120
*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in Other Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as Other Cultures courses.

Advising Notes:

  • All incoming freshmen must take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during Fall or Spring of their first year. Academic advisers can provide a list of FYS being offered and help the student enroll.  Most FYS in the College of the Liberal Arts are worth 3 cr. and count as a General Humanities (GH) or General Social Sciences (GS) course. For this reason, the FYS is not listed separately on this eight-semester plan; most students will be able to fulfill the FYS requirement while also fulfilling a GH or GS requirement.
  • Students pursuing this major at a Commonwealth Campus might require summer attendance, study abroad, or additional semesters to complete the major coursework. Students should contact the University Park adviser to plan their major courses accordingly.

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

Besides graduate studies in the field of Slavic Languages and Literatures and related fields, a B.A. in Russian opens the door 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.

Professional Resources

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC AND SLAVIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-5481
psugerman@psu.edu

https://german.la.psu.edu