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Russian Area Studies, Minor

In an interconnected and sometimes dangerous world, knowledge of Russia and its surrounding regions is critical. Saint Louis University's Russian area studies minor facilitates the interdisciplinary study of Russia and its neighbors.

Curriculum Overview

Students select Russian language courses and supplement them with relevant courses in history, philosophy and political science to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of Russia and surrounding areas. The minor requires 18 hours of coursework.

Required Courses
RUSS 2020Intermediate Russian: Language and Culture II 13
Elective Courses
Select an additional RUSS course. This may be a language or culture class. Options include: 3
RUSS 3010
Communicating in Russian: The Arts
RUSS 3020
Communicating in Russian: History and Politics
RUSS 3250
Russia From Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture
RUSS 3320
Dostoevsky Through the Centuries
RUSS 3360
In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires
RUSS 3440
Art, Media, & Power in Post-Soviet Russia
Select three courses with a 'Russian Area Studies' attribute. Options include: 9
HIST 3140
Twentieth Century Europe: Era of World Wars, 1914-1945
HIST 3250
World in Conflict Since 1945
HIST 3290
Russia Since 1905
PHIL 4740
Philosophy of Karl Marx
POLS 1540
Blood and Money: Ethnic War
POLS 2530
Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics
POLS 3520
Communism, Capitalism and Social Justice
POLS 3530
Comparative Revolutions
POLS 4500
Russian Political Culture
Select an additional elective class either with the 'Russian Area Studies' attribute or from the Russian program. 3
Total Credits18
1

Students who place out of this level of Russian must replace RUSS 2020 with a higher-level RUSS course.

Continuation Standards

To continue in the minor, students must maintain a 2.30 minimum cumulative GPA in Russian area studies coursework.

Non-Course Requirements

All students must submit to the program director a paper written after completing 12 credits of their minor classes (not counting language prerequisites) and present the paper at a research colloquium. 

For more information about the Russian area studies minor, please contact: 

Ellen P. Carnaghan, Ph.D.
    Director
ellen.carnaghan@slu.edu