Russian is a National Security Education Program Critical Language. Students in the Russian major not only learn the language but become familiar with the treasure of Russian cultural heritage in literature, visual art, theater, and music.
The Russian major is designed to meet the needs of students who begin to study the language in college as well as those who began to study the language in high school. With a major in Russian, you will be able to converse with ease in most common situations at work, school, social events, and everyday duties, as well as read and write at an advanced level. In addition, you will gain an appreciation and understanding of Russian culture and politics, past and present, and the literary and artistic traditions that Russian society holds dear.
How to Get in
To declare a major in Russian, students should make an appointment with or email the Russian undergraduate advisor.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
| Mathematics | Complete two courses of 3+ credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level in MATH, COMP SCI, or STAT subjects. A maximum of one course in each of COMP SCI and STAT subjects counts toward this requirement. |
| Language | Complete the third unit of a language other than English. |
| LS Breadth | Complete: • 12 credits of Humanities, which must include at least 6 credits of Literature; and • 12 credits of Social Science; and • 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include 6 credits of Biological Science and 6 credits of Physical Science. |
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | Complete at least 108 credits. |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced Coursework | Complete at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level. |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | Complete at least 120 credits. |
| UW-Madison Experience | Complete both: • 30 credits in residence, overall, and • 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit. |
| Quality of Work | • 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison • 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Russian Language: | 15 | |
| Third Year Russian I and Third Year Russian II | ||
or SLAVIC 279 | Intensive Third Year Russian | |
| Russian Language and Culture I | ||
| Russian Language and Culture II | ||
| Fourth Year Russian I | ||
| Foundations in Russian Literature Culture (complete three distinct courses): | ||
| Literature Survey (complete one): | 4 | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | ||
or LITTRANS 204 | Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | |
| Literature Culture (complete two): | 6 | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | ||
or LITTRANS 203 | Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | ||
or LITTRANS 204 | Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | |
| Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917) | ||
| Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917) | ||
| Capstone | ||
| SLAVIC 465 | Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture | 3 |
| or SLAVIC 560 | Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature and Culture | |
| Electives | ||
| Intermediate or Advanced Elective (complete one): | 3 | |
| Russian Area Studies on Study Abroad | ||
| Topics in Russian: Study Abroad | ||
| Intermediate Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture | ||
| History of Russian Culture | ||
| Contemporary Russian Culture | ||
| Slavic and East European Folklore | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures | ||
| Advanced Russian Listening & Speaking | ||
| Women in Russian Literature in Translation | ||
| Chekhov: The Drama of Modern Life | ||
| Russia's Greatest Enigma: Nikolai Gogol | ||
| Dostoevsky in Translation | ||
| Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings | ||
| Tolstoy in Translation | ||
| Soviet Literature in Translation | ||
| In Translation: Slavic Drama in Context | ||
| Additional Elective (complete one): | 3 | |
Any Intermediate or Advanced-level course from the list above, or: | ||
| Literature and Revolution | ||
| Performance and Power | ||
| Contemporary Russia: History, Politics, and Culture | ||
| Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey | ||
| Elementary Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture | ||
| Slavic Science Fiction through Literature and Film | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- Minimum 2.000 GPA in all major courses
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major, in residence
- At least 15 credits in the major, taken on campus
Upper-Level Courses in the Major
The following courses are upper-level in the Russian major:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Third Year Russian I | ||
| Third Year Russian II | ||
| Russian Area Studies on Study Abroad | ||
| Topics in Russian: Study Abroad | ||
| Russian Language and Culture I | ||
| Russian Language and Culture II | ||
| Fourth Year Russian I | ||
| Fourth Year Russian II | ||
| Soviet Literature | ||
| Slavic and East European Folklore | ||
| Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture | ||
| Advanced Russian Listening & Speaking | ||
| Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature and Culture | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Women in Russian Literature in Translation | ||
| Chekhov: The Drama of Modern Life | ||
| Russia's Greatest Enigma: Nikolai Gogol | ||
| Dostoevsky in Translation | ||
| Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings | ||
| Tolstoy in Translation |
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Russian advisor.
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.500 GPA in all courses in the major
- Complete 18 credits in the major taken for Honors, taken on campus, with grades of B or better in the following:
- Complete a Senior Thesis in SLAVIC 681 and SLAVIC 682 for at least 6 credits
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- (Russian language proficiency) Develop speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills and integrate these skills to communicate in Russian in a variety of social situations.
- Develop and apply writing skills and oral communication skills appropriate to liberal arts education in the context of Slavic studies.
- Develop and apply critical thinking skills inherent in the liberal arts tradition in the context of Slavic studies.
- Analyze and interpret works of literature in themselves and in the context of specific historical and cultural conditions.
- Demonstrate insight into Russian culture and civilization and apply this knowledge across disciplines such as history, political science, the arts, geography, business, economics, sociology, the sciences, gender studies, philosophy, law, folklore.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 101 | 4 | SLAVIC 102 | 4 |
| LITTRANS 233 or 234 | 3 | LITTRANS 234 | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 13 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 203 | 4 | SLAVIC 204 | 4 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | LITTRANS 202 or 204 (204 meets Comm B requirement) | 3 |
| LITTRANS 201 or 203 (203 meets Comm B requirement) | 3 | LITTRANS/GERMAN/JEWISH 279 (meets Ethnic Studies requirement) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 3 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 4 |
| Biological Science Breadth | 3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 275 (meets Humanities requirement) | 3 | SLAVIC 276 (meets Humanities requirement) | 3 |
| SLAVIC 315 | 3 | SLAVIC 316 | 3 |
| Physical Science Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Electives | 5 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | ||
| 14 | 18 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 321 | 3 | Russian Capstone | 3 |
| Russian Elective | 3 | Russian Elective | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Electives | 7 | Electives | 6 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Language placement tests are advised for any student with previous knowledge or experience with Russian. The test consists of a one-on-one appointment with a professor, with written, oral, and reading comprehension components.
These tests may admit a student to a more advanced course, but give no credit toward graduation. L&S Retro Credit Policy.
The Placement Advisor for Russian is Anna Tumarkin. Please contact the Undergraduate Advisor to request placement.
Students might also want to consider the Russian Flagship program, a federally-funded intensive language learning program open to students of all majors. The Flagship program is a separate application and students can complete it in addition to the Russian major or may complete it alongside another major entirely.
For other undergraduate concerns or to declare the major, please contact our undergraduate coordinator:
Joanna Schuth, Undergraduate Advisor
jschuth@wisc.edu
836 Van Hise Hall
Make an appointment through Starfish
For career advising, please connect with:
Lydia Odegard
Language Directions Specialist
Language Institute
L&S Career Resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives