Elementary courses in Polish are 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. One unit (year) of high school coursework is roughly equivalent to one semester of college work; all incoming students, however, who want to continue their study of Polish are assigned to courses on the basis of placement tests. These tests may admit a student to a more advanced course, but give no credit toward graduation. However, retroactive credits can be granted in recognition of previous language study. Students should speak with their instructor regarding retroactive credits during the first week of class.
To declare a major in Russian, students should make an appointment with 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 Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
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 a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Science DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
| Mathematics | Two (2) 3+ credits of intermediate/advanced level MATH, COMP SCI, STAT Limit one each: COMP SCI, STAT |
| Foreign Language | Complete the third unit of a foreign language Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 90th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced 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 and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non-L&S-degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
The Russian major requires 35 credits, which may be completed from one of two concentrations.
CORE LANGUAGE & CULTURE
Regardless of concentration, all students pursuing the Russian major must complete the following core courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language (complete three sequences): | 20 | |
| Third Year Russian I and Third Year Russian II 1 | ||
or SLAVIC 279 | Intensive Third Year Russian | |
| Russian Language and Culture I and Russian Language and Culture II | ||
| Fourth Year Russian I and Fourth Year Russian II | ||
| Culture through Literature (complete one): | 3-4 | |
| Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917) | ||
or LITTRANS 234 | Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917) | |
| Total Credits | 23-24 | |
Concentrations
Language & Literature
Note: Students concentrating their studies in Russian–Language and Literature are eligible to declare the certificate in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Literature in Translation (complete both): 1 | 8 | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | ||
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | ||
| Literature in Russian (complete one): | 4 | |
| Women in Russian Literature | ||
| Chekhov | ||
| Gogol | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Soviet Literature | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| 1 | It is preferable to take these LITTRANS courses in numerical sequence, though they may be taken out of sequence. |
Language & Civilization
Note: Students concentrating their studies in Russian–Language and Civilization are not eligible to declare the certificate in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Civilization (one course): | 4 | |
| Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey | ||
| Area Studies | 9 | |
| Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917) (if not used for the Culture requirement) | ||
or LITTRANS 234 | Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917) | |
| Russian and Soviet Film | ||
| Contemporary Economic Issues 2 | ||
| Russia and the NIS-Topical Analysis | ||
| History of Russia | ||
| History of Soviet Russia | ||
| Russian Social and Intellectual History | ||
| Latino History and Politics | ||
| Advanced Seminar in History 2 | ||
| Selected Topics in Political Science 2 | ||
| Socialism and Transitions to the Market | ||
| Russian Politics | ||
| History of Russian Culture 3 | ||
| Contemporary Russian Culture 3 | ||
| History of Russian Theatre | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 2 | Eligible only when the topic focuses on Russia. |
| 3 | SLAVIC 433 and SLAVIC 434 are taught in Russian; enrollment requires consent of the instructor. |
RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK
- 2.000 GPA in all major courses
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level credits for the major, taken in residence
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gogol in Translation | ||
| Dostoevsky in Translation | ||
| 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 | ||
| Women in Russian Literature | ||
| Chekhov | ||
| Gogol | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Soviet Literature | ||
| Slavic and East European Folklore | ||
| History of Russian Theatre | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Directed Study |
HONORS IN THE MAJOR
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Russian Honors advisor.
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Minimum 3.300 University GPA
- Minimum 3.500 GPA in SLAVIC 205 through SLAVIC 699 and all courses in the major
- 20 credits in the major taken for Honors, in Residence, not through Study Abroad, with grades of B or better in these courses:
- SLAVIC 275, SLAVIC 276, SLAVIC 321, SLAVIC 322
- A Senior Honor Thesis in SLAVIC 681 and SLAVIC 682 for at least 6 credits
DISTINCTION IN THE MAJOR
Students who are not pursuing Honors in the Major, and who distinguish themselves in the quality of their work, may request that Distinction in the Major be noted on their transcript. The major advisor will determine eligibility—at a minimum, a 3.500 major GPA and an acceptable Senior Thesis are required.
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. |
- (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.
- (Language & Literature Track and Native Speaker Track) Analyze and interpret works of literature in themselves and in the context of specific historical and cultural conditions.
- (Language & Civilization Track) 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.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 101 | 4 | SLAVIC 102 | 4 |
| Communication A | 3 | GERMAN/JEWISH 267 (meets Ethnic Studies requirement) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3-4 | Social Science Breadth | 4 |
| Social Science Breadth | 4 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 203 | 4 | SLAVIC 204 | 4 |
| LITTRANS 203 (Enroll in CommB Section) | 4 | SLAVIC/GEOG/HISTORY/POLI SCI 253 (meets Social Science Breadth) | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 3-4 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 275 | 3-4 | SLAVIC 276 | 3-4 |
| SLAVIC 315 | 2 | SLAVIC 316 | 2 |
| LITTRANS 233 | 3-4 | Russian Area Studies Course | 3-4 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLAVIC 321 | 4 | SLAVIC 322 | 4 |
| Russian Area Studies Course | 3-4 | Russian Area Studies Course | 3-4 |
| Electives | 9 | Electives | 8 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
For advising in Russian or Polish contact our Russian and Polish undergraduate advisor Anna Tumarkin.
For placement in Russian contact Anna Tumarkin.
For placement in Polish contact Ewa Miernowska.
For information on the Russian Flagship Program contact Laura Weigel or visit the program page.
For other undergraduate concerns, please contact our undergraduate coordinator:
Joanna Schuth, Undergraduate Coordinator
undergrad@gns.wisc.edu
608-262-2090
1306 Van Hise
For additional career advising, please contact:
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science
711 State Street, Suite 300
Madison, WI 53703
608-262-3921
SuccessWorks@ls.wisc.edu
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
- Handshake
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
Professors David Danaher, Alexander Dolinin, Karen Evans-Romaine, Halina Filipowicz, Tomislav Longinovic, Irina Shevelenko, Manon van de Water
Associate Professor Andrew Reynolds
Assistant Professor Marina Zilbergerts
Faculty Associates Jennifer Tishler, Anna Tumarkin
Senior Lecturers Galina Lapina, Ewa Miernowska
Lecturer Alexandra Walter