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In the Slavic Studies Certificate, students have the opportunity to pair a strong language study of Russian, Polish, Czech, or Ukrainian with a contextual, integrative regional view to complement their studies in political science, international studies, business, history, or many other areas. Students gain a critically informed appreciation and understanding of the complex, interwoven nature of the region's historical trajectories, politics, literature, and culture, with the flexibility to choose to focus on the area or culture of their special interest or take a comparative approach to the region as a whole.  

How to Get in

Students may declare the certificate by contacting the academic advisor. 

Students declared in the Russian or Polish majors are not eligible to declare the Slavic Studies certificate.  Students declared in the Certificate in Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the Undergraduate Level are not eligible to declare the Slavic Studies certificate.

Requirements

The Slavic Studies Certificate consists of 19 credits from the following requirements:

Languages:
Complete one sequence:6
Third Semester Russian
and Fourth Semester Russian
Intensive Second Year Russian
and Intensive Second Year Russian
Third Semester Polish
and Fourth Semester Polish
Third Semester Czech
and Fourth Semester Czech
Third Year Russian I
and Third Year Russian II
Third Year Polish I
and Third Year Polish II
Fourth Year Polish I
and Fourth Year Polish II
Fourth Year Russian I
and Fourth Year Russian II
Fourth Year Russian I
and Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture
Survey Courses - complete one: 4
Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey
Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey
Comparative Studies Courses - complete one: 3
Slavic Science Fiction through Literature and Film
Literature and Revolution
Performance and Power
Slavic and East European Folklore
Additional coursework from any Survey or Comparative Studies course listed above, or:6
History and Ethics on Film: Polish Cinema
Love and Death: Introduction to Polish Literature & Culture
Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe
Contemporary Russia: History, Politics, and Culture
Topics in Slavic Literatures
Elementary Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture
Study Abroad in Poland
Polish Culture and Area Studies on Study Abroad
Russian Area Studies on Study Abroad
Topics in Russian: Study Abroad
Russian Language and Culture I
Russian Language and Culture II
Intermediate Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures
Living at the End of Times: Contemporary Polish Literature and Culture
Intermediate Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture
History of Russian Culture
Contemporary Russian Culture
Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture
Advanced Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures
History of Polish Literature until 1863
History of Polish Literature after 1863
Advanced Russian Listening & Speaking
Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature and Culture
Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I
Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II
Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I
Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II
Women in Russian Literature in Translation
The Writings of Vaclav Havel: Crtitique of Modern Society
Polish Literature in Translation: Late 19th and 20th Centuries
Chekhov: The Drama of Modern Life
Russia's Greatest Enigma: Nikolai Gogol
Dostoevsky in Translation
Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings
Tolstoy in Translation
Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Cultures
Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917)
Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917)
Soviet Literature in Translation
Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe
Topics in Slavic Literatures in Translation
Elementary Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture
Intermediate Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures
Living at the End of Times: Contemporary Polish Literature and Culture
Intermediate Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture
In Translation: Slavic Drama in Context
Advanced Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures
Polish Literature (in Translation), Middle Ages to 1863
Polish Literature (in Translation) since 1863
Total Credits19

Residence and Quality of Work

  • At least 10 certificate credits must be completed in residence.
  • Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses.

Certificate Completion Requirement

This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Acquire intermediate proficiency in a Slavic language (Czech, Polish, or Russian).
  2. Analyze and interpret cultural products of the region (i.e., works of literature, film, etc.) in themselves and in the context of specific historical and cultural conditions.
  3. Develop and apply writing skills and oral communication skills appropriate to Liberal Arts education in the context of Slavic Studies to the literatures and cultures of the region.
  4. Develop and apply critical-thinking skills inherent in the Liberal Arts tradition to the literature and culture of the region.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of major approaches, concepts, and current research findings concerning the Slavic region.

Advising and Careers

For advising and placement, please contact our undergraduate advisor:

Joanna Schuth, Undergraduate Advisor
jschuth@wisc.edu
608-262-2090
836 Van Hise Hall
Make an appointment through Starfish

Students who transfer to UW with previous language experience should contact the undergraduate advisor as early as possible to schedule a placement test.

Students should see the advisor during the semester before their last semester. Prospective students are urged to consult the undergraduate advisor about the program at the first possible opportunity.

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

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.

People

Professors

David Danaher*
Karen Evans-Romaine
Irina Shevelenko

Associate Professors

Kirill Ospovat
Andrew Reynolds

Assistant Professors

Maksim Hanukai
Łukasz Wodzynski

Teaching Faculty

Jennifer Tishler
Anna Tumarkin

Lecturers

Krzysztof Borowski
Sara Karpukhin
Ewa Miernowska
Alexandra Walter

*unit head