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Russian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.

Investigate both the literature and culture of the Russian-speaking world.
Exterior of a church in Russia
Prepare for many desirable careers with Russian language skills, which can open the door to employment opportunities both in the U.S., Russia (pictured here, St. Petersburg) and other countries.

About this Program

  • Enjoy small class sizes: Introductory language courses are capped at 20 students to enhance learning and interaction between students and professors.
  • Contribute to and benefit from frequent and diverse cultural activities, such as film screenings, Russian conversation tables, and preparing and enjoying Slavic meals.
  • Attend lectures by visiting Russian scholars and artists.
  • Pursue scholarship and fellowship opportunities like the prestigious Boren Scholarship, Fulbright Award, Gilman International Scholarship and the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Conduct research with national and international scholars and benefit from the international connections of our world-renowned faculty.
  • Forge relationships across cultural differences, developing a global perspective by studying and pursuing internships in Russia and countries with Russian-speaking communities.
  • Prepare for many desirable careers, demonstrating Russian language skills that will open the door to employment opportunities both in the U.S. and Russia.
  • A minor in Russian is available.
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Program Information

Degree Type

Major

Outcome

B.A.

Modality

In-person

College or School

Career Path

Related Pages

$ 5K

in undergraduate research awards in the last four years.
12

Major scholarships awarded to Russian majors over the last six years.
10-15

Typical number of students per class.
Exterior of Hall of languages building

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is Syracuse University’s first and largest college. As the home of the liberal arts, our internationally recognized programs provide the cornerstone of a Syracuse University education with 50+ majors in the natural sciences and mathematics, the humanities and the social sciences (in partnership with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs).
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Curriculum

In addition to three years of language courses, the Russian program offers a wide range of interesting electives that draw from literature, film, art, history, folklore, media, food studies, photojournalism and translation studies.

  • Understand authentic speech on a variety of general interest topics.
  • Engage in conversation in a participatory manner in order to communicate information on topics such as autobiography, community, and national and international interest.
  • Understand the main idea and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts, use contextual clues to compensate for limitations and use knowledge of language conventions to support comprehension.
  • Write routine informal and formal correspondence, as well as narratives, descriptions and summaries of a factual nature; and narrate and describe in past, present and future.
  • Exhibit knowledge about Russia, explain characteristics of Russian culture and Russian traditions, and describe and analyze Russian history and its role in the world.

  • Russian Food Culture and History
  • Russian Culture Through Fiction and Film
  • Russian Fairy Tales and Folklore
  • Russian Short Stories
  • Revolution and the Avant-garde

Extracurricular Opportunities

Hands-on learning opportunities

Grant Support

Russian majors and minors are eligible to apply each semester for a grant of up to $500 for short-term travel, conference, study or research purposes. Students are asked to submit a one-page application that includes a narrative description of their plans as well as a preliminary budget. These grants are distributed based on the merit and feasibility of the project described, and students may apply more than once for this grant.

Study abroad opportunity

Study Abroad in Russia and Eastern Europe

Multiple programs are available through the School of Russian and Asian Studies, a World Partner program affiliated with Syracuse Abroad. In Riga, Latvia, an intensive and supportive environment for Russian language study is paired with the option of a home stay to provide you with an immersive language and cultural experience. Out-of-classroom experiences, special lectures and workshops will give you ample opportunity to use the Russian language while introducing you to local Latvian identity, history and current issues in Latvia today.

Students talking on a sidewalk

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Russian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.
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