MISSION STATEMENT

The undergraduate major in Slavic Languages and Literatures prepares students to pursue a range of careers, including those related to international work in business, government, non-profit organizations, etc. connected with Russia and/or Central Europe. The undergraduate major serves equally as solid preparation for graduate study in Slavic Languages and Literatures and related fields, and for entrance to professional schools, such as law or journalism.

Students study the languages offered in the Slavic department for a variety of purposes, which include but are not limited to pursuing careers with international dimensions, enhancing job opportunities, connecting with heritage, family, and communities, exploring other literatures and cultures, and pursuing personal interests.

The first goal of the undergraduate program is to produce students with solid functional language skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing. Students develop the strategies and linguistic awareness to continue their language study throughout their lives. The second goal of the program is to acquaint undergraduate majors with the most significant works of the literature and culture of the Slavic region and to give them the tools and frameworks necessary to understand, analyze and critique those works and place them in their cultural contexts. Students work with sources in English and in the original languages.

The department regularly offers courses in Russian, Polish, and Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian for majors and minors, for students in sciences and professional fields, and for students wishing to study a Slavic language or culture as part of their liberal arts background or as fulfillment of the College foreign language requirement. The department offers courses in Czech, Slovene, Ukrainian, and, occasionally, Macedonian and Bulgarian.