Undergraduate

• Major Prerequisites
• Major Courses
• Minors Offered
• Courses Offered

Russian at KU

Russian is spoken by upwards of 170 million people in Russia, a country that covers one eighth of the world's landmass and that spans eleven time zones across Europe and Asia. Russian is also widely spoken as a second language throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia, making it the fourth most widely spoken language in the world, and thus one of only six official languages of the United Nations. It is the language of some of the world's greatest scientists (including Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table of elements), musicians (including Tchaikovsky, composer of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The 1812 Overture), and writers (including Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, and Dostoevsky, author of Crime and Punishment). Study of Russian opens up a myriad of career opportunities in fields ranging from business to diplomacy to environmental studies to technology and cultural exchange.

Major Prerequisites

These courses do not count toward the Russian major requirements, but are prerequisites for further coursework in Russian. Prospective Russian majors should complete RUSS 204-208 - Intermediate Russian, rather than RUSS 212-216. Students who have completed 212 and wish to major in Russian should enroll in RUSS 208 for their spring semester.

Courses

• Russ 104-108 - Elementary Russian I-II (or equivalent) —10 Credits
• Russ 204 - Intermediate Russian I — 6 Credits
• Total — 16 Credits

Course syllabi:  RUSS 104,  RUSS 108;  RUSS 204,  RUSS 208

Major Courses

The 27 Russian total course hours represents the minimum for a major concentration. You may take as many additional hours as you wish, provided that you have fulfilled all of your general education requirements. Discuss the order in which you take the literature and linguistics courses with your advisor, but you must have at least three credit hours in each area. In general the department recommends that students take no more than 2 courses in the SLAV 140-144-148-240 series. The department also recommends that the literature course for the major be chosen from the course offerings at the 500-level or higher.

Courses

• Russ 208 - Intermediate Russian II — 6 Credits
• Russ 504-508 - Advanced Russian I-II
  OR 
  Russ 512-516 - Russian for the Professions I-II — 6 Credits
• 1 course in Russian linguistics — 3 Credits
• 1 course in Russian literature — 3 Credits
• 3 additional courses in Russian literature, culture, linguistics 
  or advanced Russian language — 9 Credits
• Total — 27 Credits

Course syllabi: RUSS 512, RUSS 516

Questions? Contact Professor Kerry Sabbag ksabbag@ku.edu

Minors Offered

Slavic Cultures in Translation

This minor requires no knowledge of a Slavic language, but provides a solid knowledge of West, South, and East Slavic cultures through texts read in English translation.

• Two courses chosen from: SLAV 140/141, SLAV 144/145, SLAV 148/149, or SLAV 240/241.
• 12 hours of Slavic literature and culture courses at the 300 level or above.
• Students should consult with an undergraduate advisor to make sure that their selection of Junior-Senior hours assures broad enough representation of different aspects of Slavic Literatures and Cultures.

Russian

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Russian language and offers a broadly based knowledge of Russian language, linguistics, and literature.

• RUSS 208 (6 hours).
• 3 hours in linguistics at the 300 level or above.
• 3 hours in literature at the 300 level or above.
• 6 hours in language, linguistics, or literature at the 300 level or above, at the student’s discretion.

Polish

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Polish language and offers a broadly based knowledge of Polish language, literature, culture, and history.

• PLSH 204-208 (6 hours).
• 3 hours in Polish culture at the 300 level or above.
• 9 hours in language, history, culture, or literature at the 300 level or above (please refer to the list of available courses in the Polish Studies concentration).

South Slavic

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Croatian/Serbian language and offers a broadly based knowledge of South Slavic languages, literatures, cultures, and history.

• CRSB 204-208 (6 hours).
• 3 hours in South Slavic cultures at the 300 level or above, for example, SLAV 390
• 9 hours in South Slavic languages, history, cultures, or literatures at the 300 level or above (please refer to the list of available courses in the South Slavic Studies concentration).

Courses Offered

RUSS 100 : Russian Reading Course I A special reading course for candidates for advanced degrees, faculty members, and graduate or undergraduate students from other schools or departments, designed to aid them in obtaining a reading knowledge for purposes of research. An intensive study of the fundamentals of grammar proceeding to the reading of material of medium difficulty. The course does not satisfy any part of the undergraduate language requirement. Presupposes no previous study of Russian.

RUSS 101 : Russian Reading Course II A continuation of RUSS 100. Completion and review of the fundamentals of grammar, with emphasis on reading and translation of learned, scientific, or technical writing and other material of an advanced nature. Each student will also have special assignments in his or her particular field. This course does not satisfy any part of the undergraduate language requirement. Prerequisite: RUSS 100.

RUSS 104 : Elementary Russian I First semester. Five hours of basic language acquisition and two hours of oral practice per week. Essentials of grammar, practice in comprehending, speaking, reading, and writing Russian. Syllabus

RUSS 108 : Elementary Russian II Second semester. Five hours of basic language acquisition and two hours of oral practice per week. A continuation of RUSS 104. Prerequisite: RUSS 104. Syllabus

RUSS 110 : Intensive Elementary Russian Intensive course in elementary Russian providing the student with a complete survey of Russian grammar, and proficiency in understanding, reading, and speaking of basic Russian. Twenty contact hours per week. Same content as RUSS 104 and RUSS 108 combined.

RUSS 150 : Beginning Russian I Fundamentals of Russian grammar, reading, speaking, and writing. Course designed to accommodate the needs of students regardless of age, educational background, or occupation. No previous knowledge of Russian or other foreign languages required.

RUSS 152 : Beginning Russian II Continuation of RUSS 150. Does not fulfill B.A. foreign language requirement. Prerequisite: RUSS 150 or equivalent.

RUSS 204 : Intermediate Russian I This course is designed to develop speaking, reading, and listening proficiency within the context of detailed grammatical review. The course meets five hours a week for 6 hours credit. It is especially recommended for potential majors in Russian, for area-studies students, and for students intending to apply for study abroad in Russia. Prerequisite: RUSS 108, RUSS 110, or equivalent. Syllabus

RUSS 208 : Intermediate Russian II Continuation of RUSS 204. Completes the undergraduate foreign language requirement. The course is designed to develop speaking, reading, and listening proficiency within the context of detailed grammatical review. It is especially recommended for potential majors in Russian, for area-studies students, and for students intending to apply for study abroad in Russia. Students who have completed only RUSS 212 may enroll with the permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: RUSS 204 or equivalent. Syllabus

RUSS 212 : Second Year Russian I A review of Russian and further development of all four language skills. This course is intended for non-specialists and for students fulfilling the language requirement. Prerequisite: RUSS 108 or RUSS 110.

RUSS 216 : Second Year Russian II Continuation of RUSS 212. More focused development of students' oral skills and reading abilities. This course fulfills the college foreign language requirement. Prerequisite: RUSS 204 or RUSS 212.

RUSS 250 : Continuing Russian I Fundamentals of Russian grammar, reading, speaking, and writing. Course designed to accommodate the needs of students regardless of age, educational background, or occupation. Does not count towards the fulfillment of undergraduate language requirement. Does not count towards the undergraduate major in Slavic. Prerequisite: RUSS 152 or equivalent.

RUSS 252 : Continuing Russian II A continuation of RUSS 250. Does not count towards the fulfillment of undergraduate language requirement. Does not count towards the undergraduate major in Slavic. Prerequisite: RUSS 250 or equivalent.

RUSS 304 : Intermediate Composition and Conversation I Development of active vocabulary, both written and oral, using everyday, literary, and other materials. Prerequisite: RUSS 108 or RUSS 110.

RUSS 308 : Intermediate Composition and Conversation II A continuation of RUSS 304. Prerequisite: RUSS 304

RUSS 504 : Advanced Russian I A practical Russian language course involving advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation, and composition. Taught in Russian. Designed for students who have had four semesters of Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 208 or RUSS 216.

RUSS 508 : Advanced Russian II A practical Russian language course involving advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation, and composition. Taught in Russian. Designed for students who have had two and one-half or more years of Russian language. Prerequisite: RUSS 504.

RUSS 512 : Russian for the Professions I This course focuses on the active mastery of language structures and vocabulary needed for people using Russian in professional capacities, particularly such as business and journalism. Materials will be drawn from the current Russian press and electronic media. Designed for students who have had basic language training and want to develop specialized language skills. Prerequisite: RUSS 208 or RUSS 216.

RUSS 516 : Russian for the Professions II A continuation of RUSS 512. Prerequisite: RUSS 504, RUSS 512, or RUSS 522.

RUSS 522 : Problems in Translating Russian into English I Preparation of hitherto untranslated works, possibly with the intention of submitting for publication. Training and practice in the skills of oral interpretation. Prerequisite: Two years minimum of Russian language courses.

RUSS 526 : Problems in Translating Russian into English II A continuation of RUSS 524.

RUSS 550 : Advanced Conversation, Composition, and Grammar in Russia: Summer Program Held in Russia. 24 hours of class work weekly, plus lectures and excursions, for six weeks at Saint Petersburg University. Prerequisite: RUSS 208 or the equivalent of 22 hours of Russian language courses.

RUSS 552 : Advanced Russian Language at Saint Petersburg University: Semester Program Sixteen weeks of intensive Russian language and literature classes held at Saint Petersburg University, Russia. Classes in advanced phonetics, conversation, and grammar as well as lectures on literary and other cultural topics. Prerequisite: Minimum of five semesters of Russian language study at the college level or its equivalent.

RUSS 604 : Fourth Year Russian I Practical Russian language course designed to develop writing and speaking skills of advanced students of the language who wish to achieve, maintain, or recover high levels of fluency, correctness, and idiomatic expressiveness. Includes preparation of written and oral reports in Russian. Topics selected from both Russian cultural history and current events as reported in Russian print and electronic media. Prerequisite: Minimum of three years of college Russian or equivalent. Syllabus

RUSS 608 : Fourth Year Russian II Practical Russian language course designed to develop writing and speaking skills of advanced students of the language who wish to achieve, maintain, or recover high levels of fluency, correctness, and idiomatic expressiveness. Includes preparation of written and oral reports in Russian. Topics selected from both Russian print and electronic media. Prerequisite: Minimum of three years of college Russian or equivalent. Syllabus

RUSS 675 : Readings in Russian Prerequisite: Two years of Russian, and consent of instructor.

SLAV 140 : Introduction to Russian Culture An introduction to the principal achievements of Russian cultural history, with particular emphasis on literature, folklore, spirituality, and the visual arts (includes Slav 141 with honors).

SLAV 144 : Survey of Russian Literature in Translation A survey of the principal works of Russian literature including such authors as Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, and others (includes Slav 145 with honors).

SLAV 148 : Introduction to Slavic Folklore An introduction to the various forms of folklore among the Slavic peoples, with particular emphasis on the folk literature, customs, and artifacts of Russia, Poland, and the South Slavic countries (includes Slav 149 with honors).

SLAV 240 : Introduction to the Languages and Peoples of Russia and East-Central Europe The course gives the student an overview of the languages and peoples of Russia and East-Central Europe, including the Slavic and Baltic languages, Romanian, and Albanian. Topics addressed will include language prehistory, writing systems, and the relationship between language and national identity. Emphasis will be on language issues as a background to current events in order to impart an appreciation of the area, its uniqueness and complexity (includes Slav 241 with honors).