Undergraduate

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

Bosnian / Croatian / Serbian (BSC) Concentration

The first thing any student must do is to study the catalog well, especially those pages concerning general education requirements for the B.A. degree, and those dealing with Departmental requirements, in the most current University of Kansas Undergraduate Catalog. Note, however, that regulations sometimes change even after the catalog has gone to print, so please check with the Undergraduate Advisor about current regulations.

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian (formerly known as Serbo-Croatian). Three languages for the price of one! Although Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian have all become official languages of their newly independent states, they remain completely understandable among each other. If you learn one language,you can speak any of nearly 20 million people in three countries, in the Republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federation of Serbia and Montenegro.

It is a well-kept secret that some of the world's most beautiful beaches are to be found in Croatia and Montenegro. In the hinterland is to be found the confluence of Byzantine, Roman, and Muslim civilizations. Lovers of art, archaeology, architecture, film, history, folklore, dance, will find the countries of the former Yugoslavia filled with unique treasures. Though many now think of war when they think of the former Yugoslavia, the Bosnians, Croats and Serbs are in fact passionate and easygoing southern Europeans, with good senses of humor and a penchant for living life fully.

Career opportunities connected with Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian are numerous and so far demand for employees with knowledge of the language(s) has greatly exceeded supply. Possible career paths with this language include commerce, academia, intelligence, security, tourism, NGOs, journalism, diplomacy and foreign service. KU is the only place in the U.S. between the West Coast and the Mississippi River where one can study Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian from the beginning to the advanced level. Moreover, KU offers the only summer study-abroad program in North America for intensive study of Croatian, located in the beautiful city of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea.

Major Prerequisites

These courses do not count as Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian major requirements, but are prerequisites for further coursework.

Courses

• BCRS 104-108: Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I-II — 10 Credits
• BCRS 204 - Intermediate BCS I — 3 Credits
• Total — 13 Credits

Major Courses

A minimum of 27 course hours is required for a Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian major emphasis. You may take as many additional courses as you wish, provided you have fulfilled all of your general education requirements.

Courses

• BCRS 208 - Intermediate BCS II — 3 Credits
• BCRS 504-508 - Advanced BCS I-II — 6 Credits
• SLAV 508 South Slavic Literature and Civilization — 3 Credits
• Fifteen hours of courses in BCS and/or Southeastern European culture, or advanced BCS language (see course list): — 15 Credits
• Total — 27 Credits

Note: the summer program in Zadar, Croatia counts for 8 of the fifteen hours of additional coursework.

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

BCRS 104 Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I. First Semester. Five hours of recitation and drill in the spoken language per week. Essentials of grammar, practice in reading, writing and speaking Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. Syllabus.

BCRS 108 Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II. Second Semester. A continuation of BCRS 104. Prerequisite: BCRS 104. Syllabus.

BCRS 204 Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I. Second-year course in the language with emphasis on reading, composition, and conversation; it meets three hours a week. Prerequisite: BCRS 108. Syllabus.

BCRS 208 Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II. A continuation of BCRS 204; meets three hours a week. Prerequisite: BCRS 204. Syllabus.

BCRS 380 Intensive Croatian. This program consists of a six-week intensive language course in intermediate and advanced Croatian phonetics, conversation,, and grammar, and is offered each summer in Croatia. In addition to the practical language work, there is a program of lectures on modern Croatian history, literature, and other cultural topics. Various excursions and tours bring the students into first-hand contact with the people, natural beauty and culture of Croatia. This program is a cooperative effort between the University of Kansas and faculty of the University of Zadar.

BCRS 504 Advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I. A practical Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian course involving the advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation and composition. Taught as much as possible in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian; meets three hours a week. Designed for students who have had two or more years of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language. Prerequisite: BCRS 208, or equivalent.

BCRS 508 Advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II. A practical Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian course involving the advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation and composition. Taught as much as possible in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian; meets three hours a week. Designed for students who have had two and one-half or more years of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language. Prerequisite: BCRS 504, or equivalent.

BCRS 675 Readings in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. Individually tailored readings and independent work in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language and culture. Prerequisite: Two years of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and consent of instructor.

SLAV 340 (or 341, Honors). Introduction to the Peoples and Languages of East-Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union. HT H An overview of the languages and peoples of Russia and East-Central Europe, including the Slavic and Baltic languages, Romanian, and Albanian. Topics addressed include language prehistory, writing systems, and the relationship between language and national identity. Emphasis on language issues as a background to current events in order to impart an appreciation of the area, its uniqueness and complexity. Counts either as a Principal Course or as a South Slavic course. No prerequisite.Syllabus

SLAV 508 South Slavic Literature and Civilization. An introductory survey of the literature and culture of the South Slavic peoples: the Slovenes, Croats, Bosniaks, Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Bulgarians. No language required; meets three hours a week.

SLAV 679 Topics in: The Ottoman Empire and the Cultural Formation of the South Slavs A course examining the realities of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, and how it contributed to the contemporary cultural makeup of the Slavs in the Balkans. No language required; meets three hours a week.