Program: Russian Studies - Davidson College

Foreign Language Requirement

Russian 201 meets the foreign language requirement.

Students who wish to meet the foreign language requirement through previous study of Russian should contact Professor Ewington. Please see the note on placement.

Placement

Students who have studied Russian prior to entering Davidson but have not been awarded college credit for it will take a placement test at Davidson and will be placed at a level appropriate to them on the basis of the test, their language experience, and an oral interview. No student with a background of Russian study may take Russian 101 for credit without the permission of the department.

Cultural Diversity Requirement

Russian 260, 270, 290, 292, 293, 294, 297, 319, 320, 401, 410, and 420 satisfy the cultural diversity requirement.

Major Requirements

Students have the opportunity to pursue a Russian-related major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Their website explains the application process and provides links to the two options for the Russian major, Russian Language and Literature (pdf) or Russian Studies (pdf).

Minor Requirements

The minor in Russian requires six courses above Russian 201, of which at least three must be taken at Davidson within the Russian Studies Department. However, with departmental approval, students may count up to two Davidson courses at the 200-level or above in a Russia-related field (such as political science, history, anthropology) towards the minor requirements. Courses to be counted toward the minor may not be taken pass/fail.

Study Abroad

Students minoring in Russian Studies are strongly encouraged to study abroad. Students majoring in Russian Studies or Russian Language and Literature through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies are required to spend at least one semester in a Russian speaking country, although a full year is advised. The department works closley with students to determine the approved academic program abroad that best fits their level of Russian and their interests.

Rationale for Russian Studies Course Numbering

Russian Studies 100-level courses are elementary language courses that introduce students to the basic sound, writing, and case systems of Russian. Students also learn to read, write, and converse about travel, geography, culture, education, and family life.

Russian Studies 200-level language courses are at the intermediate level and help students transition to more advanced proficiency in reading, writing, and oral skills. Students master the grammar necessary for reading authentic Russian texts and writing essays. They learn to read, write and converse on a broad range of themes. Russian 201 completes the language requirement and is prerequisite for Russian 202. 200-level courses taught in translation require no knowledge of Russian, nor do they presuppose familiarity with the methods of literary and cultural criticism.

Russian Studies 300-level courses are advanced-intermediate level language courses or literature and culture courses taught in Russian. Students may register for these courses after completing Russian 202 (or its equivalent abroad). These courses combine special topics in literature and culture with advanced Russian grammar and essay writing.

Russian Studies 400-level courses are advanced seminars suitable for all students with a strong background in literary or cultural studies. Russian 401 is taught in Russian to students with advanced language skills, while Russian 410 and 420 are taught in translation and requires no background in Russian.

Russian Studies