Foreign Language Requirement
Russian 201 satisfies the foreign language requirement. Students who wish to satisfy the foreign language requirement through previous study of Russian should contact Professor Kogel. See information below 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 be placed at a level appropriate to them on the basis of that test, their language experience, and an oral interview. Students with background in Russian language may not take Russian 101 for credit without permission of the department.
Cultural Diversity Requirement
Russian 260, 270, 280, 290, 292, 293, 294, 319, 320, 372, 410, and 420 satisfy the cultural diversity requirement.
Majors
Students choose one of two tracks for the major:
1) Russian Studies combines Russian language with social science disciplines, like History, Political Science, or Economics.
2) Russian Language & Literature combines Russian language with literary studies.
Russian Studies Major (A.B. Degree)
The major has a prerequisite of RUS 201 and requires 10-11 courses, depending on whether a student opts for the one-semester capstone or the two-semester thesis.
- Three Russian language courses: RUS 202, “Intermediate Russian II,” RUS 301, “Advanced Russian,” and one 400-level class taught in Russian. Students who place out of 202 and/or 301 will substitute RUS content courses, in Russian or in English, in consultation with the department.
- RUS 280, “Russia & the West.”
- POL 348, “Politics of Russia & Eastern Europe.” With departmental permission, students may substitute an additional RUS course, in Russian or English.
- One Methods Course: ANT 371, 372, 374 ,or 377; ECO 105; ENV 201, 202, or 203; GSS 101 or 201; Any 200-level HIS course; POL 182; REL 301; SOC 391, 392, or 393. With departmental approval, students may count a methods course from a department not listed above if they demonstrate connection to their planned capstone or thesis project.
- Three additional 200-, 300-, or 400-level RUS content courses, taught in Russian or English. LIT 245 also counts toward this requirement.
- RUS 495 (capstone project). Students have the choice of completing a one-semester capstone project (RUS 495) or a two-semester thesis (RUS 495/496). To be considered for honors, students must complete the two-semester thesis.
With departmental approval, students may count courses taken abroad toward the major.
Courses counting toward the major may not be taken pass/fail. Russian Studies majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad in Russia for at least a semester on a Davidson-approved program.
Capstone requirements (RUS 495)
Students completing the major with a one-semester capstone project must consult with the department no later than spring of junior year to confirm a project advisor and discuss plans. The capstone (RUS 495) will be completed in the fall semester of senior year.
Thesis requirements (RUS 495-496)
Students planning on completing the major with a two-semester thesis must submit a written commitment from two advisers during fall semester junior year. Depending on the project, one of the advisors may be a faculty member from another department. Students will be provided with detailed deadlines for completion of the thesis, including regular meetings with advisors, a literature review, a full draft, and an oral defense of the final thesis.
Honors Requirements
To receive honors, a student must at the time of graduation have an overall GPA of 3.2 or better, have a 3.5 average in all courses counted toward the major, have fulfilled all the requirements for the major, and completed and defended a two-semester thesis (RUS 495-496). The department must judge the thesis and its defense worthy of honors. In the case of an exceptional academic record, together with a thesis of the highest quality, the department may confer high honors. Note that students who opt for the one-semester capstone are not eligible for departmental honors.
Russian Language & Literature Major (A.B. Degree)
The major has a prerequisite of RUS 201 and requires 10-11 courses, depending on whether a student opts for the one-semester capstone or the two-semester thesis.
- Three Russian language courses: RUS 202, “Intermediate Russian II,” RUS 301, “Advanced Russian,” and one 400-level class taught in Russian. Students who place out of 202 and/or 301 will substitute RUS content courses, in Russian or in English, in consultation with the department.
- RUS 280, “Russia & the West.”
- LIT 432, “Theory & Practice of Literary Translation.”
- One methods course: ENG 220, ENG 391, GSS 101 or 201, SOC 372. With departmental approval, students may count a methods course from a department not listed above if they demonstrate connection to their planned capstone or thesis project.
- Three additional 200-, 300-, or 400-level RUS content courses, taught in Russian or English. LIT 245 also counts toward this requirement.
- RUS 495 (capstone project). Students have the choice of completing a one-semester capstone project (RUS 495) or a two-semester thesis (RUS 495 / 496). To be considered for honors, students must complete the two-semester thesis.
With departmental approval, students may count courses taken abroad toward the major.
Courses counting toward the major may not be taken pass/fail. Russian Language & Literature majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad in Russia for at least a semester on a Davidson-approved program.
Capstone requirements (RUS 495)
Students completing the major with a one-semester capstone project must consult with the department no later than spring of junior year to confirm a project advisor and discuss plans. The capstone (RUS 495) will be completed in the fall semester of senior year.
Thesis requirements (RUS 495-496)
Students planning on completing the major with a two-semester thesis must submit a written commitment from two advisers during fall semester junior year. Depending on the project, one of the advisors may be a faculty member from another department. Students will be provided with detailed deadlines for completion of the thesis, including regular meetings with advisors, a literature review, a full draft, and an oral defense of the final thesis.
Honors Requirements
To receive honors, a student must at the time of graduation have an overall GPA of 3.2 or better, have a 3.5 average in all courses counted toward the major, have fulfilled all the requirements for the major, and completed and defended a two-semester thesis (RUS 495-496). The department must judge the thesis and its defense worthy of honors. In the case of an exceptional academic record, together with a thesis of the highest quality, the department may confer high honors. Note that students who opt for the one-semester capstone are not eligible for departmental honors.
Minor Requirements
The Russian minor has a prerequisite of RUS 201 and requires six courses.
- Two language courses: RUS 202, “Intermediate Russian II” and RUS 301, “Advanced Russian.” Students who place out of 202 and/or 301 will substitute RUS content courses, in Russian or in English, in consultation with the department.
- RUS 280, “Russia & the West.”
- POL 348, “Politics of Russia & Eastern Europe.” With departmental permission, students may substitute a RUS course, in Russian or English.
- Two additional 200-, 300-, or 400-level RUS courses, taught in Russian or English. LIT 245 also counts toward this requirement.
With departmental approval, students may count courses taken abroad toward the minor.
Courses counting toward the minor may not be taken pass/fail. Students minoring in Russian are strongly encouraged to study abroad on a Davidson-approved program.
Study Abroad
Students minoring in Russian or majoring in Russian Studies or Russian Language & Literature are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Russian speaking country. The department works closely 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 English require no knowledge of Russian, nor do they presuppose familiarity with the methods of literary and cultural criticism.
Russian Studies 300-level language courses are at the advanced-intermediate level and focus on literature and culture. Students may register for these courses after completing Russian 202 (or its equivalent abroad). 300-level courses taught in English presuppose familiarity with basic methods of literary and cultural criticism.
Russian Studies 400-level courses are advanced seminars suitable for all students with a strong background in literary or cultural studies. RUS 401-419 are taught entirely in Russian. RUS 420-440 are taught in English and require no knowledge of Russian.
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