RUS 111. Elementary Russian I. (4 h)
The essentials of Russian grammar, conversation, drill, and reading of elementary texts.
RUS 112. Elementary Russian II. (4 h)
The essentials of Russian grammar, conversation, drill, and reading of elementary texts. P-RUS 111 or equivalent.
RUS 153. Intermediate Russian. (4 h)
Principles of Russian grammar are reviewed and expanded upon; reading of short prose pieces and materials from the Russian press. P-RUS 112 or equivalent. C-RUS 153L.
RUS 153L. Intermediate Russian lab. (0 h)
C - RUS 153.
RUS 210. Russians and Their World. (3 h)
Introduction to Russian culture and society, with topics ranging from history, religion, art and literature to contemporary Russian popular music, TV and film. Taught in Russian. P-RUS 153 or equivalent.
RUS 212. Introduction to Russian Literature. (3 h)
Reading of selected short stories and excerpts from longer works by Russian authors from the 19th century to the present. P-RUS 153 or equivalent.
RUS 317. Seminar in Russian Literature. (3 h)
In-depth reading and discussion of shorter works of poetry and prose by the foremost Russian authors from the 19th century to the present. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. P-RUS 210 or 212.
RUS 321. Conversation and Composition. (3 h)
Intensive practice in composition and conversation based on contemporary Russian materials. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. P – RUS 210 or 212.
RUS 328. Practice in Advanced Grammar. (3 h)
Mastery of Russian declension and conjugation, with special attention to the correct use of reference materials. Syntax of complex and problematic sentences. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. P-RUS 321.
RUS 330. Structure of Russian. (3 h)
The linguistic tools of phonetics, phonemics, and morphophonemics are explained and applied to modern Russian. Emphasis on the study of roots and word formation.
RUS 332. The History of Russian Language. (3 h)
The evolution of Russian from Common Slavic to the modern language; theory of linguistic reconstruction and the Indo-European family; readings from selected Old East Slavic texts. P-RUS 321 and prerequisite override required.
RUS 335. Russian Culture and Civilization. (3 h)
Survey of Russian culture and civilization with emphasis on contemporary events, politics, and music and art. Conducted in Russian. Offered spring. P-RUS 321 or prerequisite override required.
RUS 340. Seminar in Translation. (3 h)
Advanced work in English-to-Russian and Russian-to-English translation. P-RUS 321 and prerequisite override required.
RUS 341. Russian Literature in Translation. (3 h)
Reading and discussion of selected works from Russian literature in English translation by such writers as Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bulgakov, and Solzhenitsyn. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. (D)
RUS 345. Special Topics in Russian. (3 h)
P-RUS 321 and rerequisite override required.
RUS 354. Language of the Russian Press and Mass Media. (3 h)
Readings from Russian newspapers, magazines and the Internet, as well as exposure to Russian television and radio broadcasts. Emphasis is on improving reading and listening skills and vocabulary acquisition. P-RUS 212 or 210 or prerequisite override required.
RUS 365. Russia Today: Contemporary Russian Culture and Society. (3 h)
Traces the development of post-Soviet Russian culture and society through key texts by contemporary Russophone writers and filmmakers. Taught in English. (D, EI)
RUS 366. Dostoevsky and the Limits of Language: From Novel to Neural Net. (3 h)
Introduces Dostoevsky’s novels in translation while examining language’s role in shaping thought and morality. Students compare Dostoevsky’s vision of dialogic truth with the philosophy of language underlying large language models. Taught in English. (D, EI)
RUS 370. Individual Study. (1.5-3 h)
Study in language or literature beyond the RUS 210-212 level. May be repeated for credit. P-RUS 212 or 210.
RUS 387. Honors in Russian. (2.5 h)
Conference course in Russian literature or culture. A major research paper is required. Designed for candidates for departmental honors.
RUS 388. Honors in Russian. (2.5 h)
Conference course in Russian literature or culture. A major research paper is required. Designed for candidates for departmental honors.
RUS 394. Slavic Myths, Legends, and Fairy Tales. (3 h)
Traces the evolution of Slavic myths, fairy tales, and legends across centuries and genres, from epic poetry to magic tales and urban legends. Students explore cross-cultural exchanges with Turkic, Central Asian, Siberian, and other Eastern European traditions. Taught in English. (D, EI, SWC)