The Ohio State University Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures

Undergraduate Russian Major

Undergraduate Russian Major

Welcome to the Major Program

We are very glad you are planning to major in Russian!  Our undergraduate major is designed to offer you training in all the skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) you need to communicate in Russian at the Intermediate Mid-to-High proficiency level. After you complete your major, you should be able to converse with ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and everyday social situations, including non-technical discussions of work, school, recreation, particular interests, and areas of competence, and you will be able to narrate and use connected discourse of paragraph length.

As a Russian major, you will also develop informed appreciation of Russian literature, culture, and society; learn to analyze authentic Russian cultural materials; and acquire an international outlook on world events.  To meet this goal, we offer a full curriculum in the Russian language (first- through fifth-year).  In addition, we offer a rich repertory of courses in Russian literature, film, culture, and linguistics—some taught in English, others in Russian—to enhance your pragmatic and cultural qualifications. Our graduating students have a broad knowledge of Russia, the Russian language, and a specific area of expertise within Russian studies (e.g., literature, culture, or linguistics). Many have become eligible to join the OSU Chapter of the Dobro Slovo National Honor Society.

Our major enables  you to acquire proficiency in Russian language and culture through both coursework and the many extracurricular activities (language table, Russian Club, the Kapustnik talent show, etc.) organized by the Department and the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. Declared majors are kept informed of these events through flyers, mailings, and listservs.  All these opportunities help majors to achieve the confidence and the language and cultural proficiency you need to use Russian at the professional level.

Major Advising

As soon as you know you want to major in Russian, you should meet with the Undergraduate Coordinating Advisor or some other member of our faculty whom you'd like to have as your advisor, to fill out the Arts and Sciences Major Program Form.  This form includes all the courses that constitute your major field of study and serves as a contract for graduation.  The advisor files the form with the Undergraduate Office of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences (ASC), 100 Denney Hall (164 W. 17th Avenue).  

If you need to make any subsequent changes in your major program, you should consult with your advisor.  Approved changes are registered on an updated Major Program Form.

Courses in which you receive a grade of D+ or lower cannot count toward the major. If you receive such a grade, you should meet with your advisor to determine whether to repeat the course or choose a substitute. If a course is repeated, the additional hours earned are added to the minimum necessary for graduation.

Any of the professors in the Department can serve as your advisor for the major. It is important for you to stay in touch with your advisor through regular consultations.  In addition to guiding your undergraduate study, your advisor can be called on if you need to petition Arts and Sciences or if you need a letter of recommendation for postgraduate study or employment.

Please be sure to update your advisor or the Undergraduate Coordinating Advisor on changes in your contact information or academic status.

Major Coursework