Bachelor of Arts in Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies

Why pursue German Studies?

Knowledge of the language and culture of German-speaking Europe provides students with linguistic and transcultural competence that will enable them to participate productively in a rapidly changing world. German is an official language in six central European countries and the most widely spoken language in the European Union. The United States maintains important economic, political, security, and cultural ties with the German-speaking countries. About 50 million people in the United States claim German ancestry.

Our students complete a diverse and challenging program that encompasses not only the German language but also courses that explore literature, the arts, history, business, and politics. Our program is characterized by interdisciplinary flexibility, a variety of co-curricular activities, and personalized academic advising and mentoring. German Studies students acquire research skills they need to study issues relevant to our field. Many German Studies majors and minors study abroad for a summer, semester, or year, often supported by departmental scholarships, and some complete internships in Germany. All German Studies students have opportunities to make use of the rich resources available at KU, including the Spencer Museum of Art, KU Libraries, Max Kade Center for German-American Studies, Office of Study Abroad, and Center for Undergraduate Research. Our students tend to have a second major or a minor in fields such as Global & International Studies, History, Business, Environmental Studies, Music, Microbiology, and Linguistics.

Our graduates have pursued their passion for language and culture in many ways: working for a non-profit organization affiliated with the U.S. Department of State; translating for a medical software company; serving on the human resources team of a global German sporting goods company; teaching high school German; working as copy editor of a newspaper; and pursuing graduate work in Germanic languages & literatures, social welfare, law, and speech pathology.

Why pursue Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies?

The University of Kansas Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REES) program covers a broad geographic region, home to rich and diverse cultures that have had an enormous impact on today's world. Interdisciplinary study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia creates informed citizens with in-depth understanding of this geopolitically and culturally critical world region, which plays a central role in today's political, economic, cultural, and environmental issues. 

The KU REES program is collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature and offers a unique opportunity to study contemporary politics and medieval history, environmental problems and great works of literature and art, as well as multiple other related subjects. It offers opportunities to study abroad in a variety of culturally rich, exciting places. Crucially, it prepares students for a wide range of careers in research, business, government, and the nonprofit sector, with the opportunity to make a profound impact on both national and international levels.

Why pursue Slavic Studies?

If you have turned on a TV set or logged on Twitter lately, you probably have seen a news item on Russia or Ukraine, not to mention countries like Turkey and Iran. From Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, to Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian (BCMS), to Czech, Turkish, Persian/Tajik/Dar/Farsi, to Yiddish, our department offers only critical languages. In fact, the US government classifies these languages as critical for national security interests, and there are a number of federal scholarships that you can apply for to study them. 

Think about how Russia has become a power player even in just US politics the last few years through #hacking or other cybersecurity threats. With the end of the Cold War, the study of languages like Russian has considerably decreased in the US, and as this language has become more important to national security and the global economy, there are not nearly enough Americans who speak it. The US government and national and international employers needs individuals with specialized language skills. Some of these languages can be more challenging, but we commit to helping students advance in them. You do not need to have special language abilities to study a language like Russian, you just have to come to class and do the same things you would in any other class, just with a more fun alphabet. And if you consider how many people study more commonly taught languages like Spanish and French, statistically, studying a language like Russian really sets us apart with employers, because you bring in unique skills and expertise. And if you don't believe us, you can take a look at our success stories. 

Our department offers comprehensive undergraduate programs in Russian, Polish, and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Turkish, Persian/Tajik/Dar/Farsi. For each language, we offer core curricula emphasizing all four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. We also offer intensive introductory Russian in Lawrence during the summer. Because of how foundational to our identities and personal growth study abroad opportunities can be, we offer students multiple opportunities to learn these languages outside of Lawrence. Think about all the great selfies you could take in to these beautiful, off-the-beaten path places! You can go to Moscow, Russia and study at the Higher School of Economics for a semester. Or you can spend your summers in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, or Zadar, Croatia and Lviv, Ukraine.

And we don't just offer language learning. Our department is multi-disciplinary and we want our students to come out with strong cultural awareness of the region, but also core critical thinking and writing skills. So you can study a language, but also learn about vampires in Slavic and American culture, or robots and scifi writings, explore the linguistic reflections of identity, while reading about socialism, Marxism, and other varieties of Russian political thought.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to consider a Slavic major or minor in combination with another field of study.