Minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures
Why study Slavic languages and literatures?
The study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia studying their languages and cultures gives you a different perspective on the world we live in and allows you to pursue in demand professional opportunities in business and national security.
The Department of Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies offers comprehensive undergraduate programs in Russian, Polish, and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and their literatures, and cultures. For each language, we offer a core curriculum of 3+ years of language study emphasizing all four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing), supplemented by courses in culture, literature and linguistics. We also offer intensive Russian in the summer. For study abroad, we offer summer and semester options at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia, as well as a summer study abroad programs in Lviv, Ukraine.
The minor can add a unique global aspect to another career choice and field of study. It prepares students for a variety of careers in teaching or in graduate studies, as well as in fields such as translation, international business, art, art history, and travel.
Requirements for the Minor
6 minor tracks are offered.
Polish Studies Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor. | ||
| Elementary Polish I. Satisfied by: | ||
| PLSH 104 | Elementary Polish I | 5 |
| Elementary Polish II. Satisfied by: | ||
| PLSH 108 | Elementary Polish II | 5 |
| Polish Studies Required Courses | ||
| Intermediate Polish I. Satisfied by: | ||
| PLSH 204 | Intermediate Polish I | 3 |
| Intermediate Polish II. Satisfied by: | ||
| PLSH 208 | Intermediate Polish II | 3 |
| West Slavic Literature and Civilization (Polish and Czech). Satisfied by: | ||
| SLAV 506 | Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature | 3 |
| Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) chosen from the following: | 9 | |
| Readings in Polish Language and Literature | ||
| Graphic Novels as Memory | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
| Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations | ||
| Economic Systems | ||
| Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe | ||
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Russian Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor. | ||
| Elementary Russian I. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 104 | Elementary Russian I | 5 |
| or RUSS 110 | Intensive Elementary Russian | |
| Elementary Russian II. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 108 | Elementary Russian II | 5 |
| or RUSS 110 | Intensive Elementary Russian | |
| Intermediate Russian I. Satisfied by | ||
| RUSS 204 | Intermediate Russian I | 5 |
| Russian Required Courses | ||
| Intermediate Russian II. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 208 | Intermediate Russian II | 5 |
| Russian Linguistics. Satisfied by 1 course (3 hours, 200+) chosen from: | 3 | |
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe and The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe, Honors | ||
| The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
| Russian Literature. Satisfied by 1 course (3 hours, 400+) chosen from: | 3 | |
| The Russian Literary Genius | ||
| Introduction to Russian Poetry | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature | ||
| Russian and East European Science Fiction | ||
| Soviet Russian Literature: 1930-1990 | ||
| Post-Soviet Literature | ||
| Nabokov | ||
| Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present | ||
| Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) in Russian literature, linguistics, culture, or advanced language chosen in consultation with the major advisor. | 9 | |
Language | ||
| Advanced Russian I | ||
| Advanced Russian II | ||
| Russian for the Professions I | ||
| Russian for the Professions II | ||
| Problems in Translating Russian into English I | ||
| Classics of Russian Culture | ||
| Contemporary Russian Culture | ||
| Russian Phonetics and Grammar | ||
| Introduction to Russian Literature | ||
| Stylistics | ||
Linguistics | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe and The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe, Honors | ||
| The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings | ||
| The Pragmatics of Slavic Languages | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
Culture | ||
| Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe | ||
| Russian Business Culture | ||
| Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian Cinema | ||
| Russia Today | ||
| Post-Soviet Communication | ||
| Biography of a City: _____ | ||
Literature | ||
| The Russian Literary Genius | ||
| Introduction to Russian Poetry | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature | ||
| Russian and East European Science Fiction | ||
| Soviet Russian Literature: 1930-1990 | ||
| Post-Soviet Literature | ||
| Nabokov | ||
| Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present | ||
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 20 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Russian Business and Professional Culture Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor. | ||
| Elementary Russian I. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 104 | Elementary Russian I | 5 |
| Elementary Russian II. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 108 | Elementary Russian II | 5 |
| Intermediate Russian I. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 204 | Intermediate Russian I | 5 |
| Russian Business and Professional Culture Required Courses | ||
| Intermediate Russian II. Satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 208 | Intermediate Russian II | 5 |
| Advanced Russian, satisfied by one of the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Russian I and Advanced Russian II | ||
| Russian for the Professions I and Russian for the Professions II | ||
| Russian Business/Professional Culture, satisfied by the following two required courses: | ||
| SLAV 330 | Russian Business Culture | 3 |
| SLAV 503 | Post-Soviet Communication | 3 |
| Required Research Project, satisfied by: | ||
| RUSS 675 | Readings in Russian | 1 |
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Slavic Cultures in Translation Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| West Slavic Literature and Civilization or South Slavic Literature and Civilization. Satisfied by: | 3 | |
| Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature | ||
or SLAV 508 | South Slavic Literature and Civilization | |
| Slavic Culture. Satisfied by two of the following: | 6 | |
| Understanding Russia | ||
| Survey of Russian Literature in Translation | ||
| Introduction to Slavic Folklore | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
| Junior/Senior Slavic Literature and Culture. Satisfied by 3 junior/senior (300+) SLAV courses (9 hours) from the following: | 9 | |
| Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe | ||
| The Russian Literary Genius | ||
| Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations | ||
| Dostoevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature | ||
| The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs | ||
| Soviet Russian Literature: 1930-1990 | ||
| Post-Soviet Literature | ||
| Nabokov | ||
| Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present | ||
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Slavic Jewish Studies Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Slavic Courses With a Jewish Studies Component. Satisfied by 3 of the following: | 9 | |
| Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
or SLAV 540 | The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | |
| Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature | ||
| South Slavic Literature and Civilization | ||
| Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations | ||
| The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs | ||
| Judaism/Jewish Religious Expression. Satisfied by one of the following: | 3 | |
| Topics in Jewish Studies:_____ | ||
| Introduction to Judaism | ||
or REL 325 | Introduction to Judaism | |
| The Talmud: Its Origins, Nature, and Evolution | ||
| Jews and Christians | ||
| Required Electives. Satisfied by 2 of the following: | 6 | |
Geography | ||
| Understanding Central Asia | ||
History | ||
| French Revolution to the Present: Europe 1789-Present | ||
| Russia, An Introduction | ||
| The History of the Second World War | ||
| Hitler and Nazi Germany | ||
| Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe | ||
| Beyond the Iron Curtain: Soviet Perspectives on the Cold War | ||
| Medieval Russia | ||
| Imperial Russia | ||
| Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | ||
Jewish Studies | ||
| Introduction to Judaism | ||
or REL 325 | Introduction to Judaism | |
| The Holocaust in History | ||
| Modern Jewish History | ||
| Jewish Secular Culture | ||
| History of Jewish Women | ||
| Jews and Christians | ||
Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies | ||
| Societies and Cultures of Eurasia | ||
Slavic | ||
| Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe | ||
| Graphic Novels as Memory | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
or SLAV 540 | The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | |
| Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature | ||
| South Slavic Literature and Civilization | ||
| Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations | ||
| The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs | ||
Yiddish | ||
| Studies in Yiddish: ______ | ||
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
South Slavic Studies Track
Students choosing this minor track must complete courses as indicated in following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor. | ||
| Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I. Satisfied by: | ||
| BCRS 104 | Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I | 5 |
| Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II. Satisfied by: | ||
| BCRS 108 | Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II | 5 |
| Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I. Satisfied by: | ||
| South Slavic Studies Required Courses | ||
| BCRS 204 | Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I | 3 |
| BCRS 208 | Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II | 3 |
| SLAV 508 | South Slavic Literature and Civilization | 3 |
| 9 hours in South Slavic languages, history, cultures, or literatures at the 300 level or above, chosen from courses in the South Slavic studies emphasis | ||
| Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) chosen from the following: | 9 | |
| Intensive Croatian (summer in Croatia) | ||
| Readings in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian | ||
| Economic Systems | ||
| Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe | ||
| The Peoples and Cultures of Southeastern Europe Through Film | ||
| The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe | ||
| Readings in Slovene | ||
| The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs | ||
| Slavic Folklore | ||
| Topics in: _____ (Slavic Culture) | ||
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in all departmental courses (300+) in the minor. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Study Abroad
The department offers a semester study abroad program at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia, and in conjunction with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, conducts summer institutes at universities in
- Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (for Russian)
- L’viv, Ukraine (for Ukrainian)
- Zadar, Croatia (for Croatian)
- Almaty, Kazakhstan (internship program)
Consult the Slavic department office or the Office of Study Abroad. Credit for non-KU programs is not automatic and is evaluated in consultation with the Slavic department undergraduate director.
Undergraduate and graduate students at KU are encouraged to spend a summer, semester, and/or year studying and conducting research in their country of interest.
Slavic Language Programs in Russia and Eastern Europe
KU students may take intermediate or advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at a 6-week summer institute in Croatia or attend a summer language program in Poland.
Graduate students at KU are encouraged to spend a summer, semester, and/or year studying and conducting research in their country of interest.