Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin of Yale University
 
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Slavic Languages and Literatures

2704 Hall of Graduate Studies, 432.1300, slavic.department@yale.edu
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair
Vladimir Alexandrov

Director of Graduate Studies
Katerina Clark (451 College, Rm 203, 432.0712, katerina.clark@yale.edu)

Professors
Vladimir Alexandrov, Katerina Clark, Laura Engelstein (History), Harvey Goldblatt, Benjamin Harshav (Comparative Literature), Michael Holquist (Comparative Literature), Tomas Venclova

Associate Professors
Hilary Fink, Robert Greenberg (Adjunct)

Assistant Professor
John MacKay

Lecturer
Kate Holland

Senior Lectors
Irina Dolgova, Rita Lipson

Fields of Study
Fields include Russian literature, medieval Slavic literature and philology (by special arrangement), Polish literature (by special arrangement).

Special Admissions Requirement
An advanced-level command of the Russian language is required.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
All entering graduate students must pass departmental proficiency examinations in Rus-sian. During their residence, students specializing in Russian literature take a minimum of sixteen term courses (including three courses in linguistics) and are expected to acquire a comprehensive knowledge in all periods of Russian literature, a familiarity with medieval Slavic literature, a thorough command of the Russian language, and a mastery of a field of concentration within Russian literature. The student's course work, with the approval of the director of graduate studies, may be selected from the offerings of the department and (if relevance can be demonstrated) any other department of the University. In addition, the student will be responsible for developing a minor field of specialization in one of the following: (1) a Western or non-Western literature; (2) film studies; (3) a topic in intellectual history; (4) another Slavic literature; (5) Slavic linguistics. A special curriculum may be arranged for students wishing to specialize in either medieval Slavic literature and philology or Polish literature. A reading examination in either French or German, administered and evaluated by the department, must be passed by all graduate students by the beginning of the fifth term of study. The qualifying examinations, based on specific fields of concentration and on topics designed by the student in consultation with the faculty, should be passed by the end of the sixth term of study. A dissertation prospectus must be submitted no later than September 15 of the seventh term of study, and the prospectus defense must take place no later than December 1 of the same term. Upon completion of all predissertation requirements, including the prospectus and its defense, students are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D.

The faculty considers teaching to be an important part of the professional preparation of graduate students. Students in Slavic normally teach in their third and fourth years.

Joint Ph.D. Program with Film Studies
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures also offers, in conjunction with the Program in Film Studies, a joint Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures and Film Studies. For further details, see Film Studies. Applicants to the joint program must indicate on their application that they are applying both to Film Studies and to Slavic Languages and Literatures. All documentation within the application should include this information.

Master's Degrees
M.Phil. See Graduate School requirements. Additionally, students in Slavic Languages and Literatures are eligible to pursue a supplemental M.Phil. degree in Medieval Studies. For further details, see Medieval Studies.

Master's Degree Program. The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures does not admit students for the terminal M.A. degree, nor does it award an M.A. en route to the Ph.D. degree. If, however, a student admitted for the Ph.D. leaves the program prior to completion of the doctoral degree, he or she may be eligible to receive a terminal master's degree. He or she must have completed at least fifteen term courses in Russian literature and linguistics, chosen in consultation with the director of graduate studies. A grade of Honors in at least two term courses and an average of High Pass in the remaining courses must be attained. A reading knowledge of French or German is required, and candidates must pass departmental proficiency examinations in Russian.

Program materials are available upon request to the Chair, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Yale University, PO Box 208236, New Haven CT 06520-8236.

Courses

RUSS 644b, Dostoevsky and the Theory of the Novel.  Kate Holland.
T 1.30–3.20
This course examines the place of Dostoevsky's novels in Russian and European theoretical debates about the nature of the novel as a genre. We explore the ways in which Dostoevsky engages with Romantic and Realist theories of the novel, look at how he responds to some central problems of novelistic representation, and consider how and why Dostoevsky's novels have been so influential for the development of novel theory in the twentieth century. Readings include a selection of the novels; critical works by Dostoevsky scholars such as Dolinin, Ivanov, and Komarovich; and the novel theory of F. Schlegel, Bakhtin, Lukacs, Girard, Moretti, and others.

RUSS 680b, Acmeism.  Tomas Venclova.
F 1.30–3.20
Acmeist ideas and values within their historical and cultural context. Close readings of poems by Gumilev, Mandelstam, Akhmatova, and others.

RUSS 689a, Russian Symbolist Poetry.  Tomas Venclova.
M 3.30–5.20
Theory and history of symbolism. Close readings of poems by Bryusov, Blok, Ivanov, Annensky, and others.

RUSS 696b, Post-Stalin Literature and Film.  Katerina Clark.
W 1.30–3.20
The main developments in Russian and Soviet literature and film from Stalin's death in 1953 to the present.

RUSS 744bu, Russian Film.  John MacKay.
Th 7–8.50 p.m., screenings M 9 p.m.
An historical overview of the development of Russian film with special attention to the classics of directors like Eisenstein and Vertov. Russian film examined in terms both of its contribution to film theory and practice and of the specific historical and cultural contexts of the major films. Also CPLT 916bu, E&RS 692bu, FILM 773bu.

RUSS 746a, Art and Ideology.  Katerina Clark.
W 1.30–3.20
Examination of texts identified as ideological art, focusing on the relationship between the conventions they use and the ideology they seek to advance. Theoretical readings include works by Benjamin, Jameson, Lukacs, Bakhtin, Marx, Althusser, and Judith Butler; literary works by Balzac, Brecht, Tretiakov, Ostrovsky, Orwell, Koestler, and others; films by Eisenstein, Leni Riefenstahl, and others. Also CPLT 527a, FILM 828a.

RUSS 833, Advanced Russian Conversation and Composition: Topics in Contemporary Russian Press and Media.  Rita Lipson.
MW 12.30–1.20
A course designed to equip students with advanced language skills necessary to comprehend complexities of contemporary Russian press and media. Accompanied by a grammar review.

RUSS 834a, Aspects of Russian Grammar and Teaching Methodologies.Irina Dolgova.
T 1.30–3.20
The course examines various aspects of Russian grammar and the use of different teaching methodologies. Special emphasis is placed on the connection between linguistic knowledge and its application for teaching Russian in an English-speaking classroom. Different types of language learners, diverse teaching strategies, and existing resources for teaching Russian are discussed.

RUSS 851b, Proseminar in Russian Literature.  Vladimir Alexandrov.
Th 3.30–5.20
Introduction to the graduate study of Russian literature. Topics include literary theory, methodology, introduction to the profession.

SLAV 752au, The Slavic Peoples and Their Languages: From Unity to Diversity. Robert Greenberg.
MW 4–5.15
Examination of the linguistic and cultural history of the Slavs from the period of their earliest Slavic migrations up to modern times. Emphasis on the Slavic national awakenings, formation of their languages and literatures, and an introduction to contemporary Slavic cultures.

SLAV 754au, Old Church Slavic.  Harvey Goldblatt.
TTh 11.30–12.45
The study of OCS and its place in the history of Church Slavic. The main features and the grammar of OCS. The Glagolitic and Cyrillic writing systems. Close readings from the “canon” of OCS literary monuments. OCS in relation to modern Slavic languages (especially Russian).

SLAV 785bu, Language, Nationalism, and Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans.Robert Greenberg.
MW 4–5.15
An exploration of the role of linguistic controversies in the polarization of ethnic relations within the former Yugoslavia. Topics include language and nationalism, the integration and disintegration of Yugoslavia, and the Balkans in the context of other charged ethno-linguistic controversies from the United States to India.

SLAV 805b, History of the Russian Literary Language.  Harvey Goldblatt.
W 10.30–12.20
This course traces the different types of literary language used in the Russian lands from the medieval period to modern times. Special attention is devoted to the relations between language and culture in general and literary codification and formal techniques in particular.

SLAV 900, Directed Reading.
By arrangement with faculty.

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