Russian and East European Studies
Russian
and East European Studies courses
European
Studies Council home page
Director of undergraduate studies: Hilary Fink, 2705 HGS, 432-1301, hilary.fink@yale.edu
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAJOR
Professors
Vladimir Alexandrov (Slavic Languages & Literatures), Ivo Banac (History), Paul Bushkovitch (History), Katerina Clark (Comparative Literature, Slavic Languages & Literatures), Laura Engelstein (History), John Gaddis (History), Harvey Goldblatt (Slavic Languages & Literatures), Robert Greenberg (Adjunct) (Slavic Languages & Literatures), Benjamin Harshav (Comparative Literature), Timothy Snyder (History), Ivan Szelenyi (Sociology), Tomas Venclova (Slavic Languages & Literatures)
Associate Professors
Hilary Fink (Slavic Languages & Literatures), John MacKay (Slavic Languages & Literatures)
Assistant Professors
Keith Darden (Political Science), Kate Holland (Slavic Languages & Literatures), Ilya Kliger (Slavic Languages & Literatures)
Senior Lector II
Irina Dolgova
Senior Lectors
Rita Lipson, Constantine Muravnik, Slobodan Novak, Julia Titus, Karen von Kunes
The major in Russian and East European Studies, administered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of a broad region: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Central Asia; Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, and other regions in east central Europe; and the Balkans. The program is appropriate for students considering careers in international public policy, diplomacy, or business, and is also suited to students wishing to continue academic work.
Languages. A full understanding of the area demands a knowledge of its languages. Students must demonstrate either proficiency in Russian or intermediate-level ability in an East European language. Students may demonstrate proficiency in Russian by (1) completing fourth-year Russian (RUSS 141b); (2) passing a written examination to demonstrate equivalent ability; or (3) completing a literature course taught in Russian and approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Students may demonstrate intermediate-level ability in an East European language by (1) completing a two-year sequence in an East European language (currently Czech or Serbian and Croatian; students interested in studying other East European languages should contact the director of undergraduate studies); or (2) by passing a language examination demonstrating equivalent ability. Students are encouraged to learn more than one language.
Course requirements. Thirteen term courses taken for a letter grade are required for the major. Students must take one course from HIST 264a or 290a. All East European language courses and third- and fourth-year Russian courses count toward the major. Elective courses are chosen from an annual list of offerings, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Electives must include at least one course in a social science. Complete descriptions of courses originating in other programs appear in those departmental listings. Other undergraduate courses relevant to Russian and East European Studies, including residential college seminars, may also count toward the major if approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Qualified students may elect pertinent courses in the Graduate School with the permission of the instructor, the director of graduate studies, and the director of undergraduate studies.
Senior requirement. Every major must write a senior essay. At the beginning of the first term of the senior year, students enroll in RSEE 490 and arrange for a faculty member to serve as senior adviser. By the third Friday of October, senior majors submit a detailed prospectus of the essay, with bibliography, to the adviser. A draft of at least ten pages of the senior essay, or a detailed outline of the entire essay, is due to the adviser by the last day of reading period in the first term. The student provides the adviser with a form that the adviser signs to notify the director of undergraduate studies that the first-term requirements have been met. Failure to meet these requirements results in loss of credit for the first term of the course. The senior essay takes the form of a substantial article, no longer than 13,000 words of text, excluding footnotes and bibliography. The essay is due on the second Friday in April, in triplicate, in the Russian and East European Studies office. A member of the faculty other than the student's adviser grades the essay.
Study and travel. Students should be aware of opportunities for study and travel in Russia and eastern Europe. The director of undergraduate studies can provide information on these programs and facilitate enrollment. Those students who spend all or part of the academic year in the region participating in established academic programs usually receive Yale College credit. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities during summers or through the Year or Term Abroad program. Students wishing to travel abroad as part of the major should consult the director of undergraduate studies by October 1.
M.A. program. The European and Russian Studies program does not offer the simultaneous award of the B.A. and M.A. degrees. However, students in Yale College are eligible to complete the M.A. in European and Russian Studies (with concentration in Russia and eastern Europe) in one year of graduate work. Students interested in this option must complete eight graduate courses in the area by the time of the completion of the bachelor's degree. Only two courses may be counted toward both graduate and undergraduate degrees. Successful completion of graduate courses while still an undergraduate does not guarantee admission into the M.A. program. Students must submit the standard application for admission to the M.A. program.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisite or corequisite: Demonstrated proficiency in Russian or intermediate-level ability in an East European lang
Number of courses: 13 term courses (incl senior essay and specified lang courses)
Specific courses required: HIST 264a or 290a
Distribution of courses: At least 1 course in social sciences
Senior requirement: Senior essay (RSEE 490)
