Russian Major (B.A.)

The Russian program provides students with an opportunity to study one of the world's most important languages, its literature and its culture. In addition to the intrinsic value of Russian language, literature and culture as a liberal arts experience, majoring in Russian leads to a number of careers, such as teaching, translation and interpreting, government and the Foreign Service. The knowledge of the language and cultural proficiency is also a valuable asset in preparing you for careers in law, economics and international trade. All Russian majors are strongly encouraged to double major or include a relevant minor in their studies.

If you would like more information please contact LLC.Dept@unh.edu.

Degree Requirements

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

New students will be assigned to the proper language level course after consultation with the Russian faculty. 

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.

Russian majors may use two major-required courses to satisfy two Discovery category requirements. In addition, Russian majors may take RUSS 521W Devils, Deities, and Madness in Russian Literature to satisfy both a Discovery Inquiry requirement and a major requirement.

Transfer students must earn a minimum of 12 major credits at the Durham campus.

All students must complete at least 10 classes (40 credits). The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0. Specific course requirements are: 

¹

While the major may start counting as early as the Elementary I level (RUSS 401), those who enter the major at a higher level (RUSS 503, RUSS 504, RUSS 631, or RUSS 632) will replace the courses they skip from the elementary, intermediate and advanced language category with additional courses from the electives category. 

²

More electives required if fewer language credits were completed due to proficiency level and placement.

Students are encouraged to take as many of the culture, linguistics, and literature elective in the Russian language as possible, but there is no limit on the number of classes conducted in English from the electives category. Students taking no classes in the target language in a given semester will be strongly encouraged to enroll in one credit of conversation hour to maintain their language skills, and many of the courses taught in English will allow students the option to (or even require students to) do some work in the target language. 

³

Or approved equivalent 700-level course taken at UNH, approved study abroad equivalent, or approved high-impact experience (such as internship with a robust target language/culture component). 

• Upon completion of a Russian major, students are able to express themselves orally and in writing on a variety of topics with accuracy, and they are able to support their opinions with evidence found in the media and scholarly reading. Students are able to articulate their ideas and defend their opinions.
• Throughout the language sequence students are expected to give oral presentations on a variety of topics, related to their interest, second major or minor.
• Students have spent at least 8 weeks-semester/year in Russia on a study abroad program, which strengthens their language skills, improves their proficiency, both in language and culturally, and which allows them to interact with native speakers. The major includes at least two courses on Russian literature (one in English and one in Russian), and students are familiar with the works of major Russian authors (i.e. Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Zoshchenko, Bulgakov, among others.) Students are able to understand the texts in the historical and literary movements of Russia, as well as analyze the works in and of themselves. Students study the cultural history of Russia/Soviet Union/Russia to understand the Russian perspective of itself and the world.