Curriculum in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Virginia
Degrees Offered
CREES is an interdisciplinary center through which faculty and students from a number of different departments within U.Va's College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (and from other schools at the university) meet and interact. It does not have its own faculty, students, or degree programs. The college does offer both an interdisciplinary B.A. in Russian and East European Studies and an M.A. in Contemporary Russian Studies, but these are administered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. For the undergraduate major, please click here. For the M.A. program, please click here.
Certificate in Russian and East European Studies
A student in one of the participating graduate departments, e.g., art, economics,
government and foreign affairs, history, music, Slavic languages and literatures, etc., or
in the participating professional schools, such as Law, Medicine, Darden, Education, etc.,
can broaden his or her knowledge of the Russian and East European area by applying for
the Certificate in Russian and East European Studies in addition to the M.A., Ph.D., or
professional degree in his or her own home department or school. As detailed below, the
work for a certificate requires the student to complete a certain number of non-language
courses in the Russian and East European field and demonstrate proficiency in a language
of Russia or Eastern Europe.
Requirements for the graduate certificate are as follows:
1. Language Competency Competency in a language of Eastern Europe (including
languages other than Russian) is to be demonstrated by the completion of one of
the following four specific arrangements approved by the center in cooperation
with the student’s home department and the Department of Slavic Languages
and Literatures: (a) completion of RUSS 5010 with a grade no lower than B; (b)
passing the Slavic department’s Russian Proficiency Examination; or (c) passing
an examination devised by the student’s home department in cooperation with the
center and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures.
2. Broad Area Concentration Successful completion of four non-language courses
in Russian and East European studies with a grade average no lower than B.
Students in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures must take these
courses outside their home department.
3. Thesis Successful completion of a master’s thesis, Ph.D. dissertation, or a
significant and high quality seminar paper on a theme closely related to Russian
and East European studies.
Current / Upcoming Semester Courses
Fall 2011
| ECON 4410 | Economics of the European Union |
James | TR | 12:30-13:45 |
| GETR 3559-2 | Jews in Germany and Europe Since the Holocaust | Finder | M | 15:30-18:00 |
| HIEU 2101 | Jewish History I: Ancient and Medieval |
Loeffler | MW | 11:00-11:50 |
| HIEU 2152 | Russia from Peter the Great to Lenin 1700-1917 | Geraci | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| HIEU 2559 | Contemporary Europe |
Hitchcock | MW | 09:00-09:50 |
| HIEU 3612 | Russia 1855-1917: Reform, Terror, |
Geraci | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| HIEU 3442 | European History from the Victorian age to the Welfare State, 1890-1954 | Schuker | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
| HIST 2559-2 | The History of Human Rights | Loeffler | MW | 14:00-15:15 |
| HIST 3281 | Genocide | Rossman | MW | 12:00-12:50 |
| HIST 5621 | Genocide | Rossman | T | 15:30-18:00 |
| HIST 7161 | Forced Migration, Genocide, and Human Rights: A Transnational History | Confino | R | 13:00-15:30 |
| HIST 8559 | Multi-Ethnic Empires and Societies | Geraci | W | 18:00-20:30 |
| LAW 9019 | Constitutional Law: History and Jurisprudence | Howard | T | 18:30-20:30 |
| MDST 3830 | History of Film I | Korte | MWF | 12:00-12:50 |
| PLCP 4180 | Politics of the Holocaust | Alexander | M | 15:30-18:00 |
| PLIR | Russia/USSR in World Affairs | Lynch | TR | 09:30-10:45 |
| POL 1210 | Introduction to Polish Language | Nafpaktitis | MWF | 12:00-12:50 |
| RUSS 1010 | First-Year Russian | Travisano | TR | 09:30-10:20 or 15:30-16:20 |
| RUSS 2010 | Second-Year Russian | Herman | TR | 09:30-10:20 or 15:30-16:20 |
| RUSS 3010 | Third-Year Russian | Dianina | MWF | 10:00-10:50 |
| RUSS 3030 | Intermediate Conversation |
STAFF | TR | 13:00-13:50 |
| RUSS 4010 | Fourth-Year Russian | Travisano | MWF | 10:00-10:50 |
| RUSS 5030 | Advanced Russian I |
Elson | MWF | 09:00-09:50 |
RUSS 5050 |
Advanced Conversation | Travisano | MW | 08:00-08:50 or 13:00-13:50 |
| RUSS 5140 | Russian Modernism | Ryan | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| RUSS 5500 | Topics in Russian Lit: Culture and Identity | Dianina_ Tolcztyk |
MW _ _ _ TR |
14:00-15:15 or 15:30-16:45 |
| RUTR 2350 | Russian and Soviet Film | Nafpaktitis | MW | 15:30-16:45 |
| RUTR 3500-1 | Topics in Russian Lit: War Stories | Ryan | MW | 14:00-15:15 |
| RUTR 3500-2 | Visual Arts in Russian Literature | Jordan | TR | 15:30-16:45 |
| SLFK 2140 | Ritual and Demonology | Ingram | TR | 12:30-13:20 |
| SLTR 2000 | Eastern Europe Through Literature and Film | Tolczyk | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
| SOC 3490 | Cities and Cultures | Makarova | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| SOC 4140 | Sociology of Consumption | Makarova | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
| USEM 1580-10 | The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | Urbanovich | M | 15:30-18:00 |
| USEM 1580-11 | Post-Soviet Political Challenges: National and Ethnic |
Urbanovich | T | 15:30-18:00 |
| YIDD 1050 | Elementary Yiddish Language and Culture | Finder | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
| HIEU 2102 | Jewish History II: The Modern Experience |
Loeffler | MW | 10:00-10:50 |
| HIEU 3352 | Germany, 1933-2006 | Confino | MW | 13:00-13:50 |
| HIEU 3372 | German Jewish History and Culture |
Grossman | TR | 12:30-13:45 |
| HIEU 3559-1 | Nazi Germany | Achillies | TR | 09:30-10:45 |
| HIEU 3559-2 | Holocaust and the Law |
Finder | M | 15:30-18:00 |
| HIEU 3612 | Russia 1855-1917: Reform, Terror, |
Geraci | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| HIEU 3752 | Evolution of the International System, 1815-1950 |
Schuker | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
| HIEU 3812 | Marxism: What Can We Learn From It? | Megill | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| HIEU4502 | Seminar: The Great War, 1914-1918: History, Culture, Memory |
Hitchcock | T | 15:30-18:00 |
| HIEU 5312 | Europe in the Era of World War, 1914-1945 | Schuker | T | 15:30-18:00 |
| HIST 3611 | Espionage and Intelligence in the 20th Century |
Haines | MW | 16:00-17:15 |
| HIST 7559-1 | History of Human Rights | Loeffler | F | 13:00-15:30 |
| ISSS 3211 | Russian Politics | Urbanovich | R | 19:00-21:45 |
| ISSS 4458 | The Cold War | Ronayne | M | 19:00-21:45 |
| MDST 3559-1 | Film: Melodrama | Heins | MW | 15:30-16:45 |
| MDST 3620 | World Cinema | Amaya | TR | 15:30-16:45 |
| MDST 3850 | History of Film III | Korte | MWF | 12:00-12:50 |
| POL 1210 | Introduction to Polish Language | Nafpaktitis | MWF | 12:00-12:50 |
| POL 2210 | Intermediate Polish Language | Tolczyk | MWF | 12:00-12:50 |
| RELC 5559-1 | Modern Russian Religious Thinkers | Guroian | W | 15:30-18:00 |
| RUSS 1010 | First-Year Russian | Travisano | TR | 09:30-10:45 or 15:30-16:45 |
| RUSS 2010 | Second-Year Russian | Herman | TR | 09:30-10:20 or 15:30-16:20 |
| RUSS 3010 | Third-Year Russian | Dianina | MWF | 10:00-10:50 |
| RUSS 3030 | Intermediate Conversation |
STAFF | TR | 17:00-17:50 |
| RUSS 4010 | Fourth-Year Russian | Travisano | MWF | 10:00-10:50 |
| RUSS 5050 | Advanced Conversation |
Travisano | MW | 08:00-09:15 or 16:00-17:15 |
RUSS 5120 |
Age of Realism 1851-1881 | Herman | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| RUSS 7010 | Proseminar in Russian Literature | Tolczyk | MW | 14:00-15:15 |
| RUTR 2320 | America Through Russian Eyes | Nafpaktitis | MW | 15:30-16:45 |
| RUTR 2730 | Dostoevsky and the Modern Novel | Connolly | TR | 11:00-11:50 |
| RUTR 3340 | Books Behind Bars: Life, Literature and Community Leadership |
Kaufman | TR | 09:30-10:45 |
| RUTR 3360 | Twentieth Century Russian Literature | Ryan | TR | 09:30-10:45 |
| RUTR 3510 | Topics in Russian Literature: Dostoevsky | Connolly | TR | 11:00-11:50 |
| HIST 7559-1 | History of Human Rights | Loeffler | F | 13:00-15:30 |
| SLFK 2140 | Ritual and Family Life | Ingram | TR | 14:00-15:15 |
| USEM 1580-14 | Post-Soviet Political Challenges: National and Ethnic |
Urbanovich | M | 09:30-11:50 |
| USEM 1580-15 | The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | Urbanovich | T | 09:30-11:50 |
| YIDD 1060 | Elementary Yiddish Language and Culture | Finder | TR | 11:00-12:15 |
Courses Offered in Past Semesters
CREES Courses Offered Fall 2010
CREES Courses Offered Spring 2010
Russian Summer Language Institute
Now in its 30th year, U.Va.'s Russian Summer Language Institute offers an eight-and-a-half week program equivalent to the first TWO YEARS (12 credits) of study in Russian. For more information, click here or see the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures.
Study Abroad in 2011
In the past, the University of Virginia has conducted Study Abroad programs in Kazan (Tatarstan, Russian Federation). This Summer, Dr. Karen Ryan of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is leading a program in Moscow and St. Petersburg titled "Literary Places in Russia." Lasting from June 5 to July 2, the program will combine the study of some of the major works of Russian literature, including those by Tolstoy, Chekhov, Mayakovsky, Bulgakov, Erofeev, and Vysotsky, with an extensive tour of museums, theaters, and other places associated with these writers. For more information please see the official brochure.