University of Virginia Slavic Department/Undergraduate Studies

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States has played an increasing role in trade and cultural exchange with the this area. As a result, there is a need, in both the private and public sectors, for people familiar with East European languages and cultures. The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures works to meet this need by offering a broad spectrum of courses in three areas of study: language, literature, and folklore.
The program in Russian language offers introductory courses in the fundamentals and more advanced courses in reading, composition, stylistics, and the language of business. In addition to these courses, which develop oral/aural and written proficiency in the language, students may pursue other interests relating to language (linguistics, for example). Instruction is also available in other Slavic languages including Polish, Czech, and Ukrainian according to the availability of faculty.
Course offerings in Russian literature cover the entire range of this genre, from the works of medieval Russia to those of the present. The courses vary from broad surveys read in English translation to seminars on individual writers (e.g., Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Nabokov). Emphasis is placed on the forces that have shaped Russian literature, including social concerns as well as the Russian sense of history and national destiny.
Finally, the department offers a variety of courses in folklore that deal with Slavic myth, ritual, epic, tale, song, and folklore theory. Theory courses, while often relying on Slavic examples, address issues with relevance beyond the Slavic field, such as the nature of oral literature and the significance of ritual in understanding human behavior.

FACULTY

The faculty of the department includes eight full-time tenured and tenure-track professors (one of whom is a Russian language pedagogue), in addition to adjunct faculty and visiting lecturers. Among them they are able to offer a wide range of experience and knowledge.

All faculty members are involved on a daily basis in the education of their students. Since the department is small, access to faculty is easy. Faculty interests range from literary theory, to linguistics, to modern cultural criticism and folklore.

STUDENTS

The Slavic Department has a relatively small student body; most courses in the department are intimate, from 15 to 25 students, and are taught by a faculty member rather than a Graduate Instructor. With permission, undergraduates with superior skills may enroll in graduate courses in their fourth year of study. Most courses are taught as discussions or lecture/discussions in order to assure student input. Thus, students learn to think critically, and develop well-rounded analytic abilities. Students who complete majors in the Slavic department often go on to graduate programs to work toward higher degrees, or to professional programs. Others work in the government (State Department, grant administration, security agencies), the private sector, or the media. Still others choose to travel and work in the NIS; opportunities include teaching, internships, and volunteer work.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers two major tracks:

Russian Language and Literature

The requirements for a major in Russian Language and Literature are 24 semester hours beyond RUSS 202 as follows:

RUSS 301 and 302
RUTR 335
RUTR 336
12 hours of electives planned in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The twelve hours are normally chosen from among courses offered by the Department at the 300-level or above. Some courses at the 200-level also count.

Russian and East European Studies

The requirements for a major in Russian and East European Studies are 30 credits beyond RUSS 202 as follows:

RUSS 301 and 302 or 6 credits (one year) of Polish
RUTR 246
PLCP 321
HIEU 215 or 216
RUTR 335 or RUTR 336
1 course in Russian or East European folklore
3 additional courses in one or more of these areas planned in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies

No more than 18 of the 30 hours may be taken in one department. Majors should note that this leaves room for only one elective from the Slavic Department since five of the required courses are already from the Slavic Department.

Please Note the Following:

An average of C, with no grade below C-, is required in both major track.

A grade of C or above is required in all language courses.

Majors taking taking either Tolstoy or Dostoevsky as an elective, must take them at the 300 level.

Students may substitute POL 121 and POL 122 for RUSS 301 and 302.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR

The department offers two minors as follows:

Minor in Russian Language and Literature

7 approved courses of at least 3 credits each beyond RUSS 102

Minor in Russian and East European Studies

7 approved courses of at least 3 credits each beyond RUSS 102 with no more than 3 in any one department (not counting RUSS 201-202 if they are taken)

DECLARING A MAJOR OR MINOR

Students who wish to declare a major or a minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures should obtain a Declaration Form at Garrett Hall, and make an appointment to meet with the Undergraduate Advisor (Mr. Elson, 106 Cabell Hall). Prior to the appointment, students should familiarize themselves with the requirements for the track in which they wish to concentrate.

DOUBLE MAJOR

Students majoring in Slavic Languages and Literatures often have, in addition, a second major, frequently in Government and Foreign Affairs. In such instances, the student is reminded that the University requires each major to have at least 18 credits unique to it. Thus, students in the Language and Literature track and double-majoring may count 6 credits (= 24-18) for both majors. Students in the Russian and East European Studies track may count 12 (= 30-18).

Students wishing to do so may double major by fulfilling the major requirements for each of the Department's tracks: Language and Literature, and Russian and East European Studies.

DISTINGUISHED MAJORS PROGRAM

Deadlines, Prerequisites, and Procedures
Advanced Coursework
Thesis
Criteria for Granting of Honors

The Distinguished Majors Program, which requires advanced coursework, and a thesis, is normally a two-semester sequence comprising both semesters of the fourth year.

Deadlines, prerequisites, and procedures for admission to the Distinguished Majors Program

Deadline: The admission deadline is the final add-date of the first semester of the 4th year.

Prerequisites: Students must have a 3.4 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in major courses. It is advisable for students to be enrolled in (or to have taken) RUSS 302 since it is a prerequisite for many of the advanced courses in the Distinguished Majors Program.

Procedure: Students desiring to apply to the Distinguished Majors Program must write a letter to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in which they outline their reasons for applying, their proposed thesis project, and name the faculty member who has agreed to serve as thesis advisor. The Director of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with the Chair will decide on admission.
back to top of Distinguished Majors section

Advanced Coursework

Students in the Distinguished Majors Program will be required to take at least 6 hours of advanced course work. The 6 hours may be selected from (but are not restricted to) the 500-level courses suggested below, or may be done as independent studies. Designated course work must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Russian Language and Literature Track (specialization in language):
RUSS 501, RUSS 503, RUSS 521, RUSS 522, RUSS 523

Russian Language and Literature Track (specialization in literature):
RUSS 503, RUSS 553, RUSS 555, RUSS 556

Russian and East European Studies Track:
500-level courses in the area of specialization, e.g., RUSS 501, GFCG 521, 522, GFIR 555, HIEU 584, etc.
back to top of Distinguished Majors section

Thesis

Students in the Distinguished Majors Program are required to take 6 hours of RUSS 498 (DMP Thesis), which will culminate in the submission of a thesis. A first draft of the thesis is to be submitted at the end of the first semester of the fourth year; the final copy, conforming to the thesis advisor's suggestions and comments, is to be submitted by April 1. A conference-length presentation (normally 20-30 minutes) of the thesis project, followed by a question and answer session of equal length, will be scheduled for mid-April.
back to top of Distinguished Majors section

Criteria for Granting of Honors

The Director of Undergraduate Studies and the thesis advisor (in consultation with professors in advanced coursework, if appropriate) will decide upon the level of honors to be recommended based on the following criteria:
Quality of the thesis project
Quality of the presentation
GPA in major coursework

Three levels of distinction are possible: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction.
back to top of Distinguished Majors section

STUDY ABROAD

Students wishing to study abroad must do the following in the specifed order:

IN THE SEMESTER PRECEDING THE PROPOSED STUDY ABROAD

Go to ISO (the International Studies Office, second floor Minor Hall) and fulfill all of their requirements.

Get, from ISO, an authorized (signed) PTC (Preliminary Transfer of Credit) form.

Make an appointment with Mr. Elson (106 Cabell) to discuss your plans. Bring the PTC form with you to the meeting. Mr. Elson will sign it provided everything is in order. The PTC form does NOT guarantee transfer of credit. It confirms that you met with Mr. Elson, and discussed the possibilities. That is all.

Make a copy of the signed PTC form, and take the original to Mrs. Gates in Garrett Hall.

UPON YOUR RETURN FROM STUDY ABROAD

Make an appointment with Mr. Elson. Bring the xeroxed copy of the PTC form AND your official transcript of work completed abroad. Be prepared to describe in detail the work you completed, to produce examples of assignments, tests, and the material you used. You should also be prepared to demonstrate the knowledge you acquired through written and/or oral testing.

Important Reminders:

The University and Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures are not obligated to transfer credit from study abroad. The decision is made upon return of the student in consultation with Mr. Elson.

The transfer limit for summer study is 8 credits; for semester study, it is 15.

The possibility of transfer is contingent upon obtaining preliminary approval as outlined above. Students who study abroad without proper preliminary approval should assume there will be no transfer upon their return.

Whether or not any of the total number credits transferred will be applied to the major or minor is a separate decision, and will be made upon return of the student.

The Slavic Department is authorized to transfer credit ONLY for courses in language, literature, folklore, and culture. If your work will include courses in Russian and/or East European history, politics, art, etc., you must get both preliminary and final approval from the relevant departments

PLACEMENT IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

Students who, based on previous work in Russian, wish to continue their study should see Mr. David Herman (103 Cabell) for placement. Normally, placement is done at the beginning of each academic year at a time scheduled by the University.

TRANSFER OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN CREDIT

University students wishing to take courses in Slavic Languages and Literatures at other universities, domestic or foreign, should consult the Undergraduate Advisor regarding the transfer of credit. Generally, tentative approval for the transfer will be given prior to the period of study only upon presentation by the student of adequate documentation that each course in question meets the standard of the University. Final approval for transfer will be given upon return of the student, who should be prepared to submit relevant syllabi, assignments, examinations, and papers in support of the petition for credit transfer. Students wishing to transfer language credits should be prepared to demonstrate, in both written and spoken form, the communicative competence they have gained.
The approval form for credit transfer is available in Garrett Hall.

COLLEGE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

The language requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences may be satisfied in Russian by completing successfully RUSS 202, or by presenting evidence of equivalent preparation. Any incoming student or student returning from study abroad, or study at another institution, who wishes to continue Russian must take a placement test.

SPECIAL RESOURCES

Dobro Slovo: The Slavic National Honor Society

Each year, the Department nominates fourth-year students with a GPA of 3.6 in major courses and third-year students with a GPA of 3.75 in major courses for membership in the Slavic National Honor Society. Students must have completed at least one more than half the number of courses for their major to be nominated.

Center for Russian and East European Studies

The Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) provides a focal point for students interested in this field. Lectures and colloquia as well as social events are sponsored.

The Pertzoff Prize
Each year at graduation, the Department, in conjunction with the Center for Russian and East European Studies, awards the Pertzoff Prize to the 4th year student who has achieved the highest level of excellence in Russian and East European Studies. The award is in memory of Vladimir A. Pertzoff, Professor of Russian History.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Mr. Mark J. Elson, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
PO Box 400783
109 Cabell Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4783

Telephone: (434) 924-3548

Fax: (434) 982-2744

E-Mail: mje@virginia.edu