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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |
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Courses |
RussianCoordinator: Margaret H. MillsProfessor: Margaret H. Mills Professors emeriti: Vadim Kreyd, Norman Luxenburg, Ray J. Parrott Jr., Helene A. Scriabine, Harry B. Weber Associate professor: Russell Valentino Associate professor emeritus: Christopher A. Wertz Assistant professor emerita: Miriam J. Gelfand Lecturers: Irina Kostina, Jitka Sonkova Undergraduate degree: B.A. in Russian Undergraduate nondegree program: Minor in Russian Graduate degree: M.A. in Russian Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/~russian The Russian program trains students in both written and spoken Russian and in Russian literature, culture, and civilization. A knowledge of Russian is seldom an end in itself; rather, it complements other intellectual endeavors. Accordingly, the program strongly encourages students to pursue a joint major and to develop their interests in related or complementary fields. Many students combine a major in Russian with a second major in another field, such as linguistics, history, global health, political science, or international studies. Through the University's Bachelor of Arts in international studies, interested students can focus their undergraduate training on a broader interdisciplinary understanding of this region of the world. For more information see International Studies in the Catalog. With the continued importance of Russian as a language of science and commerce, many students find that training in the language is an important asset to careers in the natural and physical sciences, engineering, medicine, and business. Students of journalism, library science, and the social and military sciences also have strengthened their career preparation through the study of Russian. Some students major in Russian before going into law, international relations, or another profession; others study Russian as preparation for graduate work in Slavic languages and literatures, comparative literature, English, or other humanistic disciplines. Russian majors with a B.A. and the required education courses occasionally seek teaching careers in secondary schools; for description of relevant teacher preparation programs, see Teaching and Learning (College of Education) in the Catalog. A number of governmental agencies are interested in job candidates who have advanced training in Russian; these agencies give preference to applicants who couple strong language proficiency with a well-rounded background in area studies. Students who develop an exceptional facility with the language may pursue careers in literary and technical translation and interpretation. Undergraduate ProgramThe department offers a Bachelor of Arts in Russian and a minor in Russian.Bachelor of ArtsThe Bachelor of Arts in Russian requires 31 s.h. in the major, earned in advanced Russian courses. B.A. students also must satisfy the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences general degree requirements, including completion of the General Education Program.The major in Russian requires the following courses. One of these:
Both of these sequences:
*Four of these (Russian/East European culture):
*Students may substitute one of the following Slavic language two-course sequences for one of the four required Russian/East European culture courses (see list above). Availability of Croatian and Polish language courses varies.
Students majoring in Russian are urged to choose elective courses in economics, geography, history, political science, global health, and international studies. Nearly every avenue of professional training and employment requires a solid background in Russian area studies. For example, criteria for U.S. government employment include substantive knowledge in history, economics, political science, sociological disciplines, scientific specialties, demography, military-related skills, and in some cases cultural and religious background. In-depth knowledge of literature or linguistics without other substantive background may be of limited practical use in gaining employment. Four-Year Graduation PlanThe following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the University's Four-Year Graduation Plan.Before the third semester begins: competence in first-year Russian and at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation Before the fifth semester begins: competence in second-year Russian and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation Before the seventh semester begins: competence in third-year Russian, an additional course in the major, and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation Before the eighth semester: competence in fourth-year Russian and two more courses in the major During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate HonorsRussian majors with junior or senior standing, a g.p.a. of at least 3.33 in Russian, and a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.33 may enroll in the honors program in Russian. An extensive reading program with discussions, regular reports, and a semester paper constitute each honors work unit of 3 s.h. Students may take up to 9 s.h. of honors in Russian.Contact the University of Iowa Honors Program for more information about honors study at Iowa. MinorA minor in Russian requires 15 s.h., including 12 s.h. earned at The University of Iowa in advanced courses. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in the minor. The program recommends that students seeking a minor in Russian focus their preparation on 100-level courses, such as the sequences 041:109 and 041:110, 041:111 and 041:112, and 041:113 and 041:114. Up to 3 s.h. in courses taught exclusively in English may be counted toward the minor.Teaching LicensureRussian majors interested in licensure to teach in elementary and/or secondary schools must successfully complete the requirements for a major in Russian and must be admitted to the College of Education's foreign language Teacher Education Program. Several courses in the College of Education are required, as is one semester of student teaching in the senior year. All students in the program have the option of earning a K-12 endorsement to teach Russian along with the bachelor's degree. For information about the foreign languages Teacher Education Program and graduate programs in foreign language education, contact the Department of Teaching and Learning (College of Education).Students who plan to use a Russian minor to teach at the elementary and/or secondary level must contact the College of Education concerning requirements. Language for NonmajorsThe program offers a sequence of courses that may be used to complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program. Students who have had experience with Russian should take the Russian Foreign Language Placement Test, offered during summer orientation programs and monthly by Evaluation and Examination Service. The test helps determine the level at which a student should begin Russian language study at The University of Iowa. Students with no background in Russian should begin their study with 041:001. The sequence 041:001, 041:002, 041:003, and 041:004 can be used to complete the General Education Program foreign language component. The Russian program also offers course work in several East European languages, including Czech, Croatian, and Polish.Summer and Study Abroad ProgramsThe program strongly encourages students to participate in intensive programs of language study, both in the United States and in Russia. The department normally offers one intensive course each summer (second year) where students earn the equivalent of one academic year of study (one course each semester, 8 s.h.). Scholarships are available for summer intensive Russian.University of Iowa students participate in summer, semester, or academic year programs under the auspices of the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR), the association that directs academic language training programs in the Russian cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladimir. For additional program and scholarship information, consult the Department of Russian chair. Course Work for NonmajorsA number of classes are open to all University students and are offered in English. These include survey courses in Russian literature and culture, a monograph course on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, and courses on women in Russian society, Russia today, and Russian and Slavic civilization and folklore.Graduate ProgramThe Department of Russian is not accepting graduate students in 2007-08.Special ActivitiesThe International Crossroads Community is located in Hillcrest Residence Hall. It welcomes both American and international students who wish to broaden their knowledge of international issues and foreign languages and cultures. Its programs, designed for students of Russian as well as other languages, include weekly language dinners with students and faculty, public festivals and celebrations of cultural holidays, educational presentations on topics such as study abroad and international careers, and music and theater performances.Language Media CenterThe University's Language Media Center provides facilities for language learning, teaching, and research. Equipment in the center includes state-of-the-art computer, audio, and video facilities as well as standard and short-wave radios, tape and cassette recorders, record players, and soundproof recording rooms. An electronic classroom, a soundproof workroom, and a library of tape, disc, and cassette recordings also are available.Courses
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