BA in Russian & East European Studies

The Russian and East European Studies major offers the student training in the history, politics, literature, and arts of Russia and the nations of Eastern Europe, as well as a grounding in contemporary oral and written Russian. (Training in some other Slavic languages is available as independent study.) The major is designed for students who intend to pursue careers in which familiarity with Russia and the East European area is an attractive or necessary asset, or for students planning to enter graduate school in law, business, or diplomacy with a specialization in Russian and East European affairs. The area concentration also prepares students for graduate work in Russian and East European studies.

Normally, members of the Russian faculty in the Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies can be advisers for students majoring in Russian and East European studies. It should be emphasized, however, that a course of study tailored to the individual student's educational and career plans should be arranged in close cooperation with the appropriate members of all departments participating in the major.

Questions about program requirements should be addressed to the following faculty members:

Russian Program Director, Greg Carleton
Russian Language Coordinator, Marina Aptekman

Program Requirements and Policies

• Ten courses are required for the BA in Russian & Eastern European Studies. 
• Students who place out of Russian 21, 22, 121 and/or 122 on the basis of the Russian language placement examination administered by the department still need to take ten courses to complete the major.

Course Requirements

1. Four core language courses: Russian 21, 22,121, 122, or the equivalent. For Russian 121 and 122 the student may substitute Russian 123, 125, or any advanced course related to the area in which all readings are in Russian. Students coming back from a semester in Russia will be required to take one 100-level course conducted in Russian. (Students going abroad in spring of senior year must take a 100-level course in Russian before leaving.)
2. Six courses with a primary focus in the Russian and East European area chosen from the following two categories: (1) literature and culture; (2) history, politics and society. At least two courses must be taken at Tufts in each of the designated categories. One of the six courses must be an advanced special topics course, a seminar, an advanced directed study, or similarly oriented course approved by the program.