Minor Program

Plan A: Minor in Russian

This minor is particularly suitable for students who wish to study the Russian language intensively (perhaps for later use in such fields as political science, international relations, law, or business), or for the increasing number of students of Russian background at Northwestern, who major in other fields but who wish to broaden their knowledge of their native language.

Prerequisites: Completion of two years of college-level language or equivalent as demonstrated by course work (for example, Russian 102-3), or equivalent.

Requirements for the minor (7 units):

Slavic 203-1,-2,-3 Intermediate Russian
Any four 300 or 400-level Slavic courses requiring substantial work in Russian. At present, this list includes:
Slavic 303-1,2,3 Advanced Russian
Slavic 359-1,2 Russian Prose
Slavic 360 Russian 19th-Century Poetry
Slavic 361 Russian 20th-Century Poetry

Plan B: Minor in Slavic Studies

This plan is designed for students who wish to acquire a broad knowledge of Slavic studies but who do not have the time to take a sequence of language courses. It is particularly suited for students in fields like engineering and the sciences who typically have such heavy course loads in the major that they are precluded from taking a language course every quarter. The 200-level offerings provide a broad background in literature and culture and the 300 or 400-level courses offer the opportunity to deal with more specific issues.

Requirements for the minor (8 units):

Four courses chosen from among the Slavic department's 200-level offerings
Two courses chosen from among the Slavic department's 300 or 400-level offerings
Two related 300-level courses chosen either from other departments (the Director of Undergraduate Studies must approve these courses) or two additional 300 level Slavic department courses.

Plan C: Minor in Central and Southeast European Studies

The minor in Central and Southeast European Studies prepares students to comprehend and confront the fascinating historical, cultural, linguistic, political and sociological specificity of Europe's most misunderstood regions. Fostering a comparative and interdisciplinary approach to Central and Southeast Europe, the minor encompasses a wide variety of courses that deal with the lands stretching from Western Europe to Russia, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.

In consultation with Professor Susan McReynolds Oddo, Director of Undergraduate Studies, students develop a coherent theme that ties together their choice of seven courses selected from an approved list of courses in History, Slavic, Linguistics, Political Science, Sociology, Jewish Studies, and Comparative Literatures.

Requirements for the minor: (7 units)

7 courses belonging to at least one of the three areas: history, culture, and contemporary society.
At least 1 course must be from each of the three basic areas for a total of 3 courses: history, culture, contemporary society and linguistics.
At least 3 courses must be at the 300-level. Up to 1 course on Russia may substitute for one of the 7 courses. Up to 3 200- or 300-level relevant language courses may also count (e.g., Czech, Polish, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian).

Course selection must be approved by the Prof. Susan McReynolds Oddo, DUS

Plan D: Informal Program for Non-majors and Non-minors

The department provides broad options for students who do not wish to major but are interested in acquiring a background in the literature, culture, and language of Russia and other Slavic countries.

For those seeking an overview, the department recommends its three area studies courses.
- Introduction to the USSR and Successor States (257) provides a survey of culture, society, and politics in light of Russia's history and present situation.
- Slavic Civilization (255) covers Slavic history, literature, and culture, from antiquity to the modern era.
- The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia (391), concerns problems of multiculturalism and explores the roots of the present crisis in the Balkans.
Students with an interest in literature, but without a knowledge of Russian, can take a survey sequence composed of
- Introduction to Russian Literature the three-quarter 210 (which covers the nineteenth century)
- Twentieth-Century Russian Literature. two-quarter 211 This sequence provides an acquaintance with many of the classics of the Russian literary tradition.
Students who develop an interest in a particular writer may want to take
- 410 (Tolstoy), 411 (Dostoevsky), or 413 (Nabokov).
Other courses requiring no Russian knowledge include
- 418 (Russian Comedy and Satire), 419 (The Philosophical Story), 367 (Russian Film), 469 (20th-Century Russian Drama and Theater), and 372 (Introduction to Eastern European Jewish Culture).

The department also offers a four-year sequence in the Russian language. The courses, which stress both conversational and reading skills, are taught in a way that makes the language available to any student with even modest linguistic ability. In addition, the department occasionally offers courses in Czech, Serbo-Croatian, and other Slavic languages and cultures.

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