The purposes of education and research

Russia is a country with a long history of culture, ideas, and art, and it is always changing. The Department of Russian Studies is to help to develop citizens who have proficiency in Russian, multi-faceted knowledge of Russian culture and society, and who can utilize this knowledge to solve their own goals and problems.

Overview

The Department of Russian Studies allows a student to specialize in Russian, a language which has various inflections, unlike English. In the first grade, students learn the alphabet, basic grammar and conversation. Then in the second grade, they develop a fundamental understanding of reading and writing. In the third and fourth grades, students read and translate Russian literature, newspapers, and magazines. Additionally, classes about Eastern European countries adjacent to Russia, as well as Caucasian and Central Asian culture, history, and society classes are offered.

The Department of Russian Studies welcomes students with the following interests and qualities:

1. Those students who are interested in Russian language, culture and history.
2. Those students who have both the courage to make mistakes and the willingness to utilize them in the learning of a foreign language.
3. Those students who can embrace various existing ways of thinking, as well as accept new and different customs with an open mind.