About Russian and Slavic
Studying Russian and Slavic in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University provides students with a strong proficiency in Russian, with courses ranging from elementary to advanced Russian, and a thorough grounding in Ukrainian, with elementary and intermediate Ukrainian courses.
The language track also offers wide-ranging surveys of the customs, folklores, and literatures of the Slavic world, from Russia and Ukraine to the Balkans. Courses are taught in English translation as well as in Russian.
The Russian and Slavic track emphasizes professional and academic training. Former students are employed with the FBI, U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. They have been accepted into prestigious Ph.D. programs in linguistics and Slavic languages and literatures, as well as M.A. programs in Russian and East European studies, international affairs, linguistics and media studies. They have received internships with the U.S. Department of State and the FBI, scholarships from the U.S. Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Fulbright Awards, Boren Scholarships, Critical Language Scholarships and Pickering Fellowships. Others are employed in consulting and management positions in the private sector in Europe and the U.S.
The B.A. in Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers a major in Russian and minors in Russian and Ukrainian. Students gain a strong proficiency in Russian, with courses ranging from elementary to advanced Russian, and a thorough grounding in Ukrainian, with elementary and intermediate Ukrainian courses.
The major and minor also offer wide-ranging surveys of the cultures, folklores, and literatures of the Slavic world, from Russia and Ukraine to the Balkans. Culture, folklore, and literature courses are taught in English translation as well as in Russian.
Russian Major
The Russian major offers a well-structured program of Russian language study, bringing students to advanced proficiency—and room for electives in which students learn about the culture, folklore, and literature of the Russians as well as those of other Slavic peoples.
It requires 30 semester hours numbered above 2220, including RUS 2330, RUS 3400, RUS 3420 and at least 12 semester hours of Russian and Slavic coursework at the 4000-level or above. Majors must complete 12-15 hours for a minor (more if required by minor department). All courses taken to fulfill the 30 hours of major coursework must be taken for a letter grade. A grade of C minus or better must be earned in each course applied toward any major or minor degree earned in the department.
[EFFECTIVE FALL 2025]
Russian Major (30 hours total)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
- LIN 2004 World Languages
- FOW 2100 Literature and the World
Russian Major Requirements (24 hours)
Required Courses (9 hours):
- RUS2330 Russian Grammar and Popular Culture
- RUS3400 Conversation and Composition
- RUS3420 Russian Grammar and Composition
Elective Coursework (15 hours):
Students will complete 15 credit hours at the upper-division in electives.
- A minimum of 3 credit hours of SLL coursework at the 4000-level
- A minimum of 3 credit hours of RUS coursework at the 4000-level, excluding RUS4905 and RUS4930
- A minimum of 3 credit hours of Russian Literature coursework (RUW) at the 4000-level
- No more than 6 credit hours 3000-level RUT or SLL courses taught in English will count towards the Russian major
Russian Minor
The Russian minor allows students to create their own interdisciplinary program of Russian and Slavic studies, focusing on Russian language, culture courses in English, or anything in between.
12 semester hours in Russian and/or Slavic (RUS, RUT, RUW, and SLL) numbered above 1999 are required for the Russian minor. Credit earned in meeting the foreign language requirement for graduation may not be used in satisfying the minor.
Ukrainian Minor (Coming Soon)
The Ukrainian minor offers an interdisciplinary introduction to Ukrainian culture and language, with several courses exploring Ukraine’s rich folkloric tradition.
Ukraine has a fascinating history, from Byzantine-influenced Kyivan Rus to the Cossack State, which produced Europe’s first modern constitution in 1710; from the Romantic national revival of the early 19th century to the birth of the modern Ukrainian Republic in 1917; and from the hardships of the Soviet period to renewed independence in 1991.
As a Central Slavic language in some classifications, Ukrainian is perhaps the best entryway to other Slavic languages: it shares much with West Slavic (e.g., Polish), South Slavic (e.g., Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian), and other East Slavic languages (e.g., Russian). It uses the Cyrillic alphabet (кирилиця), like Bulgarian, Serbian, and Russian.
Ukraine has strong folkloric, literary, musical and cinematic traditions. From epic songs and fairytales to one of the richest vampire beliefs in Europe, from Gogol and his compatriots to Serhiy Zhadan, from the “Carol of the Bells” to DakhaBrakha and Kalush Orchestra, and from Dovzhenko and Vertov to Sergei Loznitsa, there is something for everyone.
Ukraine is diverse, a land of many settlers (from Hungarians and Romanians in the west to Russians in the east) and religious faiths (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christianity, Islam and Judaism), as well as autochthonous peoples such as the Crimean Tatars. Indigenous languages are protected and there is no state religion.
Ukraine is becoming a different country in response to the Russian invasion. Ukraine has always had a robust civil society, and is now building a robust, accountable state and armed forces; it has long had strong technology, agricultural, and other sectors, and after the war it will have the chance to build a strong economy in the region. Get in on the ground floor.
Studying Ukrainian helps Ukraine. From the 19th century to the present day, Ukraine has been the frequent target of linguicide and genocides. But the people of Ukraine have persevered, and by studying Ukrainian you honor their courage and join their struggle.
UKRAINIAN MINOR (COMING SOON)
12 semester hours in courses listed below and numbered above 1999 are required for the Ukrainian minor. Credit earned in meeting the foreign language requirement for graduation may not be used in satisfying the minor.
Explore these course descriptions to learn more about Ukrainian courses at Florida State University.
UKR 1120: Elementary Ukrainian I (in approval process, temporarily taught as FOL 2100). A course for those who wish to begin learning Ukrainian as a second language. Covers oral work, grammar and composition. Covers most activities listed in the ACTFL novice mid-level competencies. Language and culture are intertwined, and in learning Ukrainian language, students also learn from and about culture by studying how the Ukrainian people view themselves and their society.
UKR 1121: Elementary Ukrainian II (in approval process, temporarily taught as FOL 2100). A course for those who wish to continue learning Ukrainian as a second language. Covers oral work, grammar and composition. Covers most activities listed in the ACTFL novice high-level competencies.
UKR 2220: Intermediate Ukrainian (in approval process). A course for those who wish to continue learning Ukrainian as a second language. Covers oral work, grammar and composition. Covers most activities listed in the ACTFL intermediate low-level competencies.
RUS 4840: History of the [Ukrainian and] Russian Language[s] and Introduction to Reading Old Rusian Texts. This course studies the development of the phonological and grammatical systems from the earliest records to the present. (The course currently focuses on the Ukrainian and Russian languages; it will be resubmitted to formally change the course title and description.)
RUT 3514: Russian [and Ukrainian] Folklore and Fairy Tales. This course considers a range of critical approaches and provides a general introduction to the study of folk belief, folklore and fairy tales, and their continuing influence in Russian, [Ukrainian,] and world culture. Taught in English. (The course currently treats Russian and Ukrainian fairy tales; it will be resubmitted to formally change the course title and description.)
SLL 3500: Slavic Culture and Civilization. This course examines the Slavic peoples, their cultures and traditions, from prehistory to present day. Novels and film give students a perspective from the "inside." Taught in English.
SLL 3510: The Slavic Vampire. This course is an exploration of the myth of the Vampire, from its origins in Slavic folklore to its appropriation by the West. It examines why the Vampire has endured not only in Eastern Europe but also in the Western imagination. Taught in English.
SLL 4XXX: Epic Song in Southern and Eastern Europe (in approval process, temporarily taught as RUS 4930). Oral-traditional epic (narrative) songs about the deeds and deaths of heroes—their comings of age and weddings, returns or rescues, and sieges of cities—have enthralled and unsettled audiences from time out of mind. This seminar surveys the modern epic of southern and eastern Europe in historical context, the Parry-Lord theory of oral-formulaic composition, and the discipline of oral tradition. (The course currently treats Bosniak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Modern Greek oral-traditional epic.)
CONTACT
Pribic Family Associate Professor of Slavic