Russian*

Department of Linguistics
College of Arts and Sciences
609 Baldy Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-1030
(716) 645-2177
Fax: (716) 645-3825
Web: Linguistics
Robert D. Van Valin, Jr., Chair

*This area of study is available as a special major or minor through the College of Arts and Sciences. It is not a separately registered degree program. Refer to the Special Major section in this catalog on page 256 for more information.

Introduction
Russia is one of the most important countries in the world. Covering eleven time zones, it stretches from Europe to the Pacific. Its language is spoken by over 150 million people, and the riches of its thousand-year-old civilization have influenced people all over the world. The Russian language program offers three years of Russian; advanced study is available periodically.

The Program

A special major B.A. in Russian area studies can be arranged in consultation with a faculty sponsor from the program and the student's undergraduate academic services advisor. The exact composition of each major varies with the availability of suitable courses in each area, and with the student's individual preferences. (See requirements for the special major.) Such a major consists of two or three years of Russian language study, plus selected courses from the Departments of History, Political Science, Philosophy, or other courses related to the study of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Courses in Russian can also be used as part of the social sciences interdisciplinary studies major as well as the European studies concentration in the arts and letters interdisciplinary program in the humanities.

For study abroad options, see the Study Abroad section on page 260 or contact the Study Abroad Programs Office at (716) 645-3912.

Students wishing to satisfy the requirements for teaching certification should plan their programs with particular care in order to accommodate the required semester of the professional sequence during their senior year. For certification requirements, students should contact the Teacher Education Institute, Graduate School of Education, 379 Baldy Hall.

Career Options
The opening of Russia to the West has meant many new job opportunities for students who know Russian. Current UB graduates are working in the American Embassy in Moscow, the American consulate in St. Petersburg, and teaching English in Kyrgyzstan. There are also jobs in business, banking, law, journalism, research, government intelligence services, immigration, education, new technologies, and social services. It is a good idea to combine Russian with some other field, as its study complements that of many other majors. For more detailed information on jobs, consult the Department of Linguistics.

Russian (RUS)

101-102 Elementary Russian 1st-2nd Semester (5-5)
RUS102 prerequisite: RUS101
Basic introduction to pronunciation, reading, writing, and conversation; introduces cultural topics. LEC

223-224 Intermediate Russian 1st-2nd Semester (5-5) (F; Sp)
RUS223 prerequisite: RUS102 or permission of instructor
RUS224 prerequisite: RUS223 or permission of instructor
Sequel to RUS101-102. Completion of basic grammar. Communicative topics include weather, phone conversations, travel, movies, TV, reading, free time, health, and holidays. Further work with authentic reading and listening materials and practical writing tasks. LEC

301-302 Third-Year Russian 1st-2nd Semester (3-3)
RUS301 prerequisite: RUS224 or permission of instructor
RUS302 prerequisite: RUS301 or permission of instructor
Develops reading, conversation, and grammar, with a focus on Russian culture. Topics include meeting people, weddings, family issues, Russian cooking, traditions and customs, nature, art, and the Russian soul. A video accompanies the text. LEC

311 Russian Culture (3)
Highlights of Russian culture, including art, architecture, music, literature, religion, food, customs, the Russian soul, the burning question of what it means to be Russian, and Russia's relationship to the West. LEC

320 Pushkin to Pasternak (3)
A survey of Russian literature from Pushkin to Pasternak. LEC

323-324 Russian Literature in Translation (3-3)
RUS323 prerequisite: ENG201 or permission of instructor
RUS324 prerequisite: RUS323 or permission of instructor
Major works of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Russian literature. LEC

325 Turn-of-the-Century Russian Literature in Translation: Mystics and Revolutionaries (3)
Prerequisite: ENG201 or permission of instructor
At the end of the 1900s Russia was gripped by apocalyptic visions and cataclysmic expectations that produced some of the world's most famous prose writers, poets, set designers, painters, and film directors. Examines the rich legacy of turn-of-the-century Russian culture, focussing on the legacy of the decadent, symbolist, and avant-garde movements, culminating in the greatest rebellion of them all-the Russian Revolution. LEC

327 The Russian-Jewish Experience (3)
Prerequisite: ENG201 or permission of instructor
Examines the Jewish experience in Russia and the Soviet Union from the late-eighteenth century, when millions of Jews became part of the Russian Empire, to the present. Jewish responses to the challenge of secularism, the Jewish love-hate relationship with Russia, Jewish participation in revolutionary movements, Jewish achievements under czar and commissar, the Soviet attempt to destroy Jewish culture, and the rebirth of Jewish culture in Russia today. LEC

393 Study Abroad (1-18)
LEC

408 Fourth-Year Russian (3)
Advanced Russian conversation and composition. LEC

499 Independent Study (var)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Supplements regular offerings of the department. Students must secure the permission of instructor before registering for independent study. TUT

Academic Affairs

Phone: (716) 645-6003

Fax: (716) 645-2549

Last updated: Thursday, 09-Dec-2004 15:21:20 EST