Russian Studies Minor
A minor is an optional component of a student’s degree that will be reflected on the student’s transcript. Minors are an excellent way for students to customize their learning experience and craft a degree program that is uniquely theirs. Students can even earn multiple minors to supplement a bachelor's degree. For example, students pursuing a degree in interpersonal communication might find that a minor in sociology is an excellent pairing, while a student pursuing a degree in public administration might add a minor in sustainability issues to help create a cleaner, greener future. And in some cases, employers offer bonuses or higher salaries to employees who have a foreign language minor.
From Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great, from Vladimir Lenin to Vladimir Putin: Russia has produced some of the world’s most formidable political leaders. In 1939, Winston Churchill famously called Russia “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” and the Russian Studies minor will enable you to explore exactly what Churchill might have found so mysterious about Russia.
Russia remains a powerful political, economic, and cultural force in the world today: it is the largest land mass country in the world, it ranks among the top ten countries in the world in terms of population and fossil fuel reserves, and it wields considerable diplomatic influence as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Russia has also given the world such cultural touchstones as the Bolshoi Ballet, music by Tchaikovsky, and literary works by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.
This minor is open to all majors, but expertise in Russian Studies is particularly relevant for students majoring in history, geography, political science, global art and visual culture, and international business. Study of the Russian language is not required. For more information, please contact Dr. Erik Huneke, Director of the Russian Studies minor.
Curriculum
A Russian Studies minor complements a range of majors in both the College of Liberal Arts and elsewhere in the university. Some of these are:
- Education
- Professional Media
- Business Law
- International Relations
- Political Science
- Public Administration