Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Center Office: 104 International Studies Building, 910 South Fifth Street, Champaign, (217) 333-1244
There are two "Russian" majors (and minors) at the University of Illinois. What is the difference between them and which is the right one for you?
The major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies has a multidisciplinary area studies focus. Students take courses in a variety of disciplines (history, sociology, political science) and develop a broad expertise in the history, politics, and culture of the region that includes Russia, but also many other countries, from the Czech Republic to Estonia to Uzbekistan. Language study can be in Russian or in any of the other languages of the region offered here. Students often go on to careers in government service or to work at NGOs.
The major in Russian Language and Literature is a traditional single disciplinary major, though the department encourages interdisciplinary approaches that focus on literature and the arts, literature and medicine, cinema, history, politics, or culture in Russia. Students develop intensive cultural literacy and communication skills through humanities oriented training, and many go on to careers in writing and editing, media, or work with international cultural foundations and organizations.
That said, the majors are only as different, or as similar, as you make them. You can choose literature as your primary field for the REEEC major, or take social science courses to develop broad area expertise in your supporting coursework for the Russian language and literature major. Both are excellent preparation for law school or graduate school and careers in teaching or research.
The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center offers an interdisciplinary major and minor in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES). These programs involve students in the study of an important and complex world area in a manner that draws together the approaches of different disciplines, while at the same time building knowledge in a single discipline. A student will construct an individual program of study, depending on the student's interests and career goals, in consultation with the undergraduate advisor of the Center.
The aim of the REEES major is to provide students with a knowledge base in one discipline that will permit them to qualify for graduate study, an interdisciplinary focus on issues critical to the region, and foundational language training necessary for professional specialization in the area.
Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum
E-mail: reec@illinois.edu
Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minimum required major and supporting courses equate to 48 hours.
General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements.
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Departmental distinction: To qualify for departmental distinction, a student must have at least a 3.5 GPA in the courses taken for Component 2 (see below) and must complete a senior thesis in consultation with a faculty member affiliated with the center. Students who wish to qualify for distinction in this major should consult with the center director at the beginning of the junior year or earlier to prepare a suitable plan.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 6 | Component 1: Completion of three years of college-level study of Russian or another language of Eastern Europe or Eurasia , or equivalent proficiency. This stipulation may be partially satisfied through fulfillment of the LAS two-year language requirement if a regionally appropriate language is chosen for that purpose. A third year of study, however, is demanded beyond this. If a non-Russian, East European or Eurasian language is selected to meet the LAS requirement, then the three years of Russian, East European or Eurasian language study specified here must be taken in addition to those completed to satisfy the LAS requirement. Only the hours earned in the third, most advanced year of language study are calculated into the degree here, as these represent proficiency beyond that required by all LAS BA degree programs and as the first two years of language study are a prerequisite for the third. |
| 24 | Component 2: Russian and East European studies core courses, including: |
REES 200 - Intro to Russia and Eurasia |
|
15 hours: Choose one course from each of three departments other than the department used for component 3 below. The courses comprising the remaining hours of component 2 may be from the same discipline as those under component 3; however, a course may be counted toward the total for only one component. Language courses that concentrate on the basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing cannot be counted as part of this component. |
|
| 18 | Component 3: Courses in a single discipline. Among those disciplines that are most commonly used with this specialization are anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, Russian language and literature, and sociology. 2 Among disciplines also used are business administration, comparative literature, education, English, fine arts, French, German, journalism, linguistics, mathematics, music, philosophy, psychology, and various natural sciences. Others are permitted. Consult your advisor. |
2. If a foreign language is used for this component, 20 hours must be taken beyond the requirement of 6 additional hours outlined under component 1 above.
Twelve hours of 300- or 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.
All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
A Major Plan of Study Form must be completed and submitted to the LAS Student Affairs Office before the end of the fifth semester (60-75 hours). Please see your advisor.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
The interdisciplinary minor in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies allows students in diverse fields to complement their programs with a study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. Programs of study can be tailored to the needs and interests of individual students, in consultation with the undergraduate advisor.
E-mail: reec@illinois.edu
Web address for department: www.reec.uiuc.edu
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 6-8 | The equivalent of three semesters of college-level language study in Russian or another language of Eastern Europe or Eurasia. This stipulation may be satisfied through partial fulfillment of the LAS two-year language requirement if a regionally appropriate language is chosen for that purpose. If a non-REEE language is selected to meet the LAS requirement, then the three semesters of REEE language study specified here must be taken in addition to those completed to satisfy the LAS requirement. Only those hours earned in the second and third semester of language study are calculated into the degree, as the first semester represents a prerequisite for the other two. |
| 15 | Courses on Russia, Eastern Europe, or Eurasia from at least three different academic units. 1 (Literature courses are acceptable for this requirement; language courses are not.) No more than 6 hours may be counted from any one unit; 6 hours must be at the 300- or 400-level. |
| 21 | Total hours 2 |
2. No more than 9 hours may be taken at the 100-level.