Programs of Study Spring 2005 illinois home
 

Russian and East European Studies

The Russian, East European and Eurasian Center sponsors an interdisciplinary major and minor in Russian and East European Studies. 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 adviser of the Center.

Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum

E-mail: reec@uiuc.edu

Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Minimum required major and supporting courses equate to 46 hours.

General education: The LAS General Education requirements are set up so students automatically 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: Two courses in advanced conversation and/or composition (beyond the level specified by the LAS language requirement) in Russian or another language of Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union, or equivalent proficiency. (Students considering graduate work in this field are advised to continue language study beyond these 6 additional hours.)
20 Component 2: Russian and East European studies core courses, including:
 
REES 200–Intro to Russia and Eurasia
 
REES 495–Senior Seminar
 
14 hours: Choose one course from each of three departments other than the department used for component 3 below. Although some of the courses used to count under component 2 may be from the same discipline as those under component 3, any one course may be counted toward the total for only one component. 1 Language courses that concentrate on the basic skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing cannot be counted as part of this component, although Russian language courses may be used as part of component 3 as described below.
20 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 adviser.
1. The Center maintains a list of applicable courses on its web site.

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 adviser.

Minor in Russian and East European Studies

The minor in Russian and East European studies allows students in diverse fields to complement their programs with interdisciplinary study of Russia and Eastern Europe. Programs of study can be tailored to the needs and interests of individual students, in consultation with the undergraduate adviser.

E-mail: reec@uiuc.edu

Web address for department: www.reec.uiuc.edu

Hours Requirements
6-8 The equivalent of two years of college language study in Russian or another language relevant to the region.
15 Courses on Russia or Eastern Europe 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
1. The Center maintains a list of applicable courses on its web site.
2. No more than 9 hours may be taken at the 100-level.