Our Courses are listed below, and look to the bottom of the page for some great pictures of Russia.

Language courses

Welcome to the Russian language.
We do not have a formal placement test to decide which level of Russian you should take. We use this general rule of thumb for placement:
0-2 years of Russian: take RUSS 110, Beginning Russian
2-4 years of Russian: sign up for RUSS 210, Intermediate Russian

Students who have had four years or more of Russian already should consider the advanced sequence. Russian heritage speakers(students who grew up speaking some Russian at home) present a special case. If you speak but cannot read or write at all, consider RUSS 110. If you know some basic reading and writing, take Intermediate, RUSS 210, or consider the advanced sequence.

In all cases, students may move between courses during the first two weeks of classes; the student and the department faculty decide together which level is the best fit.

RUSS 110 Beginning Russian I
RUSS 111 Beginning Russian II
RUSS 210 Intermediate Russian I
RUSS 211 Intermediate Russian II

Advanced language courses

Please note that these four courses are not sequential. They can be taken in any order.
RUSS 240 Advanced Russian
RUSS 241 Advanced Russian Composition and Conversation
RUSS 242 Advanced Russian Conversation and Grammar
RUSS 243 Advanced Russian: Grammar, History, Politics
RUSS 343 Advanced Russian: Grammar, History, Politics

Literature and culture courses given in Russian

These courses are designed for Russian majors and are conducted in Russian, but we welcome all qualified students.
RUSS 351 Selected Prose Writers
RUSS 352 Russian Poetry
RUSS 370 Russian for the Arts, Business and Politics
RUSS 401 or 402 Senior Seminar, — rare and often replaced with other advanced work
RUSS 500 Individual Research

Courses given in English

Courses in culture, literature and civilization conducted in English are open to all students; no Russian language is required. Many of these courses have Connections in the older Connections Curriculum.

Note on rotation of courses: We offer different courses to our majors during their four years of study. Russian literature and culture courses rotate on a three-year cycle; a few are on a four-year cycle.

RUSS 101 Russian Folklore
RUSS 200 Russian Literature: Icons to Revolution
RUSS 201 Revolution, Sci-Fi, Dystopia
RUSS 203 Russian Drama
RUSS 281 Russian Arts and Culture
RUSS 282 Russian Film
RUSS 284 Women in Russian Culture
RUSS 285 Russian Jewish Culture
RUSS 287 Russia’s “East” — Literature and Culture
RUSS 300 Russian Literature: Icons to Revolution – Advanced
RUSS 301 Revolution, Sci-Fi, Dystopia – Advanced
RUSS 384 Women in Russian Culture – Advanced
RUSS 387 Russia’s “East” – Advanced
RUSS 198, 298, 398  Experimental Courses at various levels
RUSS 099, 199, 299 or 399: Independent Study at various levels

Courses in Affiliated Other Departments

The courses below from affiliated other departments count towards the Russian Studies major. That major requires seven RUSS courses and then three courses from affiliated departments, selected from this list and from at least two different departments. The list has been updated fall 2022.

ECON 288  Foundations of Political Economy
ECON 305  International Finance
HIST 215    History of Russia
POLS 109  International Relations, with permission of professor and of Russian department
MUS 311    Western Music II
REL 285     Russian Jewish Culture

Here’s the “answer” to the Alphabet  question on the Main Page:
Москва = Moskva = Moscow, Бостон = Boston.
We’re sure you got both right !!