Our mission is to provide high-quality language, literature, and culture instruction, imparted from a humanistic perspective, that prepares students for life in an increasingly complex and international world.
We are a premier program that offers the only Russian graduate degree in the Southwest. Graduate students, majors, double-majors, and minors will explore the rich heritage of Russia and the post-Soviet world through courses in culture, film, literature, and language. Faculty research in the areas of linguistics, literary study, language pedagogy, and cultural study is viewed as enhancing instruction at all levels and establishing scholarly preeminence appropriate to a student-centered Research I university.
Did you know?
- More than a quarter of the world's scientific publications are in Russian, ranking second to English. The Russian scientific tradition is especially strong in chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics, and biology.
- Russian is one of five official languages of the United Nations and is the native language of some 150 million citizens of the Russian Federal Republic. About 270 million people across the world speak Russian.
Study Abroad/Fieldwork
Cultural immersions allow students to enhance their language skills in a real-world setting. The department encourages students to study abroad and provides opportunities for Russian language study in the former Soviet Union, including language study programs and internship possibilities in Moscow.
Programs for study abroad include Arizona in Russia and Arizona in Kazakhstan. Information regarding the semester and summer programs may be obtained in the Russian department, Learning Services Building 305. Scholarships and financial aid are available.
Career Opportunities
Russian majors leave equipped with language and cultural skills that are transferrable to any industry. Graduates work in a variety of careers in the professional world including: education, business, interpretation, public relations, psychology cybersecurity, government, and more. Graduates may also choose to enter law school, medical school, or a multitude of other advanced degree programs.
Learning Outcomes
The following was developed by the Slavic Studies Librarian, Michael Brewer. Here is a list of information literacy learning outcomes for undergraduate Russian majors.
Understand the structure of information within the field of literary research:
- Differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and use each appropriately.
- Understand the concept of peer-reviewed sources of information.
- Understand that literary texts exist in a variety of conditions, some of which are more authoritative or useful than others.
Identify and use key literary research tools to locate relevant information:
- Effectively use library catalogs and union lists (Worldcat/RLIN) to identify relevant holdings at local institutions and at other libraries.
- Understand the range of physical locations in one's library system.
- Identify, locate, evaluate, and use reference information about authors, critics, and theorists.
- Use reference resources to provide background information and contextual information about social, intellectual, and literary culture.
Plan effective search strategies and modify search strategies as needed:
- Use appropriate commands (such as Boolean operators) for database searches.
- Identify broader, narrower, and related terms or concepts when initial searches retrieve few or no results.
- Identify and use subject terms/descriptors (from the MLA International Bibliography and other specialized indexes and bibliographies).
- Understand the elements of a bibliographic record.
- Identify and use the Library of Congress subject headings in the library catalog.
Recognize and make appropriate use of library services in the research process:
- Identify and utilize librarians in the research process.
- Use interlibrary loan to acquire materials not available at one's own library.
Understand that some information sources are more authoritative than others and demonstrate critical thinking in the research process:
- Know the different types of Internet resources (e.g., electronic discussion lists, websites) and how to evaluate them for relevancy and credibility.
- Differentiate between resources provided free on the Internet and other electronic resources.
- Understand the research uses and limitations of Internet search engines.
Understand the mechanical and ethical issues involved in writing research essays:
- Employ MLA documentation style properly and document sources ethically.
- Understand the different transliteration and transcription systems used in scholarly and popular sources and be able to transliterate Russian using the simplified LC transliteration system (or other relevant system).
Locate information about the literary profession itself:
- Access information about financial assistance, grants, and scholarships.
- Access information about graduate programs, specialized programs, workshops, and summer study or internship opportunities.
Meet Our Students
Whether it's a passion for languages, literatures and culture, a calling to serve others around the world, or a desire for a dynamic career, see why we choose Humanities.