RUSS - Russian Major
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Program Requirements
Russian Major Requirements
Students may major in Russian (Plan A major) or Russian and a second language (Plan B major).
Plan A majors are required to complete 12 credits in Russian.
Plan B majors whose primary concentration is Russian are required to complete nine courses in Russian.
Plan B majors whose secondary concentration is Russian are required to complete seven courses in Russian.
The Plan A Major: Plan A majors are required to complete 12 credits in Russian as follows:
Seven courses in Russian, to be chosen from among the following: RUSS 101, 102, 201, 202, 210, 270, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 320.
Two courses in Russian literature and culture.
A senior thesis, RUSS 497.
Two cognate courses in Russian studies from outside the department.
Credit acquired through the Language Across the Curriculum program may also count toward the cognate requirement. Students who begin Russian in their sophomore year are encouraged to do summer work off campus at an approved program.
The Plan B Major: Plan B majors whose primary concentration is Russian are required to complete nine courses in Russian, as follows:
Seven courses from the language sequence.
One literature and culture course in translation (RUSS 284, 285, 286, 288, 357).
The senior exercise (RUSS 497. Senior Thesis). The thesis must explore a topic that joins Russia with the student’s secondary concentration.
Plan B majors whose secondary concentration is Russian are required to complete five courses in Russian from the Russian language sequence. Literature courses taught in English and cross-listed with a LACS prefix may not be counted.
Please note that some aspect of Russian literature or culture must be an integral part of the senior exercise required for the student’s primary concentration.
All Russian majors (Plan A and Plan B) are required to pass the department’s Russian language proficiency examination.
The Writing Intensive Part II requirement for the Plan A or Plan B Russian major is fulfilled by RUSS 497.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Honors: To qualify for honors in the Russian major students must attain a cumulative average of A- or better in all courses counting toward the major, including RUSS 497.
Language and Culture Studies Requirements
Plan A major: Under this plan, students major in a single foreign language (French, German studies, Hispanic studies, Italian studies, or Russian). Please see listings and descriptions of respective majors. Credit acquired through the Language Across the Curriculum program may be applied to the cognate requirements. Students are also required to complete a project synthesizing coursework taken for the major. Except under exceptional circumstances, this project will be undertaken in the language section’s 401. Senior Seminar; it must be done at Trinity College. See full descriptions under individual language headings.
Plan B major: Under this plan, students may combine any two of the languages taught in the department of language and culture studies and the classical studies department. A minimum of seven courses in a primary language and five in a secondary language is required, as well as two courses in a cognate field or fields. A paper integrating the three fields of study—primary language field, secondary language field, and some aspect of the cognate field(s)—must be completed in one of the primary language upper-level courses. Except under exceptional circumstances this project will be undertaken in the primary language section’s 401 Senior Seminar, which must be done at Trinity College. See full descriptions under individual language headings.
Course work completed for the major under Plans A or B, or the minor, must receive C- or better, and students must demonstrate oral and written proficiency in the appropriate language(s). First-year students planning to take a language course (other than 101) must take the placement test, administered during first-year orientation.
Upper-level courses are conducted in the foreign language unless otherwise indicated.
Permission to major under Plan A or B or to opt for the language and culture studies minor must be obtained from the department chair.
Any student wishing to enroll for credit in a lower-level language sequence after having been granted credit for a course in the same language at a higher level must first obtain the written permission of the department chair.
All language skill courses may require extra lab or drill sessions at the discretion of the instructor.
Core courses: Please see listings and descriptions of respective majors.
Capstone/senior project: Students are also required to complete a project synthesizing coursework taken for the major. Except under exceptional circumstances, this project will be undertaken in the language section’s 401. Senior Seminar; it must be done at Trinity College. See full descriptions under individual language headings.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Study away: Majors and other students are urged to spend at least one semester abroad, or to enroll in a summer study-away program or a recognized summer language institute in North America. Special attention is called to the Trinity College programs in Berlin, Rome, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Vienna. The departmental contacts for these programs are, respectively, Professors Evelein, Del Puppo, Shen, Izumi, and Evelein. Brochures describing each of these programs in detail are available both through the department and the Office of Study Away.
Honors: Departmental honors are awarded to seniors who have maintained an A- average in all courses to be counted toward their major (including cognate courses). A minimum grade of A- is furthermore required in the senior exercise (401).
Language Across the Curriculum: In addition to majoring in a language through Plan A or Plan B, or choosing a minor, there is also the opportunity to apply language skills to a wide array of courses across the entire college curriculum through the Language Across the Curriculum Program.
This option is generally open to all students who have completed the intermediate level (fourth semester, or equivalent) in any foreign language currently taught at Trinity and who are enrolled in any course outside the department in which the instructor, in collaboration with a member of the language and culture studies faculty, approves a supplementary reading list in the foreign language. For example, those studying European history, the economy of Latin America, or Freud could do supplementary readings in French, Spanish, or German; those studying art history or modern theater might do further readings in Italian or Russian respectively. There are many other possibilities. Upon satisfactory completion of the assigned work, students will be awarded an extra half credit in the course in question. For further information, see any member of the department.
Courses designated with the LACS department prefix are conducted in English.