The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers two different major tracks.
Russian/East European/Eurasian Cultures
This track offers an interdisciplinary area studies approach. For this major track, students chose between two concentrations: Russian, or Armenian/Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian/Czech/Hungarian/Polish. Two years of study (or the equivalent) in Russian or another language are required. This major track integrates the study of languages and cultures of a large area: Russia, East Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, and Eurasia. Students design their own programs by selecting courses offered by the Slavic department and other departments such as History, Political Economy, Geography, Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, Anthropology, and others. While all majors in this track will gain some knowledge of the whole area, the program also allows each student to emphasize a specific cultural region, compare different regions, and/or define a particular field of study.
Students are advised to see the major advisor in advance to prepare an individualized study list plan.
Russian Language and Literature
This track focuses specifically on Russian language and literature. It requires three years of language coursework (or the equivalent). This major track integrates the study of Russian language, literature, and culture. Students will learn what defines Russia’s unique place in civilization both in earlier times and in today’s world. Students are advised to see the major advisor in advance to prepare an individualized study plan.
Declaring the Major
All students must see the major advisor for consultation, language proficiency referral (as needed), and study list planning and approval prior to pursuing a major track. Students may declare their major upon entry to the University. However, the department encourages one year of study in the student’s major language prior to declaration.
Heritage Speakers of Russian
Heritage speakers include those who grew up in Russian speaking families or communities but without a standard Russian language educational background. Heritage speakers may select any major or minor track offered by the Department except the minor in Russian language. The requirements may change depending on each student’s language proficiency and academic interests. Consult the Major Advisor for language testing and individualized plan of study.
Honors Program
Slavic majors with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 overall and in courses for the major are invited to consult with members of the faculty and the major advisor in the spring of their junior year about the honors program and a thesis topic. Requirements for the honors program in Slavic include an additional upper division Slavic course chosen by the student and an honors thesis course (SLAVIC H195).
In the honors thesis course, normally taken during the fall semester of the senior year, the student will write a thesis under the direction of a member of the faculty (the thesis director). In order to enroll in SLAVIC H195, students must file an application with the department (available from the undergraduate student services advisor). This application includes a preliminary statement of the thesis topic and the names and signatures of the honors committee—the faculty director and one additional faculty member who also read the completed thesis—and the department chair.
Minors offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
This major track focuses on the study of Russian language, literature, and culture. Students are advised to see the Undergraduate Advisor in advance to prepare an individualized study plan.
Cultures of Captivity: Prison Literature in the U.S. and Russia [3]
Two courses chosen from the upper-division courses in Russian literature and culture offered by the Slavic Department (130 or 140 series or area-relevant courses from other departments and programs, such as Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Legal Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies).
Research in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies [1]
Major Track in Russian/East European/Eurasian Languages and Cultures
This major track integrates the study of languages and cultures of a large area: Russia, East Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, and Eurasia. Students design their own programs by selecting courses offered by the Slavic and other departments and programs, such as Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Legal Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. While all majors in this track will gain knowledge of the whole area, the program also allows each student to concentrate on a particular language and culture. Students are advised to see the Undergraduate Advisor in advance to prepare an individualized study plan.
Concentration in Russian:
Course List
Code
Title
Units
Lower Division
Four semesters of Russian language or equivalent, as determined by examination. See Undergraduate Advisor for language testing and placement information.
Seminar: Russian, East European, and Eurasian Cultures
3
Five courses chosen from the upper-division courses offered by the Slavic Department, or area-relevant courses from other departments and programs, such as Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Legal Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. With permission of the Undergraduate Advisor, it may be possible to substitute another upper-division course.
Research in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies [1]
College Requirements
Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.
For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages.
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade.
The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.
College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements
The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.
The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.
In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.
College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements
The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.
Unit Requirements
120 total units
Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units
Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements
For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.
Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.
Senior Residence Requirement
After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.
You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.
Modified Senior Residence Requirement
Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.
Upper Division Residence Requirement
You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.
Student Learning Goals
Learning Goals for the Major
Communicative and reading competence in at least one of the languages of the area: the major track in Russian Language and Literature requires communicative competence in the Russian language; the major track in Russian/East European/Eurasian Cultures requires communicative competence in one of the languages of the area (to be chosen from regularly taught languages: Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, or Russian)
Understanding of the shared linguistic, literary, cultural, and historical experiences that unite and divide the peoples of Russia, East and Central Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia during a millennium including their intermediary position between the “West” and the “East,” participation in large multi-national states and empires, and membership in the Soviet bloc in the twentieth century that is participation in the cultural and political developments that influenced the history of the large part of the world
Solid knowledge of Russian and other major Slavic literatures from the Middle Ages to contemporary times
Understanding of such aspects of the cultures of the area as folklore, film, theater, visual arts, and religious thought
Mastery of writing, research, and analytical skills, including advance skills in expository writing (in English), in interpreting texts, images, and other cultural artifacts (especially, but not exclusively, those pertaining to the cultures of the area). Mastery of twelve techniques of verbal communication, independent research, information analysis, and critical thinking. Slavic majors achieve their learning goals mainly through coursework within the clearly defined, discipline-specific curriculum
Major Map
Major maps are experience maps that help undergraduates plan their Berkeley journey based on intended major or field of interest. Featuring student opportunities and resources from your college and department as well as across campus, each map includes curated suggestions for planning your studies, engaging outside the classroom, and pursuing your career goals in a timeline format.
Use the major map below to explore potential paths and design your own unique undergraduate experience:
The department provides programmatic and individual advising services to prospective and current students who are pursuing major and minor tracks. Advisors assist with a range of issues including course selection, academic decision-making, achieving personal and academic goals, and maximizing the Berkeley experience.
Students who are looking to explore their options or are ready to declare a major, double major, or minor should contact the undergraduate student services adviser.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
An introduction to Armenian language and culture, aiming to give students basic competence in all four skills and an introduction to traditional and contemporary Armenian culture. Introductory Armenian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 1A: None. 1B: 1A or equivalent; consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of session per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
An introduction to Armenian language and culture, aiming to give students basic competence in all four skills and an introduction to traditional and contemporary Armenian culture. Introductory Armenian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 1A or equivalent; consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of session per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The purpose of this course is to further develop students' Armenian proficiency in all four language skills, using discussion, oral presentations, written assignments, and a variety of readings (literature, non-fiction, folklore, newspaper articles, etc.) chosen partly for their cultural significance and partly based on student needs and interests. Emphasis on particular skills (e.g. reading) depending on student needs and interests. Continuing Armenian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 1A-1B or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
The purpose of this course is to further develop students' Armenian proficiency in all four language skills, using discussion, oral presentations, written assignments, and a variety of readings (literature, non-fiction, folklore, newspaper articles, etc.) chosen partly for their cultural significance and partly based on student needs and interests. Emphasis on particular skills (e.g. reading) depending on student needs and interests. Continuing Armenian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 2A-2B or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2020, Spring 2017
Selected readings in Armenian drawn from a wide range of texts—literature, history, journalism, politics, law, science and technology, business and economics, etc.—tailored to the academic interests of students enrolled.
The course is designed to further develop students’ language skills and to link language competence to the study of the contemporary politics, culture, and society in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
This course covers selected works and topics in Armenian literature treated in a broad socio-cultural context. In addition to introducing students to some of the Armenian literary masterpieces, the course offers a lens through which to view the socio-political issues and historical legacies that shape Armenian culture and identity, in Armenia and in diaspora, in today’s globalized world. Lectures, readings and discussions in English. No knowledge of Armenian language is required (students with knowledge of Armenian read in the original). Armenian Literature in Social Context: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019
This course examines issues in Armenian culture (folklore, literature, architecture, visual arts, and film), with particular attention to Armenian cultural identity and socio-political movements in today’s Armenia and in diaspora. Lectures, readings and discussions in English. No knowledge of Armenian language is required (students with knowledge of Armenian read in the original). Armenian Culture and Film: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Summer 2022 8 Week Session
An overview of the literature, visual arts, and social thought produced in Armenia and its transnational diaspora since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the establishment of Armenia’s independence in 1991. The course examines contemporary developments in the arts in the context of the major socio-political changes of the period. Arts and Culture in Armenia and the Diaspora Since 1991: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of web-based lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Armenian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2017
Selected readings in Czech drawn from a wide range of texts—literature, history, science, media and journalism, politics, business and economics, etc.—tailored to the academic interests and language proficiency of students enrolled.
The course is designed to further develop students’ language skills and to link language competence to the study of the contemporary politics, culture, and society in the Czech Republic and, more broadly, Eastern Europe.
The course is taught in a small group setting. The course requires considerable independent reading at home.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Practical instruction in the Hungarian language. The course can be taken for either 3 or 4 units; the additional unit involves additional assignments. Introductory Hungarian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 1A is prerequisite to 1B; consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Hungarian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Practical instruction in the Hungarian language. The course can be taken for either 3 or 4 units; the additional unit involves language work and additional written reading assignments. Introductory Hungarian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 1A is prerequisite to 1B; consent of instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students who have taken 5 units of 10A will receive no credit for 1A. Students who have taken 10 units of 10A will receive no credit for 1B.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Hungarian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
The purpose of this course is to further develop the student's language proficiency in reading, speaking and writing by using interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative modes. Exploration of fascinating aspects of Hungarian culture including elements of literature, contemporary and historical events, pop-culture, and folklore. Students will be able to influence topic selections according to their personal goals and interests. Readings in Hungarian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Hungarian 1A and 1B or consent of instructor, based on in-person assessment
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Hungarian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a full Russian educational and cultural background. These courses are designed for students who have speaking and comprehension ability in Russian but have minimum exposure to writing and reading. This course teaches basic skills of writing, reading, and grammar. 6A focuses on basic writing and reading ability. 6B introduces further knowledge of grammar and syntax and develops writing skills. Both 6A and 6B include reading and cultural material. (Students with advanced reading proficiency should consider Slavic 114 or Slavic 190.) Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Basic proficiency in Russian; placement test and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 6A
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a full Russian educational and cultural background. These courses are designed for students who have speaking and comprehension ability in Russian but have minimum exposure to writing and reading. This course teaches basic skills of writing, reading, and grammar. 6A focuses on basic writing and reading ability. 6B introduces further knowledge of grammar and syntax and develops writing skills. Both 6A and 6B include reading and cultural material. (Students with advanced reading proficiency should consider Slavic 114 or Slavic 190.) Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Basic proficiency in Russian; placement test and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 6B
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This summer session course is equivalent to the first year of Russian language instruction offered at Berkeley. An intensive program designed to develop students' comprehension and conversation skills while presenting the basic grammar of modern, standard Russian. Lectures and films on Russian culture will be arranged. Elementary Intensive Russian: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer: 10 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 10
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This summer session course is equivalent to the second year of Russian language instruction at Berkeley. An intensive program designed to consolidate command of basic grammar and further develop comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. Intermediate Intensive Russian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: First year Russian
Hours & Format
Summer: 10 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 20
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Aimed at both undergraduate and graduate students, this course helps students to improve their pronunciation, bringing it closer to the native level. The course teaches a whole spectrum of oral speech performance, including phonetics, intonation, and rhetoric, taking into account different functional styles. Course may be taken for 1 unit (5 weeks: basic skills), 2 units (10 weeks: advanced skills) or 3 units (15 weeks: advanced phonetics and performance). Advanced Russian Phonetics and Oral Performance: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 101
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Selected readings in scholarly (scientific and technical), journalistic, and business styles to acquaint the student with the peculiarities of vocabulary, grammar, and phraseology. Readings in Specialized Russian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 6 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 102
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Course covers three main aspects of advanced Russian: grammar, syntax, and reading. Grammar is reviewed. Course taught in Russian. Advanced Russian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
Course covers three main aspects of advanced Russian: grammar, syntax, and reading. Grammar is reviewed. Course taught in Russian. Advanced Russian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 103A, Russian 4, or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021
Advanced training in both oral and written translation skills covering various areas of politics, business, technology, law, science, and culture. Elements of literary and poetic translation. Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 1, 2, 3 and 4 or equivalent, or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Muza
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 105A
Terms offered: Spring 2016
Advanced training in both oral and written translation skills covering various areas of politics, business, technology, law, science, and culture. Elements of literary and poetic translation. Advanced Russian/English/Russian Translation: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 1, 2, 3 and 4, or equivalent, or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Muza
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 105B
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019
The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a standard Russian educational background. The advanced course aims at building a sophisticated vocabulary, developing advanced reading ability, formal knowledge of grammar, and complete writing competency. This course fosters student's knowledge and understanding of Russian culture and society today. (Students with no or rudimentary reading proficiency should consider 6A or 6B by consent of instructor.) Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Advanced speaking and reading proficiency in Russian, placement test, and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Muza
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 106A
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a standard Russian educational background. The advanced course aims at building a sophisticated vocabulary, developing advanced reading ability, formal knowledge of grammar, and complete writing competency. This course fosters student's knowledge and understanding of Russian culture and society today. (Students with no or rudimentary reading proficiency should consider 6A or 6B by consent of instructor.) Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Advanced speaking and reading proficiency in Russian; placement test, and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Muza
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 106B
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course is designed for students with a good command of basic Russian who would like to gain the vocabulary of business transactions in Russian to be able to establish actual contacts with Russian businesspeople, to participate in business negotiations, to compile business contracts in Russian, and to read Russian business magazines and newspapers. Elements of the business law of Russia will also be discussed. Business Russian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 103B or equivalent; consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 109
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2018, Fall 2016
Aimed at fostering advanced conversation and communication skills, this course explores Russian culture through communication. Contains reading, films, vocabulary building, listening exercises, and speaking activities. The course can be taken for two or three credits; for two credits, attendance is required for two classes per week; for three credits, three classes per week. Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 120A
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2017
Aimed at fostering advanced conversation and communication skills, this course explores Russian culture through communication. Contains reading, films, vocabulary building, listening exercises, and speaking activities. The course can be taken for two or three credits; for two credits, attendance is required for two classes per week; for three credits, three classes per week. Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 4 or equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Russian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 120B
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Reading and composition course based on works of Russian and other Slavic writers, either written in English or translated into English. As students develop strategies of writing and interpretation, they will become acquainted with a particular theme in Russian and/or Slavic literatures and their major voices. R5A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R5B satisfies the second half. Reading and Composition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Reading and composition course based on works of Russian and other Slavic writers, either written in English or translated into English. As students develop strategies of writing and interpretation, they will become acquainted with a particular theme in Russian and/or Slavic literatures and their major voices. R5A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R5B satisfies the second half. Reading and Composition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2019, Spring 2019
The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 freshmen. Freshman Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2014
Readings in English of representative texts from the Russian literary tradition. Variable topics. Great Books of Russian Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2012
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Spring 2010, Spring 2004, Spring 2001
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2009
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2012, Spring 2012
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022
Freshman and Sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Nineteenth-century Russian literature, including Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov.
The class is taught in English, on the basis of English translations; students with knowledge of Russian are encouraged to do at least some of the reading in the original.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet literature from the 1900 to the present viewed in a socio-cultural and political context.
The class is taught in English, on the basis of English translations; students with knowledge of Russian are encouraged to do at least some of the reading in the original.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Books written for children emerge from specific and complicated social and historical contexts, as do the children (and adults) who read these books. In recent years, the world of children's books has been rocked by productive debates about the kinds of stories told and the identities of the voices telling those stories. In this class, we will read a wide assortment of books written (both long ago and very recently) for children, with particular attention paid to books addressing the experiences of Native, Latinx and African American children in the United States. We will also read scholarly, critical, and theoretical articles as we engage with our texts. Assessment will be based on class participation, written papers, and exams. Children's Literature in the Context of American Cultures: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024
This course introduces students to the cultures of the peoples of the former Soviet bloc (Russia and other areas of the former Soviet Union, including Central Asia and the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe), from early times to the present, with the emphasis on cultural identity. Readings in history, fiction, folklore, viewing of films, and art. Thematic units include formation of the Russian civilization, Slavic nationalism in the Romantic era, empire and identity in Eastern/Central Europe; Soviet and post-Soviet daily life, Jews in Slavic lands, the former Yugoslavia; multi ethnic lands. Required of majors in Russian/East European/Eurasian cultures, the course is also aimed at a broad audience. Knowledge of the areas' languages not required. Introduction to Russian/East European/Eurasian Cultures: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2019, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Group study of selected topics not covered by regularly scheduled courses. Directed Group Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore standing
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Supervised independent study for lower division students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Individual Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
An overview of various aspects of cultural history, literature, language, and society of Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. Variable topics. Course readings include primary texts (literature, film, popular culture, journalism) and scholarly studies. Course work emphasizes students' research. Final research paper or project required. Seminar: Russian, East European, and Eurasian Cultures: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018
Additional readings in the original language to be coordinated with an appropriate upper division lecture course with readings in English offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. This includes all courses in the Slavic 130, 140, 150, 160, and 170 and Armenian 120 series. Supervised by the instructor of the lecture course in which the student is also enrolled. Attend lectures and do all assigned written work in the main lecture course and also perform additional work by reading all or some of the primary texts in the original language. Advanced Readings in Russian, East European and Eurasian Languages: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Knowledge of an appropriate Slavic, East European or Eurasian language with approval of the instructor. Concurrent enrollment in an upper-division class in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 1 time.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of reading per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Special research project to be coordinated with an appropriate upper division lecture course offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. (This includes courses in the Slavic 130, 140, 150, 160, and 170 series and Armenian 120 series). Supervised by the instructor of the lecture course in which the student is also enrolled. Students attend lectures and do all assigned written work in the main lecture course and also perform additional research. Research in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Concurrent enrollment in an upper-division class in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 1 time.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2012, Spring 2010, Spring 2007
Introduction to the cultures of East Slavic peoples in the Middle Ages, including history, mythology, Christian religious culture, literature (writing), icon painting, and architecture. The Culture of Medieval Rus': Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2023, Fall 2018
A lecture course examining Russian literature and culture in the 20th century. The course will focus on the interaction of literature, other artistic forms (painting, photography, or film), and broader social and ideological changes in one of the key transitional periods of the 20th century. Periods to be examined include the transition to Communism in the post-revolutionary 20s and the retreat from Communism (the perestroika 80s and the post-Communist 90s). No knowledge of Russian is required. Literature, Art, and Society in 20th-Century Russia: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2015, Spring 2012, Spring 2004
A reading of novels by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy along with some relevant English novels. We will look at how the Russian and English novels respond to each other, resemble each other, and differ from each other, especially in their treatment of childhood, family, love, social theory, spirituality, and narrative. Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and the English Novel: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2018
Study of major Russian and Western (European and American) 19th- and 20th-century novels, and their interrelations. Variable reading list. See Department announcement for description. The Novel in Russia and the West: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 8 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2013, Fall 2009
Gogol's fiction and plays, treated in relation to his life and to developments in Russian and European literature. Extensive outside reading required for this course. Gogol: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
A survey of the writer's principal artistic works, treated in relation to his life and to developments in Russian and European literature. Extensive outside reading required for this course. Dostoevsky: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2020
A survey of the writer's principal artistic works, treated in relation to his life and to developments in Russian and European literature. Extensive outside reading required for this course. Tolstoy: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2021
Studies in the innovative master of modern narrative forms: short story, drama, letter. Extensive exposure to the life and times of Anton Chekhov. Practice in critical approaches to literature and theater. Writing-intensive course. Chekhov: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
A thorough examination of Nabokov's work as a novelist, critic, and memoirist. Explores Nabokov's fiction from his European and American periods, his (imagined) relation to literary predecessors, and his construct of an authorial self. Extensive outside reading required for this course. Nabokov: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2014
A reading of major works by Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the context of Russian and European philosophy and religious thought. Extensive outside reading required. Variable content. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2015, Fall 2010
Special topics in Russian literature and its international context. Variable subject matter; see Department announcement for description. Extensive outside reading required for this course. Studies in Russian Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2020
This course offers a cultural history of encounters between Russia and Asia in literature, film and visual art. The lenses of Orientalism, Eurasianism and Internationalism will be used to analyze Russian interactions with three spaces: the Caucasus, Central Asia, and East Asia. We will discuss works by classic Russian writers and artists (including Tolstoy, Blok and Platonov) that address the question of Russia’s engagement with Asia and consider Russia’s ambiguous spatial identity between Europe and Asia. We will also examine responses to Russian culture and the Russian/Soviet state in the literature and culture of China (Lu Xun, Xiao Hong), Japan (Kurosawa), Central Asia (Aitmatov) and the Caucasus (Sadulaev). All readings in English. Russia and Asia: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2015
An introduction to best practices in applying linguistic analysis to Slavic languages. Development of critical thinking and analytical skills. Introduction to Slavic Linguistics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: A year or more of a Slavic language or consent of instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Slavic Languages and Literatures C137/Linguistics C137 after taking Slavic Languages and Literatures 137; a deficient grade in Slavic Languages and Literatures 137 may be removed by taking Slavic Languages and Literatures C137/Linguistics C137.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2018, Spring 2017
This course will examine the Russian contribution to film history and theory, with particular attention paid to the role of the cinema in Soviet culture and Russian films complex ties to literary and political movements. Variable topics. Topics in Russian and Soviet Film: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
This course explores the literary and visual culture that emerged in post-Soviet societies following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Students will learn how literature and cinema transformed during a period of dramatic and even traumatic change, in the context of intense debates over national identity, the relationship to the socialist past, and the inter-relations of art, politics and commerce. While our focus will be on the literature, cinema and popular culture of post-Soviet Russia, we will also consider texts and films produced in other post-Soviet spaces: Ukraine, Armenia, and Central Asia. Post-Soviet Cultures: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2013, Spring 2010, Spring 2006
Linguistic background and the general principles of language spread. Mechanisms of language spread, including creolization-decreolization, language planning, and the role of bilingualism. Case studies in language spread, including Austronesian, Indo-European, Amerindian, Uralic, African, Sinitic, and Australian languages. Relationship of language spread to immigration and culture spreads. Language Spread: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008
The course will examine the Russian and East European contribution to the practice and theory of the performing arts, especially (but not exclusively) theater. The course emphasizes the involvement of the performing arts in the social and cultural fabric. The Performing Arts in Russia and Eastern Europe: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Fall 2021
Folktales, epic songs, customs, and beliefs of Russians and Ukrainians. East Slavic Folklore: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2019, Fall 2016
Folktales, epic songs, customs, and beliefs of the South Slavs and other Balkan peoples. Balkan Folklore: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2013, Spring 2011, Spring 2009
This course examines various dimensions of Russian culture--social, political, artistic, literary--in public and private life. The theory and method of cultural studies will be addressed, as well as concrete historical material pertaining to Russia. Topic and period variable. Instruction and texts in English, but students with a working knowledge of Russian are encouraged to do some reading in the original. Topics in Russian Cultural History: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024
This course explores narratives of incarceration in the U.S. and Russia, from the nineteenth century to the present day. Our focus will be on prison memoirs by Black, Indigenous, and Asian American writers, alongside works by Russian and Soviet authors. Cultures of Captivity: Prison Literature in the U.S. and Russia: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Fall 2014
A survey of the major writers, works, and trends of the Polish literary tradition from the Middle Ages to the present. Special attention devoted to the Renaissance, the age of Romanticism, and the modern period. No knowledge of Polish required. Polish Literature and Intellectual Trends: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2012, Fall 2010
Selected readings in Polish tailored to the academic interests of students enrolled. Readings in Polish Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 115A
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2019
This course examines various dimensions of different East European and Eurasian (Central Asia, the Caucasus, Siberia) cultures (history, society, languages, literature, art). Variable topics. Instruction and readings in English; students with knowledge of the languages of the area are encouraged to do some reading in the original language. Topics in East European/Eurasian Cultural History: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020
Outline of major developments in Serbian (including Montenegrin) and Croatian (including Dalmatian) literatures from the beginnings to the present. No knowledge of Serbian/Croatian required. Survey of Yugoslav Literatures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2015
This advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language and culture course allows students to hone their ability to analyze and discuss BCS texts from a range of literary, humanistic, and social scientific disciplines, written in a variety of genres. The pragmatic focus of the course will be on developing reading and writing fluency in BCS. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for approaching and comprehending challenging authentic texts. Advanced Readings in Yugoslav/Post-Yugoslav Studies: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites:BOSCRSR 117B or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2018
Studies in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian literature, linguistics, or conversation, depending on the needs of the students enrolled. Topics in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 117A (may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This four-week travel/study course will focus on legacies of war, exemplary moments of peaceful coexistence, and historical challenges to peace in the former Yugoslavia over the long 20th century. Taught in English, no prerequisites, open to Berkeley undergraduate students in all majors. Balkan Bridges: Contested Histories, Shared Commitments: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Summer: 4 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 25 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025
This course explores the richness, diversity, and artistic excellence of Balkan cinema, demonstrating how film in the region has – since its inception in ethnographic silent film to the cell phone movies of today – been bound up with urgent social issues. From war to gender, migration to protest, films from the Balkans have levied trenchant critiques and helped viewers and publics both make sense of and make changes in their societies. A thematic focus gives students practice in locating specific artistic trends, comparing and contrasting films, and engaging deeply with the power and possibilities of the film medium, with the goal of preparing students to draw transnational comparisons with other cinemas, regions, and eras. Balkan Cinema: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Not yet offered
This course introduces students to the history and legacy of war and conflict in the former Yugoslavia, while giving them a solid foundation in film criticism. Its syllabus showcases some of the most critically acclaimed films produced in the region – films which have had global impact and, in crucial instances, created new possibilities for what a war film can (and should) look like. War on Screen: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Formerly known as: Slavic Languages and Literatures 178
Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019
Study and analysis of the development of the Russian literary language and short fiction from the eighteenth century to the present. Readings in Russian Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 103A (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2022, Fall 2015
A survey of the writer's principal artistic works, treated in relation to his life and to developments in Russian and European literature. Pushkin: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 103A (which may be taken concurrently)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2020
Course conducted in Russian. Reading, analysis, and interpretation of representative authors from the nineteenth century to the present. Russian Prose: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 103B (may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 8 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2018
Based on a wide range of sources from the 19th and 20th centuries--works of fiction, publicistics, personal documents--the course will trace the formation and historical transformation of Russian cultural identity, including issues in national identity, ethnicity, position in relation to state, gender, and sexuality. The class is aimed at students with advanced knowledge of Russian, both Americans studying Russian and Russians living in America. All readings, lectures, and discussions in Russian. Russian Culture Taught in Russian: Country, Identity, and Language: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Advanced Russian, at least three years of college level or equivalent with consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022
The focus of this course is 21st century Russian culture, language, and politics in their various instantiations. It will be based on analysis of contemporary texts and discourses, from novels to blogs, and from rap and stand-up comedy to political discussions. It will also include visual arts, such as film, animation, and graphic novels. The class is aimed at students with advanced knowledge of Russian, both Americans studying Russian and Russians living in America. All readings, lectures, and discussions are in Russian. Russian Culture and Language in the Contemporary World: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Russian 103B or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Study and research on a topic selected by the student in consultation with the faculty adviser, to culminate in the writing of a thesis. See departmental description of the Honors Program. Honors Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Overall and major grade point average of 3.3
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Supervised cooperative study of topics (in Slavic and East European languages and literatures) not covered by regularly scheduled courses. Supervised Group Study for Undergraduates: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 60 units of undergraduate study and have a minimum GPA of 3.0
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Slavic Languages and Literatures/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The first in a two-semester sequence of Introductory Ukrainian. This course aims to provide a solid foundation in Ukrainian in four major communicative skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students learn to communicate effectively and sensitively across cultural and linguistic boundaries while developing knowledge of and respect for the language, traditions, and beliefs of Ukrainian people. Cultural awareness will be enhanced with authentic audio-visual materials, literary texts, and cultural artifacts. By the end of the 1A course, students will be able to read short original Ukrainian texts and communicate about basic subjects. Introductory Ukrainian: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Ukrainian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
The second in a two-semester sequence of Introductory Ukrainian. This course aims to provide a solid foundation in Ukrainian in four major communicative skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students learn to communicate effectively and sensitively across cultural and linguistic boundaries while developing knowledge of and respect for the language, traditions, and beliefs of Ukrainian people. By the end of the 1B course, students will be able to read some original Ukrainian texts, discuss daily matters, and expand their ability to address more complex subjects. Introductory Ukrainian: Read More [+]
Terms offered: Not yet offered
A continuation of the Introductory Ukrainian course to strengthen the solid foundation of language skills previously acquired. Designed for students with diverse language proficiencies, this course combines intermediate and advanced language instruction elements. Working with the Ukrainian language in authentic cultural contexts, students will develop their speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills and gain confidence in using Ukrainian in real-world situations. The course can be repeated, as it changes each semester and adapts to students' needs. The content is regularly updated, enabling returning students to advance their language skills further and stay up to date with the sociocultural environment of Ukraine. Continuing Ukrainian: Read More [+]
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
An immersive exploration of a variety of topics in Ukrainian history, literature, the arts, and contemporary life and politics. Guiding students in their learning about areas of Ukrainian culture of particular interest to them, the course develops their ability to read and interpret a broad range of texts in Ukrainian in such areas as politics, contemporary events, culture, history and literature, etc. Students build their language proficiency through engagement in supervised and independent reading, discussion, presentation, and translation practices. This course is designed for students with diverse language proficiencies, from advanced language learners to heritage speakers. Advanced Readings in Ukrainian: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: UKRAINI 100B or placement exam
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Ukrainian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 8 Week Session
Introduction to contemporary Ukrainian culture in historical context. This course presents an overview of the literature, visual arts, and social thought produced in Ukraine and its transnational diaspora since regaining independence in 1991. Ukraine: History, Identity, Society, and the Environment: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Ukrainian/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
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