Russian Specialization
On this page:
- Required Coursework
- Current Course Offerings
- Critical Concentration Courses
- Current Critical Concentration Offerings
Other links:
Undergraduate Coordinator:
Dr. James “Frank” Goodwin
252C Dauer
jegoodwi@ufl.edu
352-273-3790
Overview
Foreign Languages and Literatures Options
Students can tailor their program of study to fit their personal and career goals, be it reading Tolstoy in the original or preparing for work in fields such as national security and international relations. Majors also receive priority placement in our Russian-language study abroad program currently located in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Completed alone or in combination with a second major, the Russian specialization of the Foreign Languages and Literatures major prepares students for a variety of careers in fields such as law, government, national security, international relations, business, education and for graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences. Beyond this, it equips students with analytical skills essential for performing effectively in today's multicultural world.
Small class sizes and an outstanding professional teaching staff ensure that students have every opportunity to learn and excel.
Students who intend to pursue the Russian specialization or a Russian minor should consult the undergraduate coordinator for Russian studies as soon as possible.
Requirements for the Major
The Russian specialization in Foreign Languages and Literatures consists of preparatory language study at the beginning and Intermediate levels and 33 credits of advanced language, literature, and culture study in the upper-division, at least 30 of which must be at the 3000/4000-level. Majors may take one 3 credit course at a lower level in Russian Literature and Culture in English with the approval of the undergraduate coordinator.
All coursework for the major must be completed with minimum grades of C.
Required Foundation Coursework
Total depends on placement in language courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RUS 1130 | Introduction to Russian Language and Culture 1 | 5 |
| RUS 1131 | Introduction to Russian Language and Culture 2 | 5 |
| RUS 2220 | Intermediate Russian 1 | 4 |
| RUS 3400 | Intermediate Russian 2 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Required Major Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Russian Major Core Courses | ||
| Advanced Language | ||
| RUS 4501 | Russian Studies Research Seminar | 3 |
| RUS 4000 | Advanced Russian 1 | 3 |
| RUS 4001 | Advanced Russian 2 | 3 |
| Advanced Major Electives | ||
| Language, Literature, Culture in Russian | ||
| Select 6 credits with at least 3 credits at the 4000 level: | 6 | |
RUS 3240 | Oral Practice in Russian | |
RUS 4300 | Advanced Grammar and Composition | |
RUS 4411 | Advanced Oral Practice | |
RUS 4502 | Language and Culture of the Russian Business World | |
RUS 4503 | Theory and Practice of Russian-English Translation 1 | |
RUS 4504 | Theory and Practice of Russian-English Translation 2 | |
RUS 4700 | Structure of the Russian Language | |
RUS 4780 | Corrective Phonetics and Intonation | |
RUS 4905 | Individual Work in Russian | |
RUS 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Russian Language | |
RUS 4930 | Special Topics in Russian | |
RUS 4956 | Overseas Studies | |
RUW 3101 | Reading Russian Literature | |
RUW 4301 | Russian Drama and Poetry | |
RUW 4341 | Russian Media Culture | |
RUW 4370 | Russian Short Prose | |
RUW 4630 | Reading Eugene Onegin: Pushkin and Nabokov | |
RUW 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Russian Studies, Target Language | |
RUW 4932 | Selected Readings in Russian | |
| Russian Literature and Culture in English | ||
| Select 9 credits: | 9 | |
RUT 3101 | Russian Masterpieces | |
RUT 3441 | Tolstoy and Dostoevsky | |
RUT 3442 | Themes from Russian Literature | |
RUT 3443 | War and Peace | |
RUT 3452 | Russian Literature of the Twentieth Century | |
RUT 3500 | Russian Cultural Heritage | |
RUT 3501 | Contemporary Russian Culture and Society | |
RUT 3503 | Violence and Terror in the Russian Experience | |
RUT 3504 | Russia Today | |
RUT 3506 | Creative Lives: Writers, Artists, and Extraordinary People | |
RUT 3514 | Russian Fairy Tales | |
RUT 3524 | Russia through Film | |
RUT 3530 | Russia's Struggle with Nature: Legacies of Destruction and Preservation | |
RUT 3600 | The Twentieth Century through Slavic Eyes | |
RUT 3601 | The Culture of the Cold War | |
RUT 3930 | Variable Topics in Russian Studies | |
RUT 4440 | Pushkin and Gogol | |
RUT 4450 | Russian Modernism | |
RUT 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Russian Studies, English Translation | |
RUT 4930 | Variable Topics in Russian Studies | |
| Critical Concentration | ||
| Select 9 credits from one concentration: 1 | 9 | |
Intensive Area Studies: Russian 2 | ||
Comparative Cultural Studies | ||
Film and Visual Culture | ||
Literary Studies | ||
Medieval and Early Modern Studies | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
- 1
Although courses may appear in more than one group they may be counted toward only one group.
- 2
Recommended for those planning to pursue careers requiring advanced level skills in Russian or graduate work in Russian Studies.
Overseas Study
Students are encouraged to consider the UF summer program in Russian language and culture currently located in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Research
Students with an upper-division GPA of 3.5 are encouraged to write a thesis for high or highest honors at graduation.
Current Course Offerings (Fall 2025)
RUS1130 - Introduction to Russian Language and Culture 1
RUS 1130 and its sequel, RUS 1131, offer a comprehensive introduction to Russian, using interactive methods to develop competence in speaking, listening, reading, writing and cultural interaction.
Class #15503
EEP Eligible
Instructor: Natalia Sletova
Meet: Primary Classroom
Credits: 5
Department: Languages, Literatures & Cultures Russian
Final Exam: 12/10/2025 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Class Dates: 08/21/2025 - 12/03/2025
Class #15504
RUS 1130 and its sequel, RUS 1131, offer a comprehensive introduction to Russian, using interactive methods to develop competence in speaking, listening, reading, writing and cultural interaction.
RUS2220 - Intermediate Russian 1
Intermediate study with exercises in sentence patterns, vocabulary building and oral and written discourse in Russian.
Prereq: RUS 1131 or equivalent.
Class #15505
EEP Eligible
Instructor: Michael Gorham
Meet: Primary Classroom
Credits: 4
Department: Languages, Literatures & Cultures Russian
Final Exam: 12/10/2025 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Class Dates: 08/21/2025 - 12/03/2025
Intermediate study with exercises in sentence patterns, vocabulary building and oral and written discourse in Russian.
Prereq: RUS 1131 or equivalent.
RUS3240 - Oral Practice in Russian
Development of advanced speaking and listening skills in conversational Russian.
Prereq: RUS 1131.
Class #15437
Development of advanced speaking and listening skills in conversational Russian.
Prereq: RUS 1131.
RUS4000 - Advanced Russian 1
Advanced study of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) with attention to more complex structures.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
Advanced study of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) with attention to more complex structures.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
RUS4501 - Russian Studies Research Seminar
Introduces significant trends and ideas in Russian literary, cultural, historical, and critical studies. Develop the ability to understand and produce critical scholarly argument in a variety of formats, including class discussion, formal presentation, and a written research project.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
Introduces significant trends and ideas in Russian literary, cultural, historical, and critical studies. Develop the ability to understand and produce critical scholarly argument in a variety of formats, including class discussion, formal presentation, and a written research project.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
RUT3442 - Themes from Russian Literature: Literature as a Healing Art
Examines Russian everyday life and institutions of the 19th and 20th centuries through the media of literature and film.
Prereq: Minimum 15 credits earned in enrollment, test, or transfer credit.
Examines Russian everyday life and institutions of the 19th and 20th centuries through the media of literature and film.
Prereq: Minimum 15 credits earned in enrollment, test, or transfer credit.
RUT3452 - Russian Literature of the Twentieth Century
Authors, movements, and genres in Russian literature from the Revolution of 1917 to the present. Readings and discussions in English.
Prereq: Minimum 15 credits earned in enrollment, test, or transfer credit.
Class #25869
Authors, movements, and genres in Russian literature from the Revolution of 1917 to the present. Readings and discussions in English.
Prereq: Minimum 15 credits earned in enrollment, test, or transfer credit.
RUT3601 - The Culture of the Cold War
Examines Soviet and American cultural responses to the Cold War across a wide range of media (literature, film, propaganda). Consideration of how relations between the US and the USSR were framed as a global ideological contest.
Prereq: Sophomore standing or higher.
Class #24006
Examines Soviet and American cultural responses to the Cold War across a wide range of media (literature, film, propaganda). Consideration of how relations between the US and the USSR were framed as a global ideological contest.
Prereq: Sophomore standing or higher.
RUW4370 - Russian Short Prose
Critical study of selected Russian short stories. Readings in Russian.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
Critical study of selected Russian short stories. Readings in Russian.
Prereq: RUS 3400.
Critical Concentration Courses
9 Credits from One Concentration
Although courses may appear in more than one group, they may be counted toward only one group.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Intensive Area Studies: Russian | ||
| Recommended for those planning to pursue careers requiring advanced level skills in Russian or graduate work in Russian Studies | ||
| RUS 3240 | Oral Practice in Russian | 3 |
| RUS 4300 | Advanced Grammar and Composition | 3 |
| RUS 4411 | Advanced Oral Practice | 3 |
| RUS 4501 | Russian Studies Research Seminar | 3 |
| RUS 4502 | Language and Culture of the Russian Business World | 3 |
| RUS 4503 | Theory and Practice of Russian-English Translation 1 | 3 |
| RUS 4504 | Theory and Practice of Russian-English Translation 2 | 3 |
| RUS 4700 | Structure of the Russian Language | 3 |
| RUS 4780 | Corrective Phonetics and Intonation | 3 |
| RUS 4905 | Individual Work in Russian | 1-3 |
| RUS 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Russian Language | 0-3 |
| RUS 4956 | Overseas Studies | 1-15 |
| RUW 3101 | Reading Russian Literature | 3 |
| RUW 4301 | Russian Drama and Poetry | 3-6 |
| RUW 4341 | Russian Media Culture | 3 |
| RUW 4370 | Russian Short Prose | 3 |
| RUW 4630 | Reading Eugene Onegin: Pushkin and Nabokov | 3 |
| RUW 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Russian Studies, Target Language | 3 |
| RUW 4932 | Selected Readings in Russian | 1-3 |
| Comparative Cultural Studies | ||
| ABT 3500 | Arabic Culture | 3 |
| ABT 4131 | The Qur'an as Literature | 3 |
| ARA 3510 | The Arab Woman | 3 |
| CHI 3403 | Chinese Calligraphy | 3 |
| CHT 3500 | Chinese Culture | 3 |
| CHT 3510 | All the Tea in China | 3 |
| CHT 3513 | Taoism and Chinese Culture | 3 |
| CZT 3564 | Modern Czech Culture and Society | 3 |
| FRT 3004 | Monuments and Masterpieces of France | 3 |
| FRT 3561 | Women in French Literature and/or Cinema | 3-4 |
| FRT 4500 | East-West Encounters | 3 |
| GET 3003 | German Culture and Civilization 1 | 3 |
| GET 3004 | Modern German Culture and Civilization | 3 |
| GET 3200 | Medieval Literary Culture | 3 |
| GET 3201 | Early Modern Literary Culture | 3 |
| GET 3501 | History, Literature and Arts of Berlin | 3 |
| GET 3580 | Representations of War in Literature and Visual Media | 3 |
| GET 3930 | Variable Topics in German Studies (German Fairy Tales) | 3 |
| GEW 4401 | Cities as Cultural Centers | 3 |
| HAI 3930 | Topics in Haitian Language and Culture | 3 |
| HAT 3503 | Haitian Culture and Literature in Translation | 3 |
| HAT 3564 | Haitian Culture and Society | 3 |
| HAT 3700 | Introduction to Haitian Creole Linguistics | 3 |
| ITT 3431 | Italy and Pilgrimages | 3 |
| ITT 3443 | Dante's Inferno (English) | 3 |
| ITT 3540 | Murder Italian Style: Crime Fiction and Film in Italy | 3 |
| ITT 3541 | Gangsters and Godfathers: Italian Mafia Movies | 3 |
| ITT 3700 | The Demolition of Man: Italian Perspectives on the Jewish Holocaust | 3 |
| ITT 3930 | Special Topics in Italian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JMT 3500 | Jamaican Creole, Reggae, and Rastafari | 3 |
| JPT 3500 | Japanese Culture | 3 |
| JPT 3521 | Monsters and Horror in Japan | 3 |
| JPT 3702 | Japanese Visual Culture | 3 |
| JPT 4502 | Japanese Folklore | 3 |
| JPT 4510 | Representations of Japan's Modern Empire | 3 |
| RUT 3443 | War and Peace | 3 |
| RUT 3500 | Russian Cultural Heritage | 3 |
| RUT 3501 | Contemporary Russian Culture and Society | 3 |
| RUT 3503 | Violence and Terror in the Russian Experience | 3 |
| RUT 3504 | Russia Today | 3 |
| RUT 3506 | Creative Lives: Writers, Artists, and Extraordinary People | 3 |
| RUT 3514 | Russian Fairy Tales | 3 |
| RUT 3530 | Russia's Struggle with Nature: Legacies of Destruction and Preservation | 3 |
| RUT 3600 | The Twentieth Century through Slavic Eyes | 3 |
| RUT 3601 | The Culture of the Cold War | 3 |
| RUT 4450 | Russian Modernism | 3 |
| VTT 3500 | Vietnamese Culture | 3 |
| YOT 3500 | Yoruba Diaspora in the New World | 3 |
| Film and Visual Culture | ||
| CHI 4930 | Special Topics in Chinese Studies | 3 |
| CHT 3391 | Chinese Film and Media | 3 |
| CHT 3523 | Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the New Global Cinema | 3 |
| FRT 3520 | French Cinema | 4 |
| FRT 3561 | Women in French Literature and/or Cinema | 3-4 |
| FRT 4500 | East-West Encounters | 3 |
| FRT 4523 | European Identities, European Cinemas | 4 |
| GET 3520 | Early German Cinema to 1945 | 4 |
| GET 3580 | Representations of War in Literature and Visual Media | 3 |
| GET 4521 | Women and German Cinema | 4 |
| GET 4523 | New Cinema 1945 to the Present | 4 |
| GET 4930 | Variable Topics in German Studies | 3 |
| HBR 4930 | Special Topics | 3 |
| ITT 3521 | Italian Cinema | 4 |
| ITT 3540 | Murder Italian Style: Crime Fiction and Film in Italy | 3 |
| ITT 3541 | Gangsters and Godfathers: Italian Mafia Movies | 3 |
| ITT 3930 | Special Topics in Italian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPN 4930 | Special Topics in Japanese Studies | 3 |
| JPT 3391 | Introduction to Japanese Film | 4 |
| JPT 3521 | Monsters and Horror in Japan | 3 |
| JPT 3702 | Japanese Visual Culture | 3 |
| RUT 3524 | Russia through Film | 3 |
| RUT 3601 | The Culture of the Cold War | 3 |
| SSA 4930 | Special Topics in African Studies (African Film) | 3 |
| Literary Studies | ||
| ABT 3130 | Arabic Literary Heritage 1 | 3 |
| ABT 4131 | The Qur'an as Literature | 3 |
| CHI 4930 | Special Topics in Chinese Studies | 3 |
| CHT 3110 | Chinese Literary Heritage | 3 |
| CHT 3123 | Pre-Modern Chinese Fiction in Translation | 3 |
| CHT 3124 | Modern Chinese Fiction in Translation | 3 |
| CHT 3302 | Tales of the Strange in Medieval Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CHT 3511 | Chinese Martial Arts Fiction | 3 |
| CHT 4111 | Dream of the Red Chamber | 3 |
| CHT 4603 | Journey to the West | 3 |
| FRT 3004 | Monuments and Masterpieces of France | 3 |
| FRT 3561 | Women in French Literature and/or Cinema | 3-4 |
| GET 3200 | Medieval Literary Culture | 3 |
| GET 3201 | Early Modern Literary Culture | 3 |
| GET 3501 | History, Literature and Arts of Berlin | 3 |
| GET 3580 | Representations of War in Literature and Visual Media | 3 |
| GET 3930 | Variable Topics in German Studies | 3-9 |
| GET 4930 | Variable Topics in German Studies | 3 |
| HAT 3503 | Haitian Culture and Literature in Translation | 3 |
| HBR 4930 | Special Topics | 3 |
| HBT 3223 | Identity and Dissent in the Hebrew Short Story | 3 |
| ITT 3431 | Italy and Pilgrimages | 3 |
| ITT 3443 | Dante's Inferno (English) | 3 |
| ITT 3540 | Murder Italian Style: Crime Fiction and Film in Italy | 3 |
| ITT 3700 | The Demolition of Man: Italian Perspectives on the Jewish Holocaust | 3 |
| ITT 3930 | Special Topics in Italian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPT 3100 | Tales of Kyoto | 3 |
| JPT 3120 | Modern Japanese Fiction in Translation | 3 |
| JPT 3121 | Contemporary Japanese Literature: Postwar to Postmodern | 3 |
| JPT 3140 | Modern Women Writers | 3 |
| JPT 3150 | Classical Japanese Poetry | 3 |
| JPT 3300 | Samurai War Tales | 3 |
| JPT 3330 | Early Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JPT 3521 | Monsters and Horror in Japan | 3 |
| JPT 4130 | The Tale of Genji | 3 |
| JPT 4502 | Japanese Folklore | 3 |
| JPT 4510 | Representations of Japan's Modern Empire | 3 |
| PLT 3930 | Special Topics in Polish Studies | 3 |
| RUT 3101 | Russian Masterpieces | 3 |
| RUT 3441 | Tolstoy and Dostoevsky | 3 |
| RUT 3442 | Themes from Russian Literature | 3 |
| RUT 3443 | War and Peace | 3 |
| RUT 3452 | Russian Literature of the Twentieth Century | 3 |
| RUT 3503 | Violence and Terror in the Russian Experience | 3 |
| RUT 3506 | Creative Lives: Writers, Artists, and Extraordinary People | 3 |
| RUT 3514 | Russian Fairy Tales | 3 |
| RUT 3530 | Russia's Struggle with Nature: Legacies of Destruction and Preservation | 3 |
| RUT 3600 | The Twentieth Century through Slavic Eyes | 3 |
| RUT 3601 | The Culture of the Cold War | 3 |
| RUT 3930 | Variable Topics in Russian Studies | 3 |
| RUT 4440 | Pushkin and Gogol | 3 |
| RUT 4450 | Russian Modernism | 3 |
| SST 4502 | African Oral Literature | 3 |
| SSW 4713 | African Women Writers | 3 |
| VTN 4930 | Special Topics in Vietnamese Studies | 3 |
| Medieval and Early Modern Studies | ||
| ARA 3510 | The Arab Woman | 3 |
| CHT 3110 | Chinese Literary Heritage | 3 |
| CHT 3123 | Pre-Modern Chinese Fiction in Translation | 3 |
| CHT 3302 | Tales of the Strange in Medieval Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CHT 3511 | Chinese Martial Arts Fiction | 3 |
| CHT 3513 | Taoism and Chinese Culture | 3 |
| CHT 4111 | Dream of the Red Chamber | 3 |
| CHT 4603 | Journey to the West | 3 |
| GET 3200 | Medieval Literary Culture | 3 |
| GET 3201 | Early Modern Literary Culture | 3 |
| ITT 3431 | Italy and Pilgrimages | 3 |
| ITT 3443 | Dante's Inferno (English) | 3 |
| JPT 3300 | Samurai War Tales | 3 |
| JPT 3330 | Early Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JPT 3521 | Monsters and Horror in Japan | 3 |
| MEM 3003 | Introduction to the Medieval World | 3 |
| MEM 3300 | Castles and Cloisters: An Introduction to Medieval Communities | 3 |
| MEM 3301 | Palaces and Cities: An Introduction to Early Modern Communities | 3 |
| MEM 3730 | Studies in the Holy Roman Empire | 3 |
| MEM 3931 | Variable Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Studies | 3 |