Russian
The Russian language is spoken by more than 270 million people around the world, and is a key language for careers in U.S. government agencies like the Departments of Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Labor and the Interior. It is also a critical skill for careers in Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA, NSA and the State Department. Our coursework equips you with the skills to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps between the U.S. and speakers of Russian both in the U.S. and abroad.
Why Study Russian?
Russian students in the School of World Studies tell why they love studying Russian.
Russian Courses
RUSS 101. Beginning Russian I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment requires any student with previous exposure to Russian to take the placement test to determine eligibility. For students with no prior knowledge of Russian. Beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.
RUSS 102. Beginning Russian II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Continuation of beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.
RUSS 201. Intermediate Russian I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: RUSS 102 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Russian. Building toward intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.
RUSS 202. Intermediate Russian II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: RUSS 201 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Russian. Increasing intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.
RUSS 205. Intermediate Russian Conversation. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: RUSS 201. Designed to increase the student's proficiency in the spoken language through audio-oral exercises, dialogues and free conversation.
RUSS 300. Communication and Composition. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: RUSS 202, RUSS 205 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Russian. Building toward intermediate-high proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Authentic materials enhance intercultural competence and communication skills.
RUSS 311. Conversation and Media. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 semester hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for up to six credits with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: RUSS 202 or 205. Conducted in Russian. An introduction to everyday life in Russia and topics of current interest. Students will explore diverse media to develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
RUSS 330. Literature and Culture: ____. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for up to six credits with different topics. Prerequisite: RUSS 202 or 205. Conducted in Russian. Students will examine salient themes in Russian culture as expressed in a range of classic and contemporary texts. This course develops skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topic to be offered each semester.
RUSS 422. Russian Film. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits with the permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: completion of six credits of Russian at the 300-level. Conducted in Russian. While the course is designed to develop the student's conversational skills in Russian, it will also provide practice in reading, listening and writing. Discussions will center on films from the Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
RUSS 491. Topics in Russian. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for maximum of 9 credits. An in-depth study of selected topics in Russian. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.