Department offerings concentrate on Russian language and on Russia's achievements in culture and literature. Students also take courses in Russian film, religion, and art, as well as economics, history, geography, politics, international relations, and gender studies at Mount Holyoke, and are encouraged to explore the numerous courses offered in the Five Colleges.
First-Year Students
Placement
A student coming to Mount Holyoke with no background in Russian language should enroll in Russian 101-102, a yearlong introduction to Russian language and culture. Students who have previously studied Russian and plan to elect Russian language should consult with the department for individual placement.
In addition to RES 101–102, recommended courses for first-year study include:
- RES 210f, Topics in Twentieth-Century Russian Literature (I-A)
- RES 244f, Red Star Over Russia
- RES 246f, Kremlin Rising: Russsian Foreign Policy
- COLL 101f (02), Encountering the Sacred: The Bible and Reading
Courses on Russian literature and culture may be used to satisfy the distribution requirement in the humanities—arts, language, and literature.
Courses on Russian history and politics satisfy distribution requirements either in the humanities (IB) or social sciences (III-A).
Detailed information on course selection, placement, and learning abroad can be found in the Russian and Eurasian Studies chapter of the catalogue.
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