Russian Studies
Minor Department of European Languages and Studies · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
The Russian Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program designed to introduce students to the rich history and culture of Russia and provide them with the intellectual and linguistic tools necessary for sustained engagement with this area of the world. Students can select courses in Political Science, History and Russian Literature and Culture.
Students who minor in Russian begin with an in-depth study of the Russian language. Russian is the most widespread of the Slavic languages and the largest native language in Europe. Russian is the official language of Russia, and one of the official languages in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Russian is also considered an unofficial lingua franca in many former Soviet countries including Georgia, Latvia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Lower-division Russian culture courses taught in English examine the rich cultural tradition of world-renowned art, literature, film, and music, but also strive to teach diverse perspectives and expose inherent imperialist currents that have been part of Russia’s history. Upper-division courses, also taught in English, focus more in depth on one author, time period or movement. Russian literature contains mechanisms of patriarchy, expansionism, and the logic of imperialism, but also fundamentals of universal truths, experiences and qualities that transcend politics.
Requirements
Eight courses (32 units) are required for the minor.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Complete: | ||
| RUSSIAN 2C | Intermediate Russian (or equivalent) | |
| B. Complete: | ||
| RUSSIAN 50 | Topics in Russian Culture (three different topics) | |
| C. Select sixteen units of upper-division courses from the following: | ||
| RUSSIAN 150 | Topics in Russian Literature | |
| HISTORY 190 | Colloquium (when topics are related to Russia) | |
| POL SCI 154F/ANTHRO 164P | Peoples and Cultures of Post-Soviet Eurasia | |
| POL SCI 159 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (when topics are related to Russia) | |
A maximum of four units may be chosen from the following courses devoted in part to Russian themes: HISTORY 114, HISTORY 126B, and POL SCI 142D.
Students may petition other relevant courses.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: At least four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.