RUS

al 3

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

3 RUS 143 The Culture of Stalinism and Nazism 3 3 RUS 144 Multicultural Russia: Narratives of Race and 3 Ethnicity in Russian Literature and Culture

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

RUS/GER 143 The Culture of Stalinism and Nazism

Subject

RUS

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

During the nineteenth century, Russia emerged as a powerhouse of World Literature. Russian novelists aspired to nothing less than to teach their readers how to live. Political, social, and historical constraints propelled them into figures of witness, prophecy, and moral instruction. Yet far from being limited to the vast, dark novels of legend, nineteenth- century Russian literature offers a great deal of variety, including much humor, lyricism, and fantasy. This course pays special attention to the intersection of literature and Russian imperial context: it examines how some authors glorified the Empire while others shed a critical light on Russian tyranny and imperialism. It surveys classic works by authors such as Aleksandr Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, and others. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Subject

RUS

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course, which is cross-listed between Russian and German, aims to acquaint students with an important and troubling chapter of 20th- century culture. The regimes of Stalin and Hitler have had a decisive impact not only on life in Russia and Germany, but in much of Europe and the world at large. Espousing a comparative perspective, the course explores the culture produced by Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, considering both the culture of daily life and selected works of "high culture," including literature, the visual arts, architecture, music, and fil A knowledge of Russian or German is not required, as class lectures and discussions as well as all reading assignments are in English. Cross-listed with: GER 143 Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Ethnicity in Russian Literature and Culture

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union led Russia toward political, economic, and cultural liberalization. However, post-Soviet Russia evolved into an authoritarian state defined by crony capitalism and historical revanchism, culminating in its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Why did Russia's transition fail, and how did Vladimir Putin's regime rise and endure? This course explores these questions through creative and analytical works by writers, filmmakers, journalists, and activists in Putin's Russia. No prior knowledge of Russian culture or history is required; the course is taught in English. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, that are supervised on an individual basis and that fall outside the scope of formal courses. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities m.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

12

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

A continuation of intermediate Russian with a comprehensive grammar review and focus on reading, writing and speaking Russian.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 003 or permission of program

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

12

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction including field experiences, practica, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

prior approval of proposed assignment by instructor

/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

12

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Advanced practicum in conversation, reading, and composition. This course is designed as a transition from Intermediate to Advanced level of speaking proficiency. It is taught in Russian and covers topics in grammar in the context of the spoken and written language. Emphasis is placed on verbal morphology, simple and complex sentence structures. Short readings will include original or adapted texts covering a variety of genres and topics. Quizzes, tests, class discussions, individual and small group presentations, short descriptive and expository essays, and internet-based assignments that address current events and illustrate different linguistic usage will be essential means to explore the subject matter and assess students' progress. The course also aims to increase the students' understanding of Russian culture and the Russian way of life. Bachelor of Arts: World Language (All) Bachelor of Arts: World Lang (12th Unit) Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 200

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026: Advanced practicum in reading, writing, and conversation. RUS 402 (IL) builds on and expands the language competence acquired in Russian 200 and 401 and is taught entirely in Russian to ensure complete immersion. Students will work with a variety of texts and audio-visual materials on topics of general interest. Upon successful completion of the course, students will acquire basic competence in representing points of view other than their own, defending an argument, and hypothesizing on a more abstract level. The course also aims to increase the students' understanding of Russian culture and the Russian way of life. Changes Effective Summer 2026: • Changed Course Description

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 401; or Permission of program

This advanced practicum in conversation and composition includes situational topics and complex academic discourse and is designed to Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4823 enhance students' oral, listening comprehension, and writing skills in Russian. It is taught entirely in Russian to ensure complete immersion. Students will work with authentic Russian texts and audio-video materials of moderate complexity in various genres and will actively engage in conversations and discussions on a number of topics of personal, community, national, or international interest: current events, culture, history, the arts, and politics. They will gain sufficient control of basic structures and generic vocabulary to be understood by native speakers of the language, including those unaccustomed to nonnative speech. Upon successful completion of the course, students will acquire basic competence in representing points of view other than their own, defending an argument, and hypothesizing on a more abstract level. The course also aims to increase the students' understanding of Russian culture and the Russian way of life. Concurrent: RUS 402 , RUS 405 , RUS 406, RUS 412 Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 200 and RUS 401, or permission of program

Advanced Russian Reading and Composition. RUS 404 Advanced Reading and Composition (3) RUS 404 focuses on reading and writing in Russian. Some time is spent on reading strategies, methods of building a working Russian vocabulary, sentence structure, and word order. Reading materials are at the advanced level and for the most part treat the history of the Russian Revolution and Civil War, the Stalinist era and the Thaw. Literary selections complement the historical readings and include works of Blok, Akhmatova, Zoshchenko, Bulgakov and Solzhenitsyn.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 401 , RUS 402 , or RUS 403

Select 12 additional credits in Comparative Literature courses 12 Select 12 additional credits in Russian at the 400 or 500 level 12 Select 3 credits in Russian, Comparative Literature, or another 3 approved area

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026: Conversation and Composition based on classical Russian films.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Introductory course for heritage speakers aiming at developing basic reading, writing, and grammar skills in Russian. The course is intended for students who grew up speaking Russian at home but had limited exposure to writing and reading. Study materials include simple original readings (fairy tales, short stories, poems, songs) and visual and multimedia texts. The course is designed to enhance the students' knowledge and understanding of Russian culture. It fulfills the 12-credit foreign language requirement. consent of instructor Bachelor of Arts: World Language (All) Bachelor of Arts: World Lang (12th Unit) Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

basic speaking proficiency in Russian; placement test and

RUS 450 3

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026: Senior seminar devoted to topics in Russian culture and conducted in Russian. Building on linguistic and cultural material covered in the n second and third levels of study toward the Russian major, this course is designed to add depth and sophistication to the students' understanding of basic concepts in Russian culture and improve their ability to discuss and write about them in Russian. The course materials cover, selectively, the "big themes" and concepts of Russian culture, such as the legacy of Kievan Rus, the cultural/historical preconditions for the 'Third Rome' theory, the rift between the people and the upper classes following Peter the Great, Westernizers versus Slavophiles, the Bolshevik Revolution, the

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 12 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

12

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 12 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

12

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Proficiency in the language of choice must be demonstrated by either examination or coursework equivalent to the completion of 12 credits in order to enroll in RUS 204. its

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

No description.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

RUS 204

/Maximum of 9 Creative projects, including nonthesis research, that are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Subject

RUS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu