What it comes down to is the undeniable existence of 'Russianness.'
There are certain features that make this place, these people, this life unique to no end.
It's certainly not the West but it's also not the East.
Instead, it's some crazy, unpredictable, well-intended, bundle of life — still stuck behind in advancement but so much further in the embracement of humanity and happiness.
The summer program is 1 month and combines the Russian Studies Seminar with Russian Language for a total of 6 credits.
Courses are held at Moscow State University.
Click on a course title to view the description and download syllabus.
Russian Language & Culture
Russian Language courses are taught using the immersion method.
In general, 3 to 4 modules (Grammar, Conversation, Reading/Writing and Phonetics/Listening) make up each Russian Language course.
Classes are held every day, Monday through Friday (and possibly on Saturday).
Students take an evaluation exam at the start of the program to determine level of proficiency and course placement.
ART/LIT/SOC/HIS/POL/ECO 381 Russian Studies Seminar
A survey course of Russian society and culture. The course objective is to understand the development of the Russian culture over the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none
RUS 101 Beginner Russian Language
This course aims to build skills of oral and written communication.
Students learn lexical, grammatical, phonetic and orthographic rules of Russian language.
The course covers the following grammatical categories: gender, number and case of nouns, adjectives and pronouns (personal, possessive and demonstrative), conjugation, time and core values of types of verbs, verbs of motion, the syntactic structure of the elementary level.
At the end of the course students will be able to communicate in a limited number of situations in everyday life, social, cultural, and educational spheres of communication, using the grammar of the elementary level.
This course is for students with no prior study of Russian language.
Beginner Russian Language consists of four modules - Grammar, Phonetics, Listening and Reading.
The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits.
Prerequisites: none
RUS 102 Elementary Russian Language
The objective of this module is to introduce grammatical and lexical material corresponding to the elementary level, and build skills of oral and communication.
The course covers the following grammatical categories: plagues new values, new pretexts species-temporal features of verbs, intransitive verbs of motion and transition without prefixes and with prefixes, comparative (complex and simple) and excellent (complex and simple) of adjectives and adverbs, gerunds and participial momentum, syntax, corresponding to the elementary level.
Upon completion of the course, students reach elementary (full) level of proficiency that allows them to meet their communication needs in a limited number of situations in everyday social and cultural spheres.
This course is for students with no prior study of Russian language.
Beginner Russian Language consists of four modules - Grammar, Phonetics, Listening and Reading.
The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits.
Prerequisites: RUS 101 or equivalent
RUS 201 Pre-Intermediate Russian Language
This course is for students with elementary proficiency with Russian language.
Pre-Intermediate Russian Language consists of three modules - Grammar & Vocabulary, Reading & Writing, and Conversation.
The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits
Prerequisites: RUS 102 or equivalent
RUS 202 Intermediate Russian Language
This course is a continuation of the RUS 201 Pre-Intermediate Russian Language or similar.
Intermediate Russian Language consists of four modules - Grammar & Vocabulary, Reading & Writing, Conversation, Russian Cities & Culture.
A TORFL Preparation is also offered as an optional module. The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits
Prerequisites: RUS 201 or equivalent
RUS 303 Upper-Intermediate Russian Language
This course is a continuation of the RUS 202 or similar.
Upper-Intermediate Russian Language consists of 3 required and 2 optional modules - Conversation, Reading, Writing, Listening & Comprehension, and Grammar.
An optional TORFL Preparation module is also offered.
The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits
Prerequisites: RUS 202 or equivalent
RUS 404 Advanced Russian Language
This course is a continuation of the RUS 303 or similar.
Advanced Russian Language consists of 7 to 9 modules - Grammar, Conversation/Speaking, Listening & Comprehension, Reading, Writing, Intercultural Communication, Cinema Language, Mass Media Language (Spring only), and/or Professional Applications (Business Russian).
The modules are designed to reinforce each other. Each module may be taught by a different professor.
9 credits.
Prerequisites: RUS 303 or equivalent
What it comes down to is the undeniable existence of 'Russianness.'
There are certain features that make this place, these people, this life unique to no end.
It's certainly not the West but it's also not the East.
Instead, it's some crazy, unpredictable, well-intended, bundle of life — still stuck behind in advancement but so much further in the embracement of humanity and happiness.
