Academics
| Russian Studies | ||
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Russian Studies Major & Minor Program Website Founded more than 50 years ago, the Russian Studies Program at Stetson University offers students the opportunity to learn about the varieties of history, geography, politics, economics, and culture in the countries that once formed part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. In courses that range across Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, students learn not only about the diversity within this fascinating region but also how Russia and its neighbors fit into global patterns of political, economic, and cultural development. Stetson offers students interested in Russian affairs the resources of a large research university in a small college setting. That means that students receive individual support from accomplished Russian Studies scholars and enjoy access to an outstanding library collection as well as a steady stream of visiting dignitaries and scholars in the field. The lecture series in Russian Studies is one of the best endowed in the country. Russian Studies students become proficient in the Russian language by taking a broad array of courses at Stetson and by spending a semester or summer in language study in Moscow, St. Petersburg, or other cities in the Russian-speaking world. The skills acquired through studying the languages, cultures, and social sciences of the region have allowed Stetson students to enter leading graduate programs and to find employment immediately after graduation in business, government, and the nonprofit sector in the United States and abroad. Faculty Excellence in teaching and a focus on student development are hallmarks of Stetson University. Because Russian Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study, the faculty represents a variety of departments, including Russian Language and Literature, Political Science, History, and Geography. Trained at leading universities in this country and overseas, they are at Stetson because they place top priority on teaching undergraduates. Faculty do not just convey specialized knowledge about their subjects; they seek to develop in their students an ability to think critically and to speak and write effectively. Our faculty and areas of interest include:
Stetson's Russian Studies program was founded in 1958 by the late eminent Russian historian Dr. Serge Zenkovsky. Since then, the duPont-Ball Library has accumulated substantial Russian area holdings and the Russian Studies faculty has increased so that the program is now outstanding among small colleges.The home of the Russian Studies Program is the Russian Studies Center, a state-of-the-art facility that contains classrooms, a library of books, periodicals, and videotapes, a language computer lab, and television viewing areas.One of the most exciting aspects of Russian Studies is its artists and lecturers series. The series has brought to campus artists and lecturers such as NASA astronaut Jerry Linenger, renowned Russian poet and cultural figure Yevgenii Yevtushenko, ABC News and National Public Radio Russia correspondent Anne Garrels, Center for Political and Strategic Studies director and granddaughter of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower Susan Eisenhower, pathbreaking Soviet entrepreneur and Russian presidential candidate Sviatoslav Federov, and the current Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States, Zamira Sydykova. Course Information Students may choose to major or to minor in Russian Studies or minor in the Russian language. A major in Russian Studies requires 28 hours of coursework beyond the foundation language classes. Students elect a minimum of eight Russian-related courses from the social sciences and humanities. They conclude the major with a carefully defined Senior Project. Recent senior research papers have included: The Rhetoric of Environmental Exploitation in the Soviet Union, Soviet Youth Culture in the Gorbachev Era, American and Russian Perceptions of Philanthropy, Stalin and Film, The Role of the Wives of the Decembrists in Russian Literature, Ivan IV (the Terrible) and the Oprichnina, The 2007 NGO and the Restriction of Russian Civil Society, The Effects of Russian Foreign Policy on Central Asian Energy Development. Career Opportunities Russian Studies offers a rigorous education in area studies and the liberal arts that prepares students for a wide range of careers. Many students go on to graduate study in some aspect of Russian studies following their undergraduate training at Stetson. Of these, some pursue a career in higher education, such as Kelly Miller, '96, who completed her Ph.D. in Russian literature at the University of Michigan and now works at the University of Virginia. Recent graduates pursuing advanced degrees include David Houston, '05, at the University of Wisconsin, and Lee Philips, '05, at Oxford University. Others choose government service following graduate school. For example, after completing an M.A. at Georgetown, Karen Lazar, '94, began work in the Department of Commerce before taking up a career in the FBI, and Hillary Gage, '05, joined the U.S. Navy. Law school is another common destination for majors and 'minors in Russian Studies. Many graduates, of course, go directly into the work force following the completion of the Russian Studies B.A. at Stetson. Stetson Russian Studies graduates will be found in industry (Tripp Wood, '96, Kennmetal), travel (Aimee Halleen, '98, MIR Educational Travel Company), management consulting (Mario Lanzisero, '96, Accenture), and education (Michelle Cabrero, '97, Montessori School, Moscow). Joyce Miller, '90, worked as an on-air correspondent for one of Russia's most popular television programs before directing the Moscow bureau of a Japanese shipping company.
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Contact:
Eugene Huskey 386-822-7576 ehuskey@stetson.edu Full Time Faculty: 5 |
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