In recent years, Russia has become an even larger global influence on politics, the economy, security, and international trade. Understanding the language and culture of Russia has become increasingly important, and the value of knowledge and skills in this area is anticipated to continue to grow.
Only about 15% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. are able to offer a Russian major, and UWM is among this small group. This Slavic language is growing in importance and in value as the political and economic dynamics of Russia and the region are evolving. Russian is one of the five official languages of the United Nations and has more than 200 million speakers around the world. The U.S. State Department has deemed Russian to be a "critical language" and has many programs to encourage students to join this needed area of study.
At UWM, language students receive an education in not just language fluency but also in the culture surrounding that language. Context matters in communication, and we believe it is important for students to understand the history, literature, and customs of native speakers of Russian in order to successfully apply their fluency.
Students are also encouraged to participate in UWM's study abroad program with destinations including Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladimir. Some students choose just a short immersion while others go abroad for a semester or even a full year. Because of the complexities of planning a study abroad experience, students are encouraged to start planning early in sophomore year. Most students engage in study abroad during the second half of sophomore year or during their junior year.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Major Requirements
Majors must complete at least 15 credits in advanced-level courses (300 and above) in residence at UWM; at least 9 of these credits must be in the Russian curricular area. Students must attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Major courses taken outside the Russian curricular area count in the major GPAs.
Students are strongly encouraged to pursue study abroad in Russia and may apply transfer credits from an approved study abroad program toward their degree requirements. Students interested in doing extensive study abroad should contact the program coordinator to discuss the college's residency requirement.
The Russian major requires completion of four semesters of college-level Russian (through RUSSIAN 202) or equivalent preparation. Credits earned at UWM in satisfying this requirement count in the major GPA. In addition, individuals must complete 18 credits as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| RUSSIAN 310 | Advanced Russian Reading and Conversation: | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 311 | Contemporary Russian Language: | 3 |
| Select 12 additional credits in Russian | 12 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 additional credits 1 | 12 | |
| Research Requirement | ||
| RUSSIAN 391 | Russian Literature and Culture in Translation: 2 | 3 |
| or RUSSIAN 699 | Supervised Individual Reading | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
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Selected from Russian and/or cross-listed and related courses (see the two lists below). A maximum of 3 credits from the list of related courses can count toward this requirement.
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As part of their required credits, all students must complete a research experience as required by the College. Students will satisfy this requirement in the context of RUSSIAN 391 or RUSSIAN 699.
Cross-listed Courses
The following courses are approved to satisfy the requirements of the Russian major and minor. Please contact the program coordinator for the most up-to-date list of approved courses or to request approval for Russian-related courses not on this list.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGLISH 316 | World Cinema: (Russian Cinema) | 3 |
| ETHNIC 250 | Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies: (Gender and Ethnicity in and After the USSR) | 3 |
| HIST 341 | Imperial Russia | 3 |
| HIST 343 | Russia Since 1917 | 3 |
| INTLST 550 | Senior Seminar in International Studies: (Russia in Transition: Media and Values) | 3 |
| POL SCI 310 | Russian and Post-Soviet Politics | 3 |
Related Courses1
The following courses are approved to satisfy the requirements of the Russian major. Please contact the program coordinator for the most up-to-date list of approved courses or to request approval for Russian-related courses not on this list. Majors may count a maximum of three credits from the following list toward the major requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 249 | The Second World War in Europe | 3 |
| HIST 375 | Contemporary European History, 1945 to the Present | 3 |
| POL SCI 302 | Politics of Eastern Europe | 3 |
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Students may enroll in and complete all advanced-level courses with the subject code LINGUIS and all courses under the subject code POLISH.
Russian BA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Russian, BA program will be able to:
- Speak, write, listen, and read in Russian with proficiency.
- Perform rudimentary formal, functional, and sociolinguistic analysis of written and spoken Russian.
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of Russian cultural history and contemporary Russophone societies.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.