Russian and East European Studies (REES) academic plans and courses

Minor in Russian and East European Studies

REES Minor: The Russian and East European Studies Minor requires successful completion of a minimum of four academic course units (eight courses) in Russian and East European Studies with a minimum cumulative average of 65%.

Required Courses

Any two RUSS courses
Six courses from any of CROAT, REES, RUSS, or courses on the list of Russian and East European Studies approved courses:
- HIST 263, HIST 265, HIST 278, HIST 316, HIST 356
- PSCI 353, PSCI 355, PSCI 451

Courses in Russian and East European Studies

We use two rubrics to designate our courses in Russian:

RUSS (short for Russian) is used for courses in the Russian language
REES (short for Russian and East European Studies) is used for courses taught in English that deal with Russian and eastern European culture, literature, and languages

The Schedule of Classes link on the sidebar will give you up-to-date information about the availability of these courses.

RUSS courses

Course	Requisites	Normally offered
RUSS 101 Elementary Russian I: A study of Russian grammar and composition with emphasis on oral practice and pronunciation.	None This course is not open to students with native, near-native or similar advanced ability.	Fall term Winter term
RUSS 102 Elementary Russian II: A continuation of RUSS 101.	RUSS 101 This course is not open to students with native, near-native or similar advanced ability.	Winter term

REES courses

The REES courses are all taught in English.

Course	Requisites	Normally offered
REES 180 German and Russian Literary Masterpieces: An examination of major Russian and German literary works that have influenced world literature. (Cross-listed with GER 180).	None	Occasionally
REES 220 Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Fairy Tales, Then and Now: This course studies fairy tales in the broader context of the history of childhood and practises of education and socialization. (Cross-listed with GER 220).	None	Occasionally
REES 260 Special Topics: Selected topics in Russian and East European Studies chosen by the instructor. (Students may take REES 260 more than once as long as the topics are different.)	None	Occasionally
REES 261 Understanding Conversation: This course examines the connection between conversation and cultural identities. Looking at conversation means looking at language structures and language choice but also at gesture, gaze, laughter, and emojis. We will analyze everyday conversation as well as interaction in digital contexts, with the goal of discovering how linguistic and multimodal choices convey and construct who we are. (Cross-listed with ENGL 220A, GER 261)	None	Occasionally
REES 262 Multilingualism: This course examines the concept of multilingualism in society from a social, cultural, and linguistic perspective. It covers topics such as multilingualism in the media, endangered languages, language and identities, language maintenance and loss, language planning and politics, and multilingual education. (Cross-listed with ENGL 220B, GER 262).	None	Occasionally
REES 271 Russian Thought and Culture: A course in Russian cultural history from the late tenth century to the late nineteenth century. Lectures and class discussions will focus on major works in the literary and visual arts, as seen against the background of Russian history.	None	Occasionally
REES 272 Russian Thought and Culture: A survey of Russian culture from the nineteenth century to the present day.	None	Occasionally
REES 273 Croatian Culture in Word, Sound, and Image: This course explores Croatian culture through an interdisciplinary lens, focusing on creative industries such as literature, film, television, music, advertising, art, and other facets of the Croatian cultural arena, to investigate the relationship between cultural texts and formation of cultural identity.	None	Every year
REES 364 German and Russian Film Pioneers: An examination of early German and Russian cinema, and the way these two film industries influenced each other. (Cross-listed with FINE 364 and GER 364).	Level at least 2A	Currently not offered
REES 385 Culture Behind the Iron Curtain: An examination of the culture of the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic, and other states that experimented with socialism in the 20th century. (Cross-listed with GER 385).	None	Currently not offered
REES 495 Reading Course in Approved Topics: Study in selected topics under direction of instructor.	Department consent	Fall term Winter term Spring term
REES 496 Study Abroad	Department consent	Fall term Winter term Spring term