Why Study Russian?
Knowledge of another language and culture is not only one of the marks of an educated person, but competence in a foreign language is also a valuable asset in many careers.
While teaching, translating, and interpreting positions are readily available to students who study Russian, other types of employment may be pursued. In fact, students in areas of study as diverse as communication, business and industry, and science and technology will find Russian useful.
Even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, graduates with a knowledge of Russian are especially sought after by the U.S. State Department and the intelligence services. Next to English, Russian is one of the major languages in science and technology. Scientists, therefore, find a knowledge of the language helpful in their research and study. Cooperation between NASA and the Russian Space Agency has given new importance to Russian-language skills with regard to space exploration.
Individuals with a business degree and who have studied Russian enhance their opportunities for employment since American companies are doing business in the republics of the former Soviet Union. Moreover, libraries often require their employees to have knowledge of a foreign language.
Russian at UA
We offer an undergraduate minor in Russian. We also offer courses on Russian culture, folklore, and literature, which are taught in English.
Students who already have some knowledge of Russian may, on the basis of a satisfactory score on a placement test or an interview with a member of the Russian faculty, be assigned to a course above the elementary level.
The University of Alabama has a chapter of Dobro Slovo, the national Slavic honor society.
For more information, contact Dr. Andrew M. Drozd at adrozd@ua.edu.