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Russian Literature, Culture and Translation - B.A.

Bachelor’s in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation provides a basis for the development of professional-level proficiency in the Russian language, as well as a comprehensive understanding of Russian literature and culture, including television and film. Additionally, students are introduced to basic skills for translating a variety of pragmatic texts from Russian into English. Students will also explore the language and culture of the pre-revolutionary Russian empire, the Soviet Union, and contemporary post-Soviet Russia.

Read on to learn more about our program offerings, as well as why a bachelor’s in Russian from 5XÉçÇø is the right choice for you.

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About Kent State’s B.A. in Russian

5XÉçÇø's Russian translation degree offers students an in-depth exploration of the Russian language, literary masterpieces, and cultural heritage, combined with specialized training in translation.

The B.A. in Russian translation program emphasizes developing proficiency in the language while immersing students in the study of Russian literature, history, and cultural developments. With a strong focus on translation skills, this degree prepares graduates for careers in translation, international relations, global business, and cultural exchange. Plus, students gain a comprehensive understanding of Russian-speaking regions, equipping them with the knowledge needed to engage in diverse professional and cross-cultural settings.

Program Information for Bachelor’s in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Literature, Culture and Translation provides a basis for the development of professional-level proficiency in the Russian language, as well as comprehensive understanding of Russian literature and culture, including television and film. Additionally, students are introduced to basic skills for translating a variety of pragmatic texts from Russian into English. Students explore the language and culture of the pre-revolutionary Russian empire, the Soviet Union and contemporary post-Soviet Russia.

Admissions for Bachelor’s in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Perform tasks at intermediate-high and advanced-low levels of proficiency as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. Proficiency, in ACTFL terms, is understood to describe a range of qualities rather than an absolute norm and will vary according to task type, language function, topic, skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and so forth.
  2. Contribute to most informal and some formal conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity and precision to convey their intended message without misrepresentation or confusion.
  3. Read a variety of texts written for native speakers of Russian and not edited or adapted for non-native speakers.
  4. Compose routine social correspondence and write cohesive summaries, narratives and descriptions of a factual nature in Russian.
  5. Demonstrate a historical knowledge of Russian history and culture and understand the diverse nature of culture throughout the ages.
  6. Discuss cultural differences, distinguishing between fact, opinion and stereotype.
  7. Communicate effectively and sensitively to diverse ethnic and cultural groups.
  8. View concepts, issues, events and themes from the perspectives of diverse ethnic and cultural groups.
  9. Maintain an ongoing assessment of their own cultural values and behaviors.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Prerequisite Requirements 1
RUSS 12201
ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN I
RUSS 12202
ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN II
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
MCLS 22217DIVERSITY IN TODAY'S RUSSIA (DIVG) 3
RUSS 22201INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN I 3
RUSS 22202INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN II 3
RUSS 22215RUSSIAN PHONETICS AND DICTION 3
RUSS 32201INTENSIVE RUSSIAN GRAMMAR 3
or RUSS 32211 COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION
RUSS 32303MODERN WRITERS (ELR) (WIC) 23
or RUSS 32421 RUSSIAN CIVILIZATION (ELR) (WIC)
or RUSS 42230 ADVANCED TRANSLATION PRACTICE: RUSSIAN (ELR) (WIC)
RUSS 32501RUSSIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 3
Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)3
Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level)3
Major Electives, choose from the following:6
Any Modern and Classical Language Studies (MCLS) course (20000, 30000 or 40000 level) 3
Any Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Translation Studies (TRST) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
6
3
9
6
6-7
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)50
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

Students who fulfill the language requirement in fewer than 14 credit hours as a result of starting their Russian studies in a course higher than RUSS 22202 will complete remaining credit hours with general electives. Students with previous Russian study or background knowledge should take the Russian Placement test and consult with a Russian faculty advisor for placement. Students lacking in sufficient major-level proficiency to take the first major course (RUSS 22201) can reach it by taking courses in the prerequisite sequence (RUSS 12201 and RUSS 12202). Students with sufficient Russian to place into higher semesters are not allowed to take RUSS 12201 or RUSS 12202.

2

Students must earn a minimum C grade in one course to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

3

Students planning to earn teaching licensure and declared in the Education minor should take MCLS 30420.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
  • All Russian Literature, Culture and Translation majors must take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview, ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test and the Russian Outcomes Assessment Test prior to being cleared for graduation. Information about the exams can be found on the ACTFL website and the Language Testing International (LTI) website, the exclusive licensee of ACTFL. B.A. in Russian Literature, Culture and Translation candidates should consult with their designated Russian faculty advisor for more information on arranging to take the proficiency exams.

Program Note

  • Some courses in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies are offered on a rotating basis, and course availability may change at any time. Please see the program coordinator or your academic advisor for course planning.

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:

  1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
  2. Elementary I and II of a second language
  3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  • Intermediate I of the same language
  • ARAB 21401
  • ASL 19401
  • CHIN 25421
  • MCLS 10001
  • MCLS 20001
  • MCLS 20091
  • MCLS 21417
  • MCLS 21420
  • MCLS 22217
  • MCLS 28403
  • MCLS 28404
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by 5XÉçÇø; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2

Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
MCLS 22217 DIVERSITY IN TODAY'S RUSSIA (DIVG) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
!Prerequisite or General Electives 4
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
!Prerequisite or General Electives 4
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
!RUSS 22201 INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN I 3
RUSS 22215 RUSSIAN PHONETICS AND DICTION 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
!RUSS 22202 INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN II 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
RUSS 32211 COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION 3
or Major Elective
 
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
RUSS 32303
or RUSS 32421
or RUSS 42230
MODERN WRITERS (ELR) (WIC)
or RUSSIAN CIVILIZATION (ELR) (WIC)
or ADVANCED TRANSLATION PRACTICE: RUSSIAN (ELR) (WIC)
3
!RUSS 32501 RUSSIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
RUSS 32201 INTENSIVE RUSSIAN GRAMMAR 3
or Major Elective
 
Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level) 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
Major Elective 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Bachelor’s in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation

Graduates of Kent State’s B.A. in Russian Literature, Culture, and Translation are well-prepared for careers in translation, international relations, and cultural exchange. The program’s interdisciplinary curriculum, which focuses on Russian language proficiency, literary analysis, and cultural studies, equips students with the skills to engage deeply with Russian-speaking communities and cultural texts.

Once completing the degree, graduates often pursue roles as translators, cultural liaisons, educators, and international relations specialists, contributing to fields such as diplomacy, global business, and academia.

Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary

5.7%

faster than the average

30,600

number of jobs

$69,920

potential earnings

Interpreters and translators

20.0%

much faster than the average

77,400

number of jobs

$52,330

potential earnings

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

3.8%

about as fast as the average

1,050,800

number of jobs

$62,870

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Why Kent State Is Your Choice for a Bachelor’s in Russian

At 5XÉçÇø, we’re dedicated to providing students with the tools and competencies that they need in order to excel in the career path of their choosing. With that in mind, just some of the advantages of selecting our college for your Russian translation degree include our:

  • Unwavering faculty support – Our Russian faculty and staff are dedicated to providing you with the most enriching experience possible when pursuing your bachelor’s in Russian. This includes supplying expert guidance and personalized support to help you achieve your personal and professional goals both now and for years to come.
  • Numerous networking opportunities – Through workshops and events, students will have the chance to build rapport with Russian translation professionals in a variety of niches, helping them to strengthen their professional network.
  • Multiple career development resources – No matter if you’re looking for career advice or if you want to join a career community, know that our resources are here to assist you throughout your journey to earning your B.A. in Russian.

Apply to Our B.A. in Russian Translation Today

If you’re ready to take the next steps toward a successful and long-lasting career in the Russian translation field, feel free to apply to our program today. And if you have any questions about our bachelor’s in Russian, please reach out to our faculty, as we look forward to discussing your future with you!