Language and Area Studies: Russian/Area Studies (BA)

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Offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures , College of Arts and Sciences , the Language and Area Studies: Russian/Area Studies (BA) is designed for students with a strong interest in a region of the world and in a language of that region. This innovative program achieves a balance between humanities and social sciences courses, combined with an advanced level of foreign language study.

Admission to the Program

To be considered for freshman admission, an applicant should have earned at least a 3.00 average in secondary school. Students from other regionally accredited collegiate institutions, and students in other programs at American University who have completed the freshman year, should maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) to be considered for transfer to the program.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

51 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level
- Where appropriate, and with Faculty Advisory Committee approval, special topics courses may fulfill requirements
- Up to 3 credit hours may be applied toward the major from an approved internship
- Study abroad coursework may be used toward the major with Faculty Advisory Committee approval
Proficiency in Russian demonstrated by achieving a B (3.00) average or better for all RUSS coursework taken in World Languages and Cultures

Course Requirements

Foundation (9 credit hours)

World Politics

SISU-105 Introduction to International Studies FA3 (3)

Intercultural Communication

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

SISU-205 Intercultural Communication FA3 (3)
SISU-360 Topics in Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture (3) : Foundations of International Communication

Comparative Politics

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Russian Language (18 credit hours)

18 credit hours from RUSS coursework at or above 300-level

Area Studies (21 credit hours)

Humanities

Complete 15 credit hours, with 12 credit hours at or above 300-level, in humanities coursework, including 3 credit hours from HIST coursework and an additional 3 credit hours of coursework with a strong historical component, from the following or other area studies courses approved by the major advisor:

Social Science

Complete 6 credit hours of social science coursework from the following if not taken to fulfill Humanities, or other area studies courses approved by major advisor:

Capstone (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, other approved coursework in SIS comparative seminar, or topics or seminar course in World Languages and Cultures :

RUSS-488 Capstone Project (3) (topics)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.